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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson
@scottcanderson.bsky.social
2.6K followers 2.3K following 150 posts
Scientist and science writer. Author of The Psychobiotic Revolution with the brilliant scientists John Cryan and Ted Dinan. I write for Psychology Today and New Scientist. Find me at scottcanderson.substack.com
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · 21d
Your amniotic bubble having popped, you become exposed to the world. It’s your big day and everything is cold, dry and infectious. You, of course, are naked. You have no real consciousness yet, and you won't remember this day, but you know enough to cry.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/birth-is-p...
Life Can Start Out Crappy
Birth is full of microbes. That’s how nature planned it.
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · 27d
The idea that beneficial bacteria could be passed down by mothers is shocking to many doctors and scientists, who think that microbes associated with embryos are universally pathogenic. Yet researchers keep finding microbes wherever they look.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/embryos-ar...
Embryos Are Living In a Microbial World
Embryos are full of potential, but very vulnerable. And microbes play a surprising role.
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Sep 5
There is a connection between maternal depression and preterm birth. Surprisingly, even paternal depression can contribute to the preterm risk. However, there are hints that psychobiotic treatment can help minimize this effect.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/a-bed-fit-...
A Bed Fit for an Egg
As an embryo develops, microbes play a mysterious role.
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Aug 29
Reproductive biology is pretty perfunctory when it comes to the male contribution. In many animals, the male is actually optional. If one isn't around, the mother can execute the whole business on her own in a process called parthenogenesis.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/boy-meets-...
Boy Meets Girl
From an awkward and inauspicious meeting of two cells, a miracle happens.
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Aug 22
Studies by John Cryan and Ted Dinan have demonstrated that beneficial microbe can cause epigenetic effects in the brain, favoring the growth of new nerve cells and enhancing cognition. Amazing science!
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/epigenetic...
Epigenetics and Development
If your genes represent the blueprint, epigenetics represent the construction crew.
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Aug 18
The “Mozart Effect” probably doesn’t make you smarter, but it may improve gut microbes, which is arguably stranger.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mood...
Could Mozart Change Your Microbes?
We know music has an impact on our mood, but strangely enough, it also appears to change our gut microbes. Here's what we've learned.
www.psychologytoday.com
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Jul 29
Pregnant women who are stressed can suffer from an impaired microbiome. That can be passed down to their babies, affecting their weight, mood, and attitude, often into their teens or later.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mood...
Pregnant Moms Need Pampering
Pregnant mothers, like all of us, are stressed by modern life. This can have a long-term impact on their kids. Here are some tips for mitigating the stress.
www.psychologytoday.com
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Jul 25
Can a microbe help with postpartum depression? Learn more about a bacterium that improves gut health, soothes the immune system, reduces cortisol and boosts oxytocin.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/can-gut-mi...
Can Gut Microbes Improve Postpartum Depression?
Emerging research suggests that a bacteria found in yogurt could improve maternal mood.
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Jul 18
The gut-brain axis explains the astonishing connections between the microbes that live in your gut and your brain issues, including OCD. When your gut microbes are out of balance, your mood may suffer, and your OCD may worsen.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/ocd-and-th...
OCD and the Gut-Brain Axis
Could Your Gut Flora Be Fueling OCD?
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Jul 7
Stressed moms have higher levels of cortisol, but also lower levels of oxytocin, the “cuddle hormone.” This one-two punch affects rat moms so deeply that they stop licking their pups. In that way, moms transfer stress to their pups.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mood...
Can Gut Microbes Improve Postpartum Depression?
A common microbe, found in yogurt, could improve mothers' moods after birth, research suggests—potentially helping ward off postpartum depression.
www.psychologytoday.com
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Jul 5
Is there is a microbial fingerprint of autism? By analyzing oral microbes, researchers can predict whether or not a child will develop autism with 80 percent accuracy.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/autism-inf...
Autism, Inflammation, and the Gut-Brain Axis
Inflammation may play a surprising role in autistic behavior.
