• Yacon syrup: beneficial effects on obesity and insulin resistance in humans. Inulin containing lowers body fat 33 lbs.
• Inulin-type fructans modulate intestinal Bifidobacterium species populations and decrease fecal short-chain fatty acids in obese women.Bifidobacteria longum significantly increased. Per author communication: Akkermansia increased too. BMI and insulin resistance all decreased significantly with inulin. Akkermansia and Bifidobacteria longum are associated with the lean core microbiota -- we want these for longevity and disease-free lifestyles as well.
• RS2 animal studies may not translate well to human application Animal studies show significant body fat and weight loss; however 4 human studies fail to replicate any improvements
• Cultivable and pyrosequenced fecal microflora in centenarians and young subjects. High Bifidobacteria longum is extraordinarily characteristic in centenarians and corresponds with super low opportunistic gut growths.
• RS2-HAM high dosage 18% appears to lower important immunoprotective (human) core species: Bifidobacteria longum (but not animal ones), Roseburia cluster XIVa and F. prausnitziiBifidobacteria longum appears to get starved and suppressed it seems per the authors' observations at high dosage RS2 18% and 36%. RS2 HAM does selectively feed good gut flora but these same populations also feed happily off starches, RS3 and inulin as well.
• In autoimmune, autism/spectrum, arthritis, IBS, IBD, GERD/heartburn and other inflammatory conditions, the RS2-eaters may predominate in a dysbiotic gut. Paleo guts often have these microbial 'signatures' I have noticed.
• RS2 may silently and insiduously worsen the microbial pattern so best to test, don't guess: GDX Stool 2200 and urine/blood NutriEval
• My body fat burning 'bionic fiber'= INULIN + AC (version B)
• Roseburia/XIVa protects and reverses peanut food allergies in recent animal model
• Akkermansia is a key gut player for leanness and insulin sensitivity
• Bifidobacteria longum in human studies improves many health parameters (anxiety, high cholesterol, low HDL, high triglycerides, gut dysbiosis, fungal infections, IBD, IBS, GERD/heartburn, diabetes, obesity, metabolic disorders) including also significantly the gut inflammation related to gluten/gliadin.

Paleo Mag Tony Federico Author of Paleo Grilling

BEAUTIFUL GUTS, BEAUTIFUL MINDS

Matt Pepin and I had the pleasure of having Tony on the show recently for the Gut Guardians podcast. Look out soon for it. We explored all sorts of paleo and ancestral themes particularlyTony's take on how we are so plugged in yet not getting the ancestral hits of oxytocin from face-to-face, voice or real contact. We also had the chance to review his uBIOME from earlier this year and why he felt that raw resistant starch was not ancestral, thus never partook. His bold piece on Resistant Starch (RS) was one of the first on the 'RS Cautions and Concerns', which also includes my early (unevolved) thoughts at the time.

New evidence has presented, namely studies and citizen science (N=1, AMGut, uBIOME, Genova Diagnostic 2200 results) that use 16S rRNA analysis to detail and drill down what is occurring in the gut microbiota with RS2, raw starches, as a fiber and prebiotic and downstream effects.

In the podcast we discuss more in depth revelations on this and why I think caution should be considered for situations when high dosage RS2 (raw starches) should be avoided, why, how, and what might be considered ancestral.

He gave me permission to use his uBIOME and give my thoughts on his N=1. Luv citizen science.

Currently I am preferring uBIOME over AmGut for mainly 2 reasons: (1) easy access to the detailed raw taxonomy to view down to species and genus depth, (2) turn around is fast. Like all testing, it's imperfect. Accuracy and sensitivity are likely limited like all testing by 20-30% if we are lucky. Comparisons between testing methods also restrict what conclusions we can make, and additional testing contaminants and other lab obstacles still clearly exist. Now onward and let's do the unscientific thing and compare apples with oranges!

Placing Tony's 'Paleo Diet' column against the Hadza, healthy Mediterranean diet and the % of relative abundance in the healthy cohort reported by uBIOME, we can see how his gut size up, knowing this is provisional and only gives us 'patterns'. Functional medicine practitioners like myself compare gut species and phyla. With the upgraded Genova Diagnostic 2200 Stool GI Function testing it is possible to tie suboptimal health with the gut microbiota 'fingerprint'. By altering the 'fingerprint', better digestion, better health and performance can be obtained. Gut testing and knowing your gut 'fingerprint' is the future of all medicine because all health begins in the gut (Hippocrates).

Here is a great manual, interpretative guide, see pg 21-25 to review Tony's data along with me. I would place 'green' as the above average measurements and 'red/yellow' as below average depending on the magnitude (eg 10-fold v. 0.2-fold reductions). Microbes magnify their populations by log scales, so below the representations are by 'fold' or 'times' expression.

Tony's diet and lifestyle: no grains, no dairy, lots of non-starchy vegetables, fermented foods, meat, fat. He is also a personal coach and works out nearly daily with a lean BF of 14% and high muscle mass.







TONY'S HAWWWT MICROBIOME: LEANNESS ADVANTAGES

CHRISTENSENELLA: One thing that really struck me first about Tony and his gut microbiota is the richness and abundance of an up and coming new potential probiotic and gut flora known as Christensenella minuta, Tony's shows double the normal values reported in healthy controls from uBiome. Unfortunately I could not locate the Hadza or Mediterranean cohort data. For the phyla that C minuta belongs to, Christensenellaceae, Tony's gut values were OFF THE CHART, 4.35-fold above normal. This is impressive to me because I look at a lot of testing and never seen any numbers even close. We will go over others -- because RS2, raw potato starch -- appears to lower it significantly in every record I've observed.

Ruth Ley and her group reported first on Christensenella minuta. It is quite the bug. When obese rats are implanted with viable, live probiotics, they were leaner than controls and did not gain fat as easily on fat-inducing diets (high sucrose, high fat rat chow). Like Tony, C minuta is found in higher concentrations in lean people. (And high dosage raw potato starch ingesters have hardly any.) The genus C minuta is in only two species that I'm aware of so hopefully the numbers listed are a good proxy for C minuta.

Recently Ed Yong wrote about this special leanness probiotic: "The team confirmed this by deliberately adding Christensenella to a stool sample before transplanting it into germ-free mice. Without the microbe, the mice put on 15 percent more weight and had 25 percent body fat. With it, they put on just 10 percent more weight, and had just 21 percent body fat. For comparison, that’s the equivalent of a 70 kilogram person putting on seven extra kilograms rather than ten."NatGeo.

Source

BUTYRATE-PRODUCING XIVa/IV CLUSTERS: Eubacteria, Roseburia, Blautia, Ruminococcus and F. prausnitzii were all extremely robust. These are versatile eaters of RS3 (cooked-cooled starches, which Tony eats little, it appears) and the entire fiber spectrum. I can tell from these #s that Tony's diet is a true smorgasbord of rainbow colored vegetables, fruits and seeds.  Beyond butyrate, cluster XIVa has been shown to very important for sealing the gut barriers and reversing immuno reactive conditions such as peanut allergies in animal models.

Alistipes is one of the leanness building microbiota and part of the ancestral core. Tony's appears 50% higher than normal.



OTHER LEANNESS ALTERING MICROBES AKKERMANSIA, B LONGUM: BELOW AVERAGE

Akkermansia is another leanness building microbe. Scientists give it to fat mice and it alters their body fat composition, decreases body fat, improves blood sugars, lowers LPS and endotoxemia, reduces several inflammatory markers, decreases liver function tests, fixes faulty intestinal permeability, increases HDL cholesterol, decreases TGs, and even improves the signs and symptoms of fatty liver/NASH (non-alcoholic steatosis hepatitis).  Like Christensenella it is find in abundance  in lean, non-diabetic subjects. Those with diabetes have low amounts. Weight loss and administration of the insulin sensitizing drug metformin appears to raise Akkermansia. Elite rugby players on the Irish national team who eat a 'clean', whole food, high protein diet have elevated levels of Akk. Cranberry extract which is high in polyphenols raise it. Factors that raise bifidobacteria, also will raise Akk (I suspect it crossfeeds from them too).

"Akkermansia and Bifidobacterium proportions werealso correlated with the level of expression of proglucagon,the precursor of the potent anorexigenic peptideGLP-1 (Moss et al., 2012), which is associated with theimprovement of glycemic and insulin responses andreductions in fat mass of mice fed prebiotics (Delzenneet al., 2011). One possible mechanism to explain theseeffects is that Akkermansia fermentation of mucin resultsin the production of propionate (Derrien, 2004), a SCFAknown to stimulate the production of GLP-1 in rodents(Zhou et al., 2008). Generally, Akkermansia is increasinglyassociated with improved gut health and ameliorations inbody weight disorders (Zhang et al., 2009; Png et al.,2010; Santacruz et al., 2010; Delzenne et al., 2011)."Tachon et al

The prebiotics associated with increased Akk are: GOS/oligosaccharides (beans, whole grains), inulin, FOS, yacon root, yacon syrup and inulin-type-fructan-rich foods (onions, leeks, garlic, sunchokes, green vegetables, cactus, etc). Not hard to get but the tubers like yacon or sunchokes may be more challenging than eating a lot of onions daily. Obese humans benefit from these prebiotics and foods and experience the same metabolic improvements and fat reduction because both Bifidobacteria longum and Akk increases substantially HERE (personal communication -- Akk incr; Salazar et al 2014). I made some suggestions to Tony because achieving Akk is a 'tool' to sustain not only better gut health but to supercharge performance. It it appears to be highly associated with better sports performance (elite Irish rugby players), fat burning and overall energy partitioning between our brains, fat, and muscles.

Paleo foods are not honed in yet on obtaining the prebiotics that support good Akk or B longum -- inulin rich sweet tasting, non-starchy roots, onions, leeks, sunchokes, chicory, rhizomes, and tubers.

Akkermansia is a very special microbe which will be a superstar probiotic in a few years like Christensenella, I predict!

B longum was low for Tony's gut. Not shocking. Everyone's is low or extinct secondary to antibiotics. Tony reports he has not had a single course of antibiotics for the last 10 years.

So despite low Akk and B longum, I believe the Christensenella and perhaps other factors that we cannot grasp or understand at this time with the lack of research can explain a lot of what can be observed with limited data. I think in the future we shall hear a lot about Tony's guts -- full of Christensenella and big butyrate factories that protect against disease, obesity and inflammation.




A PATHOGEN-FREE GUT IS A DISEASE-FREE GUT

The standard opportunistic bacteria and invading oral/skin biome that enter the gut were all super low for Tony's guts. I was really happy to see this, as much as the high Christensenella. Having a low burden of pathogens is the hallmark of a gut with longevity and health. When pathogens are present, yeasts typically are as well. I can presume Tony's yeasts are minimal or non-existent by the pattern here (organic acid urine testing is best to confirm). Stool testing like this will not reveal the giardia/protozoa, yeasts or helminths/worms, so other testing is needed to confirm if interested.

As we age, two things are observed in humans and animal models
--higher pathogens
--depletion of bifidobacteria and other symbionts (ancestral core)

How do we combat this? Are there ways to achieve longevity, leanness and healthy via our gut microbiota? I take Tony's guts as a standing example of being successful with lifestyles and diet that promote the most optimal, diverse, and balanced gut devoid of dysbiosis and pathogens. His diet is rich in plant polysaccharides and fiber, few gut disruptors (gluten, n6 PUFA, etc) and appears to feed a myriad of gut flora that make us into lean phenotypes (butyrate producers and Christensenella).




CITIZEN SCIENCE: ALLAN FOLZ'S FAMILY RUMPS EXPERIMENT

Allan and his family received 3 out of 4 of their final results from AmGut recently. Please ck it out. We will talk more about these reports in the next 1-2wks but here are some of my initial thoughts that I shared with Allan. Drilling down was fun and we can see a neat view of a several cases and 2 prebiotic results (psyllium, raw potato starch).

Allan had reported he felt wired and not the same on RUMPS, which required changing the dosage from 4 TBS at bedtime to splitting it 2 TBS twice daily. He recorded the blood sugar readings pre- and post challenge.

RUMPS = raw unmodified potato starch (RS2)

The most outstanding changes were, I noted:

• Drastic drop in Christensenella for 2 (the third, Child2, had no detectable Christensenella to begin with)
• Significant drop ~15-fold and 50% of original Akkermansia (Allan, Child 1 respectively). No change/mild increase where psyllium was used (increased Akk in Child 1; appears the depletion is buffered with additional insoluble/viscous/soluble fiber)
• Significant increases in total bifido of 5 to 20-fold magnitude; B longum data is pending
• Decrease in diversity (number of species detected) but some pathogens reduced and some new pathogens emerged or increased (Suterella, Staph, Campylobacter).
• Slightly higher blood sugar readings afterwards for 3 (except Child 1 who was on psyllium+RUMPs; psyllium is associated with lower and better controlled blood sugars and weight loss). Goal BG less than 84 (normal/optimal).
• No weight loss reported by either Allan or Adult 2

LOSS AND DEPLETION OF CHRISTENSENELLA AND AKKERMANSIA WITH HIGH DOSAGE RUMPS/RS2?

