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Gut Flora Disruption in Infancy Linked to Autism & ADHD

The AHA! Team — Thu, 09 May 2024 20:05:19 +0000

Linköping University via News-Medical – Disturbed gut flora during the first years of life is associated with diagnoses such as autism and ADHD later in life. This is according to a study led by researchers at the University of Florida and Linköping University and published in the journal Cell. The study is the first forward-looking, or prospective, study to examine gut flora composition and a large variety of other factors in infants, in relation to the development of the children’s nervous system. The researchers have found many biological markers that seem to be associated with future neurological development disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, communication disorder and intellectual disability. “The remarkable aspect of the work is that these biomarkers are found at birth in cord blood or in the child’s stool at one year of age over a decade prior to the diagnosis,” says Eric W Triplett, professor at the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida, USA, one of the researchers who led the study. 16,000 children born in 1997-1999, representing the general population, have been followed from birth into their twenties The study is part of the ABIS (All Babies in Southeast Sweden) study led by Johnny Ludvigsson at Linköping University. More than 16,000 children born in 1997-1999, representing the general population, have been followed from birth into their twenties. Of these, 1,197 children, corresponding to 7.3 percent, have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, communication disorder or intellectual disability. A large number of lifestyle and environmental factors have been identified through surveys conducted on several occasions during the children’s upbringing. For some of the children, the researchers have analysed substances in umbilical cord blood and bacteria in their stool at the age of one. “We can see in the study that there are clear differences in the intestinal flora already during the first year of life between those who develop autism or ADHD and those who don’t. We’ve found associations with some factors that affect gut bacteria, such as antibiotic treatment during the child’s first year, which is linked to an increased risk of these diseases,” says Johnny Ludvigsson, senior professor at the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences at Linköping University, who led the study together with Eric W. Triplett. Children who had repeated ear infections during their first year of life had an increased risk of being diagnosed with a developmental neurological disorder later in life. It is probably not the infection itself that is the culprit, but the researchers suspect a link to antibiotic treatment. They found that the presence of Citrobacter bacteria or the absence of Coprococcus bacteria increased the risk of future diagnosis. One possible explanation may be that antibiotic treatment has disturbed the composition of the gut flora One possible explanation may be that antibiotic treatment has disturbed the composition of the gut flora in a way that contributes to neurodevelopmental disorders. The risk of antibiotic treatment damaging the gut flora and increasing the risk of diseases linked to the immune system, such as type 1 diabetes and childhood rheumatism, has been shown in previous studies. “Coprococcus and Akkermansia muciniphila have potential protective effects. These bacteria were correlated with important substances in the stool, such as vitamin B and precursors to neurotransmitters which play vital roles orchestrating signaling in the brain. Overall, we saw deficits in these bacteria in children who later received a developmental neurological diagnosis.” -Angelica Ahrens, Assistant Scientist in Eric Triplett’s research group at the University of Florida and first author of the study The present study also confirms that the risk of developmental neurological diagnosis in the child increases if the parents smoke. Conversely, breastfeeding has a protective effect, according to the study. In cord blood taken at the birth of children, the researchers analysed the amounts of various substances from the body’s metabolism, such as fatty acids and amino acids. They also measured some harmful substances that come from outside, such as nicotine and environmental toxins. They compared substances in the umbilical cord blood of 27 children diagnosed with autism with the same number of children without a diagnosis. Children who were later diagnosed had low levels of several important fats in the umbilical cord blood It turned out that children who were later diagnosed had low levels of several important fats in the umbilical cord blood. One of these was linolenic acid, which is needed for the formation of omega 3 fatty acids that are anti-inflammatory and have several other effects in the brain. The same group also had higher levels than the control group of a PFAS substance, a group of substances used as flame retardants and shown to negatively affect the immune system in several different ways. PFAS substances can enter the body via drinking water, food and the air we breathe. It is not certain that the relationships that the research team found in the Swedish children can be generalised to other populations, but these issues need to be studied in other groups as well. Another question is whether gut flora imbalance is a triggering factor or whether it has occurred as a result of underlying factors, such as diet or antibiotics. However, even when the researchers accounted for risk factors that might affect the gut flora, they found that the link between future diagnosis remained for many of the bacteria. This indicates that some of the differences in gut flora between children with and without future diagnosis are not explained by such risk factors. The research is at an early stage and more studies are needed, but the discovery that many biomarkers for future developmental neurological disorders can be observed at an early age opens up the possibility of developing screening protocols and preventive measures in the long term. The study has been funded with support from, among others, JDRF, Horizon Europe, Barndiabetesfonden (the Swedish Child Diabetes Foundation), Forte and the Swedish Research Council. Source: Linköping University Journal reference: Ahrens, A. P., et al. (2024). Infant microbes and metabolites point to childhood neurodevelopmental disorders. Cell. doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2024.02.035. To read the original article click here.

