The “Shadow Organ” Often Ignored by Western Medicine, Lifesaving News

The AHA! Team — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 06:12:12 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – Whether you are fat or thin may be a family trait, but not just through the inheritance of poor eating habits and a tradition of second helpings. Before you jump to conclusions, this isn’t your typical story about genetics. If you want to avoid degenerative diseases, I suggest you read this lifesaving news about a “shadow organ” often ignored by Western medicine. Recent research highlights that your gut microbiome – the trillions of microorganisms living in your digestive tract – plays a pivotal role in determining body weight and overall health. A study published in Current Gastroenterology Reports explores how gut bacteria, influenced by genetics and lifestyle, are key contributors to obesity and obesity-related disorders. But here’s the good news: gut microbiota can be modulated. Nonetheless, this isn’t a free pass to skip healthy eating, though. The food you consume directly influences which genes are turned on or off, shaping your gut microbiome and metabolic health. By taking charge of your diet and gut health, you can rewrite the script for your well-being, regardless of genetic predisposition. Conventionally trained physicians need to learn more about the lifesaving value of gut bacteria Known collectively as the microbiome, these trillions of live bacteria found in the human body influence everything from your immune system to your likelihood of developing chronic degenerative disease. These families of bacteria weigh about four pounds and actually outnumber the amount of cells in the body. The size and weighty influence of these collective bacteria are so significant that some scientists have begun thinking of the microbiome as a “shadow organ” of the human body. With advanced gene technologies being developed, this extra organ is getting greater attention from scientists worldwide. New study: How genes are connected to obesity In one study, scientists from Cornell University joined with researchers at King’s College London to sequence genes of microbes derived from more than 1,000 fecal samples of over 400 pairs of twins. Twins were used in the research because of their similar gene makeup. Scientists found that identical twins, whose genes are 100 percent the same, shared greater numbers of specific microbial families in the intestinal tract compared with non-identical twins, who share only half their genes. These findings provide clear evidence that genes are a major determining factor in the composition of the gut’s microbial makeup. This microbial composition can influence a host of health factors, including digestion, metabolism and even mood, as well as act as a cause of obesity. In their published findings, the scientists conclude that identifying bacterial families more prevalent among thin people could hold the key to customized probiotic treatments that exploit healthy traits and lead to weight loss. Emerging weight loss treatment plans When transplanted into mice, those microbes found predominantly in thin people were found to actually slow weight gain, suggesting that identification of the exact genetic composition of gut bacteria could hold the key to future weight loss treatments. Exploiting health-related bacteria families may, one day, be as common of an approach to wellness as exercise and a healthy diet. These genetic findings may also change how the medical community and the general population approach issues of obesity. More than one-third of United States adults are obese This is truly exciting information – when you consider the fact that more than one-third of United States adults are obese, and millions suffer from obesity-related conditions, including heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes, and many forms of cancer – which lead to premature death. Hopefully, with the help of independent scientists and holistically-minded educators, we’ll achieve critical mass (soon) about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and implementing safer solutions for the obesity crisis before it’s too late for our society. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov Cell.com MedicalDaily.com Cornell.edu AnnualReviews.org To read the original article click here.

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Switching to a Balanced Diet Restores Gut Health and Suppresses Skin Inflammation

AHA Publisher — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 07:00:28 +0000

University of California – Davis Health via News-Medical – The secret to healthier skin and joints may reside in gut microorganisms. A study led by UC Davis Health researchers has found that a diet rich in sugar and fat leads to an imbalance in the gut’s microbial culture and may contribute to inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis. The study, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, suggests that switching to a more balanced diet restores the gut’s health and suppresses skin inflammation. “Earlier studies have shown that Western diet, characterized by its high sugar and fat content, can lead to significant skin inflammation and psoriasis flares. Despite having powerful anti-inflammatory drugs for the skin condition, our study indicates that simple changes in diet may also have significant effects on psoriasis.” Sam T. Hwang, professor and chair of dermatology at UC Davis Health and senior author on the study What Is Psoriasis? Psoriasis is a stubborn skin condition linked to the body’s immune system. When immune cells mistakenly attack healthy skin cells, they cause skin inflammation and the formation of scales and itchy red patches. Up to 30% of patients with psoriasis also have psoriatic arthritis with symptoms such as morning stiffness and fatigue, swollen fingers and toes, pain in joints and changes to nails. Diet Affects the Microbial Balance in the Intestines and Skin Inflammation Food is one of the major modifiable factors regulating the gut microbiota, the community of microorganisms living in the intestines. Eating a Western diet can cause rapid change to the gut’s microbial community and its functions. This disruption in microbial balance – known as dysbiosis- contributes to gut inflammation. Since bacteria in the gut may play key roles in shaping inflammation, the researchers wanted to test whether intestinal dysbiosis affects skin and joint inflammation. They used a mouse model to study the effect of diet on psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. They injected mice with Interleukin-23 (IL-23) minicircle DNA to induce a response mimicking psoriasis-like skin and joint diseases. IL-23 is a protein generated by the immune cells responsible for many inflammatory autoimmune reactions, including psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Hwang and his colleagues found that a short-term Western diet appears sufficient to cause microbial imbalance and to enhance susceptibility to IL-23?mediated psoriasis-like skin inflammation. “There is a clear link between skin inflammation and changes in the gut microbiome due to food intake,” Hwang said. “The bacterial balance in the gut disrupted shortly after starting a Western diet, and worsened psoriatic skin and joint inflammation.” One critical finding of their work was identifying the intestinal microbiota as a pathogenic link between diet and the displays of psoriatic inflammation. The study also found that antibiotics block the effects of the Western diet, reducing skin and joint inflammation. Is the Damage Caused by an Unhealthy Diet Reversible? The researchers wanted to test if switching to a balanced diet can restore the gut microbiota, despite the presence of IL-23 inflammatory proteins. They fed mice a Western diet for six weeks before giving them an IL-23-inducing agent to trigger psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis features. Then, they randomly divided the mice into two groups: a group that continued the Western diet for another four weeks and a group that switched to a balanced diet for the same duration. Their study showed that eating a diet high in sugar and fat for 10 weeks predisposed mice to skin and joint inflammation. Mice that were switched to a balanced diet had less scaling of the skin and reduced ear thickness than mice on a Western diet. The improvement in skin inflammation for mice taken off the Western diet indicates a short-term impact of the Western diet on skin inflammation. This suggests that changes in diet could partially reverse the proinflammatory effects and alteration of gut microbiota caused by the Western diet. “It was quite surprising that a simple diet modification of less sugar and fat may have significant effects on psoriasis,” said Zhenrui Shi, visiting assistant researcher in the UC Davis Department of Dermatology and lead author on the study. “These findings reveal that patients with psoriatic skin and joint disease should consider changing to a healthier dietary pattern.” “This work reflects a successful collaboration among researchers, especially with Professor Satya Dandekar and her team at the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and Professor Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan at the Department of Medical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine,” Hwang said. To read the original article click here.

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The “Shadow Organ” Often Ignored by Western Medicine, Lifesaving News

Switching to a Balanced Diet Restores Gut Health and Suppresses Skin Inflammation