microbiome

Firmiculates Bacteria in the Gut and Pollutants in Your Diet

July 12, 2015 by James Bogash

microbiome and glutamine — abhijith3747 / Dollar Photo Club

Gut bacteria and your health. The microbiome. These strange bedfellows play a massive role in our health and yet we know so little about how to positively impact our microbiome using lifestyle and supplementation.

Luckily, it seems like weekly there are new studies published that help to fill in the major gaps in our understanding of this relationship. One thing that remains clear is that the types of bacteria acting as King of the Hill makes a big difference in your long term health. Firmicutes is a class of bacteria that is generally considered anti-diabetic, anti-obesity and an overall good guy.

Bacteroidetes, on the other hand, is on the other end of the scale, increased the risk of obesity and diabetes. It is far more common in Westernized societies while Firmicutes is found in higher levels in hunter-gatherer populations.

This is where the solidity in understanding what goes on in our microbiome stops, although it does seem like we are getting a better and better idea of how to change this bacteria in our gut to a more friendly neighbor. Diet, of course, plays a major role. Avoidance of antibiotics in all except the most necessary of conditions is a major factor in destroying your microbiome. Stress can change the character of your microbiome in a matter of minutes.

Other, less obvious factors can include certain amino acids. A recent article on glutamine demonstrated just how powerful a single amino acid could be at making positive changes in your microbiome. Another study found positive effects using cranberry extracts. And I’m sure there’s a bunch more I’ve missed.

But while you’re busy positively affecting your microbiome with cranberry-flavored glutamine powder, you have to remain vigilant to the environment in which we live. I have stated before that we live in a toxic soup that most of us blissfully swim through without being aware. Or maybe you are one of the enlightened ones. Maybe you stick to organics for the produce found on the Dirty Dozen list. Maybe you didn’t buy a mattress after July 2007 due to the increase in flame resistance standards and the chemicals required to withstand a Bunsen burner.

Maybe you even ditched your non-stick cookware and you would never dream of drinking out of a plastic water bottle.

If this describes you, then you’re going to feel vindicated in front of all of those friends who called you a hippie and a health freak. In this particular article, researchers looked at the effects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on the microbiome. In this mouse study, researchers exposed the animals to a specific POP called 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF). This compound is sometimes referred to as a dioxin (although it is better described as dioxin-ish) and we are typically exposed to it through the food we eat.

Most common exposures are through diet and, more specifically, animal products. This is because, like heavy metals, animals cannot get rid of persistent organic pollutants so they just keep getting concentrated up the food chain. This makes it very difficult to actually avoid exposure to POPs, although there are things you can do to reduce your exposure. More on that in a bit.

In the study, mice were given a high dose of TCDF along with their food for five days. The dose was 1,000 times the level that we are normally exposed to TCDF in our food supply, but the levels are in line with high dose occupational exposures. Here’s what they found:

There was a shift in the gut microbiota Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (not good).
There changes in bile acid metabolism.
The TCDF triggered inflammation and changed the way the liver was handling and storing both fat and glucose.

Granted, the levels of exposure were very high, but in a linked editorial, it was noted that further studies at dosages more in line with human exposures are showing the same types of negative changes in the gut microbiome.

So what can you do? While you cannot avoid exposure completely, here are some tips:

Considering that POPs are retained in animal tissues, living a vegetarian, vegan or plant-based lifestyle will lower your risk.
If you do consume animal products, it would make sense that organic sources of food would have lower levels of POPs.
Lifestyle choices that promote growth of Firmicutes (as noted above) can counteract the chemical exposure-related changes.

For me, one of the scariest and most insightful things that I glean from studies like this is that so many of the negative consequences of our lifestyle choices are mediated through the gut bacteria. Just how much of a role do these bacteria play? In other words, it is well established that chemical compounds like POPs are associated with diabetes and obesity and certain cancers. But is it the actual chemical compounds themselves causing problems internally, or is it that these chemicals are altering the gut microbiome and THIS is how these chronic conditions are created?

I’m sure it is a combination of the two, but what does this say about the importance of maintaining a good, solid, healthy microbiome? Personally, I think it says everything.