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Want a BETTER Immune System? Find Out What Integrative Physicians Tout as the “Key to Success”

AHA Publisher — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 08:32:33 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – There is nothing particularly attractive or healthful-sounding about the phrase “gut bacteria.” In fact, one could say it sounds fairly unappealing! (Unless you understood what we’ll tell you today.) In truth, gut bacteria – the thriving community composed of trillions of microbes in the digestive tract – just might be the best friend your body never knew it had. Also known as the gut microbiome and the gut flora, this collection of bacteria, viruses, and fungi plays an essential role in regulating digestion, brain function, and mood – and even helps to sustain life itself. Now, a new study shows the amazing extent to which gut bacteria influence the immune system – and even gives rise to hopes that the microbiome could facilitate the success of bone marrow transplants in patients with lethal cancers of the blood. Beneficial Gut Bacteria Can Do Wonders for Your Immune System, New Study Says With 70 percent of the immune system located in the gut, it’s not surprising that the microbiome plays a significant role in immune defense. Studies have shown that gut bacteria actually stimulate the immune system by activating disease-fighting immune cells. But, there’s even more to this story than you can imagine… Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center were curious to see if they could manipulate the composition of the gut flora to improve outcomes for patients. Specifically, they wondered if adding beneficial bacteria to the digestive tract could promote recovery after bone marrow transplant performed as a treatment for leukemia and lymphoma. Because chemotherapy and radiation destroy healthy immune cells as well as cancerous cells, patients are injected with stem cells from a donor’s blood or bone marrow, which eventually allow the patients to produce their own blood cells again. Patients are given antibiotics to protect against infections, but these can destroy “friendly” bacteria along with “bad actors,” causing an overgrowth of dangerous strains. After introducing three strains of “friendly” gut bacteria (Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, and Akkermansia), the researchers evaluated daily changes in the gut bacteria and the number of immune cells in the blood to see if recovery of the immune system was enhanced. Good news: Can you guess what they discovered? The beneficial bacteria were associated with higher blood concentrations of immune cells called neutrophils, which are the first line of defense against invading pathogens. The team also noted that lower concentrations of all-important neutrophils occurred in conjunction with the presence of a pair of undesirable bacteria – Rothia and Clostridium. The scientists speculated that controlling the gut bacteria could lead to ways to make bone marrow transplants safer – and improve treatments for immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases. Look at What the Microbiome Can Do to Regulate Essential Bodily Functions The more researchers study the gut microbiome, the more they reveal its life-sustaining capacities. In fact, scientists are beginning to regard the gut microbiome as an additional body organ, like the brain or the heart. This amazing system can contain 1,000 different bacterial species (although most people have only about 160). In addition to regulating the immune system, the trillions of microbes in the digestive tract promote digestion and produce important hormones, amino acids, and vitamins, including B-complex vitamins and vitamin K. They also regulate metabolism – sometimes in surprising ways. For example, the gut microbiome can help reduce or prevent obesity. In a Cornell University study, scientists found that a certain genetically-determined “fat-burning” bacteria is more common in people with low body weight. Interestingly, introducing the bacteria to the guts of mice caused them to gain less weight. In addition, gut bacteria produce 80 percent of the brain’s neurotransmitters, the “chemical messengers” that help regulate memory, learning, and even emotions. It is also responsible for producing a whopping 95 percent of serotonin – a hormone needed for stable mood and restful sleep. However, for the gut microbiome to function properly, there must be a healthy balance between beneficial bacteria and pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria. And, there must be a diversity of bacteria. Ideally, the gut microbiome features a “big tent.” In other words, the more species involved – the merrier. Researchers have noted that loss of diversity is often accompanied by the domination of a single type of bacteria – and this is usually “bad news.” Lack of diversity and imbalance – also known as dysbiosis – are linked with a wide range of disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, depression, diabetes, and heart disease. Certain undesirable combinations have predictable consequences, with scientists reporting that low amounts of “friendly” Bifidobacterium and higher levels of Candida albicans are linked to eczema, asthma, and allergies. And, in research published in the New England Journal of Medicine, investigators found that having greater diversity in gut bacteria is linked with a better chance of survival after a stem cell transplant. While 35 of 92 patients in the “low bacterial diversity” group died, only 18 of 87 patients in the high-diversity group succumbed. The researchers noted that low bacterial diversity increases susceptibility to transplantation-related death and graft-versus-host disease, in which the donated immune cells attack the recipient’s tissues and cells. Discover TWO Key Aspects of Microbial Balance So how do you keep the microbiome healthy and balanced? Experts advise eating probiotic foods, which promote the survival of beneficial bacteria. Good choices include fermented foods such as kimchi, miso, fresh unpasteurized sauerkraut, yogurt with active cultures, pickles, kombucha, and tempeh. Prebiotics – non-digestible carbohydrates that provide fuel for beneficial bacteria – are another way to encourage microbial balance. Prebiotic foods include asparagus, banana, chicory, garlic, onions, and whole grains. Just remember, when it comes to food choices, pick “organic” – as much as possible. In addition, a 2014 study published in Psychopharmacology, researchers found that prebiotics can help reduce stress and anxiety. Naturally, health experts advise staying away from refined sugars and artificial sweeteners, as both can cause dysbiosis. Aspartame, in particular, increases the number of bacterial strains that are associated with metabolic syndrome – a cluster of unhealthy conditions that includes high blood sugar, insulin resistance, obesity, and high blood pressure. In other words, metabolic syndrome acts as a “launchpad” for diabetes and heart disease. Needless to say, the natural sweetener stevia is a better choice. Managing stress, sleeping well, and a good amount of exercise can help support the microbiome as well. Finally, it’s worth mentioning to avoid unnecessary or excessive use of antibiotics. These drugs can effectively “knock out” strains of beneficial gut bacteria – and the problem may continue for months, long after the course of antibiotics is over. As you know, integrative healthcare providers have long emphasized the importance of the gut microbiome for general health. As this new study suggests, it may also help combat some of the most challenging and formidable diseases of our time. Sources for this article include: MedicalNewsToday.com, MedicalNewsToday.com, NaturalHealth365, NIH.gov To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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Topical Green Tea for Acne and Fungal Infections

