Study: Gut bacteria can cause, predict and prevent rheumatoid arthritis

The bacteria in your gut do more than break down your food. They also can predict susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis, suggests Veena Taneja, Ph.D., an immunologist at Mayo Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine. Dr. Taneja recently published two studies -- one in Genome Medicine and one in Arthritis and Rheumatology -- connecting the dots between gut microbiota and rheumatoid arthritis.