Gut Bugs and Weight Update
A new
critter is in town! Well, it’s not new, but he’s making headlines! It’s called Akkermansia
muciniphila , a microbe that makes up 3 percent to 5 percent of your belly
bugs. A. muuciniphilia is linked to a
diet high in fiber and is also associated with lower levels of blood sugar,
insulin and fats. These are all factors which help ward off obesity, diabetes,
and heart disease. According to HealthDay News:
It’s possible that among the millions
of bacteria living in your gut, at least one microbe might change how your body
processes food and affect your weight,… (June 23, 2015)
It may not
be just about Mr. A. muciniphilia.
Many other studies are also proving that we are what our microbes eat! More and
more researchers are discovering that dietary changes, such as incorporating
fiber, fermented foods, and optimal macro-nutrient content, will alter the
balance of our gut bugs and favorably modulate wellness.
Furthermore, no two
critter populations in any human are the same! This means eating a healthy, varied,
whole, organic diet can lead to happier and more diverse gut bugs. This simple (maybe not easy) action step will
translate to a thinner waistline and decreased disease risk!
Some more
fascinating news on bugs are below.
The Nasal Microbiome!
The gut gets
all the attention, but it turns out bugs in other orifices make a big difference
in our health as well. According to Science Daily:
The study, published in the AAAS
journal Science Advances,
suggests that a person’s environment is more important than their genes in
determining the bacteria that inhabit their noses. The study also suggests that
some common nasal bacteria may prevent Staph colonization. (Science Daily, June
4, 2015)
The Ocular Microbiome
Similarly,
our eyes have critters that keep bad buggers away. However, contact lens
wearers may be more prone to upsetting their balance:
In a study report on their work to be
presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology on May
31 in New Orleans, NYU Langone researchers say they have identified a diverse
set of microorganisms in the eyes of daily contact lens wearers that more
closely resembles the group of microorganisms of their eyelid skin than the
bacterial grouping typically found in the eyes of non-wearers. Specifically,
the NYU Langone team found that the eye surface, or conjunctiva, has
surprisingly higher bacterial diversity than the skin directly beneath the eye
and three times the usual proportion of Methylobacterium, Lactobacillus,
Acinetobacter, and Pseudomonas bacteria in the eyes of the study’s nine contact
lens wearers than is typically found on the surface of the eyeballs of 11other
men and women in the study who did not wear contact lenses. (NYU, May 27, 2015)
What does
this translate to?
We can eat a
healthy diet to help the health of our microbiome and we need to honor our
critters in every area of our body as well.
Bonus:
The Gut-Brain-Lymph Connection!
This study
may not be making headlines as often as gut bugs, but watch out world, the
lymph system is here to stay! I want to include this update here so you have a
heads-up on what may the next microbiome madness-like news:
In a stunning discovery that
overturns decades of textbook teaching, researchers at the University of
Virginia School of Medicine have determined that the brain is directly
connected to the immune system by vessels previously thought not to exist. That
such vessels could have escaped detection when the lymphatic system has been so
thoroughly mapped throughout the body is surprising on its own, but the true
significance of the discovery lies in the effects it could have on the study
and treatment of neurological diseases ranging from autism to Alzheimer’s
disease to multiple sclerosis.
(Science Daily, June 2015/Nature)
Additional Sources:
Dallas, ME.
WebMD News from HealthDay. Diet Changes Can Alter Gut Bacteria, Study Says:
Researchers monitored stool samples of two people for a year. July 25, 2014.
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/news/20140725/diet-changes-can-alter-gut-bacteria-study-says?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Metabolomics
view on gut microbiome modulation by polyphenol-rich foods. J Proteome Res. 2012 Oct 5;11(10):4781-90. doi:
10.1021/pr300581s. Epub 2012 Sep 6.
Up-regulating
the human intestinal microbiome using whole plant foods, polyphenols, and/or
fiber. J Agric Food Chem. 2012 Sep
12;60(36):8776-82. doi: 10.1021/jf2053959. Epub 2012 Jun 12.
Tillisch K,
Labus J, Kilpatrick L, Zhiguo J, Stains J, Ebrat, B, et al. Consumption of
Fermented Milk Product With Probiotic Modulates Brain Activity. Gastroenterology.
2013; 144 (7): 1394-1401