Cranberry; And You Thought it was Just Good for UTIs

June 13, 2015 by James Bogash

cranberries and the microbiome — Photo courtesy of http://www.freeimages.com/profile/Keira

It’s pretty much common knowledge that cranberry is good for urinary tract infections. But, just like many other food items, the benefits extend far beyond this.

Let’s face it, though, the berries, as a group, have powerful benefits. Blueberries, strawberries, lingonberries, cranberries. Berries pack a pretty powerful phytonutrient (plant-based protective compound) punch.

And this benefit is across chronic conditions. From cancer to diabetes to heart disease. The studies are quite numerous and consistent. And let’s face it—berries are not too painful to add into a healthy lifestyle.

Sometimes, though, with natural approaches, the way the approach is working may be far outside the realm of what we think it is doing. As an example, when it comes to cranberries, I generally think about the antioxidant / protective compounds the are found in the berries and how they can protect against damage at the cellular level.

In addition, the sugar alcohol (d-mannose) found in cranberries is absorbed into your body but not used. As a result, the d-mannose shows up in the urine where it helps to wash out bacteria present in the urinary tract to provide the well-known benefit for urinary tract infections.

But what if there is something more going on? Something that may have to do with, say….the gut?

Regular readers of the blog know how much I revere any knowledge that can help me understand more about how the microbiome (gut bacterial population) affects health and how I can help patients positively affect their gut.

Which brings us to this particular study. In it, researchers evaluated the effect of a cranberry extract on the gut bacterial flora in a group of mice who were fed a high-fat, high-sugar, pro-diabetic diet. Here’s what they found:

The cranberry extract slowed down the expected weight gain and abdominal obesity.
Cranberry treatment, led to less triglyceride accumulation.
The extract protected against liver oxidative stress and inflammation (the liver weight was less).
Insulin action was improved (improved insulin tolerance, lower HOMA of insulin resistance and decreased glucose-induced hyperinsulinaemia during an oral glucose tolerance test).
There was less intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress.
But, despite all of this, the most interesting finding was that there was a marked increase in the bacterium Akkermansia.

Akkermansia?

Isn’t that just south of Istanbul?

Akkermansia muciniphila is a relatively newly-discovered bacteria present in the gut that has a unique ability to break down mucin. Mucin is a mucous-like compound that lines the entire gastrointestinal tract. Mucin can provide protection to the cells lining the gut, but it can also protect nasty bacteria in your gut that hide behind a layer of mucin from protection.

More importantly, as we see in this study, A. muciniphila seems to have a pretty potent anti-diabetic effect on the organism that it thrives in. So, based on this study, it would seem that cranberry, as both the fruit and the extract, may give you the ability to fight off weight gain and diabetes. Pretty cool.

One quick note: If you choose to use real cranberries, absolutely avoid the sugared-up, sunflower coated variety. See if you can find straight-up cranberries. If this isn’t your speed, you can always check out what your local chiropractic-nutritionist or Amazon has to offer.

Gut Bacteria Insights: Simple Amino Acid Changes Your Microbiome

June 7, 2015 by James Bogash

Regular readers of this blog will know that I consider the gut bacteria as one of the most important factors to do with health.

Probiotics showed up in the medical literature some 107 years ago (1908 to be exact). To date, few physicians have any idea just how important the relationship is with the bacteria in the gut. And until the discussion moves from antibiotics causing antibiotic resistance to destruction of bacterial gut flora the story will not change.

To put this in a visual perspective, imagine your doctor busy fidgeting with a leaky faucet while, in the background, he or she is completely unaware of the tsunami wave from Sri Lanka rising up not 100 yards to the doctor’s back.

It’s that bad.

Consider this. As someone who has read on the range of 120 medical journals per month for the past 15+ years, I realize that the amount of information that has emerged in the past 5 years on the microbiome is massive. Daunting.

And the more I learn, the less I realize that I understand. Great.

As a result, I’m always looking for studies that can enhance my understanding of, not just the relationship between the bacteria in our gut and chronic disease, but how can lifestyle choices, exercise and supplements all modify the makeup of the bacteria favorably. With that in mind, here’s the overview of what we already know.

