Three decades ago I graduated from Medical School convinced I needed to retrain myself since not one single hour of Nutrition was offered to our class. Soon after I discovered through my reading of many medical journals that the Microbiome, or bacteria in the gut is paramount in the digestion of food and our overall health. These concepts are now front page news in the Golden Age of Nutrition when weekly updates appear in the best of journals. A very good summary was published in Medscape last month.[1]
For a more comprehensive study get my book GUT HEALTH at www.hugorodier.com . It discusses the Microbiome in simple terms and provides practical applications to restore health, no matter what symptoms or diagnoses you have been given.
Hugo Rodier, MD
Why do antibiotics increase the risk of obesity?
The answer is clear to habitual readers of this newsletter.
Here are more articles for newcomers:
“Obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome result from complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors, including the gut microbiota… [There are]strong interactions between microbiota, diet, breeding site, and metabolic [tendencies]… Environmental reprogramming of microbiota resulted in [obese rats]becoming obesity resistant. Thus, development of obesity/metabolic syndrome is the result of interactions between gut microbiota, host genetics, and diet… Environmental reprograming of microbiota can ameliorate development of metabolic syndrome.”[2]
“Emerging evidence suggests the gastrointestinal tract plays an important glucoregulatory role. We first review how the intestine senses ingested nutrients, initiating crucial negative feedback mechanisms through a gut-brain neuronal axis to regulate glycemia, mainly via reduction in hepatic glucose production. We then highlight how intestinal energy sensory mechanisms are responsible for the glucose-lowering effects of bariatric surgery, specifically duodenal-jejunal bypass, and the antidiabetic agents metformin and resveratrol. A better understanding of these pathways lays the groundwork for intestinally targeted drug therapy for the treatment of diabetes.”[3]
The Most Harmful “Thing” for the Elderly
You will never guess…
The answer is our Health Care system. Read “Learning From No-Fault Treatment Injury Claims to Improve the Safety of Older Patients.”[4] The wheels are greased to prescribe them too many drugs, too many surgeries, too many tests, and aggressive treatments, particularly in the twilight of their years.
I say be gentle with grandma, keep her comfortable, and above all, do no harm.
Speaking of grandma, we continue to see articles pointing to brain metabolism[5] as the main problem behind Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is arguably the second “harmful issue” for the elderly. As previously noted herein, it is the foods we eat[6] and a concomitant inability to process food and detoxify in the gut. That is where we not only metabolize, but where we detoxify neurotoxins like pesticides. We may be able to “MEND” this vexing problem:
“MEND (metabolic enhancement for neurodegeneration) [aims] at correcting conditions such as hormone imbalance, zinc and vitamin deficiency, and impaired insulin resistance, as well as addressing stress and sleep issues. [MEND] can reverse cognitive decline.”[7]
The right fuel for the brain (“food for thought”) also gets a lot of attention these days,[8] particularly Omega oils, or the lipids that make up our brain. This is also true in practically all neurologic issues, including migraines.[9]
More “food for thought” from this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference:
“More than 28 million baby boomers will have AD by 2050, and they will account for nearly 25% of Medicare spending by 2040, according to a new analysis. The study is important because it is based on an updated model that charts the trajectory and economic impact of AD, based on the rate of new diagnoses, the number of people who will be living with the disease, and the cost of medical and long-term care between now and 2050.”
“Women with AD outnumber men 2/1… Women with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) decline twice as fast as men with MCI, and they also have a much higher risk for cognitive problems after surgery and general anesthesia… Two thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women, and two thirds of caregivers are women, so this is a problem. These findings tell us that we may want to look at biological differences in men and women and vulnerability to Alzheimer’s.”
“AD more likely with poor sleep and gingivitis.”
More articles on brain issues:
- “The gut microbiome may aid the treatment and prevention of Multiple Sclerosis.”[10]
- Fasting improves Multiple Sclerosis.[11]
- “Vitamin D Status and Rates of Cognitive Decline in a Multiethnic Cohort of Older Adults.”[12] The higher the levels of vitamin D the lesser the risk of cognitive problems.
- Bright light therapy helps AD.[13]
- “Fish consumption and risk of depression: a meta-analysis.”[14] Fish lowers the risk.