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Jun 25
Got kidney stones? Your gut microbes may have something to do with that.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/even-kidne...
Even Kidneys Have a Microbiome
Good microbes in your kidneys can prevent kidney stones. Bad diet and antibiotics may encourage them.
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Jun 23
What a fecal transplant lacks in dignity, it makes up for in efficacy.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/a-surprisi...
A Surprising Fix for a Personality-Changing Liver Disease
“Our bodies have a finely tuned, built-in detoxifying system: It's called our liver, and it can detoxify our bodies better than any cleanse or fast.” —Harley Pasternak
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Jun 20
Variations in gut microbiome composition may influence drug metabolism, potentially explaining why some patients respond better to treatment than others. It may not be sufficient to test drugs without considering the microbiome.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/is-your-gu...
Is Your Gut Sabotaging Your Meds? Part 1
The state of your gut has a surprising impact on your meds—and vice versa.
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Jun 18
I’ve been stress eating since the election. It turns out that gut microbes play a major role in stress eating. That’s actually great, because we have some control over our microbiome. Ready for some cool science?
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/stress-eat...
Stress Eating and the Microbiome
Can you treat eating disorders with a microbiome-friendly diet?
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Jun 13
Gut microbes play a major role in stress eating. That’s great because we have some control over our microbiome. Want to learn more?
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/stress-eat...
Stress Eating and the Microbiome
Can you treat eating disorders with a microbiome-friendly diet?
scottcanderson.substack.com
scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Jun 6
It’s June 6, and Harvard scientist Kseniya Petrova is still in detention in Louisiana. This is a gift from Trump to Putin and a blow to Harvard and Alzheimer’s research. How can you help?
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/we-are-jai...
We Are Jailing Scientists Now
Scientist Kseniya Petrova has spent 3 months in a detention center in Louisiana. It’s about to get worse.
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Jun 6
Juicing is a health-food staple, but what is it doing to the gut-brain axis?
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/what-juici...
What Juicing Does to Your Brain
Is it time to retire your juicer?
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Jun 3
Food additives may not have a big effect on human biology, but some of them kill beneficial bacteria in the gut. Here’s what to look out for:
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/4-scary-fo...
4 Scary Food Additives
Why you don't keep carboxymethylcellulose in your kitchen.
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · Jun 1
Trump affects your gut-brain axis by stressing you with his flip-flopping. Here are some hacks to help.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/what-trump...
What Trump is Doing to Your Colon
Presidential chaos creates anxiety that can affect your gut microbiome.
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · May 31
It’s May 31, and Harvard scientist Kseniya Petrova is still in detention in Louisiana. This is a gift from Trump to Putin and a blow to Harvard and Alzheimer’s research. A total outrage. Here are some tips to help.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/we-are-jai...
We Are Jailing Scientists Now
Scientist Kseniya Petrova has spent 3 months in a detention center in Louisiana. It’s about to get worse.
scottcanderson.substack.com
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · May 31
As Trump changes his mind on an hourly basis, flinging America around like a dog with a chew toy, we are subject to uncertainty and loss of control. This is a sure path to anxiety and gut issues.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/what-trump...
What Trump is Doing to Your Colon
Presidential chaos creates anxiety that can affect your gut microbiome.
scottcanderson.substack.com
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · May 30
Her Harvard supervisor says Petrova is "spectacular, the best I've ever seen in 20 years at Harvard." Without her, the research has been put on hold. What a victory for the Trump administration.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/we-are-jai...
We Are Jailing Scientists Now
Scientist Kseniya Petrova has spent 3 months in a detention center in Louisiana. It’s about to get worse.
scottcanderson.substack.com
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scottcanderson.bsky.social
Scott C Anderson @scottcanderson.bsky.social · May 30
As Trump changes his mind on an hourly basis, flinging America around like a dog with a chew toy, we are subject to uncertainty and loss of control. This is a sure path to anxiety and gut issues.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/what-trump...
What Trump is Doing to Your Colon
Presidential chaos creates anxiety that can affect your gut microbiome.
scottcanderson.substack.com
1