{"id":18685,"date":"2016-01-26T23:14:02","date_gmt":"2016-01-27T04:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2016\/01\/your-microbiome-and-you-some-fun-buggy-updates.html"},"modified":"2017-11-29T09:18:18","modified_gmt":"2017-11-29T14:18:18","slug":"your-microbiome-and-you-some-fun-buggy-updates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2016\/01\/your-microbiome-and-you-some-fun-buggy-updates\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Microbiome and You: Some Fun Buggy Updates"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’ve been
\ncollecting lots of fun information on the little
\nresidents that make home in our bellies and line our insides and outsides<\/a>
\n(including in
\nmicrobial clouds<\/a>!). This is due to an upcoming exam I have that includes
\nthe health of our gastrointestinal tract.<\/p>\n

Considering
\nthe impact of these bugs, which outnumber our cells 10:1, the research on their
\nrole on health has been exploding. (By the way, that’s just the bacteria. There’s
\nactually more critters,
\nincluding viruses, that need to be counted<\/a>! We have so much more to learn!)
\nSee this
\nblog<\/a> for all that they can do if you are curious. <\/p>\n

Now, here’s
\nsome more fun facts to help you respect your little trillion tiny friends that you
\nmay not have known you have.<\/p>\n

1. My Microbiome and Me<\/b><\/p>\n

My Microbiome
\nand Me was an amazing application of what researchers found to be true in
\nrodents and then applied to a human. It was like a reverse “Supersize Me, “using
\nprebiotics and a healthy diet to lose weight. The abstract reads:<\/p>\n

\n

In 2004, microbiologists showed a link
\nbetween obesity and gut microbiota in mice. To find out whether that link
\nextended to humans, microbiologist Zhao Liping adopted a regimen involving
\nChinese yam and bitter melon–fermented
\nprebiotic foods that are believed to change the growth of bacteria<\/b> in the
\ndigestive system–and monitored not just his weight loss but also the microbes
\nin his gut. When he combined these prebiotics with a diet based on whole
\ngrains, he lost 20 kilograms in 2 years. His blood pressure, heart rate, and
\ncholesterol level came down. Faecalibacterium
\nprausnitzii–a bacterium with anti-inflammatory properties–flourished,
\nincreasing from an undetectable percentage to 14.5% of his total gut bacteria.
\nThe changes persuaded him to focus on the microbiome’s role in his transformation.
\nHe started with mice but has since expanded his research to humans. [bold emphasis
\nadded]<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

2. A Gut-Brain Connection<\/b><\/p>\n

The role of
\nhow our gut microbiome interacts with environmental factors, including our
\ndiet, is becoming an important concept in psychiatry. A 2015 review reports:<\/p>\n

\n

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: <\/i><\/b>With depressive
\ndisorders the leading source of disability globally, the identification of new
\ntargets for prevention and management is imperative. A rapidly emerging field
\nof research suggests that the microbiome-gut-brain axis is of substantial
\nrelevance to mood and behaviour. Similarly, unhealthy diet has recently emerged
\nas a significant correlate of and risk factor for depression. This review
\nprovides evidence for the gut microbiota as a key factor mediating the link between
\ndiet and depressive illness.<\/i><\/p>\n

RECENT FINDINGS: <\/i><\/b>The development of new
\ntechnologies is affording a better understanding of how diet influences gut
\nmicrobiota composition and activity and how this may, in turn, influence
\ndepressive illness. New interventions are also suggesting the possible utility
\nof pre and probiotic formulations and fermented food in influencing mental
\nhealth.<\/i><\/p>\n

SUMMARY: <\/i><\/b>Although in its early
\nstages, the emerging field of research focused on the human microbiome suggests
\nan important role for the gut microbiota in influencing brain development,
\nbehaviour and mood in humans. The recognition that the gut microbiota interacts
\nbidirectionally with other environmental risk factors, such as diet and stress,
\nsuggests promise in the development of interventions targeting the gut
\nmicrobiota for the prevention and treatment of common mental health disorders.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

