In 2008 a gastroenterologist in Minnesota discovered that he was able to cure one of his patients of a destructive Clostridium difficile infection by transplanting healthy bacteria from her husband’s gut into hers. Clostridium difficile, more commonly known as C. diff, is a bacterial infection that can cause severe diarrhea and inflammation of the colon, but within hours after the beneficial bacteria was transplanted into her colon, the woman’s C. diff infection disappeared—along with her symptoms.

No, it’s not science fiction, just an emerging field of real science that continues to amaze doctors, scientists, and just about everyone in the health care community. And at the heart of it all is something that can’t even be seen with the naked eye—the trillions of microscopic bacteria that have been living in your gut since the day you were born.

The human digestive tract is where more than 70 percent of the body’s natural immune defenses are found. That means it plays a vital role in preserving overall health, and study after study has shown that the good bacteria (called probiotics) can help prevent everything from digestive problems such as irritable bowel and constipation to inflammation-related conditions such as asthma and allergies. Not only that, but the variations between one person’s gut environment and the next can make a big difference when it comes to whether or not they are more prone to certain diseases or conditions throughout life.

While this comes as no surprise to natural health experts—who have been touting the benefits of probiotics and a balanced gut for years—their hope is that it will increase awareness about the benefits of taking a daily probiotic supplement at every age in order to promote lifelong health.

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We already know that a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids from fish is linked to heart health, better digestion and healthy brain function. Now new evidence shows that eating more fish-derived Omega-3s might help lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration, a condition that affects nearly 2 million older adults every year in the United States and causes a loss of vision due to damage to the retina.

Published in the journal Ophthalmology, findings from a recent study conducted at Johns Hopkins University show that older adults who eat one or more servings of fish weekly tend to have lower rates of AMD. Not only that, but regular fish eaters are 60 percent less likely to have advanced AMD than those who consume fish less than once a week. Scientists believe that the natural properties in fish-derived Omega-3s help to nourish and protect the delicate tissues of the eye.

While more research is planned to further investigate the role of Omega-3s and eye health, experts recommend increasing your intake of oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and albacore tuna to get the health benefits of fish-derived Omega-3s. For those who don’t like fish, a daily fish oil supplement provides a great alternative—just remember to look for a highly concentrated formula with lipase, a powerful fat-digesting enzyme that helps your body break down and use the healthy oils.

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