Microbes Revisited

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The previous blog, Man’s Miraculous Microbes, has raised many questions. Before answering them, let me say that this information is based on very recent medical research, and scientists have barely scratched the surface.

It’s a fascinating new science—our body being host to trillions of living microbes, but also a most challenging one because these microbes interact in a highly complex fashion that affects our health and wellbeing, possibly even our mood. If this community of bacteria gets out of balance or if we lack the right ones, serious problems can arise.

Much of the data comes from Michael Pollan’s in-depth article in New York Times’ Magazine of May 15, 2013.

To answer your questions:

1.    How can I ensure the best possible mircrobiome (bacteria) for my children? Primarily by nursing a child. Mother’s milk contains nutrients that nourish not only the baby, but also the baby’s vital bacteria, which was unknown until recently. Caesarian delivery of a baby has disadvantages, because it deprives the baby of important gut bacteria that it acquires while traveling through the birth canal.

2.    Should I worry when my child gets covered with mud or hugs our dog? Not at all, unless your dog is sick or has worms. It enriches the child’s bacterial world that becomes more varied and robust to fight off diseases. Apparently, when we live in the city away from animals, plants and soil, we miss out on many beneficial bacteria and become prone to autoimmune diseases and allergies.

3.    Why can’t we live without microbes? Apparently we can’t. Microbes help us digest our meals, they tell us when we’re hungry, and when we are full. They prevent the intrusion of foreign bacteria and help us to adapt to our changing environment, such as pollution and new toxins in food. In effect, some scientists are sounding the alarm that due to industrialization, antibiotics and the sterility of processed foods several of our bacteria have become extinct and our microbiome is becoming increasingly impoverished, causing disorders, such as immune deficiency diseases, asthma, allergies and Diabetes 2.

4.    I keep gaining weight, what can I do? One important species of bacteria, the H. pylori, has practically disappeared. It neutralizes the bacteria that urge us to eat when we are hungry. When we have eaten enough, the H. pylori tell us that we are full. Without it, we tend to keep eating, which may be the cause for today’s widespread obesity.

5.    How can we optimize good health? Good bacteria thrive on a varied and fiber-rich diet, also on foods made with live cultures such as yogurt, and on fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and kimchi. It’s a good idea to keep our toothbrushes at least six feet away from the toilet. Whenever we flush, large amounts of bacteria are stirred up. “The world is covered with a fine patina of feces,” says Stanford Microbiologist Stanley Falkow; house dust is no exception.

6.    Are fiber supplements the answer? Probably not, because fiber is not a single nutrient, there are hundreds of different polysaccharides. It’s better to vary our diet and include different types of fiber—resistant starch fiber as in bananas, oats and beans, soluble fiber as in root vegetables such as onions, and insoluble fiber as in bran, whole grains and avocados. It also matters how they are prepared. Al dente pasta is preferable to overcooked one; steel-cut oats are better than rolled; raw and lightly cooked vegetables are better than well done.

7.    What determines our microbiome? We acquire our first microbes from our mother while traveling through the birth canal. Therefore, if possible, avoid having a Caesarian. Mother’s milk provides the next set of good bacteria. Others are picked up from our environment. A healthy community of microbes keeps foreign and hostile bacteria away. Depending on the robustness of our gut bacteria, for example, one food can make one person sick, but not an other.

8.    Why are gut bacteria so important? Gut bacteria are instrumental in creating serotonin, enzymes and vitamins, such as Bs and K. They not only influence our immune system, but they may also regulate our stress levels. Experiments have shown when gut microbes from an easy-going mouse were transplanted to an anxious and nervous mouse, it became more relaxed and enterprising.

Gut bacteria also regulate our appetite and digestion, and thus our metabolism. Malnourished children may require more than food; they need to have their gut’s microbial community rebalanced. (see 5.)