AHA Publisher — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 07:00:56 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – Which plant should we use for which skin disease? That’s the topic of my video Natural Treatment for Acne and Fungal Infections. Thousands of studies have been published to date about the health effects of green tea, but it wasn’t until fairly recently that researchers began to look at the possibility of using green tea for the prevention and treatment of infections. Patents have been taken out on the antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties of tea. Let’s review some of the evidence. In terms of fungal infections, green tea compounds have demonstrated “potent antifungal activity” against the primary cause of athlete’s foot, fungal nail infections, jock itch, and ringworm—comparable, in some cases, to powerful antifungal drugs like fluconazole. This was shown in a petri dish, though. How about a green tea footbath for athlete’s foot fungus between the toes? Evidently, tea leaves were once used as a folk remedy for the fungus, so why not put it to the test? Indeed, a once-a-day, 15-minute dilute green tea footbath led to a significant improvement in symptoms compared to controls. Green tea baths also appeared to help with fungus-associated atopic dermatitis, though there was no control group in that study, and a full-strength green tea may help clear candida yeast from poorly cleaned dentures. What about the bacteria that cause plaque and gingivitis? Even a 2% green tea mouthwash was found to be effective. Yes, you should be able to control plaque just with proper brushing and flossing—with an emphasis on “proper.” Most people don’t brush for the recommended four minutes a day, so a dilute green tea mouthwash may help. In terms of plaque bacteria-killing ability, green tea was beaten out by a “garlic with lime mouth rinse,” but I think I’ll just stick to green tea, especially when green tea appears to not only kill plaque bugs directly but also boost the antibacterial capacity of saliva after you drink it. What about green tea for acne? Six weeks of a 2% green tea lotion cut the number of pimples by more than half and significantly reduced the severity, as you can see at 2:48 in my video, making it a cheap, effective treatment for acne. Impetigo is another bacterial skin infection that can affect the face, but a tea ointment can affectan 80 percent cure rate, on par with antibiotics given topically or orally. What about bladder infections? We know a certain concentration of green tea compounds can killthe type of E. coli that causes urinary tract infections. The question then becomes how much tea do you have to drink to achieve those concentrations in your bladder? Not much, it turns out. Just one cup of tea might have an effect, but you may need to space out multiple cups over the day because it gets cleared out of your system within about eight hours, as you can see at 3:45 in my video. So, where do we stand now? The test tube data look promising, but there has yet to be a single study to put it to the test. At this point, green tea should just be used as an adjunct therapy for bladder infections. But, with emerging multidrug-resistant organisms, green tea certainly holdspotential. Wait a moment. If green tea is so good at killing bacteria, might we be killing the good bacteria in our gut when we drink it? No. That’s what’s so amazing. “It has also been shown that green tea has no effect over intestinal flora, which is a great advantage against other bactericidal [bacteria-killing] agents.” But that may not actually be true. Drinking green tea may actually boost the levels of our good bacteria by acting as a prebiotic, thereby improving the colon environment, so it may actually have some effect on our gut flora after all, but it appears to be all good. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Greger click here.