Across the board among all three N=1s, Christensenella and Akkermansia diminished substantially, the one exception was psyllium may have raised Akk in Child 1 and buffered the RUMPS-induced reduction.

The losses of Christensenella and Akk may have consequences later. Low Akk is associated with higher intestinal permeability, leakage of bacterial LPS into the blood, inflammation, and  metabolic disorders involving poor handling of dietary carbohydrates, diabetes, obesity, and fatty liver/NASH.

Is this a problem? With the potential loss or suppression of B longum growth (see below), I think so. These are collectively part of our vital gut guardians on the mucosal surface. The lack of these species is associated with disease gut fingerprint for the largest epidemic of times: obesity.

High dosage potato starch c*ck blocks fat loss? YES INDEEDY. It may usurp the leanness microbial fingerprint and promote a 'diabetic/obese/NASHy' intestinal flora profile.  This is my biggest gripe lol. For this reason alone, I've taken a complete changed and altered approach to this prebiotic, and shoving it to the last step of gut recovery (version C, max dose 1 TSP of bionic fiber).




PATHOGENS

Many prebiotics and fiber remove and expel pathogens efficiently and well. This is not a surprise.  In Child 1 psyllium is anti-pseudomonal and was associated with RUMPS in reducing Pseudomonas to below detectable levels. Child 1 also had a overgrowth of Sutterella which is associated with autism children with digestive issues; it appears neither psyllium or RUMPS improved this. After intervention, Sutterella appears 5-fold higher. For the 3 N=1, the remaining pathogens after RUMPS were a mix of similar organisms: Haemophilus, Serratia, Neisseria, Staphylococcus and Campylobacter. Allan's guts saw a wonderful reduction of some potential vipers which hopefully translated to better health outcomes later.

On the other hand, Inulin, FOS ,GOS and the bifidobacteria they induce may dramatically reduce pathogens like Pseudomonas, Salmonella, Serratia, Klebsiella, Proteus, beta hemolytic Strep and Staphylococcus in human and animal studies, At the same time these prebiotics will boost our leanness-inducing and anti-inflammatory gut flora like B longum,  Akkermansia, Roseburia and clusters XIVa.  RS2 or RUMPS has a vastly different spectrum for reducing pathogens.





LOSS AND DEPLETION OF B. LONGUM WITH HIGH DOSAGE RUMPS/RS2?

We are still waiting for the Bifido species separation and quantification. Allan has 6 datasets to acquire but I'm looking forward to see how the different prebiotics fare. Depletion of bifido occurs with chronic inflammatory diseases and as we age. Tachon et al state "At the genus level, depletion of specific beneficial gut bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia spp has been reported for elderly individuals."

Bifidobacteria Depleted In Nearly Every Disease of Western Civilization; Every Disease Has A Gut Fingerprint AHS14

Bifidobacteria species varies in our guts. Some are naturally found in humans and others are from our food, dairy, supplement and environmental sources.

"Closer inspection of the Bifidobacterium 16S rRNA gene
sequences showed that a diet containing 36% HAM-RS2
selected for specific members of the Bifidobacterium genus
(Fig. S3). Aged mice fed the Control diet or 18% HAMRS2
were predominantly colonized by close relatives of
Bifidobacterium pseudolongum subsp. pseudolongum and
globosum. In contrast, mice fed 36% RS were enriched
with Bifidobacterium most closely related to B. animalis,
including the subspecies animalis lactis." 

Apparently no B longum was grown selectively on 18% or 36% high dosage RS2. B longum does not appear to ferment or cross feed off raw starch granules in other studies; its preferred food is oligosaccharides, FOS, GOS, inulin, and psyllium (arabinoxylan in seeds, grains), etc.

The above highlighted strains are all strains that eat raw starch granules with fast fermentive speed and special adhesion properties for granules, that B longum lacks:
B animalis
B lactis
B pseudolongum
B globosum

It appears that RS2 being a substrate is a special fuel for certain species according to this study and other fermentation studies. RS2 is different from RS3 and even RS3 is degraded by different or more varied gut flora than RS2.

Turroni et al examined the types of bifido found in healthy mucosa and fecal samples. His study is an epic review of where bifido is found, ecologically origins, how much and the difference between mucosa-associated bifido (aka, I call this 'MAB') and the fecal ones. The MAB ones are the ones we want; these provide barrier protection and SEAL THE AWESOME AMAZING GUT. So please keep this in mind and why such tremendous benefits for gut restoration are seen with anything that replenishes B. longum, the mucosal Superman. Matt Pepin and have done our best to discuss its role in health and how to boost it on our podcasts.

So fermented dairy and supps with B lactis are wonderful and work, but they are not the same as B longum and other MAB inhabitants. The authors note: "However, some bifidobacterial species, such as B. animalis subsp. lactis and B. dentium, appear to be more abundant or present only in stool samples, thus suggesting that these taxa do not represent a dominant component of the mucosa-associated bifidobacteria...A large proportion of the currently used bifidobacterial probiotic strains belong to the taxon B. animalis subsp. lactis (e.g., Bb12, DN-173, and HN019), which are considered to confer beneficial effects on the host through interactions with this host and with other components of the intestinal microbiota (39). However, in this ecological study, we found that this bifidobacterial species is only rarely found in intestinal biopsy samples whereas it is frequently detected in fecal samples, suggesting that this taxon may not be abundant among the intestine-adherent component of the human intestinal bifidobacteria. "

Fecal bifidobacteria (good representation of mucosal concentrations, except for B lactis, B dentium):
B longum 43.5%
B lactis 23%
B adolescentis 12%
B pseudocatenulatum 8%
B bifidum 6%
B breve 4%
B pseudolongum 2%
B dentium 1.5%

Mucosal Associated Bifidobacteria (MAB):
B longum 75%
B adolescentis 11%
B breve 5%
B pseudolongum 4%
B pseudocatenulatum 3%
B bifidum 1%
B lactis 1%

Turroni et al 2009

Tachon et al reports that in their study were high dosage HAM-RS2 were fed at 18% and 36% certain bifido strains were selected over others which lead to dominance of these populations. The starch eating strains overgrew (Fig S3). The non eating strains appeared to be suppressed: B breve, B bifidum, B longum, B adolescentis, and B. infantis.  [B adolescentis actually can eat switch and ferment both inulin/FOS/GOS and starch].

Moreover, different Bifidobacterium species werefound in mice fed HAM-RS2. Bifidobacterium animaliswas specifically enriched in mice fed 36% HAM-RS2, andthis species was previously shown to degrade certain RSformulations with greater efficiencies than species pseudolongumand breve (Wronkowska et al., 2008).

Does this happen in real life? I believe so and we will learn much much more after Allan obtains the raw data. In 2 N=1, B longum was assessed after intervention with high dosage raw potato starch and the numbers were non-existent or extremely low. If RS2 reduces Akk and Christensenella by competitive selection as we see in the Allan's experiment, then the same loss of diversity of bifidobacteria may be observed in Tachon et al's study where a high degree of overselection of B animalis and other starch-eating Bifidobacteria occurred.

Degrading raw starches with oddly high efficiencies produces a gut flora that appears high in starch degraders and low in the non-starch degraders such as important B longum, B breve and B pseudocatenulatum. Their ecological niches cannot exist if it is overtaken by ultra fast starch degrading B animalis or other starch degraders like Bacteroides family or Ruminococcus, which are all enriched in raw potato starch reports.




3 N=1 B. LONGUM REPORTS

Lastly I think it is important hold off on raw potato starch until confirmation of the presence of B longum and Akkermansia can be made. B longum is very special. It is one of the ultimate gut guardians and is found elevated and in vast abundance in healthy subjects' guts. Out of the 66 phylogenetic core species that Tap et al in his research discovered in healthy subjects in Europe, B longum is #5 in abundance and enrichment in their fecal contents. I call B longum ancestral because the great majority of the top 7 species in Tap et al's core microbiota are also found in Hadza, Burkina Faso, Malawi and other ancestral cultures that practice HG or ancient living and cooking practices.  Tap et al's work as been confirmed in 4 regions (France, EU, USA, China). Here is a list of the 66 core. B longum is dense and enriched in centenarians in two studies so far. It appears that we do not want to neglect this micro-organism.

As Tony discussed how important it is to enforce lifestyle practices that are ancestral and good for us, I believe that replicating and replenishing gut flora which follow an imprint that mimics ancestral patterns will improve not only gut health but overall longevity and leanness.

Below are 3 N=1 reports. We are going to be unscientific and again compare apples with oranges! 

Report (a) is after high dosage raw potato starch. This individual probably started off with no B longum. Total bifido was 1/10th of normal. 

Report (b) is after a long duration on high dosage raw potato starch. Bifido was extremely high but was it all likely B animalis and no B longum? Report (c) is the same person (Tim Steele) and shows the changes associated with discontinuing high dose RPS and starting real RS3-rich food (cooled tubers, beans, rice, grains). 

Intrepid gut explorer. All the contents for this series and the past series (Parts 1-5) were approved by Tim to discuss several weeks. I brought up my observations and concerns very early on. He gave his approval to discuss all my concerns, precautions and problems for adverse effects generated by high dosage RS2 including concern for his liver, his high liver tests, SIBO/upper gut dysfunction, fatty liver/NASH, depletions of gut guardians including Akkermansia, and possible connections to the gut obesity fingerprint that is created with high dosage raw potato starch/RS2, the studies, the other N=1s, etc. He is an bold citizen of science and declined the three times that I asked him if he wanted me to omit his data. We've had ongoing discussions including on our comment sections of both of our blogs. In case you were not aware: "Grace has been privy to all of my gut tests, labs, and health concerns as a friend, not a doctor. I gave her express permission to discuss them how she sees fit. I think that this information needs to be shared freely. If I had a problem with any of this, Grace would be the first to know. I don't have a problem with her discussing me or my experiments. They are out there for everyone to see and interpret as they wish."


N=1 for 2 reports (b and c): What appeared to occur to the gut microbiota on switching from high dose RS2 to no RS2 (comparing, again, apples to oranges)?

• Akk was previously low 17-fold below normal and then almost doubled. 
• Christensenella was undetectable earlier then increased and was more than half of normal of controls. RS3 (cooled-crystallized starches) and inulin 10g/day may have boosted this impressive and leanness-building gut flora. Stopping raw potato starch may be part of this successful equation.
• B. longum was nearly undetectable, 2000-fold below normal (but at least present! lol). We have no prior # to compare.  
• B. animalis predominates at ~90% of all bifidobacteria detected in stools. Ancestral? Healthy?

CONCLUSION AND ACTIONS

Consider amplifying the gut guardian species associated with leanness and longevity for optimal health: B longum, Akkermansia, and Christensenella.
Temporarily stop high dosage raw potato starch to halt the growth suppression of vital barrier protective gut flora
Consider adding in foods and prebiotics that raise specifically B longum and Akkermansia
Try the 7 steps to optimize your digestion, leanness and longevity

Gut Guardian Podcast: Episode 07 – Cracking Down on Candida


Dr. Grace’s N=1 Blog Post

Part I: Bifidobacteria longum, Roseburia, F. prausnitzii (and Akkermansia) Made Us Human (NONE OF THESE EAT RAW POTATO STARCH) NSFW
Part II: HADZA GUTS HAVE THE ANCESTRAL CORE MICROBIOTA IN ABUNDANCE; High Dose RAW Starch Can Suppress Bifidobacteria, Roseburia, F. prausnitzii That Make Us Human
Part III: PALEO MAG HOT TONY FEDERICO HAS THE ANCESTRAL CORE MICROBIOTA IN ABUNDANCE; Citizen Science; Cautions with RPS-RUMPS; High Dose RAW Starch Appears to Suppress Christensenella, Akkermansia, and B longum That Make Us LEAN
Part IV: High Dose Potato Starch Can Make You Fatter, Insulin Resistant, Feed Vipers in Your UPPER GUT If You Are MISSING Bifidobacteria longum and Akkermansia mucinophila, aka SAD Microbial Fingerprint  NSFW





VIPERS IN THE UPPER GUT (SIBO/SIFO)

Early on, very few of the studies on RS2 showed fat loss, weight loss or significant metabolic improvements in any human trials I saw. No improvements in diabetes, insulin resistance, blood pressures, or blood cholesterol panels (triglycerides, HDL or LDL-cholesterols). This deep lack metabolic benefits for humans deviated from decades of studies using other types fiber and prebiotics (eg inulin, FOS, GOS, psyllium, beta glucan, etc). RS2 produced butyrate, but nearly all fiber and prebiotics produce butyrate. Gram for gram GOS, FOS-inulin and (pure) RS3 produce more butyrate than RS2. Beyond butyrate in the lower gut (colon), what benefits were there for RS2? Very few I found. And there is a cost -- RS2 at high doses compromises gut diversity and specifically the species that make us human and lean, fat-burning machines: Christensenella, Bifidobacteria longum, and AKKERMANSIA. 

