As we prepare to feast over the holidays and give our digestive systems a workout, there are millions of bacteria at work inside our bodies. Today on River to River, we talk about gut health and the bacteria and parasites that can reside in our digestive system.
In the first half, host Ben Kieffer checks in with Iowa State University's Tim Day, who is researching ways to alter a parasite that infects hundreds of millions of people in developing nations.
Ben also sits down with Patrick Schlievert of the University of Iowa to find out how gut bacteria may influence our decision making, mood, weight, and risk for diseases like diabetes and arthritis.
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Patrick Schlievert - Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology at the UI Carver College of Medicine
