4 ms·

New study suggests the microbes in humans' intestines may influence food choices

34 points by dctoedt 12y ago

charlieflowers 12y ago
If anyone knows a legal way around the paywall, I'd love to hear about it. I wonder if they go into detail about probiotics that are actually "proven" to reduce fat or improve mood, among other things. Also, did they actually demonstrate a correlation between gut bacteria and mood/cravings, or do they merely discuss "possible" ways such a connection might exist?
- dctoedt 12y ago
  > If anyone knows a legal way around the paywall.... That's why I linked to the Atlantic article and not to the (paywalled) journal article. BTW, the title I originally used (per HN rules) was the actual title of the Atlantic article, namely Your gut bacteria want you to eat a cupcake. The mods changed it to the Atlantic posting's subtitle, which is certainly more informative.
  - dang 12y ago
    You're welcome to use subtitles as well when, as is often the case, they're more accurate and neutral. Our goal is to avoid rewriting or editorializing titles ourselves. Since headlines are often written by someone other than the article author, a subtitle (or the first sentence of the article) is often closer to the author's intent anyway.
- tdonia 12y ago
  http://www.biologydirect.com/content/9/1/14 http://www.biologydirect.com/content/9/1/14
- eugeneyev 12y ago
  On a related topic, is there a reasonably priced option to actually get access to all of these journals (instead of subscribing to a single one or buying individual articles) . Something like Factiva or EbscoHost, etc - but offering individual subscriptions (and not limited to just a single journal/publisher).
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
  - UrMomReadsHN 12y ago
    Your local library. Your university library may also let alumni use their subscriptions as well, mine does.
  - briandh 12y ago
    It's a little pricey and I've never used it, but I think DeepDyve is what you're looking for.
    - eugeneyev 12y ago
      Interesting, yes DeepDyve looks exactly like what I had in mind. Thank you, will give it a try. The other reply (no longer visible for some reason) mentioned the university library through the alumni association. I've gotten in touch with the library and received the following reply: "Due to licensing restrictions, we are unable to provide remote access to Research Port databases to alumni. Complete access to all of the Libraries' databases is still available through computers at any of our eight branches." . So it seems like the policy varies from university to university. Haven't heard back from my local library yet - might stop by there tomorrow and find out.
- charlieflowers 12y ago
  Wow, I found the full article: http://www.scribd.com/doc/237130401/Is-eating-behavior-manipulated-by-the-gastrointestinal-microbiota-Evolutionary-pressures-and-potential-mechanisms http://www.scribd.com/doc/237130401/Is-eating-behavior-manip...
johndavi 12y ago
There is so much yet to come from studying the microbiome and its influence over "us" (the brain part, that is). For a good overview of how much there is still to uncover, see the 2012 New Yorker article "Germs Are Us": http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/22/germs-are-us http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/22/germs-are-us For a lighter-still take on the gut-brain connection, Radiolab had a segment a couple of years ago on the vagus nerve (mentioned as a possible culprit in the linked article/study): http://www.radiolab.org/story/197242-gut-feelings/ http://www.radiolab.org/story/197242-gut-feelings/ Emily Deans routinely blogs about the gut-brain connection: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201406/human-microbiota-and-depression http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/...
dm2 12y ago
It's amazing how important organisms that live in our intestines (and other parts of our body) are to our health, mood, immune system, and even our offspring. Related: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Microbiome_Project http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Microbiome_Project http://commonfund.nih.gov/hmp/overview http://commonfund.nih.gov/hmp/overview
S_A_P 12y ago
So I still don't buy it. It seems to me that someone who eats a lot of a certain type of food would naturally increase the type of bacteria that thrive on that type of food. I dont eat a lot of Thai food, not because I dont enjoy the flavor, but because my gut bacteria seems to want to cast it out in as painful a manner as possible. I bet if I were to eat Thai food every day for a year, things would change and my guts flora would reflect that. Bacteria cant think for you...
- sp332 12y ago
  The article says that the microbiome can be different for people with identical diets, and the people will have different cravings. Just because some bacteria thrive on certain food doesn't mean they will make you crave that food.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- mpyne 12y ago
  I don't think it's that far-fetched. If you accept the proposition that it's possible for a microbe to secrete a protein or something into the bloodstream that causes you to prefer a certain type of food (and keep in mind that we already have evidence of biologically-driven food cravings, e.g. in pregnant women), then there's a good argument that evolutionary pressure would eventually cause gut flora that could help deliver its own preferred food source to predominate in human digestive systems.
- stephenr 12y ago
  Ok now I'm curious (as a westerner living in thailand) - are you talking about vomiting, or the other end? In either case, I can't work out how specifically thai food would make you do either consistently.
  - haversine 12y ago
    Peanuts and hot sauce/peppers? I realize that's not all Thai food, but a lot of people start with a dish containing those things. Like when someone says Korean food doesn't agree with them, having only tried the gimchi.