If there was fat loss or insulin improvements observed in animal studies with RPS or HAM-RS2, then the authors had poor study design -- they had substituted starch (digestible carbs) with RS2. In other words, they ran a VLC or LC (low carb) study, and we all know cutting refined rat chow carbohydrates will produce metabolic improvements, and often dramatic ones.

When bifidobacteria and other guardians in the upper gut are removed by antibiotics, stress, high sugar diets and lack of vertical transmission from mom, the environment in the upper gut becomes vulnerable to opportunistic flora such as the organisms from the lower gut. They crawl up uninhibited. If acid, bile or the stomach's protein degraders (pepsin, trypsin, chymotrypsin) and pancreatic enzymes become compromised in secretion, they crawl up faster and more furious. If these vipers consume potato starch  or RS2 or high amylose maize, they will enjoy ultra fermenting this substrate and can create silent and insidious havoc in the intestines, particularly if the gut guardians are gone (Akk, B longum, lactobacilli, etc).

There is a false 'myth', untruth pseudoscience that potato starch granules will 'carry' pathogenic bacteria away perpetuated on the internet.  Few vipers in the uppergut are 'carried away' from what I observe. Potato starch and raw starches ferments furiously and fervently where it lands. Worse, potato starch 'removes' the potent guardians of the uppergut, leaving the uppergut vulnerable to infections, E coli, fungi/candida and other potential commensals-turned-vipers and the vipers themselves.

What protects vipers from migrating to the uppergut? How to get rid of the vipers?

[Answer: GUT GUARDIANS (Akkermansia, Bifidobacteria longum, Lactobacillus plantarum, etc), probiotics, soil probiotics, bifido/lacto, weeding with botanicals, inulin/FOS, GOS, psyllium, etc]

Akk -- that is today's topic. Journal club: de Vos et al.  It's one of our best guardians of the upper gut (ileum, small intestines).

Various disease states are connected to microbial fingerprints.  At the top is a short list of the vipers that eat raw potato starch and raw starches; they all eat digestible starches too and this is why so many with j*cked up guts do well initially on strict Paleo, SCD, Gottschalks, GAPS and VLC diets. For a short term, limiting starches helps until seeding (weeding) with the right probiotics and weeding of identified vipers occurs. Long term however the root problem is not fixed and may even get worse (low FODMAPS and low fiber diets may lower akkermansia).

The microbial fingerprint for most post-SAD people (and formerly SAD fat/ill/sick):
(1) missing one of ultimate gut guardians: Bifidobacteria longum (recall: the raw potato starch users have nearly none)
(2) missing also another gut guardian: Akkermansia mucinophila (recall: for the family of 4 in their intrepid experiment, raw potato starch lowered everyone's A. mucinophila except for the one taking psyllium husks)
(3) presence of vipers: alcohol producing yeasts and E coli, Staph, starch eating Prevotella, etc.

Unique T2 Diabetes Fingerprint: MISSING MANY (B. longum, and Akkermansia) EXCESSIVE UPPERGUT PATHOGENS (Bacteroides, Yeasts/Candida, E coli, Starch Eaters, etc)

If symptoms occur, they often involve joint pain, muscle aches, headaches, rash, challenges with losing body fat, increased blood sugars, or worsening of the respective condition. On stool testing these commensals-turned-opportunistic overgrowths may be evident for those who have the below conditions

• obesity (I had this)
• GERD/reflux, heartburn (I had this on high dose potato starch, out of the blue)
• NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis)/fatty liver (Tim Steele had this recently)
• T2 diabetes
• skin disorders, acne
• IBS-C, IBS-D
• autoimmune disorders
• IBD, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis
• celiac
• psoriasis
• RA
• MS
• AS
• Hashimoto’s
• Grave’s
• autism, ADHD, spectrum
• reactive arthritis
• esophageal adenoma
• colorectal/bowel cancer
• breast cancer
• and other gut signatures marked by these

HIGH DOSAGE RAW STARCHES INCREASES BODY FAT IN T2 DIABETES SUBJECTS

Bodinham et al 2014. Authors were shocked to find that 40g HAM-RS2 (raw starch, resistant starch type II) failed to improve blood sugars, hyperinsulinemia, or glycemic control. High dosage raw starches actually worsened many parameters including insulin resistance. Several other human studies reflect these results (previous post: sorry, resistant starch type 2 won't induce fat or weight loss).  It appears RS2 can induce changes in metabolism that don't show up in rodent studies.

Humans aren't rodents. Our gut flora are vastly different (Moeller et al PNAS 2014). We're big-brained, long-living furnaces of fatty-acid utilizing carnivores/omnivores. If one eats hamster food, will they develop a lame #HAMSTERGUT?

Raw high-amylose maize RS2 high dosage 40 grams daily for 12 weeks appeared to make subjects with controlled T2 Diabetes fatter.............and higher inflammatory IL6, 30% more fat in the pancreas ('fatty organs'), higher triglycerides (which corresponds  higher insulin and IR, insulin resistance), and higher LDL (dense, atherogenic LDL-particles).

Notable indicators of a healthy microbiome -- butyrate and propionate in the stools -- were all statistically lower. 

So what was raw potato starch feeding, just the bottom feeders? Starving the gut guardians and making extinct Akkermansia and Bifidobacteria longum in the uppergut?


Results Tab 1:
--increased fasting TG (p=.039)
--increased LDL cholesterol
--increased HOMA% (aka nsulin resistance) wtf??!
--~30% increased pancreas fat  wtf?
(v control, Body fat depots determined by MRS scanning (n=14).)
--increased fat mass
--increased BMI
--increased weight
--reduced GLP1
--increased IL6 (but lower TNFa)
--lower butyrate (p less than 0.001) 
--lower propionate (p = 0.021)



MECHANISMS FOR HIGH DOSE RS2 HALTING FAT LOSS?

As you we know antibiotics can cause obesity (Blaser et al 2014). Certain probiotics can cause weight loss (Bifidobacteria longum, Akkermansia mucinophila) and others may induce weight gain (certain Lactobacilli strains). What about prebiotics, fiber and resistant starch?

I think RS2 halts fat loss and for many with susceptible guts, increases subtle fat gain as several studies are showing now.

What I would love to know about these test subjects is their abundance of the insulin sensitizing gut flora and how much % they dropped:
--Christensenella
--Akkermansia
--Bifidobacteria longum

What I'd also love to see is how much fat was gained in the liver and how high the liver tests (AST, ALT) increased. I bet it was a cr*pload since the pancreas increased in fat mass% by about 30%.

After potential losses of B longum and Akkermansia, what vipers/commensals were consequently overgrowing as a result of high dose raw starches, in the uppergut (SIBO/SIFO)?
--alcohol producing E coli?
--alcohol producing Clostridium or Dorea?
--alcohol producing yeasts/candida?
--Bacteroides?
--Klebsiella?
--Prevotella?

Every gut is unique but the obese, fatty liver/NASH and diabetes one has several overlapping clusters of microbial factors. Namely, the below. These fingerprints are so characteristic they can be predicted now in 80% of cases. A hallmark feature is low diversity. Scientists call this LGC, low gene count. Many gut symbionts are absent. The ones left are opportunistic vipers. Without the gut guardians in the uppergut, only a few vipers can lead to devastating metabolic and disease burdens .

Unique Obesity/ NASH/fatty liver/T2 Diabetes Fingerprint:

• MISSING MANY (B. longum, and Akkermansia mucinophila)

• EXCESSIVE UPPERGUT PATHOGENS (Bacteroides,Yeasts/Candida, E coli, Starch Eaters, etc)

GAME-CHANGER  =  AKKERMANSIA MUCINOPHILA

When scientists boost Akkermansia in humans with prebiotics (psyllium, inulin-FOS, etc), all the metabolic biomarkers dramatically reverse or improve (fatty liver, elevated liver function tests, circulating LPS, endotoxemia, hyperinsulinemia, elevated blood glucoses, inflammation, etc). Akkermansia is found depleted in every modern illness that it is tested: appendicitis, obesity, T2 diabetes, insulin resistance, high intestinal permeability, fatty liver/NASH, IBD, etc. (However, in severely disrupted guts, Akkermansia will overgrow where the gut barriers are compromised like in severe IBD and colorectal cancer.)

Through the entire animal, bird, fish and reptile kingdoms, Akkermansia is found ubiquitiously.  It's is everywhere, even in deepsea fish that live 5000 meters deep in the ocean. Everyone has it except SAD guts and those on high dosage potato starch. 

For healthy guts, it lines the entire GI tract. By scientists' estimates, our entire microbiome is 3-5% Akkermansia.   In stools Akk has an abundance of 1-3% in healthy guts (ubiome avg in healthy subjects = 1.2%). Akk is the game-changer for human disease for many.

"Studies have demonstrated an inverse
correlation between the presence of the closely
adherent mucin-degrading bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila  and obesity in humans [15]. Further
studies have confirmed that A. muciniphila is
reduced in obese and type 2 diabetic mice, and
demonstrated that prebiotic feeding enhances the
abundance of this organism with an associated
improvement in the metabolic profile [16].
Significantly, administration of A. muciniphila to
mice reversed the high-fat-diet-induced conditions
including inflammation, fat mass gain and insulin
resistance via improved control of inflammation
and gut barrier function potentially mediated
by increased intestinal levels of endocannabinoids
[16]Studies such as these are important in
establishing the causal relationship between
elements of the microbiota and disease states, and
will greatly inform future diagnostic and treatment
protocols for metabolic diseases." (Joyce, Gahan 2014)

MOAR CHARLIE HUNNAM BY REQUESTS Human or Hamster Guts? What's his gut guardians (Akk, B longum) and GLP1?

CONCLUSION AND ACTIONS

• Consider the whole spectrum of fiber to feed the flora and amplifying the gut guardian species associated with leanness and longevity: B longum, Akkermansia, and Christensenella by seeding (probiotics), weeding (probiotics, botanicals) and feeding (inulin, acacia, FOS, yacon, onions, leeks, sunchokes, GOS, psyllium, hemicellulose, cellulose, lignins, gums, beta glucan, arabinoxylan, xylans, etc).
• Consider adding in foods and prebiotics that weed out E coli and  that raise diversity and B longum and Akkermansia  (both Version A and B of bionic fiber) in the 7 Steps.  
• Version B is a fat blaster and can help reverse fatty liver/obesity/diabetes (Akkermansia).

Part I: Bifidobacteria longum, Roseburia, F. prausnitzii (and Akkermansia) Made Us Human (NONE OF THESE EAT RAW POTATO STARCH) NSFW
Part II: HADZA GUTS HAVE THE ANCESTRAL CORE MICROBIOTA IN ABUNDANCE; High Dose RAW Starch Can Suppress Bifidobacteria, Roseburia, F. prausnitzii That Make Us Human
Part III: PALEO MAG HOT TONY FEDERICO HAS THE ANCESTRAL CORE MICROBIOTA IN ABUNDANCE; Citizen Science; Cautions with RPS-RUMPS; High Dose RAW Starch Appears to Suppress Christensenella, Akkermansia, and B longum That Make Us LEAN
Part IV: High Dose Potato Starch Can Make You Fatter, Insulin Resistant, Feed Vipers in Your UPPER GUT If You Are MISSING Bifidobacteria longum and Akkermansia mucinophila, aka SAD Microbial Fingerprint  NSFW
Part V: High Dose Potato Starch Can Make You Fatter, Insulin Resistant By Lowering GLP-1 AND ESPECIALLY If You Are Missing  Bifidobacteria longum and Akkermansia mucinophila, aka SAD Microbial Fingerprint NSFW



HIGH DOSAGE RAW STARCHES INCREASES BODY FAT IN T2 DIABETES SUBJECTS

Bodinham et al 2014. Let's review. High dosage 40 g/day RS2 (high amylose maize) for 12 weeks increased resistance (HOMA) and lowered the fat-burning gut hormone known as GLP1. Post prandially, HAM-RS2 made a tiny spike in GLP1 however longterm it decreased by 33% compared with the control arm (p=0.0049). The drop in the gut hormone GLP1 was quite significant and was one of the few parameters that met statistically significance in this study.  

Optimal gut health is supposed to yield better fat burning, leanness and metabolic improvements, no? Not high dosage RS2 it appears. Why?