9.    Why do antibiotics cause problems? Antibiotics have saved many lives. Yet they should be used only if truly necessary, because they kill bad as well as good bacteria and thus cause havoc in our bacterial world. They may even be the cause for our gaining weight. Unfortunately, livestock is fed large quantities of antibiotics today; as a consequence antibiotic microbes have been found in meat, milk and surface water. Even hand sanitizers and chlorine washes for lettuce may be suspect.

Probiotics may be a good antidote when taking antibiotics, but it may not be prudent to take them as a constant supplement. Too little is known about them. The probiotic market is not regulated. When 14 products were tested, only one contained the exact species stated on the label.

Processed foods too are raising concern because of their sterility. Also, they contain detergent-like ingredients such as lecithin, CMC, polysorbate 80 and Datem that can lead to low-grade inflammations—a response of the immune system to a perceived threat. Some researchers suspect that a majority, if not most, of today’s chronic diseases are in fact inflammations originating in the gut. They may lead to metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and possibly some cancers.

Patrice Cani at the University of Louvain in Brussels recently produced evidence of how this is possible. He fed a high-fat, junk-food diet to mice. This noticeably changed the microbiota in their gut—it also happens to humans when on a similar diet. On closer examination, Cani discovered that the lining of their gut had become permeable, allowing endotoxins to leak into the bloodstream. The result was a low-grade inflammation that eventually led to metabolic syndrome. Researchers suspect that the cause of most if not allchronic diseases may point to the microbiota of the gut.

Industrialization will continue to cause pollution, cities will cement over mother Earth, processing will deplete our food and high technology is likely to expose us to increasing levels of radiation. However, there’s no need to despair about the negative aspects of our modern world. While we cannot turn back the clock, we can make sensible choices; we can take good care our microbiome and nourish it well so it can do its job to protect us and help us adjust to unavoidable changes. Indeed, we have the choice of enjoying the best of both worlds.

Until next time,

Rosi 

Man's Miraculous Microbes

Appearances are often deceiving. It took many years to convince earthlings that they are not the center of the universe or that the earth is flat.

Yet most of us are still rather certain that the human race is the most advanced of all species, even though coyotes run faster, dogs can smell better, owls can see at night, bats hear what we can’t, and turtles live far longer than we do. And none of them own an alarm clock to rouse them from sacred slumber and face rush-hour traffic to get to work. Seagulls sit complacently and contemplate the waves, bluebirds soar into the sky and view the world from above, and mischievous monkeys play catch under a shady tree.

Life on Earth has existed for many years, but not so homo erectus. We are a recent arrival. If life on Earth were measured in twelve hours, men arrived just before the clock struck twelve. Mankind has only one species while other life forms have thousands of species, even beetles, fungi, viruses and bacteria. This poses a serious threat to our survival. Remember the Irish potato? When a disease struck that plant, the potatoes in the whole country were wiped out, causing the serious famine of 1740/41.

Scientists recently discovered that the human body has a surprising function—it is host to many thousand species of other life forms, namely bacteria. In fact, researchers estimate that each human being hosts over a hundred trillion of these one-celled organisms, a number reminiscent of the astronomical figure of our national debt. It means that we have ten times more bacterial cells living in our body than we have human cells. The total number of human beings living on this planet is about seven billion; yet the number of microbes living in each and every human being is 14,000 times that large!

Bacteria are tiny and amount to about five pounds of our bodyweight. Yet they seem to have an enormous impact on our life, affecting our health and wellbeing, possibly even our tendency to gain weight.

Thanks to recent research, bacteria are no longer seen as our enemy; they are regarded as our benevolent partners. Hundreds of different bacterial species live in our mouth, our ears, and our gut, for example. This internal world of bacteria of ours, also called microbiome, develops after we’re born and seems to be determined by our early environment, resembling often that of other persons in the household. It can slowly change over time, depending on diet, environment and lifestyle, as well as on the medications we take.

Antibiotics were once considered the Holy Grail for fighting infections. Today, researchers are having second thoughts. Antibiotics kill not only bad bacteria, they kill good bacteria as well, and therefore can upset the harmonious balance of our bacterial microbiome and our health.

