The Fountain of Youth Lies On Top Of Your Heart How the thymus controls health and aging, even into old age.

The thymus is an important gland involved in immunity that is supposed to shrivel up after puberty, along with our pimples and idealism. But what if that isn’t true?
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/the-founta...

Is your gut spiking cortisol at 3 a.m? The gut-brain loop behind "tired but wired”

Why do we wake up at 3AM? Why are we wired, yet tired all the time? The marvelous Kat Fu asks me these tough questions, and I talk about the bizarre microbial connection to these modern problems.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/is-your-gu...

Is your gut spiking cortisol at 3 a.m? The gut-brain loop behind "tired but wired”

Why do we wake up at 3AM? Why are we wired, yet tired all the time? The marvelous Kat Fu asks me these tough questions, and I talk about the bizarre microbial connection to these modern problems.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/is-your-gu...

Gut-Brain-Penis Axis A bizarre new perspective on erectile dysfunction.

Spare a thought for the grad student whose job is to monitor erections in rats. And yet, that dedication may pay off with better, if weirder, treatments.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/gut-brain-...

Adaptogens and the Microbiome The East and the West meet up in the gut microbiome.

Adaptogens are herbs taken to increase endurance or resilience. But what do they do to your microbiome?
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/adaptogens...

Adaptogens and the Microbiome The East and the West meet up in the gut microbiome.

Adaptogens are herbs taken to increase endurance or resilience. Interestingly, they alter the microbiome as well.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/adaptogens...

a woman in a purple scrub top says " yes ! i did it " Alt: a woman in a purple scrub top says " yes ! i did it "

I am thrilled to announce that the Voss Lab will be opening for business Fall 2026 in the Department of Biology @mtsuofficial.bsky.social! It's been a long journey & I am so happy to finally find my scientific home. 🫀🧬🧪
#newPI #womeninstem #AcademicSky

(And yes, we're hiring!)🥼

Adaptogens and the Microbiome The East and the West meet up in the gut microbiome.

I'm a scientist, but Western science doesn’t have all the answers. Sometimes it pays to look Eastward.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/adaptogens...

Gut-Brain-Penis Axis A bizarre new perspective on erectile dysfunction.

Spare a thought for the grad student whose job is to monitor erections in rats. And yet, that dedication may pay off with better, if weirder, treatments.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/gut-brain-...

Exercise Your Microbes, Part 1 We know exercise is good for us. But it’s also good for our microbes.

Take it from a writer: It’s easy to sit on your butt all day. It’s also a surefire way to grow frail and unhealthy. I’ve been humiliating myself this way for years, so you don’t have to.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/exercise-y...

Exercise Your Microbes, Part 2 What kind of exercise is good for your microbes?

Exercise increases your good microbes and improves diversity, thereby improving gut integrity and dialing down inflammation. That’s a lot to like!
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/exercise-y...

Sleeping With Microbes At night, a different batch of gut microbes comes out to party.

Every evening, as the sun goes down, your nocturnal microbes take over the evening shift.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/sleeping-w...

Take Your Microbes for a Walk Your microbes benefit in multiple ways from "forest bathing".

What does walking in the woods do to your gut microbes?
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/take-your-...

Is the Gut-Autism Link Overblown? Researchers have found a link between the gut and autism, but is it real?

No, microbes probably don’t cause autism, but they seem to play a big role in some of the behaviors and attitudes. Check out this science fight:
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/is-the-gut...

How Microbes Affect Longevity Amazingly, tiny gut microbes play an outsized role in how fast we age.

Centenarians have a secret to health they keep deep inside. Are you ready to live to a robust 100?
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/how-microb...

Gut-Brain-Penis Axis A bizarre new perspective on erectile dysfunction.

Spare a thought for the grad student whose job is to monitor erections in rats. And yet, that dedication may pay off with better, if weirder, treatments.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/gut-brain-...

Friends, Lovers, and Microbes We may share more than good times with our friends and lovers.

Friends and lovers don’t just share advice and gossip. Amazingly, they also share microbes.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/friends-lo...

Friends, Lovers, and Microbes We may share more than good times with our friends and lovers.

Friends and lovers don’t just share advice and gossip. Amazingly, they also share microbes.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/friends-lo...

Can Probiotics Reduce Inflammation? Probiotics offer a drug-free way to treat inflammatory, autoimmune, and psychological disorders.

A lot of claims are made for probiotics, but can they really reduce inflammation?
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/can-probio...

Autism, Inflammation, and the Gut-Brain Axis Inflammation may play a surprising role in autistic behavior.

Is there is a microbial fingerprint of autism? By analyzing oral microbes, researchers can predict whether or not a child will develop autism with 80 percent accuracy.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/autism-inf...

Can Probiotics Reduce Inflammation? Probiotics offer a drug-free way to treat inflammatory, autoimmune, and psychological disorders.

Our gut is lined with a delicate layer of cells constantly battered by the pathogens that hitch a ride with each bite of food. The danger of infection is high, and that’s why some 80% of our immune system is concentrated around our digestive system.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/can-probio...

I think we are in the middle of a huge shift in our understanding of our relationships with microbes. When we were kids, they were mostly regarded as harmful. Now we know that they are essential.

Emotional Resilience Emotions have a big impact on our health in times of stress. Use them to your advantage.

Laughing lowers your cortisol levels, resetting the immune system and altering gut microbes which then secrete molecules that further improve your mood.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/emotional-...

Breathing for Stress Relief A simple breathing technique can improve your cortisol levels, boost your resilience, and even help your gut microbiome.

How you breathe can alter cortisol levels, which can lower stress and improve your resilience.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mood...

Trials of the Firstborn It's not easy being the first kid in a family, but at least you get to inoculate your sibs.

Firstborns don’t have the luxury of a tested microbiota, typically passed down via sibling snot, to tutor their naïve immune system. That lack of education leads firstborns to overreact when exposed to new microbes.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/trials-of-...

The Intriguing Connection Between ADHD and Your Gut New research finds that certain gut microbes are associated with ADHD. That's good news, because it means that changing your diet could help you manage your symptoms. Here's what we know.

Gut microbes likely play a role in ADHD, and that’s good news.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mood...

Life Can Start Out Crappy Birth is full of microbes. That’s how nature planned it.

Your amniotic bubble having popped, you become exposed to the world. It’s your big day and everything is cold, dry and infectious. You, of course, are naked. You have no real consciousness yet, and you won't remember this day, but you know enough to cry.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/birth-is-p...

Embryos Are Living In a Microbial World Embryos are full of potential, but very vulnerable. And microbes play a surprising role.

The idea that beneficial bacteria could be passed down by mothers is shocking to many doctors and scientists, who think that microbes associated with embryos are universally pathogenic. Yet researchers keep finding microbes wherever they look.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/embryos-ar...

A Bed Fit for an Egg As an embryo develops, microbes play a mysterious role.

There is a connection between maternal depression and preterm birth. Surprisingly, even paternal depression can contribute to the preterm risk. However, there are hints that psychobiotic treatment can help minimize this effect.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/a-bed-fit-...

Boy Meets Girl From an awkward and inauspicious meeting of two cells, a miracle happens.

Reproductive biology is pretty perfunctory when it comes to the male contribution. In many animals, the male is actually optional. If one isn't around, the mother can execute the whole business on her own in a process called parthenogenesis.
scottcanderson.substack.com/p/boy-meets-...