I have low gut diversity like most people and for me each time high dose RPS caused problems; it halted fat loss besides giving me reflux and GERD when I took it for over 4weeks. 

Results Tab 1:
--increased fasting TG (p=0.039)
--increased LDL cholesterol
--increased HOMA% (aka insulin resistance) wtf??!
--~35.2% increased pancreas fat  wtf? (13.7 v. 10.5, NS)
(Body fat depots determined by MRS scanning (n=14).)
--increased fat mass (32.2 kg v 31.8 kg)
--increased BMI
--increased weight
--reduced GLP1 (11.4 v. 17.0, p=0.049)
--increased IL6 (but lower TNFa)
--lower butyrate (p less than 0.001) 
--lower propionate (p = 0.021)
--no improvements in glucose, insulin, Hgba1c




GLP-1 (the Gut-Fatness Hamster Connection)

In the Bodinham et al 2014 study, GLP1 was found to significantly decrease by 33% (p=0.049). The well controlled subjects with T2 diabetes also gained on average about a pound of fat in 12 wks compared with the controls. Apparently the researchers examined the fat depots and body fat and found that pancreas fat increased 35.2% on average. Fatty pancreas. Is this synonymous to fatty liver and NASH/NAFLD? 

The authors don't clarify or discuss but it is.  

The results were unpredicted but if we understand how the gut hormones GLP1 and microbial fingerprint became 'worse' on a high dosage non-ancestral 'fiber' and diversity was compromised, then it makes sense. Though the stool butyrate decreased, it is obvious there was butyrate in the colon because glucose handling improved a tiny bit. Insulin resistance however tanked as shown by various indicators: increased TG (p=0.039), increased LDL-chol, increased BMI and body fat, and lastly increased HOMA at both the pancreatic beta cells and traditional measurements. Hgba1c and blood sugars didn't change or improve at all, as the researchers were hoping for. They talk nothing at all about the gut microbiota. Their other study showed the same metabolic disruptions with high dosage RS2.

The same thing and worse trends were seen in overweight subjects with high dosage 40 grams daily of HAM-RS2: Bodinham et al 2012

Table 1:
--increased TG
--increased body fat (Tanita bioimpedance scales, 28.1% v. 27.8%, NS)
--increased systolic BP (wtf)
--increased diastolic BP (wtf)
--boatload of insulin increased with 40 g HAM-RS2 acute dosing
--increased fasting insulin (88.6 v. 85.4 pmol/L, NS) wtf


What is GLP1? 

I love GLP-1. 

It helps us to burn and remodel fat. "Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a gut-derived peptide, has been reported to have profound effects on metabolism and to reduce insulin resistance (Yang et al 2013)." High protein diets raise GLP-1 and satiating PYY gut hormones to cause nice fat burning. It appears that high dosage raw starches causes a downward trend of this fat-burning molecule. Ruh-OH. This time it does not depend on either the pre-existing gut or what human gut symbions are missing. It happens in healthy human subjects in several trials so far. 

Both GLP-1 and GLP-2 are vital for the gut. They seal and heal the gut barrier and much much much more. A healthier barrier leads to healthier leanness and body fat composition because inflammation is reduced.

So test your gut, fix your flora and consider the fibers that are (a) ancestral and (b) burn fat by improving metabolic gut pathways and hormones, not potentially worsen them.



RAW STARCH RS2 LOWERS GLP-1 IN HUMAN TRIALS (BUT OF COURSE NOT RODENT ONES)

The biggest problems I've had with RS2 #HAMSTERFOOD is the lack of translation from hamster studies to human. Like statins, RS2 looks beautiful on paper until you dig deeper... look at the downstream consequences... see what it disturbs or benefits.  RS2 definitely helps colon butyrate, but what does it do for the upper gut where there is no butyrate? Can it disturb the upper gut flora? How does lowering B longum and Akkermansia affect the host? Does it increase intestinal permeability and inflammation if they are not present? 

Raw starch RS2 (and artificially produced RS4) in several human studies is associated significant reductions in GLP-1 or lack of improvements (here, here, here). 

But... not in many rodents............ Boy rodents low raw starches and so do their guts. What about humans? Ruh-OH? Lost in gut translation from hamster to humans? Vastly different gut flora? 

Bodinham et al 2014 may appear confused but I don't think so; the authors wrote: 

"Animal studies have consistently shown that RS improves glucose and insulin metabolism through increased postprandial GLP1 secretion due to stimulation of the colonic enteroendocrine cells (8, 9). This can result in improved insulin secretion. Most recently our own data has shown restored first-phase insulin secretion in metabolic syndrome (10); however, the lack of translational work has recently been highlighted (11)."

Yesssiree. We are humans, not hamsters. So are our special human gut flora that made us big brained and brilliant fat-burning machines .  Our human gut flora eat cooked starches and the whole spectrum fiber. These researchers can see the contradictions, no? As a fiber, high dose RS2 fails to induce fat loss (it appears to raise it) and fails to improve glycemic control and Hgba1c (it in fact worsens fasting insulin and HOMA). On paper, in rodents, high dose RS2 looks decent. 

(not unlike rabbits + low cholesterol diets + human omnivorous/carnivorous heart disease =  animal pharm fallacy)

How and why did this poor metabolic outcome occur? 
Why did raw potato starch and a 'good gut biome' not prevent it?  
Does high dosage potato starch incur a gut profile that is inherently more vulnerable to GERD, reflux, chronic inflammation, and fatty liver/NASH?  
When high dosage potato starch lowers diversity and Akermansia, Bifidobacteria longum and Christensenella, what are the effects for the host?



HUMAN FOOD IMPROVES AND RAISES GLP1

Cooked whole beans and beta-glucan/arabinoxylan/RS3-inulin-containing cooked barley (here, here) raise GLP-1 in human trials. Don't worry, legumes and small seed grains are certainly paleo for many.

Non-starchy roots/plants like agave, Jerusalem artichokes/sunchokes, yucca, yacon, endive, and dandelion roots are rich in a special immunoprotective fiber similar to breastmilk (inulin-like oligosaccharides). Inulin-type prebiotics significantly improve GLP-2 in human studies (here).  Green vegetables also have small but additive amounts of inulin-oligosaccharides. Inulin is the 2nd most dominant fiber on earth, next to starches.

What's GLP2? GLP-2 is GLP-1's gut hormone cousin and shown to seal the gut, fix intestinal permeability and lower inflammation.

Why are GLP-1 and GLP-2 important? Because the right fiber and combo of fiber modulates and maximizes these gut hormones which basically control our health, body fat storage mechanisms and fat burning metabolism. 

• Gut microbiota controls adipose tissue expansion, gut barrier and glucose metabolism: novel insights into molecular targets and interventions using prebiotics. Geurts et al 2014. (MUST READ lol)

Popsugahhhh GLP-1: Studs and Science Hamster or Fat Burning Studly Ham?

VIPER IN SICK GUTS: RPS-RUMPS FFEDS Escherichia coli, an Alcohol Producing Gut Flora

Another problem with high dosage RS2 is what are you feeding and what is one potentially losing? Is RS2 an 'anti-prebiotic' meaning does it substantially lower beneficial gut flora that protect and maintain our health and leanness? Does potato-starch-induced reduction or extinction of beneficial flora such as Christensenella, Akkermansia and human-specific Bifidobacteria longum have certain health consequences?  I believe so, all the above.

E coli is part of the Proteobacteria clade which are overgrowing in several disease microbial fingerprints. We have good non-pathogenic E coli and 'bad toxic' adhesive E coli. After antibiotics, more of the 'bad toxic' and adhesive, pathogenic E coli are selected. An example of good E coli is the European Nissle 1917 E coli strain.  

Several gut flora produce alcohol -- yeasts, E coli, Clostridium asparagiforme (XIVa), Dorea longicatena (XIVa), to name a few (Duncan, Louis, Flint 2007). The XIVa are part of Lachnospiraceae. These are versatile fermenters and eat both raw and cooked starches. 

Clostridium and E coli are rapid fermenters of both raw and cooked starches, therefore if they are overgrowing in the upper gut or with triggers (holiday binge-eating, sweets, lack of sleep, etc lol) AND there is a depletion of the gut guardians -- what can happen? They will overgrow in the upper gut and produce more alcohol than the body can handle. The alcohol can harden your arteries, pancreas, liver and the brain, and make them appear 'fatty'.

"Ethanol and acetaldehyde:  Microorganisms in the small intestine have the capacity to endogenously produce ethanol which enters the bloodstream and is metabolized in theliver (reviewed in [73]). Indeed, microbial synthesis of ethanol is elevated in obese mice and may play arole in the pathogenesis of fatty liver disease [74].In turn, consumption of ethanol can promote bacterial intestinal overgrowth and has the potentialto alter the composition of the microbiota with an attendant increase in Proteobacteria [73]. Ethanol is proposed to disrupt the barrier integrity of the small intestine, and healthy human volunteers exhibit a transient increase in duodenal permeability following the consumption of alcohol [73,75] with a likely influence upon epithelial tight junctions[73].Microorganisms of the intestine can metabolize ethanol to acetaldehyde through alcohol dehydrogenase(ADH) activity [73]. Acetaldehyde has been shown to significantly disrupt cellular junctions, E-cadherin and to induce profound rearrangement sof actin [76,77]. Certainly, current data suggest arole for the microbiota both in the production and metabolism of ethanol in the small intestinewith a potential impact upon gastrointestinal permeability." (Joyce, Gahan 2014)

What raises or lowers pathogenic E coli?

• RPS (raw potato starch) may raise E coli, including the toxic ETEC strain (travelers' diarrhea), adhesive-invasive E coli (found in gut infections and IBD), and pathogenic E coli often found in urinary tract infections.  In the pigs receiving a diet of 14% raw potato starch (RPS), substantial log growth increases of toxic ETEC E coli in every portion of the pig gut (small intestines/ileum; colon and feces) were observed compared with control and probiotic-fed pigs. Probiotic-fed pigs had dramatically less ETEC E coli in all parts of the GI tract. See below Krause et al 2010. The K88 probiotic had activity against pathogenic E coli and specially selected growths of non-pathogenic 'good', protective E coli (see green box, below).
• Probiotics and the beneficial flora/guardians in our upper gut work to dramatically lower toxic E coli in every part of the gut (see below green box), particularly the upper gut, aka small intestines (ILEUM) which is the heart of the control center for the immune system -- see  step #3 on soil and bifido probiotics.  (Pubmed)  Probiotics like LABs (bifido, lacto) and Akkermansia produce lactic and acetic acids, respectively, which are strongly antimicrobial and antifungal. Soil probiotics (including E coli), LABs, Bifidobacteria longum and Akkermansia line our gut mucosa from where the stomach begins to the end of the rectum and protect the entire gut and modify immunity.
• Prebiotics alone work too to lower toxic E coli.  Every prebiotic appears to work, EXCEPT RAW POTATO STARCH (Pubmed).  
• Avoid RPS if there is too much pathogenic E coli. Raw potato starch is a prebiotic for pathogenic E coli. This Russian researcher states RPS are 'prebiotics for E coli (Ivchenko et al 2006).' (the good and the bad strains).

Krause et al 2010 Heart of Immunity = SMALL INTESTINES Higher Toxic ETEC E coli in Raw Potato Starch Alone Arm v. Controls v. Probiotics

Intrepid gut explorer.    I love Tim S. and his intrepid gut testing. Several weeks ago, all the contents for this series and the past series (Parts 1-5) were run by and approved by Tim to discuss publicly. I brought up my many observations and concerns very early on. He gave his approval to discuss all my concerns, precautions and problems for adverse effects generated by high dosage RS2 including concern for his liver, his high liver tests, SIBO/upper gut dysfunction, recent bout of fatty liver/NASH in June 2014, depletions of gut guardians including Akkermansia, and possible connections to the gut obesity fingerprint that is created with high dosage raw potato starch/RS2, the studies, the other N=1s, etc.

He is a bold citizen of science and declined the three times that I asked him if he wanted me to omit his data and fatty liver/NASH.  His liver tests are better. One month ago, his liver test was still 35 and recently he reported it's now 15. He said "Grace has been privy to all of my gut tests, labs, and health concerns as a friend, not a doctor. I gave her express permission to discuss them how she sees fit. I think that this information needs to be shared freely. If I had a problem with any of this, Grace would be the first to know. I don't have a problem with her discussing me or my experiments. They are out there for everyone to see and interpret as they wish."

My potato-starch induced GERD: Recently I had GERD/reflux after several weeks of 20-40 grams RPS, raw potato starch. Several other people have reported this too. I was previously using Version B (inulin + acacia) and psyllium and had fantastic gut results such as the best flattest tummy in 7 to 8 years and improved digestion and gut health. I gave the RPS one last try and initially no problems that I had had earlier (immunosuppression). 

