Health, Fitness,Dite plan, health tips,athletic club,crunch fitness,fitness studio,lose weight,fitness world,mens health,aerobic,personal trainer,lifetime fitness,nutrition,workout,fitness first,weight loss,how to lose weight,exercise,24 hour fitness,
By Dr. Mercola
Believe it or not, there's a microbial zoo living inside you, literally trillions of microscopic organisms―more than 10,000 different kinds of them―all co-existing with each other and you.
In fact they outnumber you ten to one and ninety percent of the genetic material, (DNA and RNA) in your body is not yours, it belongs to the bacteria that is located mostly in your gut, but some also live on your skin and even in your nose.
Exactly what those different life forms do has been the subject of some exciting research in recent years, and while a few of these organisms can sometimes wreak havoc with your system, the majority of these little "bugs" are good, helping you digest your food, stay protected from infections, and even keeping your immune system properly regulated to fend off autoimmune diseases like asthma, allergies, and diabetes.
The community of microbes living on and in your body is unique to you – like your fingerprints – and is now being regarded as a key contributor to your overall health.
Your body's "community" of microorganisms is so crucial to your health that researchers have compared it to "a newly recognized organ," and have even suggested we consider ourselves a type of "meta-organism" -- in acknowledgment of the fact that we cannot be whole and healthy without the participation of a vast array of bacterial species and strains.
In fact, as shown by research published in the journal Nature, the greater the diversity of bacteria in your gut, the better your health is likely to be, especially as you age.1 The study found that not only does gut bacterial diversity tend to decrease the older you are, but elderly people living in a long-term residential facility, as opposed to in their community, also have less variation in gut bacteria than their peers. So the makeup of your gut bacteria is clearly influenced by multiple factors, including your age, where you live, and, the most important part, your diet.
As you might suspect, people with the most diverse diets also had the most diverse gut bacteria, and had less inflammation and frailty than those with less diverse bacterial populations. Lead author Peter O'Toole noted:2
"Our findings indicate that any two given older people, independent of starting health status and genetic makeup, could experience very different rates of health loss upon aging due to dietary choices that impact their gut bacterial ecosystem … You can think of [diet] as another controllable environmental factor that we can act upon to promote healthier aging."
Inflammatory autoimmune diseases including asthma, allergies, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes and ulcerative colitis have been growing at an alarming rate in the developed world, particularly in urban areas. It's been suggested that part of this epidemic could be due to modern man's reduced contact with microbes and parasites that were common among early humans.
Research in Environmental Health Perspectives recently tested this theory out, and indeed found a link between people's environments, the diversity of microbes on their skin and their risk of allergic reactions.3 Children with allergies had a less diverse array of bacteria on their skin, and children who lived in areas with a variety of native flowers in their yard had more diverse microbes and a lower susceptibility to allergies.
The study's lead author noted:
"It is essential to retain contact with natural habitats, especially in the case of young children. Our findings highlight the importance of green space in urban areas, and of opportunities for urban children to spend some time in the countryside."
Bacteria on your skin are not only linked to reduced allergies, they've also been shown to interact with immune cells on your skin to boost your protection from infections. While it's long been known that the microbes in your gut play an integral role in your immune response, a study in the journal Science found that microbial communities on your skin offer immune protection that is different from that offered by your gut:4
"Protective immunity to a cutaneous pathogen was critically dependent on the skin but not gut microbiota."
There are about 70 known tribes of commensal -- or beneficial -- bacteria that could be living on your body right now. The word commensal comes from the Latin term "com mensa," which means "sharing a table." Interestingly, signals from your gut microorganisms are sent throughout your body and interact with organisms in your skin and gut mucosa. Researchers are now looking into how these interactions can help with skin conditions like dryness, improve collagen, or stabilize the microflora on your skin to help with irritations.
The composition of a woman's gut microbes actually changes during each trimester of pregnancy in ways that support the growth of the fetus. This is largely influenced bv the hormonal shifts that occur during pregnancy.
Interestingly, research shows the microbes actually become less diverse and the number of beneficial bacteria decline while disease-related bacteria increase. Under normal circumstances, such changes could lead to weight gain and inflammation, but in pregnancy, they induce metabolic changes that promote energy storage in fat tissue so the fetus can grow.5 The study's lead author noted:6
"The findings suggest that our bodies have coevolved with the microbiota and may actually be using them as a tool -- to help alter the mother's metabolism to support the growth of the fetus."
The importance of gut flora continues during and after birth, and may have a profound influence on the baby's health and development. An article in Science Daily reported on the featured findings of one related study,7 stating:8
"Each individual's community of gut microbes is unique and profoundly sensitive to environmental conditions, beginning at birth. Indeed, the mode of delivery during the birthing process has been shown to affect an infant's microbial profile. Communities of vaginal microbes change during pregnancy in preparation for birth, delivering beneficial microbes to the newborn.
At the time of delivery, the vagina is dominated by a pair of bacterial species, Lactobacillus and Prevotella. In contrast, infants delivered by caesarean section typically show microbial communities associated with the skin, including Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium, and Propionibacterium. While the full implications of these distinctions are still murky, evidence suggests they may affect an infant's subsequent development and health, particularly in terms of susceptibility to pathogens."
