Hungry after a long day, you reach for that takeout container of fried rice from where it’s been sitting on your counter for the last four days. But a few hours later, you’re in trouble—at least, your stomach is. The culprit behind your food poisoning is a bacterium called Bacillus cereus (or B. cereus ) , which was hidden in the grains of rice you’d eagerly consumed. Rice left out at room temperature, like the container you just ate, can become unsafe to eat due to bacteria

Known as the ‘second brain’, the gut plays many roles in the body from controlling functions like swallowing to impacting mood. A huge part of it is the gut microbiome. Thought of as a virtual organ because of its importance, the gut microbiome is a complex system of over a 100 trillion living microorganisms. These microscopic organisms can reflect not just the stomach’s health, but the health of the entire body ( Feed Your Gut , 2021) . Figure 1. A diagram of the various phy

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that is indigestible. Unlike other carbohydrates, which are broken down into glucose, fiber passes through the body mostly intact (The Nutrition Source, 2022) . But if we can’t break down fiber, then what does it do? Furthermore, if our own digestive system cannot metabolize fiber, then what does? Types of Fiber There are two different types of fiber, each with its own purpose in the body. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and becomes a gel, slo