Tim S. had also had GERD last winter on sedentary days and didn't think much of it until I had reflux myself. In the past, I've never had reflux except a couple times after drinking pots of coffee or when I was pregnant in the 3rd trimester. Reflux was super annoying but fortunately went away with resuming probiotics (bifido/lacto and soil) and taking some gut support (ACV, enzymes, etc) temporarily. Besides RPS, I think no B longum was a factor; I had stopped the B longum supplements several months earlier and never resumed. Stress from moving from Shanghai back to USA likely lowered the bifido and lacto more than I had thought.  Potato starch lowers the populations of non-starch eating bifido which make up huge portions of our fecal and mucosa-associated bifido microbiota (see prior post):
B longum 43.5%
B pseudocatenulatum 8%
B bifidum 6%
B dentium 1.5%

Recently what made me rethink the downstream effects of high dosage potato starch was how Tim S. had a bout of fatty liver again this past summer, after over one year and a half on high dosage potato starch -- high liver functions tests, tender and painful liver on touching, gained body fat and took several months for the ALT, AST to reduce to normal again. 






Several studies now show a unique microbial fingerprint for GERD,  NASH/fatty liver and several other chronic conditions.

GERD/reflux (me):

•  high colon bugs in the stomach and uppergut
•  low human bifido/lacto (I was taking prebiotics, but had stopped B longum probiotics)

NASH/Fatty liver

• high E coli (produce alcohol)
• high starch eating Enterobacter (produce alcohol and endotoxins)
• high Roseburia/XIVa (Lachnospiraceae) (some are alcohol producing)
• high yeasts, Candida (produce alcohol)
• low human bifido
• low B longum (high dose RPS may lower B longum, favoring starch-eating-bifido)
• low Akkermansia (high dose RPS may lower Akk)

Obesity/diabetes/autoimmunity (most of American and industrialized nations): 

• high starch-eaters including E coli, yeasts/Candida, etc
• low human bifido
• low B longum (high dose RPS may lower B longum, favoring starch-eating-bifido)
• low Roseburia/XIVa (high dose RPS lower, fail to sustain Roseburia in low carb diets)
• low F. prausnitzii/IV (high dose RPS may lower)
• low Akkermansia (high dose RPS may lower Akk)

RPS (RAW POTATO STARCH)  = BLOCKER OF FAT BURNING?

After several citizen science N=1 experiments, we can observe now how high dosage potato starch may re-inforce these 'chronic illness' gut profiles by its anti-prebiotic effects where it lowers beneficial flora in the gut that are integral and vital for protecting the upper gut from pathogens like E coli and other alcohol producers, increases leanness, GLP1, revving up fat burning and carbohydrate metabolism:
--Christensenella 
--Bifidobacteria longum 
--Akkermansia (see prior post: high dosage raw potato starch tanks Akkermansia)



In human studies, several studies show that prebiotics (GOS, FOS, inulin) reverse NASH/fatty liver and lower liver function tests by raising Akk and B longum (and GLP-1 and GLP-2).  Probiotics that contain bifido work also.

• Fecal microbiome and volatile organic compound metabolome in obese humans with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. 
• Prebiotic approach alleviates hepatic steatosis: implication of fattyacid oxidative and cholesterol synthesis pathways. [not potato starch/RS2]
• Probiotics and synbiotics may improve liver aminotransferases levels in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients. [not potato starch/RS2]

What is curious to me is that scientists can restore and alleviate fatty livers and intestinal permeability by giving live probiotics of Akkermania to rodent models (Everard et al 2013). By giving prebiotics (FOS) to fatty liver/diabetes/obesity rodent models, reversal of all the hallmark biomarkers of these conditions rapidly occurs. Restoration and reversal of intestinal permeability happens, LPS decreases, metabolic endotoxemia reverses, inflammatory markers reduce, and insulin/blood sugars normalize. 

"For instance, a decrease in Akkermansia muciniphila causes a thinner intestinal mucus layer and promotes gut permeability, which allows the leakage of bacterial components. Interventions to increase Akkermansia muciniphila improve the metabolic parameters in obesity and NAFLD. In children, the levels of Escherichia were significantly increased in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) compared with those in obese control. Escherichia can produce ethanol, which promotes gut permeability. Thus, normalization of gut microbiota using probiotics or prebiotics is a promising treatment option for NAFLD." (Miura et al 2014)

VERY DIFFERENT FROM HUMAN BODINHAM ET AL 2012 and 2014 STUDIES

Bodinham and other studies fail to account for the gut microbiota effects of the 'fiber' that they are studying and the metabolic consequences. That's too bad. We are what we eat and our health is determined by our gut microbiome. We can shift and shape this, and we and the researchers are doing it all the time now.  

In several human studies, body fat ('fat mass') and upper gut permeability significantly improve with FOS and inulin-type fructans. The obese subjects in the below trial were never diagnosed with fatty liver, but with intervention with inulin-FOS, weight, BMI, insulin resistance, butyrate, SCFA and  LPS/endotoxemia (proxy for permeability) and other metabolic parameters all improved. Per personal communication with one of the researchers, as can be predicted, Akkermansia significantly increased in the below trial.

• Inulin-type fructans modulate intestinal Bifidobacterium species populations and decrease fecal short-chain fatty acids in obese women. 
• Free PDF

"The species Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum and Bifidobacterium adolescentis were significantly increased at the end of the treatment in the prebiotic group (p less than 0.01) with being B. longum negatively correlated with serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxin (p  less than 0.01). Total SCFA, acetate and propionate, that positively correlated with BMI, fasting insulinemia and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) (p less than 0.05), were significantly lower in prebiotic than in placebo group after the treatment period."

FATTY LIVER REVERSAL WITH OLIGOSACCHARIDE-RICH YACON SYRUP

Yacon is an ancestral non-starchy root. It can be boiled down and produce a nice syrup which has little energy for humans but fiber and prebiotics for our gut flora including Akkermansia and Bifidobacteria longum. Oligosaccharides in whole foods (see below) and yacon help boost the species lost by high-dosage-raw-potato-starch. The game-changers: Akkermansia and B longum specifically.

The Folz family experiment -- I briefly reviewed earlier here. Gut diversity dropped in each person on high dose potato starch -- particularly for the leanness building gut species.

Child 2 had the least Akkermansia, then high dose potato starch mowed it down to 24-times below normal.  Not hard to rebuild: stop RPS, take Akk-building fiber/foods. 



Tim S.'s Akkermansia and B longum on high dosage RPS. Mowed down? Never replenished? Risk factor for reflux or NASH/fatty liver? 





REVERSAL OF LIVER TESTS/FATTY LIVER WITH STOPPING RPS AND TAKING YACON

Recently my buddy Justin told me he stopped potato starch (no changes) after a few weeks, then took yacon syrup for 2months.

He was surprised to see his high liver tests (fatty liver) ALT improved from 50 to 26 and AST to as low as 23 (healthy optimal levels less than 15 (male); less than 12 (female). Thanks Justin!
@Gut_Goddess ALT 50-->26, ALP 101-->66, AST-->23. Getting there.






 CONCLUSION AND ACTIONS

• Test your gut species, don't guess  (Genova, uBIOME, etc). Stop potato starch until verification of decent levels of Akkermansia, Bifidobacteria longum and other vital gut guardians.
• Akkermansia and Bifidobacteria longum are gut game-changers and guardians
• Consider amplifying the gut guardian species associated with leanness and longevity for optimal health: B longum and Akkermansia by seeding (probiotics), weeding (probiotics, botanicals) and feeding.
• Feed well (inulin, acacia, FOS, yacon, onions, leeks, sunchokes, GOS, psyllium, hemicellulose, cellulose, chitin-glucan (mushrooms), lignins, gums, beta glucan (oats), pectin, arabinoxylan, arabinogalactan, xylans, etc). See chart below.
• Consider adding in foods and prebiotics that weed out pathogenic E coli and select good, beneficial E coli.
• Everyone appears to have low B longum and Akkermansia which are risk factors for chronic inflammation according to new human gut microbiota. Studies show their replenishment yields many health benefits and control of inflammation and disease. If you don't have FODMAP intolerances, consider both Version A and B of bionic fiber in the 7 Steps to rebuild these.  

Tony Federico, host of the Paleo Magazine Radio show, joins Dr. Grace and Matt to talk about his uBiome results. A possible beneficial strain Christensenella was abundant in Tony’s gut, which Dr. Grace goes into further detail. Tony talks beyond just Paleo, bringing insight to his day to day life, and how he maintains his healthy living. Tony asks Dr. Grace’s opinion on the potential effects of resistant starch and avoiding too many starches on a paleo diet.

Enjoy Part 1!

Photo Credit

Gut Guardians Podcast: Episode 11 – Reinforcing Tribal Connections w Tony Federico


Part 2 of Dr. Grace’s and Matt’s talk with Tony Federico.

While most point to diet and exercise as key markers of achieving good health, Tony brings up another great aspect of living well: being apart of one’s community. A discussion on how tapping back into our roots can play an integral part of ones health. by helping and developing a sense of community with the ones surrounding gives us the same tribal setting as our ancestors.

Gather some tubers, and huddle a group of your closest friends around the fire for this podcast!

Show Notes

• Tony Federico’s Twitter
• Tony’s Website
• Paleo Magazine Radio
• Paleo Grilling
• Dr. Grace’s Analysis of Tony’s Gut Test Results

Part I: Bifidobacteria longum, Roseburia, F. prausnitzii (and Akkermansia) Made Us Human (NONE OF THESE EAT RAW POTATO STARCH) NSFW
Part II: HADZA GUTS HAVE THE ANCESTRAL CORE MICROBIOTA IN ABUNDANCE; High Dose RAW Starch Can Suppress Bifidobacteria, Roseburia, F. prausnitzii That Make Us Human
Part III: PALEO MAG HOT TONY FEDERICO HAS THE ANCESTRAL CORE MICROBIOTA IN ABUNDANCE; Citizen Science; Cautions with RPS-RUMPS; High Dose RAW Starch Appears to Suppress Christensenella, Akkermansia, and B longum That Make Us LEAN
Part IV: High Dose Potato Starch Can Make You Fatter, Insulin Resistant, Feed Vipers in Your UPPER GUT If You Are MISSING Bifidobacteria longum and Akkermansia mucinophila, aka SAD Microbial Fingerprint  NSFW
Part V: High Dose Potato Starch Can Make You Fatter, Insulin Resistant By Lowering GLP-1 AND ESPECIALLY If You Are Missing  Bifidobacteria longum and Akkermansia mucinophila, aka SAD Microbial Fingerprint NSFW



Diabetes Warrior: Gut Experiment with Amped-Up Bionic Fiber

Our fearless low-carber Diabetes Warrior, Steve Cooksey, and I are doing a little n=1 experiment with an amped-up version of Bionic Fiber and the 7 Steps.  Bionic Fiber  replenishes the ancestral phylogenetic core microbiota which are damaged by SAD diets, antibiotics and high-dosage potato starch (raw resistant starch, type 2). These are the gut flora that also happen to regulate insulin and body fat storage.

Steve uses a VLC (very low carb) diet to control blood sugars and successfully reversed obesity and complications related to diabetes. As 1/8 Cherokee Native American Indian, the VLC diet suits him well though he eats starches occasionally. Steve works out frequently and his diet includes a lot of greens including dandelion salads which are rich in inulin-FOS.

• Steve and Grace's Excellent Adventure
• Diabetes Experiment Update: Mr. '59'
• Amped Up Bionic Fiber (NOW Foods brand) + Bifidobacteria longum (LEF Bifido GI Balance)
• 2 cups water and hydration during the day 
• 1 tsp Acacia
• 1 tsp Inulin-FOS
• 1 tsp Psyllium 
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp Glucomannan (avoid if trouble swallowing, dysphagia because this viscous fiber swells by 20-times in volume; max dose 1/2 tsp daily)

Steve's results so far show reduction in weight prior to the holidays and no gains during the festivities. He was very pleased to see the blood glucoses (BG) improve from 70 - low 90s to 59 - 80s. Stools improved within 1-2 wks going from 3 times per week to daily.




PROBLEM WITH POTATO STARCH? RAISES BLOOD GLUCOSES: FOLZ FAMILY

In the Folz Family RUMP/raw potato starch experiment, the family members all observed higher blood glucoses with 1 TBS potato starch except for Child 1 who was taking 1 TBS PSYLLIUM which has been shown to reduce body weight and blood glucoses. The n=1 are small but the point of the experiment was to measure BG as a metric of gut health. Adult 2 was trying to lose weight but no body fat losses or weight loss were reported during or after the 6 week experiment.