34 points by dctoedt 12y ago

If anyone knows a legal way around the paywall, I'd love to hear about it. I wonder if they go into detail about probiotics that are actually "proven" to reduce fat or improve mood, among other things. Also, did they actually demonstrate a correlation between gut bacteria and mood/cravings, or do they merely discuss "possible" ways such a connection might exist?

dctoedt 12y ago
> If anyone knows a legal way around the paywall.... That's why I linked to the Atlantic article and not to the (paywalled) journal article. BTW, the title I originally used (per HN rules) was the actual title of the Atlantic article, namely Your gut bacteria want you to eat a cupcake. The mods changed it to the Atlantic posting's subtitle, which is certainly more informative.
- dang 12y ago
  You're welcome to use subtitles as well when, as is often the case, they're more accurate and neutral. Our goal is to avoid rewriting or editorializing titles ourselves. Since headlines are often written by someone other than the article author, a subtitle (or the first sentence of the article) is often closer to the author's intent anyway.
tdonia 12y ago
http://www.biologydirect.com/content/9/1/14 http://www.biologydirect.com/content/9/1/14
eugeneyev 12y ago
On a related topic, is there a reasonably priced option to actually get access to all of these journals (instead of subscribing to a single one or buying individual articles) . Something like Factiva or EbscoHost, etc - but offering individual subscriptions (and not limited to just a single journal/publisher).
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- UrMomReadsHN 12y ago
  Your local library. Your university library may also let alumni use their subscriptions as well, mine does.
- briandh 12y ago
  It's a little pricey and I've never used it, but I think DeepDyve is what you're looking for.
  - eugeneyev 12y ago
    Interesting, yes DeepDyve looks exactly like what I had in mind. Thank you, will give it a try. The other reply (no longer visible for some reason) mentioned the university library through the alumni association. I've gotten in touch with the library and received the following reply: "Due to licensing restrictions, we are unable to provide remote access to Research Port databases to alumni. Complete access to all of the Libraries' databases is still available through computers at any of our eight branches." . So it seems like the policy varies from university to university. Haven't heard back from my local library yet - might stop by there tomorrow and find out.
charlieflowers 12y ago
Wow, I found the full article: http://www.scribd.com/doc/237130401/Is-eating-behavior-manipulated-by-the-gastrointestinal-microbiota-Evolutionary-pressures-and-potential-mechanisms http://www.scribd.com/doc/237130401/Is-eating-behavior-manip...

johndavi 12y ago

There is so much yet to come from studying the microbiome and its influence over "us" (the brain part, that is). For a good overview of how much there is still to uncover, see the 2012 New Yorker article "Germs Are Us": http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/22/germs-are-us http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/22/germs-are-us For a lighter-still take on the gut-brain connection, Radiolab had a segment a couple of years ago on the vagus nerve (mentioned as a possible culprit in the linked article/study): http://www.radiolab.org/story/197242-gut-feelings/ http://www.radiolab.org/story/197242-gut-feelings/ Emily Deans routinely blogs about the gut-brain connection: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201406/human-microbiota-and-depression http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/...

dm2 12y ago

It's amazing how important organisms that live in our intestines (and other parts of our body) are to our health, mood, immune system, and even our offspring. Related: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Microbiome_Project http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Microbiome_Project http://commonfund.nih.gov/hmp/overview http://commonfund.nih.gov/hmp/overview

S_A_P 12y ago

So I still don't buy it. It seems to me that someone who eats a lot of a certain type of food would naturally increase the type of bacteria that thrive on that type of food. I dont eat a lot of Thai food, not because I dont enjoy the flavor, but because my gut bacteria seems to want to cast it out in as painful a manner as possible. I bet if I were to eat Thai food every day for a year, things would change and my guts flora would reflect that. Bacteria cant think for you...

sp332 12y ago
The article says that the microbiome can be different for people with identical diets, and the people will have different cravings. Just because some bacteria thrive on certain food doesn't mean they will make you crave that food.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
mpyne 12y ago
I don't think it's that far-fetched. If you accept the proposition that it's possible for a microbe to secrete a protein or something into the bloodstream that causes you to prefer a certain type of food (and keep in mind that we already have evidence of biologically-driven food cravings, e.g. in pregnant women), then there's a good argument that evolutionary pressure would eventually cause gut flora that could help deliver its own preferred food source to predominate in human digestive systems.
stephenr 12y ago
Ok now I'm curious (as a westerner living in thailand) - are you talking about vomiting, or the other end? In either case, I can't work out how specifically thai food would make you do either consistently.
- haversine 12y ago
  Peanuts and hot sauce/peppers? I realize that's not all Thai food, but a lot of people start with a dish containing those things. Like when someone says Korean food doesn't agree with them, having only tried the gimchi.