4 ms·

Candid question : Is gut bacteria (in terms of variety, strains, etc) affected by diet? Foods like kefir or some yogurts are known to influence the bacterial fa

Candid question : Is gut bacteria (in terms of variety, strains, etc) affected by diet? Foods like kefir or some yogurts are known to influence the bacterial fauna, so just wondering.

cowpewter 11y ago
Yes. There's been other studies that have compared the biodiversity of the gut in some of the few modern hunter-gatherer societies to western ones, and the hunter-gatherers have far more diverse varieties of gut bacteria than us westerners do[1]. And also that people with more diverse gut bacteria tend to be leaner and healthier[2]. It's likely (though I don't know if there's been specific studies in this direction yet), that the reason Americans have gotten so fat over the past few decades even when controlling for average calorie intake, is that our diet of mostly highly processed foods reduces gut biome diversity. [1] http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/140415/ncomms4654/full/ncomms4654.html http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/140415/ncomms4654/full/nco... [2] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v500/n7464/full/nature12506.html http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v500/n7464/full/nature1...
6stringmerc 11y ago
That's a good point. I'd also think that certain gut issues - heartburn, etc - are variables that can be changed via medication? Thinking of Nexium here. While it's an interesting approach, I am reminded of the former NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski, who frequently had his blood/urine/stool samples analyzed. I'm pretty sure that trio of tests is proven to work at identifying the same kinds of things, but that's just a hunch.
aschearer 11y ago
A vegan or vegetarian diet alter the gut biome[1] "Maintaining a strict vegan or vegetarian diet results in a significant shift in the microbiota while total cell numbers remain unaltered." Another study[2] found that the biome changes as soon as one day after changing diets. 1: http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v66/n1/full/ejcn2011141a.html http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v66/n1/full/ejcn2011141a.... 2: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/817769 http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/817769, http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v505/n7484/full/nature12820.html http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v505/n7484/full/nature1...
Mz 11y ago
It is a great deal more complicated than that. Taking antibiotics kills gut bacteria. Doctors almost never tell you that needs to be actively counteracted. I have been told (by a phd chemist) that coconut oil does good things for gut flora. People with certain conditions where they get prescribed antibiotics routinely see higher than average incidences of c. diff infections, which are sometimes resolved by surgically removing a portion of the colon. Another comment suggested we have more obesity due to less gut microbe diversity caused by eating more processed foods. It can readily believe that is true, but I would suggest that use of antibiotics may play an unrecognized or underrecognized role.
- toomuchtodo 11y ago
  You mention coconut oil does good things for gut flora. In ketogenic diets, it's recommend to take MCT oil with your meals (as it's supposedly thermogenic and helps burn fat specifically). MCT oil and coconut oil are extremely similar chemically. I'm wonder if coconut and MCT oil are modifying gut bacteria composition, contributing to bacteria than tends towards leaner body composition. EDIT: hot damn! MCT oil has protectant qualities for both the liver and the intestines: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/12560783/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/12560783/
  - Mz 11y ago
    MCT oil just means medium chain triglycerides, something coconut oil is high in. MCTs were historically prescribed for certain medical conditions, like cancers impacting the gut, because they can be absorbed directly without being broken down, thus the body expends less energy and effort on them. In fact, you can supplement MCT oil topically, by slathering it on your skin. So if your gut is all kinds of messed up, you can use it topically instead of orally. I have a condition where doctors still sometimes recommend MCT oil. It is one of the more established non drug treatments. My experience is that it is better tolerated if your gut does not work right, presumably because you basically absorb it instead of digesting it. It also has natural antibiotic properties. It appears to also move metals at low rates, which can be problematic for some people, thus placing limits on how much they can take it.

Candid question : Is gut bacteria (in terms of variety, strains, etc) affected by diet? Foods like kefir or some yogurts are known to influence the bacterial fauna, so just wondering.

cowpewter 11y ago

Yes. There's been other studies that have compared the biodiversity of the gut in some of the few modern hunter-gatherer societies to western ones, and the hunter-gatherers have far more diverse varieties of gut bacteria than us westerners do[1]. And also that people with more diverse gut bacteria tend to be leaner and healthier[2]. It's likely (though I don't know if there's been specific studies in this direction yet), that the reason Americans have gotten so fat over the past few decades even when controlling for average calorie intake, is that our diet of mostly highly processed foods reduces gut biome diversity. [1] http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/140415/ncomms4654/full/ncomms4654.html http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/140415/ncomms4654/full/nco... [2] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v500/n7464/full/nature12506.html http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v500/n7464/full/nature1...

6stringmerc 11y ago

That's a good point. I'd also think that certain gut issues - heartburn, etc - are variables that can be changed via medication? Thinking of Nexium here. While it's an interesting approach, I am reminded of the former NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski, who frequently had his blood/urine/stool samples analyzed. I'm pretty sure that trio of tests is proven to work at identifying the same kinds of things, but that's just a hunch.

aschearer 11y ago

A vegan or vegetarian diet alter the gut biome[1] "Maintaining a strict vegan or vegetarian diet results in a significant shift in the microbiota while total cell numbers remain unaltered." Another study[2] found that the biome changes as soon as one day after changing diets. 1: http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v66/n1/full/ejcn2011141a.html http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v66/n1/full/ejcn2011141a.... 2: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/817769 http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/817769, http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v505/n7484/full/nature12820.html http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v505/n7484/full/nature1...

Mz 11y ago

It is a great deal more complicated than that. Taking antibiotics kills gut bacteria. Doctors almost never tell you that needs to be actively counteracted. I have been told (by a phd chemist) that coconut oil does good things for gut flora. People with certain conditions where they get prescribed antibiotics routinely see higher than average incidences of c. diff infections, which are sometimes resolved by surgically removing a portion of the colon. Another comment suggested we have more obesity due to less gut microbe diversity caused by eating more processed foods. It can readily believe that is true, but I would suggest that use of antibiotics may play an unrecognized or underrecognized role.

toomuchtodo 11y ago
You mention coconut oil does good things for gut flora. In ketogenic diets, it's recommend to take MCT oil with your meals (as it's supposedly thermogenic and helps burn fat specifically). MCT oil and coconut oil are extremely similar chemically. I'm wonder if coconut and MCT oil are modifying gut bacteria composition, contributing to bacteria than tends towards leaner body composition. EDIT: hot damn! MCT oil has protectant qualities for both the liver and the intestines: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/12560783/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/12560783/
- Mz 11y ago
  MCT oil just means medium chain triglycerides, something coconut oil is high in. MCTs were historically prescribed for certain medical conditions, like cancers impacting the gut, because they can be absorbed directly without being broken down, thus the body expends less energy and effort on them. In fact, you can supplement MCT oil topically, by slathering it on your skin. So if your gut is all kinds of messed up, you can use it topically instead of orally. I have a condition where doctors still sometimes recommend MCT oil. It is one of the more established non drug treatments. My experience is that it is better tolerated if your gut does not work right, presumably because you basically absorb it instead of digesting it. It also has natural antibiotic properties. It appears to also move metals at low rates, which can be problematic for some people, thus placing limits on how much they can take it.