HERE Allan Folz:

First, our blood glucose measurements marginally went up, especially for my wife and me who were taking the largest doses. 

Before beginning the experiment I measured our BG first thing after waking up across three consecutive days. These were taken on January 15, 16, and 17.

[PRE RESISTANT STARCH, RS2]
For myself: 96, 89, 88
For my wife: 89, 93, 101
For child 1: 96, 91, 109
For child 2: 84, 90, n/a



After six weeks of RS I repeated taking some morning measurements. These were taken on March 26, April 1, 2, and 4.

[POST RESISTANT STARCH, RS2]
For myself: 97, 114, 94, 98
For my wife: 116, 95, 92, n/a
For child 1: n/a, 92, 85, 89  [+ 1 TBS PSYLLIUM=IMPROVED BLOOD GLUCOSES]
For child 2: 87, 90, 79, 100




RAW STARCHES ARE NOT ANCESTRAL?

Tigernut man was the last hominid that studies show consumed a high RS2 diet -- and he and his pre-human lineage expired 1.2 million years ago. The hunter-gatherers who learned to cook and use routine fire dominated the plains, steeps, and gallery forests during the hundreds of thousands of years that followed. Our diet and gut flora have likely adapted and reflects vast changes in the fiber and diversity of resource allocation since then. The flora that feed and crossfeed from raw starches (Bacteroides, Clostridium) are not the dominant immunoprotective nor body fat controlling ones (Bifidobacteria longum, Akkermansia, Christensenella, Roseburia, Faecalibacterium, etc) which consume a variety of fiber but not raw starches well or at all. The raw starch eating bacteria help make us human compared to chimps but they are not the powerful anti-inflammatory gut flora that help our bodies to efficiently utilize fats and complex carbohydrates and by cycling body fat back into ready energy brain energy (glucose or ketones).  In that respective it explains why in human and pig studies (prior post), raw starches (RS Type 2) such as high-amylose maize and raw potato starch fail to appear to perform well metabolically and may even raise fasting insulin and insulin resistance. Body fat doesn't improve or even gets worse. Gut researchers cannot reconcile the differences between the good hamster/rodent studies and the lack of translation in human studies and human subjects.

Rats lose body fat on their native diet -- raw starch -- but humans do not appear to (or even get fattier organs, higher BP and higher insulin, Bodinham et al 2012 and 2014), and perhaps this is related the fact that no current human society consumes large dosages of raw starches in their regular daily diet or at least not without being accompanied by an upwards of 150 grams of dietary fiber (Hadza).  So is raw starch part of the natural food for our gut flora? What adverse shifts in the gut flora happen when unnatural 'fiber' becomes a large component of dietary fiber for humans and fuel for our 100 trillion gut inhabitants? The research seems pretty clear that our gut flora are maladapted, and, worse, the gut shifts affect metabolism and insulin sensitivity by lowering keystone anti-inflammatory gut species that are associated with leanness and insulin sensitivity.

Gut scientists Geurts et al recently stated:

"Resistant starches (RS) are also fermentable non-digestible
carbohydrates (Bird et al., 2010; Robertson, 2012). Although
they are not regarded widely as a prebiotics, most forms
of RS induce changes in gut microbiota composition
(Flint, 2012). In rodents, data suggest that chronic RS
feeding upregulates proglucagon expression (i.e. GLP-1
precursor) in the colon with concomitant increases in
neuropeptide expression in the hypothalamus (Shen et
al., 2009; Zhou et al., 2008). These effects result in weightloss and improvements in glycaemic control. However, todate there is no evidence for this in humans (for review see Robertson, 2012)." 

• Prior post: High Dose Potato Starch Can Make You Fatter, Insulin Resistant By Lowering GLP-1 AND ESPECIALLY If You Are Missing Bifidobacteria longum and Akkermansia mucinophila, aka SAD Microbial Fingerprint

Diabetes and the Gut Microbiota (Part 1) With Dr Tim Gerstmar ND

The Gut Guardians Podcast welcomes Dr. Tim Gerstmar (@DrTimGerstmarND) onto the show. He shares his insights on how he is treating his patients with diabetes and also gives us his take on the most recent findings that show the relationship between the gut microbiota and diabetes. Dr. Grace and Matt had a lot of fun chatting with Dr. Tim, as he brings his expansive knowledge to the show.  

Enjoy!

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Show Notes

Dr. Tim Gerstmar’s Site Aspire Natural Health

@DrGerstmarND and on Facebook 

Sorry. Resistant Starch is Unlikely to Miraculously Cause Weight Loss and Body Fat Loss

Gut Guardians Podcast: Episode 13 – Flora Disruptors w John Brisson


FixYouGut.com’s John Brisson joins Matt and Dr. Grace on the GG podcast. In part 2 of the 3 part series, John and Grace talks about certain strains that are both detrimental and beneficial for proper gut function. Enjoy!

Show Notes:

FixYourGut.com

FixYourGut Book on Amazon

Gut Guardians Podcast: Episode 12 – Probiotics, MAPS, and Ancestral Core with John Brisson


FixYouGut.com’s John Brisson joins Matt and Dr. Grace on the GG podcast. In part 1 of the 3 part series, John brings his insights and precautions on using certain probiotics. He also explains how he has had success treating clients with Crohns/Ulcerative Colitis. Dr. Grace and John also talk about their differences on what they believe to be “ancestral”. Don’t forget to rate and review the podcast. Enjoy!

Show Notes:

FixYourGut.com

FixYourGut Book on Amazon

MAP’s Study

Gut Guardians Podcast: Episode 14 – Genetics, Low Carb, SBO’s, and The Upper Gut w/ John Brisson


This is a wonderful gem, just like John Brisson!

The Finale of the 3 part series with John Brisson of FixYourGut.com. In this episode, John talks with Grace and Matt about the Perfect Health Diet, Raw Milk, Genes and Low Carb Diets, SBO’s and much more! Don’t forget to check out John’s book, which is a great resource for anybody who would love to learn more about the gut and resolving gut troubles.

Enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

FixYourGut.com

FixYourGut Book on Amazon

Perfect Health Diet

Gut Guardians Podcast: Episode 15 – Gut Healing w Robin Treasure

Wellness specialist Robin Treasure joins the Gut Guardian Podcast to bring her expertise on healing the gut. Robin shares her best tips on which certain foods to avoid and which ones to add into the diet to help alleviate inflammation and heal the gut. She also gives warnings for those who may experience symptoms of a histamine intolerance when supplementing with probiotics.

Don’t forget to leave any comments or suggestions! Enjoy!

Show Notes:RobinTreasure.comRobin’s ‘Restore’ ProgramMatt’s source for making his bone brothKlaire Probiotics

Quantified Self Experimenter: R. Sprague

Recently Richard Sprague shared his data with me and asked me to review his uBiome analysis of his stool microbiome. He's a bona fide data collecter and fan of QS (quantified self). The other day he shared his oral microbiome results. Lot of wonderful things going on there in his mouth! For his gut on potato starch, not so much. We will compare this gut results to two other uBiome samples from individuals taking a Bionic Fiber combination (psyllium, acacia, inulin-FOS, etc) and a diet based around the 7 Steps for an optimal gut microbiota.

About Richard Sprague, 51 yr old QS-er, super healthy, lean (160 lbs, 6') and SUPER BRAINY:

"At the time of the three samples, I did not take any supplements or other medication of any kind. I drink one cafe latte per day, plus about 5 servings of alcohol (usually beer) over the course of a week. I am an omnivore, though I tend toward paleo-style eating (no processed food, plenty of fat+meat). I eat wheat- and other gluten-bearing food a couple times a week, along with dairy, and I don’t notice any difference at all whether I abstain or not."

Fiber intake (MyFitnessPal): 15-20 grams daily (below average; RDA for males 38 g/day, females 25 g/day if you subscribe to that)

Three uBiome gut results:
Sample taken on 5/16/2014 'Pre-RUMPS' (raw unmodified potato starch)
Sample taken on 6/6/2014   (on travel, camping, varied diet)
Sample taken on 10/17/2014  'Post-RUMPS' (raw unmodified potato starch 2-4 TBS)

Prior to the Oct 2014 uBiome he used 2-4 TBS 'raw potato starch' (RUMPS) to hack his sleep and stools. Both had some quantifieable changes: sleep increased from 6.27 hrs/night to 6.52 hrs/night and stools increased from 1x/day to 2-3x/day. Quality of stools may have worsened; he reports Bristol 4 or 5 (mostly 5) prior to RUMPS and 5 after RUMPS.




How Citizen Science Helps Us and Our Guts

I love ubiome -- it is not diagnostic but it is a valuable tool that tells us the terrain of the lower gut and a little bit about the upper gut (small intestines). It gives us the profile for all the bacterial colonies in the colon. With tools that Richard developed on his github, one can integrate the raw taxonomy and play with them in Excel. (AmGut data FYI is not so simple). uBiome also has fantastic turnaround times -- only 2-3 wks for results to come back. I just submitted mine this week, and looking forward to pouring over it soon. 

Fecal samples have limitations. They may or may not represent what is going on at the mucosa level. Sometimes vast changes are going on at the intestinal mucosal level but they don't spill over into the lumen and resultant fecal matter to truly tell us the representive microbial colonies going on there. Still I like poop. What we poop is what we are, just as what we eat is what we are. Diet is the biggest driver for shaping the gut microbiota. By just modifying diet and dietary supplements, we can perpetuate a better gut as well as better health.

Another limitation is that looking at bacteria alone doesn't give us the big picture for life in our guts; non-bacterial colonies such as yeasts/candida, parasites, helminths, and protozoa are also significant contributors to gut health and dysbiosis and they're not not analyzed. These are better seen with a urine OAT (organic acid test) for clostridial and yeast metabolites or a specific Genova or Biohealth 401B parasite analysis. 

The science is still in its infancy. uBiome and other institutions have not identified all the species. Depending on someone's gut composition, the unique # of species known and identified is about half to 70%. Therefore 'species norm count' will not add up to 100% (though 'phylum norm count' and 'order norm count' are typically close ~96-97%).



Sprague's Github Tools to Help You Analyze Your uBiome Stool Samples

Sprague has created a couple of tools to help you manipulate and play with your big data from uBiome after you get your results back. I find it helpful and excellent to see the phyla, order and species on the Excel sheets. Patterns emerge, changes can be tracked and a nice story happens.

https://github.com/richardsprague/uBiome

He has a 'Getting Started' short list of instructions and very easy to follow steps to take the 'raw taxonomy' from uBiome's dashboard and transform into different data files (JSON, EXCEL, TXT, etc). Read his 'Beginner's Guide' for great info!




Citizen Science Reveals Dramatic Loss of Diversity and 36% Extinction of Known Species



The Dysbiotic/Disease Gut Microbial Fingerprint

In several studies now, the gut microbial fingerprint has been characterized. Invariable they all look similar in many respects:
--low diversity
--depletions of known and identified 'good flora'
--overgrowths of known and identified potential pathogens

Sprague's gut like many on the potato starch has now taken on this profile. The loss of important immunoprotective species such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (17-fold depletion) is probably not a good sign. Further depletions of other known and characterized species associated with longevity and good health has also been decimated. The destruction of diversity perhaps has led to the emergence of a couple of pathogens that Sprague's gut didn't have earlier. His diet sounds varied but his reported fiber intake is somewhat low and suboptimal (15-20 g/day).

For Sprague 4 clostridium species were shifted signficantly by the experiment, I noticed. Two potentially pathogenic strains shifted down in abundance and two worst strains grew robustly and appeared to take their places.

Clostridium asparagiforme -- became extinct or undetectable.

Clostridium clostridioforme -- lowered by 50% which I think is an improvement

Clostridium baratii 0.55877%-- 5-fold increased, may secrete toxins similar to botulinum. Note: the concentration and abundance of this strain is higher than the phylogenetic core Bifidobacteria longum (0.18584%; 3-fold less, mmmmhhh...The pathogen is outnumbering a potent gut guardian)

Clostridium botulinum Ba4 str. 657 (0.00253%) -- new appearance to detectable levels of the Toxin B secreting strain isolated from a botulism case. Let's say our stools represent 10-100 trillion bacteria in the GI tract, therefore 0.00253% may be a proxy for 0.25 to 2.5 billion Clostridium botulinum bacteria in the gut. I don't think that is a trivial amount, sadly, if the data is semi-reliable. Researchers report that toxins from Clostridium are several thousands-times more toxic than other endotoxin releasing opportunistic pathogens in the human gut and considered one of our planet's most neurotoxic chemicals. Botulinum B toxin interferes with neural transmission of release of acetylcholine, key neurotransmitter in our calm and restorative nervous system (PSNS) and can lead to muscle paralysis (Nigam et al 2010). Botox for use in wrinkles is A toxin and stronger than B toxin. In Asperger's/Autism Spectrum individuals, Clostridium and other gut pathogens (Enterobacter, Sutterella, Desulvovibrio) and low gut guardians (Eubacteria, Lachnospiracea [Coprococcus, Roseburia intestinalis, Roseburia faecis], Bifidobacteria) (De Angelis et al 2013; Midtvedt 2012) .