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High-Fat Diet with Antibiotic Use Linked to Gut Inflammation

AHA Publisher — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 07:00:57 +0000

UC Davis Health via Newswise – UC Davis researchers have found that combining a Western-style high-fat diet with antibiotic use significantly increases the risk of developing pre-inflammatory bowel disease (pre-IBD). The study, published July 14 in Cell Host and Microbe, suggests that this combination shuts down the energy factories (mitochondria) in cells of the large intestinal lining, leading to gut inflammation. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects approximately 11% of people worldwide. It is characterized by recurring episodes of abdominal pain, bloating and changes in bowel habits. IBS patients with mucosal inflammation and changes in the gut’s microbial composition are considered pre-IBD. Antibiotic Usage with High-Fat Diet Is a Risk Factor The study included 43 healthy adults and 49 adult patients diagnosed with IBS. The researchers measured fecal calprotectin, a biomarker for intestinal inflammation, of participants. Elevated levels of fecal calprotectin indicated a pre-IBD condition. The study identified 19 patients with IBS as pre-IBD. The researchers found that participants who consumed high-fat diet and used antibiotics were at 8.6 times higher risk for having pre-IBD than those on low-fat diet and no recent history of antibiotic use. Participants with the highest fat consumption were about 2.8 times more likely to have pre-IBD than those with the lowest fat intake. A history of recent antibiotic usage alone was associated with 3.9 times higher likelihood of having pre-IBD. “Our study found that a history of antibiotics in individuals consuming a high-fat diet was associated with the greatest risk for pre-IBD,” said Andreas Bäumler, professor of medical microbiology and immunology and lead author on the study. “Until now, we didn’t appreciate how different environmental risk factors can synergize to drive the disease.” Shutting the Cell’s Powerhouse Promotes Gut Microbial Growth Using mouse models, the study also tested the effect of high-fat diet and antibiotic use on the cells in the intestinal lining. It found that high-fat diet and antibiotics cooperate to disrupt the work of the cell’s mitochondria, shutting its ability to burn oxygen. This disruption caused reduction in cell’s oxygen consumption and led to oxygen leakage into the gut. Higher oxygen levels in the gut promote bacterial imbalances and inflammation. The body’s beneficial bacteria thrive in environments lacking oxygen such as the large intestine. With the disruption in the gut environment, a vicious cycle of replacing the good bacteria with potentially harmful proinflammatory microbes that are more oxygen tolerant begins. This in turn leads to mucosal inflammation linked to pre-IBD conditions. The study also identified 5-aminosalicylate (mesalazine), a drug that restarts the energy factories in the intestinal lining, as a potential treatment for pre-IBD. “The best approach to a healthy gut is to get rid of the preferred sustenance of harmful microbes,” Lee said. “Our study emphasized the importance of avoiding high fat food and abuse of antibiotics to avoid gut inflammation.” To read the original article click here.

