The Gutbliss Weekly Review – September 27, 2016

1. Eating dirt is integral to our microbial health. As our agriculture practices and daily lives become more sterile, soil-based microbes or SBOs are harder to come by. Find out how to ensure exposure to these important microbes in your everyday life. Daily Telegraph

 

2. For the first time, scientists discover that fungus plays a key role in the development of Crohn’s disease. The presence of two bacteria (Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens) and a fungus (Candida tropicalis) are significantly higher in patients with Crohn’s disease when compared to their healthy family members. The three interact and create a biofilm that clings to the intestines and causes inflammation that can lead to Crohn’s disease. Science Daily

 

3. In this 20 minute video, find out how fat, carbs (including gluten and sugar), stress, gratitude, and aerobic exercise affect your microbiome and in turn, your brain health… then set some health goals! Mind Body Green

 

4. Poop bacteria are an accurate predictor of belly fat. Scientists find that a higher diversity of fecal bacteria is linked to lower amounts of visceral body fat (the fat that accumulates in the stomach and surrounds internal organs) and hypothesize that lower gut bacteria diversity results in a higher percentage of microbes that are more efficient in transforming carbohydrates into fat. BBC

 

5. Alzheimer’s, cancer, and other neurodegenerative diseases can be contagious. New research links these diseases to recently discovered bacterial viruses (or bacteriophages that exist in the environment), which can lead to leaky gut and imbalanced gut bacteria, triggering inflammation and disease. Human Microbiology Institute

 

6. The status of the maternal secretor gene in exclusively breastfeeding mothers can mean vast differences in infant microbial development. If the mother’s secretor gene is inactive (or turned off), she will be unable to produce important human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), which results in prolonged low levels of an important beneficial gut bacteria phylum, Bifidobacteria. PLOS One

 

7. Let Them Eat Dirt is the first book of its kind, exploring how best to optimize the microbiome in early life. While the microbiome field is in its infancy and some of the claims in the book may be premature, it’s worth the read for all parents and caregivers, both present and future. Mostly Microbes

 

8. Gut bacteria composition and function differ significantly among obese and lean adolescents. Obese youth possess a microbiome more efficient in digesting carbohydrates, extracting more energy from food than their lean counterparts. In addition, an abnormal ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes is associated with high BMI and body fat accumulation. Scientists hypothesize that diet at a young age, specifically a diet high in carbohydrates, may encourage the growth of “fermenting bacteria” that encourage weight gain. Journal of Endocrinology & Metabolism

 

9. Gut health can determine brain health. Join Center for Mind Body Medicine for their latest webinar on October 5th, Nourishing the Gut Brain Domain, and learn what factors can contribute to microbial discord and neuropsychiatric disorders. Center for Mind Body Medicine

 

10. People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) possesses a microbiome different from that of healthy individuals, including decreased levels of Lactobacillus and Clostridium and high levels of yeast (Candida) with signs of adhesion to the intestinal wall. A high prevalence of gut inflammation, increased intestinal permeability (especially to lactulose), and GI symptoms (including constipation and diarrhea) were also observed in those with ASD. While it’s too early to say whether or not an altered microbiome is the cause of ASD, we do know that taking measures to restore the microbiome can help in managing the disorder. Mycopathologia

 

By: Leslie Ann Berg, MSPH