Can the Bacteria in Your Gut Explain Your Mood? New York Times

The microbiome of the gut makes neurochemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and gamma-

aminobutyric acid (GABA).

One of the best known experiments linking the gut bacteria to the brain was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science in 2011, The research team at University College Cork, in Ireland, and McMaster University, in Ontario was lead by Dr. John Cryan, whose Ted talk is featured in this article, with co-author Ted Dinan.  Thanks to Ted Dinan you can see the slides summarizing their findings.

There are other scientists furiously at work determining the nature of the bacteria that live in the bowel. 

Here is an article in the New York Times with an inside look into Dr. Lyte's lab, where he studies the behaviour of the microbiome and its relationship to our health. (My bold) 

Lyte’s interest was not in the feces per se but in the hidden form of life they harbor. The digestive tube of a monkey, like that of all vertebrates, contains vast quantities of what biologists call gut microbiota. The genetic material of these trillions of microbes, as well as others living elsewhere in and on the body, is collectively known as the microbiome. Taken together, these bacteria can weigh as much as six pounds, and they make up a sort of organ whose functions have only begun to reveal themselves to science. Lyte has spent his career trying to prove that gut microbes communicate with the nervous system using some of the same neurochemicals that relay messages in the brain.

Inside a closet-size room at his lab that afternoon, Lyte hunched over to inspect the vials, whose samples had been spun down in a centrifuge to a radiant, golden broth. Lyte, 60, spoke fast and emphatically. ‘‘You wouldn't believe what we’re extracting out of poop,’’ he told me. ‘‘We found that the guys here in the gut make neurochemicals. We didn't know that. Now, if they make this stuff here, does it have an influence there? Guess what? We make the same stuff. Maybe all this communication has an influence on our behavior.’’Photo

Credit Illustration by Andrew Rae

Since 2007, when scientists announced plans for a Human Microbiome Project to catalog the microorganisms living in our body, the profound appreciation for the influence of such organisms has grown rapidly with each passing year. Bacteria in the gut produce vitamins and break down our food; their presence or absence has been linked to obesity, inflammatory bowel disease and the toxic side effects of prescription drugs. Biologists now believe that much of what makes us human depends on microbial activity. The two million unique bacterial genes found in each human microbiome can make the 23,000 genes in our cells seem paltry, almost negligible, by comparison. ‘‘It has enormous implications for the sense of self,’’ Tom Insel, the director of the National Institute of Mental Health, told me. ‘‘We are, at least from the standpoint of DNA, more microbial than human. That’s a phenomenal insight and one that we have to take seriously when we think about human development.’’

Given the extent to which bacteria are now understood to influence human physiology, it is hardly surprising that scientists have turned their attention to how bacteria might affect the brain. Micro-organisms in our gut secrete a profound number of chemicals, and researchers like Lyte have found that among those chemicals are the same substances used by our neurons to communicate and regulate mood, like dopamine, serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). These, in turn, appear to play a function in intestinal disorders, which coincide with high levels of major depression and anxiety. Last year, for example, a group in Norway examined feces from 55 people and found certain bacteria were more likely to be associated with depressive patients.

It's worth reading the whole article which includes some of the history of the scientific interest in the microbiome. There seems to be more interest in the bacteria, but there are other living organisms living in the bowel such as parasites, viruses and fungi. 

Some of the studies don't seem to have clear outcomes. There are so many variables for one there are organisms in the bowel that still can't be cultured! How are they influencing the production of neurochemicals and the immune system. 

I have a theory that the diets of the subjects are not controlled for the types of carbohydrates they eat, nor control over the amounts of chemical are in the diet. Processed food has more additives such as natural flavours and home cooked has less chemicals, where all chemicals can change the expression of the microbiome through altering the expression of single cells genetics especially their methylation genetics (MTHFR).  

The specific carbohydrate diet first developed by Dr. Haas, and modified to become the GAPS diet, has been successfully used, for over half a century to heal patients with all sorts of mental and physical complaints. It's foundation is homemade, unprocessed food, high in immunoglobulins, and probiotics and it works by changing the microbiome. I rarely have to add a medical treatment to the GAPS protocol once the cholesterol, vitamin D, magnesium and omega 3 levels are normal. 

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

90% of heart disease can be prevented with important lifestyle changes! Dr. Bill Davis!

Years ago I heard Dr.Mark Houston, a cardiologist say that 50% of heart attacks are caused by the ingestion of gluten. This makes sense to me as up to 40% of the population is undiagnosed gluten sensitive and gluten is tremendously inflammatory to those people. And heart disease is extremely common. Not just heart attacks, but autoimmune cardiomyopathy, and heart failure and heart arrhythmias. 