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Jordan Rubin: I Recovered My Health Because of Soil-Based Organism Probiotics

AHA Publisher — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 07:00:49 +0000

Jillian Levy, CHHC via Dr. Axe – Your gut health is an essential part of your immune health, and if there’s anyone who knows this firsthand, it’s Jordan Rubin. Before becoming a Founding CEO of Garden of Life and co-founder of Ancient Nutrition, New York Times best-selling author, international motivational speaker and television personality, Jordan went through his own lengthy healing journey. In order to overcome what he was told was an incurable and lifelong illness, Jordan visited over 70 health care providers in seven different countries. Experimenting with hundreds of different medications, herbal supplements and alternative therapies unfortunately didn’t lead to his recovery — but taking an unexpected, and at the time mostly unknown, type of probiotic eventually did. Now that Jordan is well, he has since devoted his life to helping and educating others who are looking for powerful ways to improve their own health. The personal account he’s shared about his battle and triumph over Crohn’s disease has resonated with millions around the world. In his opinion, he mostly has probiotics that contain soil-based organisms (or SBOs), coupled with dietary changes, to thank for his dramatic return to health. Jordan Rubin’s Health Journey In 1993, while thriving as a freshman at Florida State University, seemingly out of nowhere Jordan became sick and gradually developed what would be a slew of debilitating symptoms and illnesses. Within a matter of months, he went from being in top physical shape and having an active social and academic life to frequently feeling wiped out all day. It quickly became his “new normal,” due to serious gastrointestinal issues that continued to worsen. Jordan’s illness first manifested as stomach cramps that had him running to the bathroom several times a day with diarrhea. Towards the beginning of his illness, at one point he alarmingly lost 20 pounds in one week and became noticeably much weaker. His upset stomach was constant, leaving him dehydrated, lacking an appetite and with several concerning nutrient deficiencies. Jordan Rubin, severely underweight after being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Despite being prescribed various antibiotics from a doctor he visited, his condition only worsened, as he began experiencing even more severe gastrointestinal problems, weight loss, fatigue, fevers and poor sleep. While at first in denial about how serious his condition has become, he eventually had no choice but to ask for help. After running a 105 degree fever and admitting to his parents how sick he had become, he was checked into the hospital where he stayed for two weeks, hooked up to a hospital bed with an IV pole attached to each arm so that he could receive intravenous antibiotics and nutrients. The doctors Jordan worked with prescribed antibiotics and antiparasitic drugs that had to be given intravenously for maximum effect, but his body was so overridden by infection that it had become terribly inflamed. As a result, heavy-duty steroid medications that are notorious for causing side effects were also needed. After loads of tests were done, Jordan was finally diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a condition involving the small bowel and proximal colon that causes the intestinal wall to thicken and the bowel channel to narrow, blocking the intestinal tract. The result was abnormal membrane function, including nutrient malabsorption. Doctors informed Jordan that not only did he have one of the worst cases of Crohn’s that they had ever seen, but that he had a variation of the disease that affects only about 1 percent of people with Crohn’s: duodenitis, an inflammation of the duodenum, which is at the beginning of the small intestine. In addition, there was widespread inflammation throughout his large and small intestine that was hard to control. Despite that there is no cure for Crohn’s and that many patients with Crohn’s disease experience frequent and progressive symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea and extreme weight loss, he was determined to get better. His father, a naturopathic doctor, began a trip around the world with Jordan that took them to 70 health practitioners from seven different countries — including medical doctors, chiropractors, immunologists, acupuncturists, homeopaths, herbalists, nutritionists and dieticians. Jordan’s health journey concluded with a visit to a California nutritionist who told him he was not healthy because he was not following God’s health plan. He decided to change his diet to one that included only whole foods consumed in Biblical times: raw, organically grown whole grains, fruits and vegetables, as well as fermented dairy, grass-fed beef and poultry. He also added a daily regimen of probiotics teeming with beneficial bacteria in soil-based organisms. How Probiotics Changed the Game Jordan’s health finally started to improve thanks to his new diet and probiotic plan. He even gained an astounding 29 pounds in 40 days. He was mostly free of the digestive problems that had plagued him for years, and he was ready to reclaim his life and spread the word to others about what finally worked for him. It was clear to Jordan and his family that dysfunction of his gut (gastrointestinal tract) was the real issue, even though he was experiencing symptoms that affected his whole body. Crohn’s disease, a supposedly incurable chronic illness, wreaks havoc on the immune system. The gastrointestinal tract is critical to the body’s immune function because it’s where most