NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF MEDICINE

FERMENTED FOODS MAY REDUCE STRESS

- Samantha Rideout

The trillions of bacteria that live in your gut influence how your digestive system communicates with your brain-a fact that prompted Irish scientists to investigate whether our eating habits could influence our mental health.

In their recent 45-person study, half the participants received healthy-eating advice. The other half adopted a diet high in fibre, grains and legumes, and featuring two to three daily servings of fermented foods such as sauerkraut or kefir. After four weeks, the latter group felt less stressed. They also showed lower levels of chemicals that are produced by gut microbes and have been linked to mental health.

A Potentially Dangerous Drug Combo

Ibuprofen and codeine are commonplace painkillers, so people might assume there's no harm in taking both at the same time. Even doctors may recommend that patients combine them for chronic-pain management or postsurgical recovery.

However, the European Medicines Agency now requires a warning on any packages that contain both of these medicines: it turns out that combining them at high doses or for a prolonged period of time could lead to kidney or gastrointestinal damage.

For example, there have been several cases of renal, gastrointestinal and metabolic toxicities across Europe, some of which were fatal. Most were from countries in which this combination is available without a prescription, suggesting that medical supervision can lower its risks.

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