The bacteria in your gut (now termed the “microbiome”) is related to everything. Yes, EVERYTHING.
Diversity seems to be incredibly important. You need a wide variation in the bacterial types in your gut. Hundreds and hundreds if not a thousand different types.
Antibiotics WIPE OUT bacterial diversity in the gut. After a single course of antibiotics your gut has not recovered TWO years later. In most of use, your gut may never recover.
There have been four major “families” of bacteria that have been identified. The most studied of these are Firmicutes and Bacteroides. Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria are on the list as well. Hunter-gatherer societies have almost no Firmicutes in their gut. On this same vein, lower levels of Bacteroides is generally linked to better body composition.

With this as background, this particular study gives us some additional clues as to how we can modify our microbiome in a beneficial way. In it, researchers looked at a small group of 33 overweight and obese adults (aged between 23 and 59 years of age) with a BMI between 25.03 and 47.12 kg/m2).

These participants were given one of two amino acids, either 30 g of l-alanine or 30 g of l-glutamine, daily for two weeks to see what happened to the bacterial composition in the gut.

Here’s what they found:

In the glutamine group the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes decreased from 0.85 to 0.57 (for the non-math wizzes, Firmicutes decreased and Bacteroidetes increased). This is consistent with an anti-obesity gut bacterial makeup.
In the l-alanine group, this ratio increased from 0.91 to 1.12.
To get specific, the bacterial types Dialister, Dorea, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Veillonella (belonging to the Firmicutes phylum), dropped in number.

To put this into plain English, merely taking a scoop of an amino acid per day mimicked the bacterial changes associated with weight loss programs already seen in the literature. I’m not quite willing to jump up and down and suggest that you can forgo the lifestyle changes and just add a scoop of glutamine and everything will be fine.

But, does it make sense to add glutamine into your daily regimen? Absolutely (you can check out what Amazon has to offer here).

Interestingly, my thought process on glutamine has always been focused on healing the lining of the gut. But maybe, just maybe, glutamine’s real benefit is on switching the bacterial composition in the gut. Food for thought…

Iron Supplements and Your Health: Good or Bad? 3 Tips to Know

May 13, 2015 by James Bogash

iron and the micobiome — concept w / Dollar Photo Club

Iron plays a tricky role in your health. On the deficiency side, anemia creates all sorts of problems. But the other end has a dark side as well.

Iron’s principle role in the body is to form the anchor to which oxygen binds in the hemoglobin molecule inside of your red blood cells. It also serves much the same function in the myoglobin molecule within skeletal muscle. Lastly, iron plays a role in certain enzymes that help with energy production and detoxification (namely the cytochrome family of enzymes). When iron functions the way it is supposed to all is good.

However, there is a dark side to iron. Iron is a strong oxidizing agent when it is set free in your body. After head trauma, for instance, the damaged tissue leaks blood into the surrounding brain cells, releasing free iron in the process. Being an oxidizing agent, the iron goes on to do what iron does–oxidize and damage the uninjured tissue surrounding the damaged tissue. This sets up the process of oxidative stress, jeopardizing the ability of brain cells to safely generate the energy they need to function properly. Fast-forward 5, 10 or even 20 years later and seizures can develop. This is one of the reasons why head trauma can be a later risk factor for seizures–because of the free iron.

Another little tidbit about iron–it can cause bacteria to reproduce like wildfire. This is one of the reasons why iron is protected and held on to tightly by your body–so that invading bacteria cannot use the iron to reproduce and do nasty things like kill you. When it’s not doing its work inside of cytochrome enzymes or hemoglobin, extra iron sits idly by inside of your cells in a storage protein called ferritin. When your body decides it needs to move iron around from one place to another it uses a different protein called transferrin. All this means is that iron is not supposed to be running around wild wreaking havoc on your long term health.

But this is iron that is working properly inside of your body, kept away from the mean, bad bacteria wishing to rise up and conquer your immune system. What about the iron in your gut that is present before it is absorbed?

Turns out this may be a problem.

This particular study looks at the use of two different formulas in two different studies (one study with a formula containing a maize porridge with and without 2.5 mg of iron as NaFeEDTA and the other with the same porridge with and without 12.5 mg iron as ferrous fumurate) in a group of 115 six-month-old Kenyan infants followed for 4 months. Here’s what happened:

At the beginning of the study, a large chunk (63%) of the bacteria present were Bifidobacteriaceae.
Iron increased the class of bacteria called enterobacteria, which included the dangerous E. coli strains and Shigella while decrease the amount of friendly bifidobacteria.
Iron also increased the inflammation in the gut (as measured by fecal calprotectin).
During the trial, 27.3% of the infants who got the 12.5 mg of iron required treatment for diarrhea versus 8.3% in the group that didn’t get the iron.

