Articles in: Probiotics & Microbiology

In recent years, research on the topic of microbiology has moved along at an incredible rate, revealing that most every function in the human body relies on the diversity and richness of its beneficial microbes. Such research has taken our understanding of the benefits of probiotics to the next level, suggesting that the business of feeding our good bugs not only affects our digestion, but determines the health of our mood, memory, and countless other processes, among other fascinating discoveries. Read more about Dr. John’s angle on good microbes, probiotics and the Ayurvedic connection in this article category.

Dr. John’s Beauty Secrets for Youthful Skin

by John Douillard on June 29, 2019 | 16 Comments

For years, dermatologists pooh-poohed the idea of vegetable oil on skin, claiming that skin was unable to absorb these oils, and therefore unable to derive any real moisturizing benefits. In Ayurveda, certain oils have been emphasized for thousands of years as crucial nourishment for the skin—just one of the many Ayurvedic beauty secrets that result

How to Choose: Whole Herbs vs Extracts

by John Douillard on June 22, 2019 | 5 Comments

When shopping for herbal supplements, few people realize the differences from one brand to the next. New evidence provides deep insight into the differences between herbal extracts and naturally dried whole-herb products. In fact, while extracts have been considered a more concentrated, and therefore more potent, bang for your buck, it has now been shown

The GENE-ius of Ayurveda

by John Douillard on January 29, 2019 | 6 Comments

We all know that we inherit genes from mom and dad, but did you know that we also collect and incorporate genetic material from the microbes we come into contact with every day? In very exciting new research, as we continue to prove the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda with modern science, it turns out that

The Truth About Oil Pulling

by John Douillard on January 19, 2019 | 34 Comments

In 1986, I arrived in India and remember watching a man bathe in a public fountain—something we don’t typically see in the West. Upon closer inspection, while he was quite intent on rubbing every inch of his body, he was not using soap. He was massaging oil on his body—everywhere—and then, he appeared to drink

Slippery Elm Prebiotic Tea to Restore Gut Health

by John Douillard on January 17, 2019 | 39 Comments

Do you suffer from occasional constipation, loose stools, mucus in the stool, or heartburn? Or are you interested in rebooting your precious gut microbiome? Read on for a combination of Ayurveda, Western science, and my favorite tea to address all these issues and more. The Gut-Brain Axis The gut-brain axis is the relationship between microbes

Cheese: The Good, The Bad, and The Ayurvedic Perspective

by John Douillard on December 6, 2018 | 15 Comments

When we think of cheese, we may imagine cows roaming freely in the Swiss Alps or Europeans picnicking with wine and baguettes. We probably don’t immediately think of Ayurveda. In fact, in general, Ayurveda frowns on the consumption of hard cheeses. But there’s good news: it approves of soft cheeses!7 Fermenting dairy into yogurt, buttermilk,

The Miracle of Ritual

by John Douillard on November 27, 2018 | 4 Comments

What are your rituals? A ritual could be singing a song when you wake up or while you make the bed, lighting a candle or smudging, exercising, reading, writing, saying a mantra, prayer, or blessing before a meal (or any time), opening a bottle of wine, a hot bath with aromatherapy—anything that you routinely do

Ayurveda’s Solutions to Emotional Eating

by John Douillard on November 5, 2018 | 1 Comment

Your sense of taste and smell is hard-wired to the emotional center of your brain, called the amygdala. We have all had the experience of smelling a fragrance and recalling a childhood memory, like the smell of brownies in the oven, or apple pie cooling on the counter. Staggering new research has brought new light

5 Major Causes of Candida & SIBO

by John Douillard on October 20, 2018 | 23 Comments

There are two common kinds of intestinal overgrowth of undesirable bugs. The first most common, Candidiasis, is when the fungus, candida—which naturally occurs in the intestines—decides to overgrow and overtake populations of beneficial bacteria. The second most common type of overgrowth is called Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth or SIBO. This is when bacteria from the

Why You Don’t Need Probiotics Long-Term

by John Douillard on October 9, 2018 | 6 Comments

While the understanding of our own microbiology is still in its infancy, there are a few science-backed takeaways that do make sense. Basically, there are two types of supplemental beneficial bacteria strains (probiotics): transient and colonizing. Transient strains do not adhere to the intestinal wall and are only effective as long as you keep taking

078: Microbes: The Unseen World Around You with Eugenia Bone

by John Douillard on September 10, 2018 | 3 Comments

The complex, rich, and diverse ecological community of microbes within the human body requires special attention, as it has been directly linked to regulating 70 percent of the body’s immune system and most of its physiological functions. The microbiome is just as complicated as it is fascinating! Award-winning science and food writer, Eugenia Bone, went

The Giant Power of Tiny Microbes

by John Douillard on September 10, 2018 | 2 Comments

The air we breathe is here thanks to an ocean-residing, oxygen-releasing bacteria called cyanobacteria. Today, there are more than a million metric tons of these green critters found in every body of water on the planet, and they are still pumping out oxygen for our pleasure. A couple of billion years before the arrival of