BIONIC FIBER (Column 3) ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER CLOSTRIDIUM

Emergence of Several New Pathogens With 'Raw Potato Starch' in Sprague's Sample

Let's detail the the species that appeared to emerge in Sprague's QS n=1. Sprague reports no digestive issues or health problems. His HgbA1c pre- and post-test is still acceptable 5.0% and sleep/mood/energy/skin/digestion all remain good.



Raw RS2 selectively appears to increase toxic, adhesive E coli and Clostridium in both small and large intestines




Person "A" and Amped-Bionic Fiber is Associated with Lower Toxic Clostridium Levels

In this series of posts, 4 uBiome analyses will be reviewed. The third column in the above comparison is of a gentleman who was also on potato starch 2-4 Tbs for 6months, then switched to an 'amped version' of Bionic Fiber for 4 months. Besides Sprague's example, Person 'A' is the second case of potato starch-enrichment of Clostridium botulinum.

Overall Bionic Fiber is associated with reduction of Clostridium strains per studies (see below). Person 'A' reports numerous improvements since starting Bionic Fiber.

Bionic fiber is a combination of diverse fibers that the gut flora absolutely thrive and love to eat. It works because they selectively stimulate nearly all the phylogenetic core that Julien Tap et al and gut researchers around the world have identified as the core consortia that protect human health for millenium as observed in both individuals that still live non-urbanized 'dirty' living and those that live in Europe, Korea, and USA.

Person 'A' took for four months prior to the uBiome sample an amped version of BIONIC FIBER inulin, acacia, glucomannan, psyllium, baobab fruit powder and larch arabinogalactan.



Butyrate looks like it is quite good with really high Eubacteria, Ruminococcus, Lachnospiraceae and other Clostridiales being robust and abundant (we'll review in detail in future posts). These are higher than Sprague's initially and post-potato parade.

According to Person "A":

"So about 3 years ago started having somewhat generic symptoms - brain fog and fatigue, dry/flaky skin mostly on my face. Switching to a perfect health diet (or at least trying to follow PHD) helped quite a bit. [Fiber]: 15-20 grams of fiber per day on average. We eat a good amount of rice and potatoes, some freshly cooked, some cooled and reheated. Probably average 1 serving of vegetables a day (mostly broccoli, brussel sprouts, green peas) and 2-4 servings of fruit per day (bananas & berries mostly). We've also been re-incorporating beans lately - probably 2-3 servings per week.

I started RPS about 1 year ago and quit almost immediately due to some joint pain and excessive gas. A few weeks later I tried again, but started with a much smaller amount and built up to the 2-4 tbsp/day recommendation at the time. I didn't notice much of a difference, other than really great bowel movements - very regular and consistently a bristol 3 or 4. The brain fog & fatigue continued to be occasional - no real change with just the RPS.
Then about 4 months ago I started mixing up your bionic fiber, dumped the RPS but still used some plantain flour. I'd say I get about 20-30 grams of supplemental fibers a day now, with inulin and acacia being the majority. Glucomannon, psyllium, baobab, larch are included as well in very small amounts. I've now dropped the raw plantain flour in the last couple weeks.
Since switching to the bionic mix, here the changes I've noticed. Bowel movements slightly worse actually. Still fairly regular, but get bristol 2 every now and then. Brain fog and fatigue still present, but noticeably improved. Skin appears to be healing as well, but not all the way there yet. Skin is improving - dryness, texture, moisture. I'm not really sure how to describe it and my doctor never thought it was anything to worry about - he just said to use lots of moisturizer... It wasn't painful or itchy, just unsightly to look at!"

To Be Continued...

We'll talk more about
--Bifidobacteria longum
--how Bionic Fiber bionically raises buytrate producers

uBiome Blog

Our co-blog and Elijah's post on his recent gut uBiome results, here, at uBiome's blog today.

His extended version at his blog: Microbiome Initial Data -- I Need a Recount
"Observationally, I have noticed several changes so far. First and best, is that my sleep has been incredible. I fall asleep easily, sleep through the night and wake up with a pep in my step. Second, my appetite is lower. I feel full all the time. My energy levels are good. There is marginal fluctuation throughout the day. Third, my poop is more regular both in consistency and frequency."

His earlier post at uBiome: How to Poop Well.




[Side B: extended version, lol]

Microbiota Hacking

Thank you Elijah for the generous introduction! I appreciate your enthusiasm and reaching out to me to collaborate on maximizing gut health and your 100 trillion friends.

Looking at uBiome stool analyses helps me to map out the bacterial terrain and landscape in the intestines. It is a ground breaking tool that I’m so grateful for. I look for landmarks and clues that tie in with published pyrosequencing studies.

Elijah is an elite athlete with superior performance and 8-9% body fat. I almost doubted that we could further improve any biometrics (sleep, skin, mood, performance), but, naturally, when we look at the modern dysbiotic gut, everything can be improved. Modern guts are particularly vulnerable because they are being assaulted from all sides everyday. Therefore several simple and easy improvements can dramatically reset overall health by emphasizing our gut.

Our gut is the initial site of nearly all disease (besides pure poisons). Our hunger, hormones, happiness chemicals and energy regulators all are controlled or composed by this master regulator organ that gut researchers call the ‘second brain’. Scientists report 80% of immunity is housed in the intestines. In my estimates, the gut doesn’t control all health, 24/7 all the time, but when it is disrupted, then ALL health may be disrupted. Whether you are an elite athlete like Elijah or a high-level executive or a super tiger-mom, a healthy gut lays the foundation for overflowing health, youthful energy, leanness and longevity.

Our modern lifestyles lend characteristic changes in the microbiome – depletions of vital good flora and overgrowths of opportunistic pathogens. I call the good microflora ‘gut guardians’ because these protect our gut from birth until death. Their absence signals death, whether it’s a slow, gradual, perpetual and mildly painful death or a more chronic course riddled by the common American standbys: cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmunity, joint degeneration, or diabetes-obesity.

Elijah’s gut profile exhibits the losses which everyone frequently experiences as a result of processed, refined carbohydrates, high sugar diets and use of antibiotics which were given for chronic ear infections as a child. His birth was C-section and studies show a lack of transfer of mom’s good microflora such as Bifidobacteria longum to baby without a vaginal birth.

Landmarks that stand out on Elijah's gut microbiota uBiome analysis:

• low biodiversity (low phyla and species counts)
• depleted gut guardians which secure longevity and leanness by maintaining metabolism and a tight intestinal barrier

             o Bifidobacteria (part of Actinobacteria: 3-fold below normal)
             o Bifidobacteria longum (180-fold below optimal;
                but at least its there! yay!)
             o Bacteroides (3-fold below normal)
             o Christensenella
             o Akkermansia

• increased potential opportunistic bacterial overgrowths

             o Corynebacteria pathogens (possibly skin related)
             o Proteobacteria pathogens (6-fold more than average) including
                Cronobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, E coli, Bilophila






Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. In the side diagram, you can see how Elijah’s gut scored: doing well for producing butyrate, a fuel of the colonocytes, the cells that line the colon. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is exuberantly represented. Most healthy humans have 3-10% or more and Elijah’s gut is no exception. His gut also houses plenty of Lachnospiraceae (34.64412%) and Pseudobutyrivibrio (8.86619%) This consortia of robust butyrate-producers may partly explain Elijah’s resistance to gaining fat and other dysbiosis-related disorders. Author of the Epidemic of Absence, Moises Velasqueze-Manoff, recently wrote an essay reviewing the vital anti-inflammatory role F. prausnitzii plays in protecting human health, ‘Among Trillions of Microbes in the Gut, a Few Are Special’.




Reviewing Elijah’s uBiome Results: ABSENT ALLIES

Bifidobacteria longum (part of Actinobacteria). The loss of Bifidobacteria longum by antibiotic drugs and poor dietary choices (sugar, unfermented gluten) contributes to increased gut permeability and subsequent spilling of microbial toxins and cell wall parts through the ‘porous’ barrier into circulation. The consequences are low-grade inflammation, oxidative stress, mood changes, and disease (food allergies, bloating, digestive disorders, acne, etc). Fortunately, prebiotic fiber and probiotics can selectively boost and grow these tender populations. Health and well-being track well with improvements in bacterial parameters in my clinical experiences.

How To Boost Bifidobacteria longum, Roseburia, Akkermansia muciniphila, and Faecalibacterium prausnitziiFor Gut Barrier Restoration and Pathogen Resistance Geurts et al 2013

Proteobacteria and other pathogens. A few potential opportunistic pathogens were identified. With gut guardians and allies, these easily overgrow at the first opportunity. Many of these may be gently weeded out and replaced by the populations missing, which will be stimulated by probiotics and special fiber. Normal skin microbiota residents are Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium (previously part of Corynebacteria), Propionibacterium, Streptococcus, and Pseudomonas. In acne, microbiota sequencing and culture studies show higher Corynebacteria, Staphylococcus epidermis, Propionibacterium acnes, and fungal Malassezia in skin lesions.

Elijah’s gut apparently showed detectable levels of Corynebacterium amycolatum (0.00499%) which is sometimes associated with opportunistic hospital infections. The gut profile also shows possibly suboptimal concentrations of 4 Proteobacteria implicated in dysbiosis, colitis and food poisoning:

• Cronobacter sakazakii (12.51294%)
• Bilophila wadsworthia (0.08107%)
• Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Agona (0.00499%)
• Shigella flexneri (0.00249%)

Fecal Facts For The Skin-Gut

Our goal to improve the skin and work from the inside out, starting with shifting the gut microbiota, 100 trillion friends. This is also the progressive new thinking in dermatology:

“In the treatment of acne, one of the prevailing tenets has revolved around the eradication of a bacterium known as Propionibacterium acnes… Rather than non-specific chemical destruction of P. acnes, with its far reaching effects on the human microbiome, investigators are exploring the possibility of utilising non-pathogenic bacteria to improve the skin, with collateral benefits to the gastrointestinal tract and the psyche as well.”

--W.P. Bowe et al

Disease or Defense?

With the lack of protection in the gut, bacterial and parasitic overgrowths may partially degrade the single-cell layer barrier in the small intestines (upper gut) where we absorb the vast majority of digested food and nutrients. Havoc and competition further lower the bacterial sentinels which everyday seal and maintain the barrier layer against being leaky and open.

An environment harmful for health ensues. Food and intestinal yeasts and bacteria may breach and ‘leak’ into the blood and lymph circulation which alarm the immune system, producing large amounts of silent inflammation which adverse affects many organ systems: liver, fat, and muscles. Instead of efficiently burning fat, the body burns other things, sugar and muscles.

An endless cycle begins. For many, the joints and muscles are affected (discomfort, arthritis, swelling, sarcopenia). Invariable digestion and food intolerances are ‘ground zero’ type of symptoms (excess gas, loose bowels, constipation, stomach aches). Gluten, soy, corn and dairy may produce bloating and/or brain fog. For some the skin microbiome is affected (acne, psoriasis or eczema). Our central nervous systems never go untouched with modern gut dysbiosis; headaches, mood fluctuations, fear, hunger, and cravings are hallmarks of mangled microbiotas that I observe.



Skin-Gut Microbiota Manipulation

The goals stated by Elijah are two-fold:
(1) reverse intolerance to gluten which causes bloating and
(2) improve mild acne on back

What we will do is enhance what the gut already has and repair-renovate what is broken. We discussed considering additions to the great smoothie blend that have been shown in humans to heal the gut and immunity rapidly (add 1-2 of the below). The below ‘feed and breed’ diversity in the gut microbiota including the specific species that are missing (Bifidobacteria longum, Akkermansia and Eubacteria).

Choose a personal diverse combinational blend of prebiotic fiber:
Elijah did all the below except GOS.

1/4 tsp glucomannan (in 2 cups water; maximum dose ½ tsp; avoid if any trouble swallowing or drinking water, will swell 20-fold in volume)
1 tsp acacia
1 tsp arabinogalactan
1 tsp modified citrus pectin
1 tsp GOS (Bimuno)
1 tsp inulin-FOS
1 TBS psyllium
1 TBS cocoa

To seed-weed the proverbial gardens in our gut and crowd out modern potential pathogens, I often guide people to consider rebuilding the gut with health-promoting probiotics and gently weeding with short-term, combination botanicals. For skin I have a couple of tricks which speed healing in the gut. These would empirically target pathogens whilst specifically restructuring what is often missing. They all lower the quiet ‘fires’ of inflammation.

