How Your Gut Microbes Survive When You're Too Sick to Eat

A bout of the flu can cause even the biggest foodie to abandon the kitchen and forgo regular meals. This change in diet not only affects the waistline, but also starves the good bacteria dwelling in the gut. But, according to a new study, this fast isn't fatal to the body's microbiota because of a clever trick the intestines perform: producing sugars to sustain their resident microbes. No Food, No Problem When ill, the body uses a lot of energy to fight off infection. A decreased appetite