One day, researchers hope to find ways to harness our innate bacteria to handle our diseases. They may even find ways to track down the microbes that cause us to gain weight and how to keep them in check.

Life is miraculous and a constant source of wonder and amazement.

Until next time,

Rosi

Carbohydrates

“Don’t clear the table yet,” I anxiously exclaimed. We’d just eaten two slices of toast. “The toast made me hungry!”

“That’s what carbs do to you,” my daughter replied. “They stimulate the appetite.”

It’s true. We should have added an egg, or lots of peanut butter. We had three more slices of buttered toast and felt better; at least for the next hour.

“I’ve got to look into that carb phenomenon,” I decided, and did. I quizzed google, which came up with 34 million websites in 0.16 seconds flat! It’d take years to read them all, but here’s what I found. First of all, ignore the many fads; just use the basic guidelines and good common sense if you want to enjoy a happy, long and healthy life.

Carbohydrates are highly essential for all of us. They turn into glucose that provides us with energy and stamina. Some carbs, however, are healthier than others:

Unhealthy carbs include sugars and refined and processed foods. Most processed foods contain added sugar, primarily corn sugars, for which Monsanto has invented some 19 different names. When they reach the stomach, they activate a mechanism that makes us crave more and more food, which has caused a steady and alarming increase in the weight of our population. (For details see the June 28 post below: Health Hazard — Sugar)

Healthy Carbs come in two varieties, simple and complex—stick with them. They include all the natural foods, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and milk products. We need both types.

•      Simple Carbs are quickly broken down by our body and are found primarily in fruit, but also in refined sugars and processed foods. Do avoid the latter two. If we’d live on nothing but fruits and vegetables—as much as we could eat— we’d be as skinny as could be. The more we indulge in processed foods, the more weight we consistently add.
•      Complex Carbs take longer to break down and do not cause a sugar rush. They include the starches found in starchy vegetables (potatoes, peas, corn and dried beans), and in grains and breads. Legumes (dried beans and peas) are a good source of fiber and protein, and an excellent substitute for meat.

Carbohydrates provide us with Fiber, which plays a vital function in our digestion. Some fiber is soluble, as found in most fruits, nuts, legumes and oatmeal; some fiber is insoluble, as in most vegetables, seeds, brown rice and couscous. Both types are good for us. Consequently, it’s much better to eat berries or a piece of fruit than to drink a glass of fruit juice.

Grains need special mention. They are a good source of fiber and provide us with many vital nutrients. Unfortunately, most of these nutrients get lost when the grain is extensively processed and refined. The less processed food we eat, the better off we are.

In summary, carbohydrates are an essential food, but they differ greatly in their effect on our health and weight. Minimize foods that are processed and avoid foods that are sweetened with corn sweeteners. Give preference to vegetables, legumes and fruits, rather than juice, cheese and meats. Eat slowly to prevent overeating. And be consistent. You’d be surprised how quickly eating good and healthy food turns into a wholesome habit. And you’ll save money in the process.

Until next time,

Rosi

Health Hazard – Sugar

Americans weigh about 40 pounds more than 40 years ago. 36% of our population is obese. Why this sudden increase in weight? The answer is sugar. Not the cane sugar from Hawaii, but corn sugar made from modified corn.

During World War II, fat man was the code name for the atomic bomb. An actually fat man didn’t appear until two hundred years ago. It was a medical rarity then and his picture still hangs in England’s Leicester Museum. Being too bariatric to work—bariatric being a polite word for obese—he charged a shilling for people to see him, which made him a rich man!

Why corn sugar?

It all started with Mr. Nixon’s appointment of Earl Butz as Secretary of Agriculture. He abolished farm subsidies and advocated that farmers “get big or get out.” His policy drove many small farmers off the land.

Large Agribusiness corporations took over. They mass-produced corn and focused on how to make it profitable. Corn became abundant and cheap, and was used to make oil, fatten pigs and cattle, and feed people. In Michael Pollan’s words, corn was turned into a huge array of “edible food-like substances.” Small farmers suffered, but the big farm corporations grew rich.

