Microplastics can cause depression and anxiety. But the plastics rarely make it to the brain, according to a new study. Instead, they accumulate in the gut. So what gives? scottcanderson.substack.com/p/can-gut-mi...

Microplastics can cause depression and anxiety. But the plastics rarely make it to the brain, according to a new study. Instead, they accumulate in the gut. So what gives? scottcanderson.substack.com/p/can-gut-mi...

What does walking in the woods do to your gut microbes? scottcanderson.substack.com/p/take-your-...

The first organ stop after digestion is the liver where rogue microbes can raise a ruckus and alarm the brain. The brilliant Dr. Hirsh Trivedi joins me for an exploration of the gut-brain-liver axis. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/the-gut-li...

Coffee can reduce anxiety and psychological stress. It even lowers inflammation. That is courtesy of our gut microbiome, which also adores a morning jolt of joe. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/your-gut-m...

The inflammatory molecule interleukin-6 is elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of people who attempt suicide. Intriguingly, the levels are even higher among those who chose more violent methods. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/a-microbia...

The inflammatory molecule interleukin-6 is elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of people who attempt suicide. Intriguingly, the levels are higher among those who chose more violent methods. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/a-microbia...

The first organ stop after digestion is the liver where rogue microbes can raise a ruckus and alarm the brain. The brilliant Dr. Hirsh Trivedi joins me for an exploration of the gut-brain-liver axis. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/the-gut-li...

Fecal transplants are like organ transplants, but with slightly less dignity. Could they cure disease, help us lose weight, and improve our mood? scottcanderson.substack.com/p/yes-fecal-...

The first stop after digestion is the liver where microbes can raise a ruckus and alarm the brain. The brilliant Dr. Hirsh Trivedi joins me for an exploration of the gut-brain-liver axis. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/the-gut-li...

The thymus is an important gland involved in immunity that is supposed to shrivel up after puberty, along with our pimples and idealism. But what if that isn’t true? scottcanderson.substack.com/p/the-founta...

Why do we wake up at 3AM? Why are we wired, yet tired all the time? The marvelous Kat Fu asks me these tough questions, and I talk about the bizarre microbial connection to these modern problems. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/is-your-gu...

Why do we wake up at 3AM? Why are we wired, yet tired all the time? The marvelous Kat Fu asks me these tough questions, and I talk about the bizarre microbial connection to these modern problems. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/is-your-gu...

Spare a thought for the grad student whose job is to monitor erections in rats. And yet, that dedication may pay off with better, if weirder, treatments. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/gut-brain-...

Adaptogens are herbs taken to increase endurance or resilience. But what do they do to your microbiome? scottcanderson.substack.com/p/adaptogens...

Adaptogens are herbs taken to increase endurance or resilience. Interestingly, they alter the microbiome as well. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/adaptogens...

I am thrilled to announce that the Voss Lab will be opening for business Fall 2026 in the Department of Biology @mtsuofficial.bsky.social! It's been a long journey & I am so happy to finally find my scientific home. 🫀🧬🧪 #newPI #womeninstem #AcademicSky (And yes, we're hiring!)🥼

I'm a scientist, but Western science doesn’t have all the answers. Sometimes it pays to look Eastward. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/adaptogens...

Spare a thought for the grad student whose job is to monitor erections in rats. And yet, that dedication may pay off with better, if weirder, treatments. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/gut-brain-...

Take it from a writer: It’s easy to sit on your butt all day. It’s also a surefire way to grow frail and unhealthy. I’ve been humiliating myself this way for years, so you don’t have to. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/exercise-y...

Exercise increases your good microbes and improves diversity, thereby improving gut integrity and dialing down inflammation. That’s a lot to like! scottcanderson.substack.com/p/exercise-y...

Every evening, as the sun goes down, your nocturnal microbes take over the evening shift. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/sleeping-w...

What does walking in the woods do to your gut microbes? scottcanderson.substack.com/p/take-your-...

No, microbes probably don’t cause autism, but they seem to play a big role in some of the behaviors and attitudes. Check out this science fight: scottcanderson.substack.com/p/is-the-gut...

Centenarians have a secret to health they keep deep inside. Are you ready to live to a robust 100? scottcanderson.substack.com/p/how-microb...

Spare a thought for the grad student whose job is to monitor erections in rats. And yet, that dedication may pay off with better, if weirder, treatments. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/gut-brain-...

Friends and lovers don’t just share advice and gossip. Amazingly, they also share microbes. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/friends-lo...

Friends and lovers don’t just share advice and gossip. Amazingly, they also share microbes. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/friends-lo...

A lot of claims are made for probiotics, but can they really reduce inflammation? scottcanderson.substack.com/p/can-probio...

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...

Our gut is lined with a delicate layer of cells constantly battered by the pathogens that hitch a ride with each bite of food. The danger of infection is high, and that’s why some 80% of our immune system is concentrated around our digestive system. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/can-probio...

I think we are in the middle of a huge shift in our understanding of our relationships with microbes. When we were kids, they were mostly regarded as harmful. Now we know that they are essential.

Laughing lowers your cortisol levels, resetting the immune system and altering gut microbes which then secrete molecules that further improve your mood. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/emotional-...

How you breathe can alter cortisol levels, which can lower stress and improve your resilience. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mood...

Firstborns don’t have the luxury of a tested microbiota, typically passed down via sibling snot, to tutor their naïve immune system. That lack of education leads firstborns to overreact when exposed to new microbes. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/trials-of-...

Gut microbes likely play a role in ADHD, and that’s good news. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mood...

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...

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...

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-...

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-...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Got kidney stones? Your gut microbes may have something to do with that. scottcanderson.substack.com/p/even-kidne...