With the right lifestyle changes, I haven't seen a patient with a heart attack in years. 

If you want to learn how lifestyle changes help to prevent heart events then you want to hear what the experts are saying in Dr. Masley's Healthy Heart Summit which starts today! 

The one interview in the summit I would like to highlight is the one with Dr. William Davis, cardiologist and author of Wheat Belly called: The Impact of Wheat on Heart Disease and Health. It is on tomorrow. 

What is not well know is how damaging gluten and grains are to heart health. The focus of his treatment of his heart patients is: no grains, added fish oil, proper gut flora, proper vitamin D levels, and addressing low thyroid!
Thanks to Trudy Scott from "Food, Mood and Gal Stuff" for sharing some excerpts of the interview with Dr. Davis:

One of the earliest solutions was a very, very common abnormality in people with coronary disease - an excess of small oxidation prone LDL particles. So I used the data published by people like Ron Krauss in UC Berkeley and some others and took all the grains out of people's diet. And lo and behold it works like a charm. That became a cornerstone of what I was doing for coronary disease.
People were starting to tell me that the rheumatoid arthritis was going away and that their glaucoma had gone away, and their leg edema, hypertension, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, bowel urgency, funny skin rashes, rosacea, rosacea-eczema, seborrhea, belly fat. All of these conditions reversed with elimination of grains.
When I added vitamin D to the mix about eight, nine years ago, that's when we saw dramatic reductions
I published some of these data, by the way. [Here is one of his studies: Effect of a combined therapeutic approach of intensive lipid management, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, and increased serum 25 (OH) vitamin D on coronary calcium scores in asymptomatic adults. It doesn't get much attention because you know prevention doesn't get the headlines. But lots of robotic surgery and things like that get the headlines.
Fish oil, of course. Not a huge effect, but it does help. I love it because it reduces the after meal, postprandial flood of lipoproteins. It has a big effect on subduing that effect. Heart disease, as you know, develops in the after-eating few hours, not so much while you're fasting.
Thyroid normalization. I started paying attention to thyroid based on the Norwegian data suggests that a TSH of 1.4 or greater (in the presumed normal range) could as much as double or triple cardiovascular death. Lo and behold, it became a critical part of the management of coronary disease.
And then lastly, most recently this notion of cultivating bowel flora. So we use so-called prebiotic fibers or resistant starches to purposely cultivate healthy species of bowel flora. And I'll be darned. This has proven to be a critical piece.
I'm sure my experience is similar to yours. I haven't seen a heart attack in years. I used to see a couple of heart attacks a week when I was younger - just telling people to take the statin drug and cut their fat and exercise and eat everything in moderation and all that nonsense.

If you think this is profound you should read the rest of  Trudy's summary of  what Dr. Davis shares: he explains how wheat flour, even whole wheat flour and table sugar all have the same glycemic load and blood sugar and consequent insulin (bad) response. Increasing inflammation but also leading to hypoglycemia and mental health issues like anxiety.

How the gliadin protein of wheat, rye, corn and barley causes an opiate like reaction: hallucinations which can be mild or it can be severe depending on the individual's susceptibility. 

Gluten can cause an increase in appetite and in some people it can cause the eating of hundreds of calories more per day everyday. 

Or better yet, listen to the whole of the Dr. William Davis interview by registering at the following link:

https://ez233.isrefer.com/go/summitreg/trudyscottcn/

There is a great line up of speakers. 

Here are the speakers for Day 1:




Here are the speakers for Day 2:

You can prevent most of your risk of heart disease with lifestyle changes!

Start today!

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

Getting Your Gut Bacteria Healthy is One of the Most Important Things You Can Do to Get and Stay Healthy-Dr. Mark Hyman.

It is my opinion that one can't heal from gluten induced disorders if one doesn't look after

MRSA

and heal the microbiome, the up to four pounds of organisms that live in our bowel.

Remember, labelled gluten free processed food is allowed to have gluten in it, but even worse, processed gluten free food made up of carbohydrates, phytates, and other anti nutrients, feed pathological organisms, and makes the wrong organisms grow in the microbiome: the one's that promote inflammation throughout the body.

Having most of the microbiome composed of "good' bacteria, or ''essential" bacteria and yeasts, is important for good health. Studies have been done where the microbiome of a fat mouse is introduced to a genetically similar slender mouse and the slender mouse became obese. Hmmm!

There have been studies that have shown that the composition of the microbiome of a depressed person is different than someone who is not depressed. 

The study of our "internal garden" is the subject of much research, and I believe the future of medicine will include treatments with specific "probiotics" for specific conditions.

