Good bugs, bad bugs.Kudos for "Our Microbes, Ourselves" (SN: 5/19/07, p. 314). I think this holistic Holistic A practice of medicine that focuses on the whole patient, and addresses the social, emotional, and spiritual needs of a patient as well as their physical treatment. Mentioned in: Aromatherapy, Stress Reduction, Traditional Chinese Medicine view of the microbe microbe /mi·crobe/ (mi´krob) a microorganism, especially a pathogenic one such as a bacterium, protozoan, or fungus.micro´bialmicro´bic mi·crobe n. community--rather than investigating the single organism--offers a hopeful path to numerous insights for preventive measures for optimum health. TERRY MOORE, CORVALLIS, ORE. The article states, "Mice bred to be obese o·bese adj. Extremely fat; very overweight. obese characterized by obesity. obese adjective Characterized by obesity, see there; excessively fat had a larger proportion of Firmicutes and a smaller proportion of Bacteroidetes than their lean counterparts did." Later, you wrote, "Sure enough, as individuals of both groups lost weight, the proportion of Firmicutes in their guts gut n. 1. a. The alimentary canal or a portion thereof, especially the intestine or stomach. b. The embryonic digestive tube, consisting of the foregut, the midgut, and the hindgut. 2. rose, while the proportion of Bacteroidetes dropped." On the surface, this seems contradictory. MIKE SPECINER, ACTON, MASS. The second quoted passage from the story had it backward. It should have read, "The proportion of Bacteroidetes in their guts rose, while the proportion of Firmicutes dropped."--A. GOHO |
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