SUMMARY: This post is a followup to the post, IBD CROHN’S: SCD INCREASED MICROBIOME DIVERSITY BUT LOW RESIDUAL DIET REDUCED DIVERSITY. It discusses the significance of the finding that SCD increased F. prausnitzii within the microbiome for Crohn’s patients eating SCD. I’d suspect however, that similar results occur even for non-Crohn’s SCD consumers, which would be a good thing. For details of the microbiome changes due to SCD (microbial diversity increased to include 134 bacteria belonging to 32 different classes (Figure 8), the bacterial families over represented in the increase included over 20 species of the non-pathogenic clostridia family and more) read the post IBD CROHN’S: SCD INCREASED MICROBIOME DIVERSITY BUT LOW RESIDUAL DIET REDUCED DIVERSITY. Think about the 3.5 to 5 pounds of bacteria that lives on and in us: what are they, how did they get there, and what does their mix mean for our health? Ends up, F. prausnitzii is a major player in gut health and those having more of it fare better, at least for IBD where F. prausnitzii seems to be reduced. In summary, F. prausnitzii protects against pathogen invasion, modulates the immune system, is an acetate consumer, and is a producer of substantial quantities of butyrate as well as high amounts of antioxidant compounds. Some call F. prausnitzii a keystone peacekeeping microbe.
IBD CAM, LDN, probiotics, SCD… & Integrative Medicine benefits gut health
SUMMARY: IBD CAM “Probiotics, Special Diets [SCD], and Complementary Therapies: We Know Patients Want Them, So What Do We Tell Them?“ was presented at the Dec. 2014 Advances in IBD conference, by Dr. Sandra Kim, MD, who noted, “SO CERTAINLY THERE IS SOME PROMISE IN AT LEAST THINKING ABOUT THIS.” Now that’s a first!!! At least one conventional doctor is encouraging her peers to seriously educate themselves about IBD CAM, LDN, probiotics, SCD… and Integrative Medicine and to ask their patients if they are interested in them, using them and if so, what do they use, and to actively seek funding for further study of them! And… Dr. Kim has disclosure of conflicting interests — Speaker: Nestle Nutrition, Abbott Laboratories and Consultant: AbbVie Pharmaceuticals!
IBD Crohn’s: SCD increased microbiome diversity but Low Residual Diet reduced diversity
SUMMARY: Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) increased microbiome diversity in Crohn’s patients. The pediatric and adult IBD clinics at UC Davis Medical Center (Sacramento, CA) conducted the study, Analysis of Gut Microbiome and Diet Modification in Patients with Crohn’s Disease, and here, found:
- SCD increased microbiome diversity whereas the low residual diet (LRD) decreased microbiome diversity. Interestingly, the SCD diet included an increased microbiota representation of F. prausnitzii, an anti-inflammatory commensal.
- Patient diet COMPLIANCE was about 80%, and
- The SCD MICROBIOME DIVERSITY REMAINED despite a 30 day washout between diets.
Given that it is now understood that IBD is associated with reduced microbiome diversity, perhaps this aspect of SCD (increasing microbiome diversity) explains the success many find using SCD to manage IBD as well as heal other illnesses. The followup post, NICE, EATING SCD INCREASED F. PRAUSNITZII… HUGH?!? explains the significance of F. prausnitzii in the microbiome.
Alzheimer’s, dementia, common medications increase risk
SUMMARY: Alzheimer’s, dementia, common medications increase risk; many medications have anticholinergic effects. Three most commonly used in elderly were associated with irreversible brain impact (dementia and Alzheimer’s) and despite knowledge of the need for reducing such use, 3/4 of the study cohort had been prescribed at least one (antihistamine, acid reducers, antidepressant…).
UPDATE: This post addresses the adverse cognitive impact in the elderly of common drugs due to anticholinergic effects. There is however another mechanism for dementia and Alzheimer’s. The later post, HEARTBURN DRUGS, DEMENTIA, ALZHEIMER’S RISK FOR ALL? T2D, IS IT THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE!?! addresses this other mechanism for dementia and Alzheimer’s for common heartburn drugs (microbiome skew and B12 (and other) nutrient depletion) for proton pump inhibitors (PPIS) and Histamine H2 antagonists (H2RAs) .
Whole foods & Salt: How much, autoimmunity, microbiome, blood pressure, probiotic & iodine?
SUMMARY: This post is all about the salt controversy and discusses Salt: How much, Autoimmunity, Microbiome, Blood Pressure, Probiotic & Iodine Deficiency. In sum, studies now show salt limits that are within a moderate salt consumption range (providing between 2,645 to 4,945 mg sodium per day), reduces the risk of death or a serious event such as a heart attack or stroke and below or above these limits has increased risk of such. Note: Salt intake is not the same as sodium intake. About 6 gms of salt provides 2,500 milligrams of sodium. Studies now show autoimmunity associations with ordinary table salt through Th17 releasing up to 10x more cytokines when exposed to refined salt. Relative to microbiome and blood pressure, [Wilck et al 2017] found that salt decimates lactobacilli in the microbiome (lactic acid bacteria which influences immune cells responsible for autoimmunity and hypertension), increased blood pressure, and increased the number of TH17 helper cells. Ingestion of a probiotic lactobacilli mitigated the TH17 increase and decreased the BP. Last, some groups have borderline iodine deficiency whereas other groups are high (children). Also included is how much salt do we really eat and a heads up: Those eating a Whole Foods diet may not be getting enough salt to be in that optimal bell curve range (between 2.645 to 4,945 mg sodium per day) because they don’t consume processed foods, which is where most of the salt Americans ingest comes from (not to mention those also contain other gut harming food-like substances).