But for now, eating a scientifically based traditional diet - including fermented food and drinks (and sea vegetables) - that is also free of grain, sugar, and for the most part dairy,  a diet that is without chemicals, and is mostly home cooked is the way to "tend" your garden. Because it has science behind it and documented long term results with real people, I recommend the Gut And Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) program, and it's step by step proven way to get results.

See what Dr. Mark Hyman has to say about this internal "garden". In this article he restates much of the basics, which can sometimes be overwhelming, of healing and of staying healthy. And the good reasons why it is in our best interests to do so: We want to age slower and to prevent unnecessary illness whether it is brain related such as dementia, or arthritis. This is a very practical piece. Even if you just pick one way to improve your lifestyle, you will improve. 

To quote Dr. Mark Hyman: "The food we eat not only feeds our fat cells, but also determines what kind of inner garden we are growing in our guts. This garden is filled with bugs that determine more about your health and your emotional and mental well-being than you ever imagined! Getting your gut bacteria healthy is one of the most important things you can do to get and stay healthy. If your bacteria are sick, so are you!"

Read more to learn how to tend your inner garden and be the best you can be!


To Your Health 

Dr. Barbara

A Guide to Sweeteners: Washington Post with Periodic Table

Now that you have watched Dr. Lustig's video on the impact of fructose and sugar on your metabolism, you may be interested to know more about the other varieties of sweeteners you find in packaged foods, in your food and on the shelves. You may be asking "are artificial sweeteners safe to use instead of sugar or corn syrup or fructose"?

When it comes to aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose, a recent study found that these three artificial sugar substitutes can upset the balance of intestinal flora, causing glucose intolerance in mice and it has been found to be the same in some human tests.

IT'S ABOUT THE MICROBIOME

Do we want to have the most healthy intestinal flora, sometimes called microbiome that we can get? Yes! 
Is it easy to upset that living, breathing group of living organisms in our gut when we live in the modern world where everything we eat, or drink or swallow can influence the "bugs". Again yes!

Is there an easy way to reestablish and maintain a healthy microbiome? I think yes, a specific carbohydrate diet, described in Gut and Psychology Syndrome, with clean water, and avoiding chemicals as much as possible. 

Below is a succinct chart on the sweeteners available. It reminds us that while raw honey has many good properties, including being a antibiotic for skin infections, it does have a lot of calories and fructose, and should be used sparingly. And with fat to lower its impact on glucose metabolism. In a recipe calling for honey, I tend to cut the amount in half and I find I do get a tasty product still. 

I also like maple syrup, in small amounts and stevia leaf powder. 

A guide to sweeteners

By Patterson Clark and Lazaro Gamio, Published: March 2, 2015

Too much sugar can be detrimental to health, rotting teeth, building fat, damaging blood vessels and stressing out the system that regulates blood sugar. Some people turn to artificial sweeteners, but those are under increasing suspicion of creating metabolic problems, such as diabetes and obesity. Natural alternative sweeteners exist, but even they have pitfalls if consumed in excess.Read related article.

Sweeteners: a periodic table
This table charts the wide variety of sweeteners available in the United States, either in bulk amounts or as additives in food. Not listed are super-sweet- tasting, zero-calorie proteins from several African fruits (monellin, brazzein and thaumatin), which have not been approved for use by the FDA. Also not included: banned or poisonous sweeteners, such as lead acetate, which ancient Romans made by cooking sour wine in lead pots.

It is tempting to try out a new sweetener that we may see at the health food store, but they really have not been tested for long term safety and so I can't recommend them. They are also frequently in combination with fructose. 

How much fructose is safe to eat? For the average person probably 10- 15 grams a day.

You may be wondering how this story is linked to the subject of brain health and gluten sensitivity. Inflammation and blood sugar imbalances are linked to mental health symptoms, neurological conditions and to gut dysbiosis. Alzheimer's, as an example, is called type 3 diabetes for a reason. 

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

"Sugar: The Bitter Truth"- A Must See Video by Dr. Robert Lustig from UCSF

If you want to know more about how carbohydrates including fructose found in fruits and rice cause chronic illness, watch this superb video by Dr. Lustig from University of California, San Francisco, called "Sugar: The Bitter Truth!" 

Don't drink your calories!
And Alzheimer's researchers suggest the only fruit you should eat if you want to lower your risk of Alzheimer's is berries! 

And stick to a specific carbohydrate diet, GAPS protocol, or sugar free Paleo, especially if you are gluten sensitive.
You can do it. 
To Your Health
Dr. Barbara 

Food for Thought: How Gut Microbes Change Your Mind: Jon Cryan's TedMed Talk

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know I link our mental health to the health of our GI system but fundamentally to the microorganisms that live there. They give off chemicals that are good for us or toxic to us. And they balance or direct our immune system. I aim my treatment protocols to the correcting the balance of the microbiome.