of the body’s antibody producing cells reside. Our gut produces about 75 percent of our body’s total immune system cells. Bacterial imbalance in the gut (called dysbiosis) contributed to the breakdown of Jordan’s gut-lining-immune-barrier and fueled the growth of yeast, fungi, parasites and disease-causing bacteria in his body. This promoted the absorption of internally produced toxins, impaired the absorption of essential nutrients and led to widespread inflammation. Jordan believes that there were several contributing factors to the decline in his health that he experienced during his 20s: He ate a mostly high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet at the time, which promoted the growth of “bad bacteria” in his gut that survive on sugary, high-carbohydrate and refined foods that are prevalent in the modern diet. Following his use of numerous antibiotics, it was the bad bacteria that got the head start in repopulating the barren property within his gut. He was in desperate need of “friendly” bacteria, since these were decimated by the large doses of antibiotics that he had taken, yet no supplements he had tried were providing the right type. Today, the majority of people are familiar with probiotic supplements. However, in the 1990s, it was basically a different era as far as natural remedies and supplements are concerned. Much less was known about the effects of different types of probiotics, and many so-called “experts” even flat out recommended against using soil-based organisms at the time due to a lack of knowledge and formal research. Jordan used at least 30 different probiotics during his journey back to health. And all 30 didn’t work. All types that he tried were probiotics derived from lactic acid bacteria, except for one (called Nissle 1917 E. Coli strain, which he took while staying in Germany. Yes, he was willing to try ingesting E.coli if it could potentially help!). While working with one world-renowned probiotic expert and specialist, he was even consuming 1–3 whole bottles per day of expensive probiotic capsules, but still didn’t see results. Soil-Based Probiotics It wasn’t until he came across one particular type of probiotic — which contained soil-based organisms (or SBOs) — that his condition began to go into remission. While working with the previously mentioned nutritionist in California, Jordan’s father gave him a dark-colored powder that contained organisms and minerals to try. Jordan remarked to his father that his new probiotics looked a whole lot like dirt, and his father actually agreed and replied that that’s because they “contain healthy organisms from the soil.” Despite nearly feeling hopeless after failing to find relief from so many different probiotics, he followed his father’s advice and understood that this type could be different. He was willing to stick with this new probiotic to see where it took him. What made these particular probiotics different? They contained soil-based organisms, along with prebiotics and postbiotics. Prebiotics essentially feed the healthy microbes and organisms that we’re in need of, while postbiotics (also called metabolites) are compounds that beneficial microbes create to ensure their own survival. Together, these organisms “condition” our immune systems so that they intuitively know how to protect us. Decades after Jordan’s journey began, there’s now far more research available demonstrating that probiotics containing soil-based organisms (SBOs) can serve as an internal shield and immune booster. These supplements contain nutrients missing from today’s pesticide-sterilized, barren soils. These were living organisms that our ancestors consumed on a regular basis — considering their food, clothes and bodies were “dirty” by today’s standards — but they’ve mostly been wiped out of the diet due to pesticide treatment of America’s farmlands, pasteurization of foods and our current obsession with sanitization. In addition to consuming probiotics with soil-based organisms, Jordan continued to heal and thrive by including fermented and nutrient-dense foods in his daily diet — such as raw goat’s milk in the form of fermented kefir; organically grown free-range or grass-fed meats; natural sprouted or sourdough breads made from whole grains that were yeast-free; organic fruits and vegetables like raw sauerkraut, carrots and other vegetable juices. These are “living” foods that provide beneficial enzymes and microorganisms that are essential for gut and immune health. Within one month of adding the “black powder” to his biblical diet, Jordan experienced newfound energy, went to the bathroom less frequently and continued to persevere, before returning home to Florida at his normal weight, ready to start life again. He is convinced that the combination of the biblical diet and the SBOs restored his health. Once he was finally well, Jordan knew that he had to find a way to distribute the probiotics containing soil-based organisms that had helped him to get well. He started a whole-food nutrition company to help ill and hurting people like himself who were looking for answers. This is one reason he believes that he went through his whole ordeal for a reason. Jordan now says that if he had to boil his message down to one sentence, it would be this: “No matter what health challenges plague you today, there is hope for an answer.” His sickness kicked off a lifelong journey of him studying and coaching others about the importance of eating a whole foods diet (“Maker’s Diet“) and returning to a way of life that’s in tune with nature. If his message about exposing oneself to essential missing microorganisms can help even one person, he considers this a blessing. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Axe click here.