The health implications of this variation in gut bacteria acquired from birth is exactly what Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's research sheds light upon. Her research shows there's a profound dynamic interaction between your gut, your brain, and your immune system, starting from birth. She has developed what might be one of the most profoundly important treatment strategies for a wide range of neurological, psychological, and autoimmune disorders—all of which are heavily influenced by gut health.
I believe her Gut and Psychology Syndrome, and Gut and Physiology Syndrome (GAPS) Nutritional program is vitally important for MOST people, as the majority of people have such poor gut health due to poor diet and toxic exposures, but it's particularly crucial for pregnant women and young children.
Historically, people didn't have the same problems with lacking diversity in their microbial communities and with their gut health as we do today for the simple fact that they got large quantities of beneficial bacteria from their diet in the form of fermented or cultured foods, which were invented long before the advent of refrigeration and other forms of food preservation.
They were also exposed to microbes on a daily basis, primarily through their consumption of raw foods, which contain a great diversity of beneficial flora, and through simply spending time outdoors in contact with healthy soil. They weren't inundated with antibacterial soaps, hand sanitizers and antibiotics, as we are today at every turn.
Maintaining optimal gut flora by eating raw food grown in healthy, organic soil and 'reseeding' your gut with fermented foods and probiotics (this is essential when you're taking an antibiotic), may be one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health. If you aren't eating fermented foods, you most likely need to supplement with a probiotic on a regular basis, especially if you're eating a lot of processed foods. Poor diet in general, especially one high in fructose and sugar, and each course of antibiotics, extols a heavy price, as it tends to wipe out the beneficial bacteria in your gut, giving non-beneficial bacteria and other pathogens free rein to proliferate unchecked.
You can ferment virtually any food, and every traditional culture has traditionally fermented their foods to prevent spoilage. There are also many fermented beverages and yoghurts.
Fermenting your own foods is a fairly straightforward and simple process, and can provide even greater savings. To learn more, please listen to my interview with Caroline Barringer, a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) who has been involved with nutrition for about 20 years.
Quite a large percent of all the foods that people consumed on a daily basis were fermented, and each mouthful provides trillions of beneficial bacteria—far more than you can get from a probiotics supplement. Moreover, food is the perfect delivery system for probiotics, as it provides both a protective and nourishing medium to help these beneficial bacteria through your digestive tract, improving the chances of implantation and lasting positive health effects.
Here's a case in point: It's unusual to find a probiotic supplement containing more than 10 billion colony-forming units. But when my team actually tested fermented vegetables produced by probiotic starter cultures, they had 10 trillion colony-forming units of bacteria. Literally, one serving of vegetables was equal to an entire bottle of a high-potency probiotic! Fermented foods also give you a wider variety of beneficial bacteria, so all in all, it's your most cost-effective alternative.
So I would strongly encourage you to seriously consider adopting fermented foods in your diet.
By Dr. Mercola
Three recent studies highlight the importance of maintaining a healthy gut to avoid disease and optimize your health. The first, published in the journal Cell1, shows that "host-specific microbiota appears to be critical for a healthy immune system."
According to Medical News Todayii:
"Human microbe-colonized mice have gut immune systems that look essentially identical to germ-free mice," said Dennis Kasper of Harvard Medical School. "Even though they have the same number and diversity of bacteria, their immune systems don't develop properly.
... The results might have implications for understanding the health consequences of our shifting diets, our excessive use of antibiotics, and our modern-day obsession with showers and antibacterial household cleansers, the researchers say.
"Because the intestinal microbiota can regulate immune responses outside the gut, the absence of the 'right' gut microbes may conceivably shift the balance toward disease in individuals genetically predisposed to autoimmune diseases," they write, noting that our relationship with our gut microbiome today may be threatened by a combination of heavily processed foods, frequent treatment with antibiotics, and advances in hygiene.
... Although modern medicine and technology may offer alternative ways to fight disease, Kasper says, "the current prevalence of autoimmune diseases - such as asthma, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease - may be, at least in part, the consequence of the increasing vulnerability of the coevolved human-microbe relationship."
For those of you who have been reading this newsletter for any length of time, this is not at all surprising. I've written extensively on how the bacteria in your gut influence your overall health—physical, mental, and emotional. What this research does tell us though, is how important it is to have the correct types of microbes in your gut. Not just any microbe will do...
Unfortunately, as noted above, common lifestyle factors such as processed foods, antibiotics (both those prescribed and those found in conventionally-raised meats), birth control pills, and excessive cleansing and cleaning with antibacterial soaps and household cleaners all conspire to shift your intestinal microflora toward one that no longer supports your immune system.
You've probably heard that about 80 percent of your immune system resides in your gut, and the next study underscores this fact. It also provides yet another clue as to the kind of constant pressure your gut bacteria is under to keep your immune system humming.
The study, featured in Genome Researchiii, looked at a common set of viruses linked to gut bacteria in humans. These viruses, which feed off bacteria, are called phages, and they pose a constant threat to the health of the bacterial community living in your gut.
