To think there should be more research into the impact of gut flora changes

[AtlasPine]

The more I read about gut flora, the more it seems there is a huge amount that we don’t know. It appears as well as being affected by taking antibiotics, it can be impacted by a host of of things from sleep deprivation to stress.

It apparently has an impact on your weight, diabetes, your absorption of nutrients and liver function.

Foods to eat to improve it include bananas, leeks, porridge, onions, legumes and of course fermented foods like kefir and live sauerkraut.

Has anyone else been looking into this as part of living a more healthy lifestyle? Anything you have tried and has it made a difference?

Oh and red wine is much better than gin! (But both are bad if not taken in moderation)

I've read a lot around this too. Miso is also good. I think too many of us suffer with leaky gut also.....

it has impact on emotional well being, too.

Yeah I had mine tested to see what was in there. Had none of the anti obesity bacteria of course! Also got a list of foods to eat based on my profile. Was interesting!

Me. But I have coeliacs? crohn's? (def one or the other, possibly both) so it's hard to conclude anything from my successes or lack of them.

And yes, there should definitely be more research.

Queen where did you go for testing?

I work in microbiology and have recently become interested in this area after having to take antibiotics in the summer and worrying about all of my good digestive bacteria suffering.
From what I’ve read it is really important to eat raw foods and not have cooked processed food for every meal so I’ve started having salad every day (I already have porridge most days). Also it’s very important to eat a variety of everything and not just sticking to your favourites.

As far as I understand there is lots of research going on. One recent study I can think of was using probiotics to treat depression. I think the biggest problem is that you are always dealing with lots and lots of variables. Everyone’s own gut flora is unique for instance.

I agree it’s really interesting. From what I’ve understood, probiotics, unless they are specifically formulated for you, are not massively useful. Prebiotic food, which enables your body to restore your own gut flora, I think seems more useful. As well as consuming naturally occurring probiotics. As with everything, spending fortunes on supplements is not always worth it.

Is it not a massive area of ongoing research though? My understanding was that it is - hence there being lay information available for you to read about all these various theories.

I love this website by the way:

www.wondergut.com/

Yes. Hippocrates himself said that "all diseases begin in the gut".

Interesting website msloverlover

What I can’t work out is how do we find out what is the ideal diet for us as individuals? I have kefir and porridge every day, lots of veg including raw veggies and salad, nuts and legumes. Not so keen on sauerkraut or that fermented tea. And I don’t really want to take supplements. But probably too much meat/fish and some sugar (but not much).

@MawkishHawk

Is it not a massive area of ongoing research though? My understanding was that it is - hence there being lay information available for you to read about all these various theories.

The research just seems to open up more questions and emphasise how we are all different!

This is a rapidly growing field at the minute, but quite new. There is plenty of scientific interest, it just needs to be given time to produce data.

Slight tangent, but something I find particularly interesting is the prospect of using skin microflora in forensics, because it is so particular to individual people.

@Porcupineinwaiting
Crohn's and coeliac are 2 quite different things. And are distinguishable mostly even without invasive methods. I have crohn's and gluten intolerance, so I know way too much about these things :(

Foods to eat to improve it include bananas, leeks, porridge, onions, legumes and of course fermented foods like kefir and live sauerkraut.

That blank statement is not true in this form. They can help, but if not part of a balanced diet, then it's gonna go sideways. Also individual intolerance plays a huge part.

What I try to teach my kid is:

• what vitamins and minerals are responsible for what and vica versa: what symptom can suggest vit/min defeciency
• what are the basic food types to have a balanced intake: protein/fiber/vitamins/...
• what is used how
• what signs to look out for that suggest that there is an issue with the gut bacteria

I would love it if this was part of curricula, but it's not in any form.

And a note from my gastro docs: feel free to eat/drink as many actimer/pro or prebiotic enhanced shit, it will never hurt you. But it won't make a difference either.

If you really have an issue go for the specialist ones: there's a probiotic mix specifically for crohn's, there's one for after antibiotic ,... etc. Off the shelf products are mostly about marketing.

@TheSunIsStillShining I know that and I'm sure that my consultants know that (one of them is a bit of a leading authority on coeliac disease and gluten intolerance). Nonetheless I fail to fall neatly into either category. I cant tolerate gluten (total villus erosion plus diarrhoea, pain etc) but no antibodies, 6 years after coming off gluten entirely I still have ulceration and inflammation in my small intestine. Trust me, I also know quite a bit about these things.

Arthritis research or whatever they're called now have been doing research for a couple of years now I think in to inflammatory diseases and the microbiome.

[quote Porcupineinwaiting]@TheSunIsStillShining I know that and I'm sure that my consultants know that (one of them is a bit of a leading authority on coeliac disease and gluten intolerance). Nonetheless I fail to fall neatly into either category. I cant tolerate gluten (total villus erosion plus diarrhoea, pain etc) but no antibodies, 6 years after coming off gluten entirely I still have ulceration and inflammation in my small intestine. Trust me, I also know quite a bit about these things.[/quote]
Sorry, couldn't have known. I come across so many people self diagnosing that I rarely even ask first if they've seen a doctor. Somehow it's fashionable to have a gut problem....

Apple cider vinegar is good too.

@Porcupineinwaiting

Queen where did you go for testing?

@Porcupineinwaiting it was through the chuckling goat I think the company doing the test is called atlas

Big correlation between gut health and skin health also. I'm a skin therapist and highly recommend a good probiotic to all my clients. If the gut flora is depleted it can't absorb the nutrients correctly. It's also where serotonin is made and that has a direct effect on our moods.
Advanced Nutrition programme have an amazing vitamin line and Dermalogica are treating the micro biome of the skin as well so a two pronged approach works best.

So interesting- thank you for contributions.

How do you know what constitutes a good diet for you individually though? And how do you monitor it after, say, a course of antibiotics or a gastric flu?

@Disneyinmyveins

Big correlation between gut health and skin health also. I'm a skin therapist and highly recommend a good probiotic to all my clients. If the gut flora is depleted it can't absorb the nutrients correctly. It's also where serotonin is made and that has a direct effect on our moods. Advanced Nutrition programme have an amazing vitamin line and Dermalogica are treating the micro biome of the skin as well so a two pronged approach works best.

What pro biotic do you recommend?

How do you know what constitutes a good diet for you individually though?

Apart from allergy sufferers or those with intolerances, it's probably similar for everyone. As someone once said, eat food, not too much, and mainly plants! (Meaning, eat things that are recognisably food made from recognisable ingredients and avoid processed crap!)

The research just seems to open up more questions and emphasise how we are all different!

That pretty much describes all research! The microbiome has become a fashionable area - but it’s been something that companies with large R&D departments have been investigating (to varying degrees) for at least a quarter of a century. I first worked on projects relating to personalised nutrition in 2006 (and these were already a continuation of several years of existing research).

Back in the dim and distant past I did a GCSE in cookery (not long after the inception of GCSEs - certainly before A* existed as a grade). It covered lots of basic nutrition, and was actually a much less random GCSE than it appears to be.