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How to Foster a Healthy Gut Flora

AHA Publisher — Sat, 13 Jun 2020 07:00:58 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – What’s more important: probiotics or prebiotics? And where can we best get them? “Virtually every day we are all confronted with the activity of our intestine, and it is no surprise that at least some of us have developed a fascination for our intestinal condition and its relation to health and disease.” “Over the last years the intestinal microbiota [our gut flora] has been identified as a fascinating ‘new organ’” with all sorts of functions. Well, if the bacteria in our gut make up an entire, separate organ inside our body, what about doing an organ transplant? I discuss this in my video How to Become a Fecal Transplant Super Donor. What would happen if you transferred intestinal bacteria from lean donors into obese subjects? Researchers figured that rebalancing the obesity-causing bacteria with an infusion of gut bacteria from a lean donor might help. They had wanted the study to be placebo-controlled, which, for drugs is easy, because the control subjects can just be given a sugar pill. But, when you’re inserting a tube down people’s throats and transplanting feces, what do you use as the placebo—or poocebo, if you will? Both the donors and the subjects brought in fresh stools, and the subjects were randomized to either get a donor’s stool or their own collected feces. So, the placebo was simply getting their own stool back. What happened? As you can see at 1:32 in my video, the insulin sensitivity of the skinny donors was up around 50, which is a good thing. High insulin sensitivity means a low level of insulin resistance, which is the cause of both type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. The obese subjects started out around 20 and, after an infusion of their own feces, stayed around 20. The group of obese donors getting the skinny fecal infusion similarly started out low but then shot up near to where the slim folks were. It’s interesting that not all lean donors’ stools conveyed the same effect on insulin sensitivity. Some donors, the so-called super-fecal donors, had very significant effects, whereas others had little or no effect, as you can see at 2:02 in my video. It turns out this super-donor effect is most probably conveyed by the amounts of short-chain fatty acid-producing intestinal bacteria in their feces. These are the food bacteria that thrive off of the fiber we eat. The short-chain fatty acids produced by fiber-eating bacteria may contribute to the release of gut hormones that may be the cause of this beneficial, improved insulin sensitivity. “The use of fecal transplantation has recently attracted considerable attention because of its success in treatments as well as its capacity to provide cause–effect relations,” that is, cause-and-effect evidence that the bacteria we have in our gut can affect our metabolism. Within a few months, however, the bacterial composition returned back to baseline, so the effects on the obese subjects were temporary. We can get similar benefits by just feeding what few good gut bacteria we may already have. If you have a house full of rabbits and feed them pork rinds, all the bunnies will die. Yes, you can repopulate your house by infusing new bunnies, but if you keep feeding them pork rinds, they’ll eventually die off as well. Instead, even if you start off with just a few rabbits but if you feed them what they’re meant to eat, they’ll grow and multiply, and your house will soon be full of fiber-eating bunnies. Fecal transplants and probiotics are only temporary fixes if we keep putting the wrong fuel into our guts. But, by eating prebiotics, such as fiber, which means “increasing whole plant food consumption,” we may select for—and foster the growth of—our own good bacteria. However, such effects may abate once the high-fiber intake ceases. Therefore, our dietary habits should include a continuous consumption of large quantities of high-fiber foods to improve our health. Otherwise, we may be starving our microbial selves. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Greger click here.

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