We are still learning more about the microbiome every single day. I have recently begun to believe that, while probiotic supplementation is a good idea, it is rarely the only thing needed to combat the ills that come with a bad bunch of bacteria in your microbiome. Avoidance of antibiotics (unless TRULY life-threatening) and attention to diet are critical. Stress management. Strong soluble and insoluble fiber intake.

And, as we begin to find out other aspects of what affects the bacterial balance in your gut, using these new findings to your advantage. In this case avoiding iron supplementation unless you are sure that it is needed. A few tips when it comes to iron:

The best way to get iron is from foods (organic, grass-fed beef, organic chicken, lentils, beans, chickpeas, green leafies)
The ferrous form of iron is a much better absorbed form. If you absorb the iron, it can’t help feed the growth of undesirables lower in the gut.
Adding vitamin C to your iron can help you absorb the iron better.

Follow these tips and you are adding another positive piece to the puzzle that is the bacterial microbiome in your gut.

Childhood Obesity Stats: Run if the Pediatrician Gives This

May 7, 2015 by James Bogash

childhood obesity statistics antibitotics — Dmitry Naumov / Dollar Photo Club

While the incidence of childhood obesity seems to have leveled off, it remains one of the biggest concerns for the future health of our population.

Every pediatric journal I read continues to highlight the concern and the aspects that are contributing to the increasing waistlines of our children. Almost immediately the need to have our children be more active was hoisted to the top of the interventions to be promoted. From Michelle Obama decrees, statewide Healthy Children initiatives and McDonald’s commercials, the push has been towards getting our kids moving more.

If only it was simple.

When that didn’t seem to be doing the trick, the focus has started to (rightfully so) shift to cutting back on calories and avoiding sugary snacks and drinks. And pediatricians have been leading the charge for getting our kids healthier.

But what if pediatricians are playing a major role in childhood obesity??

Regular readers of this blog will know where this is going. It is now crystal clear that the bacteria in our collective guts play a massive role in all aspects of our health, with obesity and autoimmune conditions topping the list.

I frequently say that mainstream medicine remains decades behind the medical research, but in few instances is this problem as glaring as the intertwined issue of gut bacteria, probiotics and antibiotics. It has only been recently that I have been reading in authors in medical journals discussing the overuse of antibiotics on the destruction of the normal bacteria in the gut.

The problem with antibiotic overuse has always been highlighted as antibiotic resistance. But while this IS a concern, it is dwarfed by the fact that antibiotics decimate the diversity of the bacteria in the gut. In this manner, antibiotics may greatly increase the risk of obesity, devastating autoimmune conditions and psychological disorders.

While we don’t know everything yet (and probably never will) about how the hundreds of different bacterial species in your gut interact with your health, current research is pointing to diversity as being very important. With this in mind, in this particular study, researchers looked at the links between antibiotic use in a group of 6114 boys and 5948 girls and the later development of obesity.

The results are a little scary:

Children who were exposed to antibiotics in the first 2 years of life were, on average, heavier than kids who did not get antibiotics.
The effect was strongest in those exposed in the first 6 months to macrolides (broad spectrum antibiotics–think Azithromycin, Chlarithromycin and Erythromycin). Specifically, boys were 72% more likely to be heavier and give 77% more likely to be heavier than the un-antibioticized children.
In addition, those children who had more than one exposure to antibiotics were 80% more likely (boys) and 87% more likely (girls) to be overweight.

These are significant numbers. And it wouldn’t be so scary if antibiotics were used for life-threatening diseases instead of being used in conditions like low grade fevers, coughs and ear infections. It is rare for a child to escape the prescription pad in his or her first two years of life.

So, the next time your child’s pediatrician wants to write a prescription for an antibiotic, first find out if your pediatrician thinks that antibiotics could contribute to obesity in children. If your doctor gives you a strange look, it is absolutely time to find one that has cracked a medical journal in the past decade.