4 ms·

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

by 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.
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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.
  - stephenr 12y ago
    Sounds like that wasn't the case but this concept is quite interesting, having been here for close to 2 years now. In Australia it seems most people think of Pad Thai or Green Curry when it comes to thai food.. I'm not sure what the US "default" for thai food is?
- dkhar 12y ago
  In my experience, the Thai restaurants around me (East coast US) like to make their sauces very oil/butter heavy, which contributes to the second phenomenon you alluded to. I've never been to Thailand, so I don't know if this is an exclusively American phenomenon or not. I personally really like a good Lat na, but what I'm served is often noodles in a thick, chicken flavored grease (rather than stock or gravy).
  - stephenr 12y ago
    Yeah ok sounds like a local "adaption" of the menu. Even with a Thai owner and/or chef, it seems in most countries, there is some degree of adapting each dish to the local environment. This may be because of available ingredients or because of local tastes. Thai people do love to fry things (both shallow and deep), but in my experience that doesn't necessarily translate into particularly oily sauces. In my time here I've once had a green curry that actually had a visible layer of oil (about 1cm thick) floating on top of the sauce itself, but that is definitely not the norm! In terms of butter, that is very surprising to me. The only thing I've ever seen butter used for here is to fry fresh roti (which are then served with condensed milk and banana or chocolate or sugar or whatever you want)..
BugBrother 12y ago
Try small volumes to start? You might have some allergy or food intolerance to a common ingredient. Then directed selection of your gut biome won't help. (I love Thai food myself, but it is a bit dangerous to even go into restaurant, since I'm really allergic to nuts and peanuts. I can't even be in the same room as peanuts.)
deleted 12y ago
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by S_A_P 12y ago

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

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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.
- stephenr 12y ago
  Sounds like that wasn't the case but this concept is quite interesting, having been here for close to 2 years now. In Australia it seems most people think of Pad Thai or Green Curry when it comes to thai food.. I'm not sure what the US "default" for thai food is?
dkhar 12y ago
In my experience, the Thai restaurants around me (East coast US) like to make their sauces very oil/butter heavy, which contributes to the second phenomenon you alluded to. I've never been to Thailand, so I don't know if this is an exclusively American phenomenon or not. I personally really like a good Lat na, but what I'm served is often noodles in a thick, chicken flavored grease (rather than stock or gravy).
- stephenr 12y ago
  Yeah ok sounds like a local "adaption" of the menu. Even with a Thai owner and/or chef, it seems in most countries, there is some degree of adapting each dish to the local environment. This may be because of available ingredients or because of local tastes. Thai people do love to fry things (both shallow and deep), but in my experience that doesn't necessarily translate into particularly oily sauces. In my time here I've once had a green curry that actually had a visible layer of oil (about 1cm thick) floating on top of the sauce itself, but that is definitely not the norm! In terms of butter, that is very surprising to me. The only thing I've ever seen butter used for here is to fry fresh roti (which are then served with condensed milk and banana or chocolate or sugar or whatever you want)..

BugBrother 12y ago

Try small volumes to start? You might have some allergy or food intolerance to a common ingredient. Then directed selection of your gut biome won't help. (I love Thai food myself, but it is a bit dangerous to even go into restaurant, since I'm really allergic to nuts and peanuts. I can't even be in the same room as peanuts.)

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