Corn became so profitable it glutted the market, and the search was on for new uses of corn. They found it in Japan where a new process had been developed to turn corn commercially into High Fructose Corn Syrup or HFCS, a cheap sugar substitute. Congressmen came to the industry’s aid and changed the sugar tariffs, making HFCS vastly cheaper than cane sugar. Soon, cheap HFCS was pumped into most processed foods. It gave baked goods a glossy shine and other foods a delightfully sweet taste.

Better yet, HFCS could be used to replace fat. Now low-fat yogurts, desserts, and all sorts of fat-free foods could be produced that were cheaper and supposedly “good” for you! They even tasted better because of their delightful sweetness. It caused a huge financial bonanza for the food industry.

Yet people suddenly got fat and no one could explain why, until Prof. Anthony Sclafani at the University of New York found the answer. He was experimenting with rats; when he fed them regular rat food, they did fine; when he fed them food from the supermarket, they grew huge.

Why the weight-gain?

Scientists found that sugar is highly addictive creating a warm feeling of bliss. It shuts down the hormone leptin that normally tells us that we are full. Instead, our gut keeps sending messages to the brain that we need more food. And we happily continue eating. Research shows that sugar coalesces into fat and builds up around the liver causing diabetes 2; therefore the enormous increase of the disease in children. It also coats the semen making obese men less fertile.

Research studies. The food industry and its mighty lobby are fighting these findings tooth and nail. Millions of dollars are at stake. It provides countless counter-studies to prove the contrary, while independent, objective research is lamentably underfunded. When in 1990 the World Health Organization drafted a recommendation to limit the use of corn sugar, unbelievable as it may seem, our Secretary of State, Tommy Thompson, flew to Geneva to lobby on behalf of the sugar industry. The recommendation was not made.

Sugar Synonyms. The food industry is constantly looking for new names to hide the sugar contents in our food. Here is a partial list of words used for sugar: HFCS, barley malt, corn syrup, dextrose, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin and maltose.

Did I mention the major beverage using corn sugar? Soft drinks.

Until next time,

Rosi

Chew & Stay Slim

Ah, the joys of good food! I rejoice at the mere thought of a delicious meal and eat five times a day, but thanks to Mother’s wise council I never gain weight.

I grew up in Germany during World War II when food was severely rationed and we children were always hungry, especially after our tiny meals. I still remember Christmas dinner, a year and a half after the war, as a very happy and special event because we were allowed to eat all the potatoes with salt we wanted.

It must have been torture for Mother not to be able to feed her kids. So she came up with a Golden Rule: we had to eat everything with utmost awareness and great gratitude. “Take smaller bites,” she would admonish us, “and chew each bite at least thirty times on each tooth!” And we did.

Mother’s plan worked well; the food on our plate lasted longer and we felt less hungry when we got up from a meal. Her Golden Rule may well rank as one of the best ways to enjoy food and stay slim.

Doctors will tell us today that there are two good reasons for eating slowly:

   1/ Many vitamins and minerals are absorbed right in the mouth, and

   2/ it takes about ten minutes for food to reach the stomach and signal to the brain that it’s full. Eating slowly cuts down considerably on the amount we eat.

Early habit rarely change. I am still a very slow eater. And so is my brother. While others are on their third helping, we’re about halfway through with our first. We both love food, never diet and rarely gain weight.

The food shortages continued for many years after the war. When our school served us a bowl of noodle soup at lunchtime thanks to the wonderful American Marshall Plan, school became downright tolerable.

Sometimes I wonder whether it was the lack of cigarettes and the scarcity of food that kept people relatively healthy—sugar and fat, meat and diary products were practically unobtainable, and big meals were unheard of. Or perhaps it was just the lack of doctors during and after the war that we didn’t see a doctor for years.

Mother’s Golden Rule may be simple, but it certainly works: Take small bites and chew each one 30 times on each tooth.

Happy mealtimes,
Rosi McIntosh