Naked Science Forum
General Discussion & Feedback => Radio Show & Podcast Feedback => Topic started by: thedoc on 20/05/2008 18:42:28
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Come with us on a tour of your body to discover how the bacteria that live on and in you play an important role! Bad breath bacteria, good gut bugs and the ones that escape through the other end all make an appearance, as we find out how bacteria are essential to your health and how probiotics could prevent or even treat asthma and allergies. Plus, we find out how clot busting drugs could treat brain haemorrhages, why pilot whales are the cheetahs of the sea and how a robot could give you a full head of hair. Plus, in a smelly kitchen science we ask if coughs and sneezes can spread diseases, then what about flatulence?
Listen to this Show from our Podcast (http:///HTML/podcasts/show/2008.05.18/)
If you want to discuss this show, or ask a question, this is the place to do it.
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Hello Chris,
After hearing about the possibility that naked farts may spread diseases much like coughing and sneezing, we were wondering if Brittney Spears and Paris Hilton could be considered public health risks since they don't wear anything to filter their exhaust?
Sue and Steve
Cortland, NY, USA
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A comment regarding "probiotics". I have seen reports where they have given newborn children substitute for breast milk and that report showed that the development of the intestinal bacterial flora depends on what types of carbohydrates they add to the substitute. Providing certain types of carbohydrates can select for a flora dominated by "good" bacteria. Lack of these lead to domination of "bad" bacteria. I am afraid I cannot remember what types of carbohydrates that was coupled to what type of bacteria. The risk of inflammation in the intestine was lower if the "bad" bacteria could be avoided, which thus could be done with carbohydrates.
This is a relatively new field of research, sometimes referred to as "prebiotics". One implication is that lack of certain carbohydrates, not necessarily degradable such but could be fibres from fruit and vegetables, could potentially alter the intestinal bacterial flora with an increasing risk of inflammations.
It might be even more true that "you are what you eat".