In my opinion the main way to have the wrong or pathological microbiome is to have low vitamin D, or a cesarean section, which triggers gluten sensitivity in about 40-50% of the population, usually unrecognized or undiagnosed. Continued ingestion of grains and dairy lead to the overgrowth of pathological bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungus. (There are lots of other compounding environmental irritants like heavy metals like lead, infections, low intake of B vitamins in the person with methylation polymorphism or the use of antibiotics that I have already written about.) These pathological organisms cause disease! Mental and physical. And in gluten sensitive people who are eating gluten, their life expectancy is 20 years shorter or stated another way: an increased death rate of 400% by the age of 65. And it is doesn't have to be this way!

John Cryan investigates how the gut microbiome affects the mammalian brain. He is Chair of the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience and Principal Investigator in the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Center at University College of Cork (Ireland). His research has far-reaching public health implications, from how we view Caesarean sections, to how the microbiome influences brain development, to the impact of probiotics on mood. John’s work shows that the term “gut feeling” might actually make neurobiological sense.





Please view the short 13:16 TedMed talk by neuroscientist John Cryan where he shares surprising facts and insights about how our thoughts and emotions are connected to our guts. 

And if you have time here is the short 5:28 minute video "The invisible universe of the human microbiome."

You should be asking yourself, how do I find out if I am in the high risk group for mortality or morbidity? Since there are no reliable blood tests, symptoms, or signs of celiac disease or non celiac gluten sensitivity, I suggest everyone get tested with a simple, inexpensive, and reliable test for both called "genetics" from www.enterolab.com. No needles involved!

For those of you who know you are gluten sensitive: get rid of the toxic gluten 100% of the time. And heal the microbiome with a scientifically proven, grain free, sugar free, starch free, GAPS diet. 

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

Cross Contamination of Unprocessed Grains and Legumes Starts in the Field: Answer for Linda

Red Wheat

I have an answer for Linda who asked:

My question is about cross-contamination. I have been purchasing my dry goods (seeds, dried fruit, lentils, etc.) from an organic foods distributor. Their packages have a warning on the label that says "May contain nuts, soy, sesame, wheat, mustard". I have not had an issue over the past several years, but the most recent package had what appeared to be 3 wheat kernels in it. Any recommendations? Most packages I've seen have those sorts of warnings - are there organic bulk items that guarantee no cross-contamination with gluten? Thanks.

Hulless Barley

My research tells me that it would be impossible to prevent contamination of seeds, grains, lentils or other beans, even organic, with wheat or other gluten containing grains such as barley. When I asked my office assistant, who has a degree in home economics, and has been homesteading for decades, she stated the same thing that the government says about contamination. 

Contamination can occur in any stage from planting, to harvesting, to transportation, storage and finally distribution to your house or store. Wheat kernels get stuck in the crevices and seams of the combine, in the augers and semi trailers which are used to harvest other crops. The kernels come loose spontaneously and mix in with the next crop being harvested.  I suspect the contamination rate is even higher if you were to buy grains: sorghum, millet.

Spelt

I did find a study that examined the rate of contamination of oats with gluten and barley, which should reflect the contamination rate of other grains. One research group analyzed a total of 134 oat samples, collected from Europe, the United States and Canada.This study confirmed that most oats were contaminated with gluten containing grains such as barley, wheat, and rye, mostly barley. (Hernando et al. Measurement of wheat gluten and barley hordeins in contaminated oats from Europe, the United States and Canada by Sandwich R5 ELISA. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Jun;20:545-54.). I don't recommend any ingestion of oats though because they contain toxic protamines, a subject I will cover in a future blog post.  

The way I see it is you are doing the best thing to protect yourself and your family from contamination with gluten containing grains, and that is to get the non grain dry goods in their unprocessed form and organic. And then make a quick inspection for other kernels like wheat, kamut,barley or spelt that may have found its way into the the package that you bought. And remove any offending kernels that you have found. 

Buying organic is important too because of an agricultural practice ( for the last 15 years or so) of "desiccation". Desiccation uses glyphosate to improve the drying time and allows for early harvesting of many grains and legumes. This practice is quite controversial and has been implicated with the increased incidence of celiac disease and 65 other diseases.
Non organic wheat is heavily contaminated with glyphosate as are beets, lentils, sugar cane and corn. 

Find out more about the future of agriculture here where Dr. Thierry Vrain discusses GMO's.

Thank you Linda, writing and sharing. And for working so hard to keep your family well.

To Your Health
Dr. Barbara