My Dad and I have been having an off-blog email exchange/ chat about diet and how the gut might be more involved in the mood than people are currently thinking.
Thus, this article caught my attention.
Ingestible gut sensors reveal potential new immune system
Ingestible technology — the stalwart theme of medical sci-fi — has been in the works for decades, but now researchers are closer than ever before to taking it mainstream thanks to successful trials of gas-sensing capsules. The swallowable sensors, designed by RMIT University in Australia, could revolutionize the way gut disorders and diseases are diagnosed and treated, offering a potential game-changer for the one-in-five people worldwide who will suffer from gastrointestinal problems in their lifetimes.
Here is an interesting section.
The capsule is the size of a vitamin pill and works by detecting and measuring gut gas in real time, then sending data to a mobile phone. Trials have uncovered bodily mechanisms never seen before, including what could be an entirely new immune system. “We found that the stomach releases oxidising chemicals to break down and beat foreign compounds that are staying in the stomach for longer than usual,” said study lead and capsule co-inventor Professor Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh. “This could represent a gastric protection system against foreign bodies. Such an immune mechanism has never been reported before.”
Bottom line. Only due to this new tech are we finding out more about the insides of our bodies. The fact that we can do it while alive and kicking is awesome. No stress of surgery or such. Getting data that is timely and relevant to the person with the question.
I’d swallow it and download the app. Sign me up.