IBS: FODMAPS, Stomach Microbiome, Rifaximin Antibiotic Treatment, seriously?!?
SUMMARY: Learn impact of FODMAPS, Stomach Microbiome, Rifaximin… FODMAPS Diet helps over 70% of IBS likely because long term diet changes the microbiome in the stomach & gut. FODMAPS isn’t a life long diet; you reintroduce & learn your individual dosing limits.
Many now realize the need, if not necessity, to transition to a whole foods diet.
Foods from restaurants or cafeterias, prepared foods (even at sites considered healthy such as Whole Foods), and the obvious boxed foods make it tough for consumers to avoid caloric dense non nutritive foods with industrial seed oils and added chemicals, pesticides, and GMOs. The diet — health connection is becoming apparent; many suffering chronic disease(s) are trying to change diet and lifestyle to improve health and wellness. Eating whole foods can be daunting but the safest bet is making it yourself and to do so in quantity so as to make this lifestyle change sustainable:
Dr. Rob Knight updates: IBD microbiome skew & San Diego move
SUMMARY: Dr. Rob Knight updates: IBD microbiome skew and his San Diego move including the American Gut Project!
I follow a lot of microbiome researchers (see the page USEFUL MICROBIOME LINKS, The Labs section).
The Knight Lab (University of Colorado Boulder) is a personal favorite; Knight is a frequently cited Google Scholar Alert as he is a leading expert on microbiomes and bioinformatics. This page links to their research publications as does this page.
Dr. Rob Knight, recently left University of Colorado, Boulder to join the UC San Diego School of Medicine. With this move, microbiome research very well may be accelerated beyond the breakneck speed it is now.
It’s EASY to Soak and Dehydrate Nuts
WHY YOU WANT TO SOAK AND DEHYDRATE NUTS:
Soaking and dehydrating nuts is EASY and it makes them more digestible since anti-nutrients are neutralized and enzyme inhibitors are eliminated. If you are like many of my clients, you have no clue what the significance is of what I just said. So another way of saying this is, unless you soak nuts, you will block mineral uptake, and this totally defeats the purpose of trying to eat nuts for nutrient density.
A surprising plus of proper nut preparation is that the process takes out the bitterness in taste making nuts taste incredibly sweet and delicious, which is what they are supposed to taste like. I’d soak and dehydrate nuts solely for this culinary taste improvement truth be told. Clients do too after they sample them. I am always amazed to see what the filtered water looks like after a soak. Someday I’ll do a lab analysis, and we’ll learn what actually is in that yuck. One thing I do know, nuts blow up in size by the end of the soaking period leaving no doubt that they have absorbed the salt soaking medium:
Colon Cancer, Biofilm, Bacteria, Probiotics Role
SUMMARY: New Colon Cancer, Biofilm, Bacteria, Probiotics ROLE in Colon Cancer findings out of John Hopkins: biofilms are present in 89% of tumors (13/15 cancers & 4/4 polyps) removed from right ascending colon, but only in 12% of tumors on the left side (2/15 cancers and 0 polyps).
Most colorectal cancers are known to develop slowly, over five to 10 years, “and it’s a disease that’s curable if you diagnose it early,” says Cynthia L. Sears, M.D., professor of medicine and oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health. Well… therein lies the rub as the gold standard test, colonoscopy, many do not do. Additionally, as discussed in the post, “YOUNG ADULT NEWLY DIAGNOSED COLON & RECTAL CANCER DOUBLES BY 2030,” there is an alarming increase in colon cancer among the young who typically do not have colonoscopy.
How-To Dehydrate Apples & Preserve the Enzymes, EASY
SUMMARY: Learn Why and HOW to dehydrate apples and preserve the enzymes! Spoiler alert: Properly dehydrating apples at a low temperature preserves maximum nutritional density and natural live enzymes since you can use organic apples picked seasonally and locally at their peak of ripeness, and the internal temperature of the fruit stays below 118F which maintains active enzymes! The total dehydration time for this recipe is about 12 hours!
How to Dehydrate Apples to Preserve Live Enzymes
My directions incorporate the Excalibur-9-Tray-Digital-Controller-Dehydrator-76970-User-Manual.pdf, Raw and Living Food Guidelines, Excalibur Dehydration Guide. This manual explains that nutritional value AND enzymes are preserved if the INTERNAL temperature of the fruit is kept UNDER 118°F/48°C: