Probiotics, joy and gold medals: The week in Well+Being

In this week’s Eating Lab column, Anahad O’Connor explores the science of a friendly type of bacteria called Akkermansia muciniphila, which is one of the species of bacteria that make up our gut microbiomes. Research suggests that most people have Akkermansia muciniphila in their guts. But some people have more of it than others, and scientists think that having high levels of this microbe can be exceptionally good for your health.

Although Akkermansia muciniphila is one of hundreds of species that make up the gut microbiome, it has garnered unusual scientific interest. One scientific paper last year that explored its health effects called akkermansia the “shining star of the gut flora.” Other researchers have called it a “next-generation” probiotic that has the potential to help alleviate some chronic diseases.

To learn more, read Anahad’s full report.

An exciting Paralympics

It’s been a fun week watching the 2024 Paris Paralympics, and our disability reporter Amanda Morris and sports reporter Roman Stubbs have shared some fantastic stories about the athletes and the sports they play. My favorite story may be the one about Oksana Masters, one of the most-decorated Paralympians.

With 19 medals (she won two golds this summer), Masters’s life in sports has brought her numerous sponsorships, a book deal and, more recently, love — in the form of “Pikesana,” the portmanteau that blends her name with that of Aaron Pike, her fiancé and a Paralympic wheelchair racer and skier.

But Masters has a bigger story to tell. She is living with post-traumatic stress disorder after suffering years of childhood abuse in an orphanage.

“When I got into sport, it was my therapy, it was my way of processing everything,” Masters said. “You cannot just celebrate the pretty side.”

I hope you’ll read the full story about Masters. And here are a few other stories from the Games.

• Goalball — a sport created for those who are blind or have low vision — relies almost entirely on sound.
• Hunter Woodhall’s ecstatic emotions caught the world’s eye after his wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall, won an Olympic gold medal in the women’s long jump. At the Paralympics, their roles were reversed.
• The second-tallest man in the world is dominating the Paralympics. Morteza Mehrzadselakjani of Iran is 8-foot-1 and has been a force in the sitting volleyball tournament in Paris.

Worried about carpal tunnel? These 3 moves can help.

Our columnist is Trisha S. Pasricha, a physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School.

I have a dull ache and tingling in my hands. How do I know if it’s carpal tunnel syndrome? Could it be caused by typing or scrolling?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition affecting the median nerve, which is responsible for sensation in the thumb, index finger, middle finger and part of the ring finger.

If your symptoms seem like they could be due to carpal tunnel, your doctor may have you try a few simple maneuvers to figure it out. A positive result would be if you develop symptoms such as numbness, tingling or aching in the part of the hand innervated by the median nerve.

Read the full story to see the three moves.

Find your joy snack!

Here are a few things that brought us joy this week.

• The week’s best photos. My favorite: alphorn players attempting a world record.
• Bat dog has disastrous minor league baseball debut (but is still a good girl)
• Water buffalo escapes slaughter, evades police, becomes local celebrity
• Woman gives birth in Cape Cod traffic, meets ambulance at nearby Dunkin’
• Black egg donors are rare, so this Londoner helped fill the need
• Abandoned walrus calf is ‘ginormous puppy,’ getting 24/7 care in Alaska

Let’s keep the conversation going. I want to hear from you! Email me at wellbeing@washpost.com. You can also find us on TikTok.

Want to know more about “joy” snacks? Our Brain Matters columnist Richard Sima explains. You can also read this story as a comic.