- Coffee reduces risk of depression and Diabetes.”[15]
- Formaldehyde exposure increases risk of ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease by 300%.[16]
- “Psychological and Psychosocial Impairment in Preschoolers With Selective Eating.”[17] I know you don’t want to hear it, but your picky eater is at higher risk for mental issues.
- “Childhood adversity increases the risk of migraines.”[18]
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction helps PSTD in veterans.[19]
- Meditation helps insomnia.[20]
- Listening to music helps reduce pain and anxiety after surgery.[21]
- Statin Therapy increases the risk of acute memory impairment.[22] Why? Because they lower available fat for the brain to be structured and function properly.
Worse than car wrecks: air pollution
“[Air pollution has been linked to] respiratory disease (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer) and cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke), but more recent evidence has also linked ambient air pollution with a diverse range of other diseases, including diabetes, obesity, cognitive decline, and anxiety. Prenatal exposure has been associated with preterm birth ] and low birth weight and early exposure with neurodevelopmental problems. Exposure in children and adolescents has been shown to affect lung function growth. Overall, people living in areas with poor air quality have consistently been shown to be at increased risk for premature death from cardiopulmonary and other diseases. The latest US findings suggest that the number of preterm deaths linked to reduced air quality caused by road transportation exceeds the number of fatal accidents by up to 30%.”[23]
Depressing, I know. But, remember that other than continuing our efforts to reduce air pollution you also need to eat as healthy as possible to mitigate the effects of air pollution. B vitamins are critical for our brain.[24] It turns out they are depleted in processed foods and by detoxification of pollution in the liver. Also, a compromised gut reduces the absorption of B vitamins, as do old age, decreasing amounts of digestive enzymes, the purple pill, antibiotics, hormonal replacement, birth control pills and some anticonvulsants and oral agents for diabetes like Metformin.
- http// medscape.com/viewarticle/837078?src=wnl_edit_specol&uac=175233AY&impID= 829267&faf=1 ↑
- “Interactions between Gut Microbiota, Host Genetics and Diet Modulate the Predisposition to Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome,” Journal Cell Metabolism Volume 22, Issue 3 , p516, 1 September 2015 ↑
- “Glucoregulatory Relevance of Small Intestinal Nutrient Sensing in Physiology, Bariatric Surgery, and Pharmacology,” Journal Cell Metabolism Volume 22, Issue 3 , p367–380, 1 September 2015 ↑
- J. Ann Fam Med September/October 2015 vol. 13 no. 5 472-474. ↑
- “Metabolic profiling distinguishes three subtypes of Alzheimer’s disease,” J Aging 2015;7:595-600 ↑
- “Best foods for the brain,” American Psychiatric Association Annual Mtg 2015 ↑
- J. Aging 2014;6:707-717 ↑
- “Lifestyle and cognitive health-what older individuals can do to optimize cognitive health,” JAMA 314.8 (2015): 774-775 ↑
- “Migraine a lipid disorder,” J. Neurology Epub Sep 9 2015 ↑
- J. Neurology Reviews August 2015 page 27 ↑
- Jan. 15 2003 The Journal of Clinical Investigation. ↑
- JAMA Neurology Published online September 14, 2015. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.2115 ↑
- http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/848045_2 ↑
- J Epidemiol Community Health jech-2015-206278Published Online First: 10 September 2015 ↑
- Eur J Clin Nutr August 2015 ↑
- J. Neuro Neurosurg Psy Epub July 13 0215 ↑
- International Conference of Eating Disorders; May 28, 2014 ↑
- J. Headache Epub June 23 2015 ↑
- JAMA 2015;314:456 ↑
- 29th Annual Mtg Assoc Professional Sleep Soc Seattle 2015; J. Neurology Reviews August 2015 page 18 ↑
- British Medical J. 2015; 351 :h4398 ↑
- JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175(8):1399 ↑
- “Why Should You Care About the Air?” Medscape Family Medicine Sep 10 2015 ↑
- “Folate- and vitamin B12–deficient diet during gestation and lactation alters cerebellar synapsin expression via impaired influence of estrogen nuclear receptor α,” FASEB J. September 2015 29:3713 ↑
