Health Bulletin

Breastfeeding may pass good bacteria from mom to baby

Breast milk delivers beneficial bacteria from a mother's gut to her baby's digestive system, according to a new study published in the journal Environmental Microbiology.
Researchers found the same strains of several types of beneficial bacteria in breast milk and in mothers' and babies' feces. Strains found in breast milk may help establish a critical nutritional balance in the baby's gut and may be important to prevent intestinal disorders.

Mediterranean diet may lower risk of clogged leg arteries

Older adults who eat a Mediterranean diet may lower their risk of developing painful narrowing of the arteries in the legs, new research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates.
Previous studies showed that Mediterranean diet — rich in olive oil, nuts, fruits and vegetables, whole grains and fish — cut their risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke by about 30 percent over five years. Now the new findings suggest the benefit extends to peripheral artery disease by preventing clogging these blood vessels.