Phages can actually outnumber bacteria 10 to 1, which in itself is a testament to the power of your beneficial gut bacteria (and by extension your immune system) to keep disease at bay. But it also helps explain why just a few days of careless eating can sometimes make you feel a bit listless, or why chronic poor health is at such epidemic levels.
Between chemical assaults, inadequate nutrition, excessive sugar consumption and an overabundance of natural viral "co-hosts," your microflora has one heck of a job to maintain order and balance... And as soon as that balance is thrown off kilter, it will begin to reflect in your immune function.
Here, the scientists wondered how they might identify viruses that target gut microbiota; whether these viral communities differ between individuals and global populations; and how this might relate to human health and disease.
As reported by Medical News Todayiv:
"Israeli researchers decided to use coded information from a bacterial immune system to get to the bottom of these questions. They discovered a process... to identify and evaluate phages in European individual's gut microbiota, discovering that almost 80 percent of phages are shared between two or more individuals. They then compared their data to samples they took previously from American and Japanese individuals and to their surprise, they also discovered phages that exist in their European data set.
According to [senior author Rotem] Sorek, this means that people's gut microbiota are repeatedly infected with hundreds of virus' types. "These viruses can kill some of our gut bacteria. It is therefore likely that these viruses can influence human health," he said. The researchers highlight that it is of key importance to gain a better understanding of the amount of pressure that is placed on the 'good' bacteria, which is crucial to maintain health...
Scientists are now able to investigate how phage functions in the gut change over time and what impact this may have on diseases like inflammatory bowel disease, as well as finding more effective methods to treat these diseases." [Emphasis mine]
An earlier study published in the April issue of Nutrition in Clinical Practicev also shows that microorganisms in the human gastrointestinal tract form a highly intricate, living fabric of natural controls that affect body weight, energy, and nutrition.
A couple of the key findings in this study were that each individual's community of gut microbes is unique, and the groundwork for each person's gut flora is laid from birth. In fact, the mode of delivery during the birthing process has been shown to affect an infant's microbial profile. This is in part why it's so important for pregnant women to become mindful of their gut health, as it will affect not just their own health, but also that of their child. It's not a static thing, however. Your gut flora is highly susceptible to environmental changes, and can rapidly respond to alterations in diet for example.
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's research also demonstrates the dynamic interaction between your gut, your brain, and your immune system, starting from birth.
She has developed what might be one of the most profoundly important treatment strategies for a wide range of neurological, psychological, and autoimmune disorders—all of which are heavily influenced by your gut health. I believe her Gut and Psychology Syndrome, and Gut and Physiology Syndrome (GAPS) Nutritional program is vitally important for MOST people, as the majority of people have such poor gut health due to poor diet and toxic exposures, but it's particularly crucial for pregnant women and young children. Children born with severely damaged gut flora are more susceptible both to disease and to vaccine damage, which may help explain why some children develop symptoms of autism after receiving one or more childhood vaccinations, while others do not.
Previous research has also shown that your microflora has a significant impact on gene expression, such as the genes responsible for vitamin biosynthesis and metabolism. Probiotics have been found to influence the activity of hundreds of your genes, helping them to express in a positive, disease-fighting manner—some of which affect your body in a manner resembling the effects of certain medicines!
Maintaining optimal gut flora, and 'reseeding' your gut with fermented foods and probiotics when you're taking an antibiotic, may be one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health. If you aren't eating fermented foods, you most likely need to supplement with a probiotic on a regular basis, especially if you're eating a lot of processed foods. Poor diet in general, and each course of antibiotics extols a heavy price, as it tends to wipe out the beneficial bacteria in your gut, giving pathogens free rein to proliferate unchecked.
Historically, people used to get large quantities of beneficial bacteria, i.e. probiotics, straight from their diet in the form of fermented or cultured foods, which were invented long before the advent of refrigeration and other forms of food preservation. As a result, they didn't suffer the same kinds of problems with their gut health as so many do today.
It's worth noting that each mouthful of fermented food can provide trillions of beneficial bacteria—far more than you can get from a probiotics supplement, which will typically provide you with colony-forming units in the billions. I thought this would be a good analysis, so I tested fermented vegetables produced with our probiotic starter culture to determine their probiotic potency and was astounded to discover they had 10 trillion colony-forming units of bacteria. Literally, one serving of vegetables was equal to an entire bottle of a high potency probiotic!
Fermented foods also give you a wider variety of beneficial bacteria, so all in all, it's a more cost effective alternative. Fermenting your own foods can provide even greater savings, and is actually easier than you might think. To learn more, please listen to my interview with Caroline Barringer, a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) who has been involved with nutrition for about 20 years. She's now one of Dr. Campbell-McBride's chief training partners, helping people understand the food preparation process.
References:
Laughter has a real beneficial effect on your physical health, according to research. In the study, subjects were observed as they watched both serious movies and comedies. During the comedies, their arteries dilated and their blood pressure dropped, suggesting that laughter can in fact be a powerful medicine indeed.