3. Exercise for Gut Health<\/b><\/p>\n

A 2014 study
\nin Gut<\/i> reported that athletes had
\nmore diverse microbiomes than controls. Another recent study showed that
\nchildren who exercised had positive effects in their developing microbiome. Science Daily<\/i> writes:<\/p>\n

\n

The research, which was recently
\npublished in the journal Immunology
\nand Cell Biology, indicates that there may be a window of opportunity
\nduring early human development to optimize the chances of better lifelong
\nhealth.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

“Exercise affects many aspects of
\nhealth, both metabolic and mental, and people are only now starting to look at
\nthe plasticity of these gut microbes,” said Monika Fleshner, a professor in
\nCU-Boulder’s Department of Integrative Physiology and the senior author of the
\nnew study. “That is one of the novel aspects of this research.”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

4. Feeding Your Little Friends Has
\nFuture Impacts<\/b><\/p>\n

Eating fiber feeds our little critters. A rodent study found that
\noffspring could be affected by continuing with the unhealthy habits of consuming
\nthe low fiber diet of its parents. Specifically, diversity could not be
\nrecovered if the next generation wasn’t munching on fibers… and that’s bad
\nnews. A diverse gut is a healthy gut. <\/p>\n

5. PPIs
\n(Proton Pump Inhibitors) Harm Gut<\/b><\/p>\n

One study showed that these common drugs used to treat gastrointestinal
\nreflux disease (GERD) could negatively impact the microbiome:<\/p>\n

\n

Results<\/i><\/b>
\nWe identified a significantly lower abundance in gut commensals and lower
\nmicrobial diversity in PPI users, with an associated significant increase in
\nthe abundance of oral and upper GI tract commensals. In particular, significant
\nincreases were observed in Streptococcaceae. These associations were replicated
\nin an independent interventional study and in a paired analysis between 70
\nmonozygotic twin pairs who were discordant for PPI use. We propose that the
\nobserved changes result from the removal of the low pH barrier between upper GI
\ntract bacteria and the lower gut. <\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Conclusions<\/i><\/b>
\nOur findings describe a significant impact of PPIs on the gut microbiome and
\nshould caution over-use of PPIs, and warrant further investigation into the
\nmechanisms and their clinical consequences.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

So treating
\nyour bugs well by feeding them with healthy foods, exercise, and getting to the
\nroot cause of digestive orders to avoid unnecessary medications could have huge
\nimpacts on your health. You can read more on my newly designed website!<\/a><\/p>\n

Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n

Hvistendahl
\nM. My Microbiome and Me. Science.<\/i>
\nJune 8, 2012; 336(6086): 1248-1250.<\/p>\n

Dash S,
\nClarke G, Berk M, Jacka FN. The gut microbiome and diet in psychiatry: focus on
\ndepression. Curr Opin Psychiatry<\/i>.
\n2015 Jan;28(1):1-6. doi: 10.1097\/YCO.0000000000000117.<\/p>\n

Fiore K. Exercise
\nTied to Gut Microbiome Diversity: Being physically fit appears to boost the
\ndiversity of gut bugs, researchers found. MedPage Today. June 9, 2014.<\/p>\n

University of
\nColorado at Boulder. Early-life exercise alters gut microbes, promotes healthy
\nbrain and metabolism. ScienceDaily, 29 December 2015. <\/p>\n

Sonnenburg
\nED, et al. Diet-induced extinctions in the gut microbiota compound over
\ngenerations. Nature.<\/i> January 14,
\n2016; 529: 212-213<\/p>\n

Jackson MA.
\nProton pump inhibitors alter the
\ncomposition of the gut microbiota. Gut.
\n<\/i>December 30, 2015.doi:10.1136\/gutjnl-2015-310861<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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