Consider for one month a skin-gut regimen:
--Berberine 500mg twice daily (Thorne)
--Neem 2 caps daily (Himalaya)
--Grape seed extract Trader Joe's 50mg, 4 daily (or 2 twice daily)
--Liver detoxifier (NOW foods) 2 daily

Elijah decided to go with all the above for the skin regimen and for probiotics decided on Bifidus Balance +FOS (Jarrow) and Primal Flora Ultra High Potency (Mark’s Daily Apple). The ability to breakdown casein (dairy) and gluten-gliadin (wheat) may come down to what is in our guts and what isn't. The above probiotics contain strains which can help in digesting and degrading these potentially allergenic food peptides that induce food allergies, similar to what Elijah experiences. Primal Flora UHP is a soil based organisms probiotic (SBO) containing 10 billion CFU. Our recent ancestors  had daily exposures to dust and dirt which contain these species. SBOs are one of the best ways to 'seed' the gut with bacteria aligned to our ancient past and better ability digest a range of plant fiber including small quantities of dairy and gluten.

Stay tuned!






References:

Christensen, Gitte Julie Møller, and Holger Brüggemann. "Bacterial skin commensals and their role as host guardians." Beneficial microbes 5.2 (2014): 201-215.
Bowe, W, NB Patel, and AC Logan. "Acne vulgaris, probiotics and the gut-brain-skin axis: from anecdote to translational medicine." Beneficial microbes 5.2 (2014): 185-199.
Grice, Elizabeth A, and Julia A Segre. "The skin microbiome." Nature Reviews Microbiology 9.4 (2011): 244-253.
Kong, Heidi H, and Julia A Segre. "Skin microbiome: looking back to move forward." Journal of Investigative Dermatology 132 (2012): 933-939.
Tap, Julien et al. "Towards the human intestinal microbiota phylogenetic core." Environmental microbiology 11.10 (2009): 2574-2584.
Geurts, Lucie et al. "Gut microbiota controls adipose tissue expansion, gut barrier and glucose metabolism: novel insights into molecular targets and interventions using prebiotics." Beneficial microbes 5.1 (2014): 3-17.
Al‐Ghazzewi, Farage H, and Richard F Tester. "Effect of konjac glucomannan hydrolysates and probiotics on the growth of the skin bacterium Propionibacterium acnes in vitro." International journal of cosmetic science 32.2 (2010): 139-142.
Cani, Patrice D et al. "Changes in gut microbiota control inflammation in obese mice through a mechanism involving GLP-2-driven improvement of gut permeability." Gut 58.8 (2009): 1091-1103.
Lee, In-Ah, Yang-Jin Hyun, and Dong-Hyun Kim. "Berberine ameliorates TNBS-induced colitis by inhibiting lipid peroxidation, enterobacterial growth and NF-κB activation." European journal of pharmacology 648.1 (2010): 162-170.
Čerňáková, M, and D Košťálová. "Antimicrobial activity of berberine—a constituent of Mahonia aquifolium." Folia microbiologica 47.4 (2002): 375-378.
Han, Junling, Huiling Lin, and Weiping Huang. "Modulating gut microbiota as an anti-diabetic mechanism of berberine." Medical Science and Technology 17.7 (2011): RA164-RA167.
Zhang, Xu et al. "Structural changes of gut microbiota during berberine-mediated prevention of obesity and insulin resistance in high-fat diet-fed rats." PLoS One 7.8 (2012): e42529.
Xu, Jia et al. "Structural modulation of gut microbiota during alleviation of type 2 diabetes with a Chinese herbal formula." The ISME journal (2014).
Yin, Xiaochen et al. "Structural changes of gut microbiota in a rat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease model treated with a Chinese herbal formula." Systematic and applied microbiology 36.3 (2013): 188-196.
Katiyar, Santosh K. "Proanthocyanidins from Grape Seeds Inhibit UV–Radiation‐Induced Immune Suppression in Mice: Detection and Analysis of Molecular and Cellular Targets." Photochemistry and photobiology (2014).
Nichols, Joi A, and Santosh K Katiyar. "Skin photoprotection by natural polyphenols: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and DNA repair mechanisms." Archives of dermatological research 302.2 (2010): 71-83.
Afaq, Farrukh, and Santosh K Katiyar. "Polyphenols: skin photoprotection and inhibition of photocarcinogenesis." Mini reviews in medicinal chemistry 11.14 (2011): 1200.
Kar, P et al. "Flavonoid‐rich grapeseed extracts: a new approach in high cardiovascular risk patients?." International journal of clinical practice 60.11 (2006): 1484-1492.
Vinson, Joe A, John Proch, and Pratima Bose. "MegaNatural® gold grapeseed extract: in vitro antioxidant and in vivo human supplementation studies." Journal of medicinal food 4.1 (2001): 17-26.
Subapriya, R, and S Nagini. "Medicinal properties of neem leaves: a review." Current Medicinal Chemistry-Anti-Cancer Agents 5.2 (2005): 149-156.
Khan, M et al. "[Experimental study of the effect of raw materials of the neem tree and neem extracts on dermatophytes, yeasts and molds]." Zeitschrift fur Hautkrankheiten 63.6 (1988): 499-502.
Kumar, Venugopalan Santhosh, and Visweswaran Navaratnam. "Neem (Azadirachta indica): Prehistory to contemporary medicinal uses to humankind." Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine 3.7 (2013): 505-514.
Lee, SH et al. "In vitro effects of plant and mushroom extracts on immunological function of chicken lymphocytes and macrophages." British poultry science 51.2 (2010): 213-221.

Have you checked your gut for the keystone species? 

New podcast with elite pro mountain biker, Christopher Kelley of Nourish Balance Thrive and me (aka @Gut_Goddess)http://buff.ly/1AM7EOj #guthound

Gut Guardians Podcast: Episode 17- Gut-Brain Axis w Dr. Richard Matthews

Excerpts from The Symbiont Factor

“The Bacterial Ethernet”

“Bacteria living within a colony are able to form interconnections between cells in a network, using very small microtubules that have been termed nanotubes (Dubey, Yehuda). These nanotubes allow bacteria to share information, which can take several forms. In one example, demonstrated by Ben-Jacob, bacterial colonies will self-organize into elaborate shapes to optimize their survival and will form complex networks of nanotubes where they share plasmids (small pieces of DNA) as well as other molecules from their cell.”

“Providing a sustainable environment in the gut where good bacteria can flourish takes more work and lifestyle change than that and is one of the subjects of the rest of this book. Expecting the growth of beneficial bacteria without eating fruits, vegetables and fiber-containing grains is like scattering tomato seeds in a parking lot. Even though a few seeds might find some earth and germinate, you probably won’t get tomatoes unless you provide dirt, fertilizer, compost and water! Likewise, trying to get the good symbiont bacteria to grow without making improvements in your stress, diet and lifestyle is like trying to grow those seeds in the dark or on a parking lot.”

Gut Guardians Postcast: Episode 16 – (Part 2) Thyroid Help with Robin Treasure




Klaire Probiotics

Heal Yourself Radio with chiropracter and hawt Crossfit athlete, Dr Jonathan Chung DC

EP 002 - FROM DRUGS TO BUGS

On this week’s episode of Heal Yourself Radio we’re talking to Dr. Grace Liu, a functional medicine expert with a doctorate in pharmacy. Her area of expertise involves the clinical applications of one of the hottest topics in science and medicine, the gut micro biome. This interview is full of great information about the importance of your gut bacteria, what foods to use to support it, and what to do if you’ve been on antibiotics. We also had a lot of fun talking about poop, whose poop Dr. Grace wants inside of her, and what might make my feces so interesting. It was a really fun interview, and I think you are all in for a little treat.

Save 10% on any uBiome kit or product with Dr.Chung's referral code
http://ubiome.refr.cc/638H9RC #microbiome

TheGutInstitute.Com has launched!

Please migrate over there for all the latest news on the gut microbiome, studies, diagnostics, and gut protocol strategies for health optimization.

We had an awesome turnout that was beyond capacity for the premiere ticket holders at PaleoFX this year: 'Shifting Your Gut Microbiota and Your 100 Trillion Friends for Leanness and Fat Loss'. Thank you for everyone that attended! The slides may be downloaded at TheGutInstitute.com (enter email). I am considering with Matt Pepin, my Gut Guardians co-host, to send out a monthly Gut RxTracts with a compilation of the latest gut news, research abstracts, book reviews, and all things poop and gut related. How does that sound? I'd love to know which topics you find most interesting.



A couple of things I mentioned at PaleoFx:

10% of uBiome analysis, thanks Eli and Paul~!
http://ubiome.refr.cc/X4D28CW (Eli's referral code)
http://ubiome.refr.cc/RW5Z7DX (Paul's referral code)

Sources of chitin/chitosan for gut health and fat loss prebiotic effects
Fiber in cricket flour is 7% and contains chitin/chitosan
Pubmed studies on fat loss and chitin/chitosan
https://www.facebook.com/NextMillenniumFarms

Sources of yacon in sugar free virgin chocolate in Raaka handcrafted bars (YUMMMM!) and 4 grams of yacon-FOS per half bar, thanks Bill~!
10% off 'YACON10' code

Prescript Assist, the only probiotic containing 2 strains of Bacteroides that is missing in nearly every study in overweight and obesity microbial signatures, one of the root problems in the obesity epidemic. This probiotic and other soil probiotics helped my family and I overcome gluten, dairy and other food intolerances so we could consume again on rare occasions without severe gut, brain or digestive issues.
The company just the other day announced their evolution to ENVIRO MEDICA (no longer Magnetic Clay)! I love it! Congratulations!!
http://www.magneticclay.com/store/prescript-assist-probiotic.aspx

AO Biome, soil probiotic topical spray: Nitrosomonas, live Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria (AOB). It produces more NO, nitric oxide, a vital signalling molecule important for not just athletic workouts and sex ahah.
"This living product is a first, not only for our company, but for the industry as a whole. We created it to counteract the damage that modern lifestyles and products have on the biome, which often lead to irritation, sensitivity, and more. Our patented beneficial bacteria is similar to a probiotic, and it works to enrich your skin’s natural environment, gently restoring harmony to the skin. Specifically, it actively converts the byproducts of our skin (such as sweat) into beneficial ingredients, leading to skin that looks and feels great. "

Mark Sisson's new soil based upgraded ultra high potency 10B CFU per cap -- used by Eli Markstrom, Spartan warrior in uBiome self experiment.
http://www.primalblueprint.com/primal-flora/



The HENRY Bar~!! My kids designed an energy bar that they will actually eat that's not full of non-Paleo junk. Thank you to my master tasters who gave it unanimous thumbs up -- my sisters, best galpals, Matt Pepin, Dr Emily Dean, Robb Wolf and CSA MMA gym (Kieran). Nearly all organic and non-GMO, the Henry is full of goodness like our puppy which it's named after. Check out TheGutInstitue.com later for more updates or contact me directly to get a box (I have some complimentary ones to send out!)

Abundant in wonderful ingredients (some are not part of 7 steps -- dairy and nuts):

• 17 grams isomalto-oligosaccharides (for fat loss, leanness and losing gut-leakiness) which is also found in fermented foods like natto, sake and fermented soybean sauce (bibimbab, jajiang noodles)
• 16 grams pastured, grassfed whey protein
• 10 grams carbs from 85% organic chocolate, cashew butter, almond butter, dates and quinoa crispies

Second Episode of The Gut Guardians Podcast: "REDEFINING HUMAN" WITH JAMIE BINNS

Jamie Binns makes the 40 minute drive down to Denver to talk to Dr. Grace and Matt about Root House Studio’s newest project: Redefining Human. What better way to check out what’s going on in the gut than by looking at amazing educational videos. Thats what Root House is trying to do. But they need our help! By donating to their Kickstarter, we can help spread the word WORLDWIDE on the results being discovered via the American Gut Project.

Some topics:
   --Ethnicity influence on gut health
   --Matt and my experiences in recovering our gut health to tolerate dairy and gluten again
   --Story of an elite athlete's gut health and new onset gluten intolerances
   --Exercise and the gut; Jamie, Matt and I are all fans or fiends about exercise

This episode is jam packed with fun information about their upcoming project. Enjoy! (sorry the play button doesn't work yet, thanks for your patience!)




SHOW NOTES:

• RSS FEED: http://restoretheflora.com/feed/podcast
  
• CLICK, GO STRAIGHT TO iTUNES [explicit, NSWF sometimes]
• Previous post: Redefining Human MOVIE: Science Communication Done Differently
• Kickstarter Page
• Tweet Jamie @redefininghuman
• American Gut Project
• Gut Check: Exploring Your Microbiome Course Provided by CourseRA from our friends from CU Boulder
• UpstartKombucha