A quick Google search on one of my favorite queries reported the following for “Scholarly articles for microbiome and PubMed:” “About 268,000 results (0.45 seconds)”…
This is a much broader search than for what’s on PubMed itself for microbiome “Results: 1 to 20 of 19194”
It’s one of the hottest topics, and I probably read about 1-2 full articles (or more) a day on these little buggies. It’s one of my obsessions, besides being Dr. Doom on toxic exposures. Recently, I reviewed a summary of some article updates on “How the Bugs In Your Body Affect Your Body- Brain to Toe.”
Of course, I continue to compile information to share with you since many are wishing to learn more on their trillion-plus tiny friends. For example, I’ve summarized the following excerpts from some of my favorite journals. The first one provides more support that swallowing bugs can actually affect our microbiome and our brains and was published in Brain, Behavior & Immunity: The authors reported:
- Multispecies probiotic supplementation reduced cognitive reactivity to sad mood.
- Strongest effects for reduced rumination and reduced aggressive thoughts.
- Multispecies probiotics may be used as potential preventive strategy for depression.10
Bacteria Cross-Talk
In another cool article in Cell, scientists manipulated the microbiome of rodents by changing a signaling molecule. Science News reported:
Altering how bacteria talk to each other can change the balance of microbes in the body, a new study suggests. By butting in to bacterial conversations, friendly microbes may better resist the ravages of antibiotics, researchers report online March 19 in Cell Reports. Treating mice with antibiotics depleted the number of one major group of bacteria called Firmicutes naturally found in the gut. But boosting levels of a communication molecule slightly altered the microbial mix in the intestines, restoring a fraction of the Firmicutes population, the researchers found.
Due to my passion about these little critters, I tend to shout their good news from all “web rooftops.” For example, recently, I discussed the wonderful world of bugs on Natural Path’s website. For those who want the cliff notes and summary of all I wrote, I condensed some of the key facts in this recent release that includes what happens when you swallow probiotics, how to positively manipulate your microbiome, and why I love this topic so much.
As I wrote in the article:
If Buggies Ain’t Happy, Neither Are You
It’s now becoming clearer that as we change the environment our bugs live in, these microscopic residents move in and out accordingly. This means that if you want to keep the microbes you have because you are healthy, keep eating and doing what you’re doing. However, if you’re not happy with your current health state, it may be time for a “microbiome shift.”
Your naturopathic or functional medicine doctor can help you weed and feed the bugs you need through dietary and lifestyle recommendations, prescribing specific strains of probiotics, and testing the bugs that reside in your poo. It’s a stinky job, but a noble and effective one!
Read the full blog here and post your favorite thing about gut bugs below!
If your eyes are a little tired and you just want to listen and learn, this is one of my favorite vodeps on the microbiome from a TEDex talk, “The gut flora: You and your 100 trillion friends” by Jeroen Raes at TEDxBrussels.
Fun geek-out fact for your next cocktail or smoothie party, “Did you know that the amount of bacteria in our body is the number of stars in the universe multiplied by 5 million!” Yup, you really aren’t as human as you think, more of a microbe-transport vehicle. This video really drives home how the habitat that we give our little guys to live in are important in determining so many of our health outcomes.
References:
A randomized controlled trial to test the effect of multispecies probiotics on cognitive reactivity to sad mood. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity. August 2015. (40): 258–264.
Turning the gut microbiome into a chat room. Science News. March 179, 2015. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/turning-gut-microbiome-chat-room
Manipulation of the Quorum Sensing Signal AI-2 Affects the Antibiotic-Treated Gut Microbiota. Cell Reports. March 24, 2015; 10(11): 1861-1871. ttp://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247%2815%2900207-7
