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?

Ok, you all need to read the work of John Cryan (university of cork). Seriously good stuff.

If you are interested in gut health then you have to read the book: GAPS- Gut & Psychology Syndrome by Natascha Campbell-McBride. She also has a website www.gaps.me which has lots of useful info on how the gut and in particular a leaky gut can cause all manner of conditions/diseases. It's eye opening...

It's fascinating and scary in equal measure. The author's son was autistic and unable to participate in mainstream school. She changed his diet, thus healing his leaky gut, and he is a different child with

@Sillybillypoopoomummy

Ok, you all need to read the work of John Cryan (university of cork). Seriously good stuff.

Will explore - thanks. Found a medted talk to start with.

@FluffyMcWuffy

If you are interested in gut health then you have to read the book: GAPS- Gut & Psychology Syndrome by Natascha Campbell-McBride. She also has a website www.gaps.me which has lots of useful info on how the gut and in particular a leaky gut can cause all manner of conditions/diseases. It's eye opening...

It's fascinating and scary in equal measure. The author's son was autistic and unable to participate in mainstream school. She changed his diet, thus healing his leaky gut, and he is a different child with

I had heard of the possible autism connection. Thanks for the link.

there is, and has been in recent years, quite a lot of research, media attention and publications.
which specific area do you consider requires greater research? have you considered all current and recent studies?

Nobody is going to like this at all.

This is why breastfeeding is so important to support to where it’s normal - especially for all of us who now eat loads of processed food throughout our lives, even newborn babies.
First food : processed

Studies on intestinal flora already suggest that early inflammation from foreign substances and then ongoing inflammation are the cause of so many health issues from chrohns to Alzheimer’s. The longer you can leave ‘the gut’ alone the better, the healthier, the stronger.
And then support it.

Hard hat

Thanks for the links. Going to have a look at the John Cryan stuff. I’m afraid ‘leaky gut’ is one of the phrases that triggers me. Along with candida and a few more. Not denying they are linked to real conditions but the amount of non scientifically trained people diagnosing them in themselves and others is terrifying. Often resulting in seriously restricted diets that I don’t personally think do anything to help anxiety and control issues occurring around food. Rant over.

This is a helpful guide from the wondergut website. The number one thing seems to be variety. I am definitely guilty of getting stuck in food ruts, particularly breakfast and lunch. But for our micro biome, it appears variety is the key.

From one of my favourite sources on all things wellness and quackery:

angry-chef.com/blog/want-to-see-something-really-scary

I have ulcerative colitis, and can't eat any of the foods you listed as "helping" the gut, OP.

I did have to take 5 courses of antibiotics back to back after I had my son. I do think that exacerbated whatever was wrong with my colon in the first place. If you have a bowel condition that really impacts your life, you need medicine to help, not dietary quackery. Trust me.

What can we do to reset our gut health?. Would juice diet work in short term?

[quote Msloverlover]From one of my favourite sources on all things wellness and quackery:

angry-chef.com/blog/want-to-see-something-really-scary[/quote]
This blog is a must-read. An eye opener.

The list from msloverlover sounds pretty sensible generally.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/obr.12750

This is what I’m trying to make sense of for background reading - I have never looked up so many words from one document in my adult reading life!

I think the trouble with juice diets is the lack of dietary fibre which seems pretty important for healthy gut flora. And they can be high in sucrose.

@TheRubyRedshoes

What can we do to reset our gut health?. Would juice diet work in short term?

I think, as with most things, there is no quick fix. Detoxing is a myth. Your body can only absorb a certain number of nutrients in a day. Anything more just becomes expensive/time consuming wee. I also believe that eating the fruits and vegetables is way more important than juicing. The fibre for example is so important and this is normally what’s thrown away. From what I understand, it is better to focus on eating better and with more variety long term, and adding lots of prebiotic and probiotic food as you are going. If I have to take antibiotics, I tend to take a good quality probiotic, but I am not convinced this is anything much more than a placebo. Makes me feel better though!

@TheRubyRedshoes

What can we do to reset our gut health?. Would juice diet work in short term?

Sorry - that was in response to this. I think a lot depends on your own health and diet anyway, but I’m trying kefir and live sauerkraut for probiotics and a varied low-meat diet with lots of veg salads, very little processed food, pulses and smaller amounts of unprocessed carbs such as whole porridge oats and wholemeal bread. But I should say I have no medical issues other than high cholesterol and now-corrected pre-diabetes blood sugar level. I have lost a significant amount of weight which was needed, and still have some to go.