The eaten exposome: findings in type 1 diabetes

The eaten exposome: findings in type 1 diabetes

The increasing incidence of type 1 diabetes has caused concern in the Western world during recent decades. Type 1 diabetes is an immune-mediated disease and genetics and environment, including diet, microbial infections and other factors, all are suspected to have a role in disease development. Exposure to these non-genetic environmental factors is called the exposome. In…

More friend than foe? Linking food microbiome and human health

More friend than foe? Linking food microbiome and human health

Humans are constantly exposed to different food-associated bacteria depending on the types of products they consume. Even though some bacteria may be pathogenic, recent research has taught us that a healthy balance of diverse bacteria is beneficial to us.1 While unpleasant odor and taste may speak for rotten food and the potential of toxic compounds,…

Satellite data and health research

Satellite data and health research

Research on environmental health is increasingly using satellite data. In addition to studying environmental and climatic changes on Earth, satellite observations have recently been used to track and forecast health consequences and disease outbreaks as well. Satellites broadcast information, for instance, on the level of urban development, air pollution, vegetation, and water quality. Geospatial data…

What’s behind the ‘epidemic of immune-mediated diseases’?

What’s behind the ‘epidemic of immune-mediated diseases’?

Many infectious diseases have dramatically decreased during the last 100 years in developed countries. Meanwhile, epidemiologic statistics indicate an increasing incidence in allergic disorders, like asthma, rhinitis and atopic dermatitis and autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS) and celiac disease.1 As these diseases impact millions of people especially in Western  nations,…

Why do we need birth cohorts?

Why do we need birth cohorts?

Introduction  Health is greatly determined by the exposome, i.e., environmental exposures one is subjected to throughout their lifetime. With the revolution in genetic techniques in the past decades, we have learned a lot about many of the genetic underpinnings of chronic diseases, e.g., genetics behind heart disease, cancer, type 1, and type 2 diabetes etc….