Podcast appearances and mentions of martin blaser

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Dr. Martin Blaser, author of "Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues." 

Is the human microbiome an endangered species? Dr. Martin Blaser, author of "Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues," has also been featured in a documentary, The Invisible Extinction, that explores the dire consequences of our depleted microbiomes. Antibiotic overuse, C-sections, lack of breast-feeding, ultra-processed food, lack of exposure to nature, and chlorinated water conspire to deplete our bodies of beneficial bacteria; these imbalances in intestinal flora have profound, far-reaching effects, not just on digestive disorders, but on immunity, metabolism, and brain function. Conditions like insulin resistance, obesity, Parkinson's Disease, depression and anxiety, and many more have been linked to microbiome deficits. What lessons do stool samples from indigenous peoples offer us? There may be a transgenerational effect of microbiome depletion. Dr. Blaser has gone so far as to advocate a Microbiome Vault to preserve our bacterial heritage. Are fecal transplants and poop pills the answer? “Vaginal seeding”? What role do high-fiber diets play? Are fermented foods beneficial? What about probiotics? Dr. Blaser describes measures we need to take now to recover our microbial diversity.

Buckle up for a fascinating journey through microbiome history! Dr. Siobhan McCormack welcomes the esteemed Professor Martin Blaser for an episode that travels through pivotal moments in microbiome science using a "Back to the Future"-inspired lens. Hear their engaging discussion, complete with time-traveling sound effects, as they explore Professor Blaser's career, the impact of antibiotics, and the critical importance of our microbial partners.This podcast is presented in collaboration with the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.Disclaimer:The content in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast.

This week, we give thought to how much of us is really "us" — turns out it's way less than we thought. You really do contain multitudes.Pardon a few technical glitches this week, thanks to a crabby audio system and a very tight schedule due to travel. Or just pretend I have hiccups.Resource links:First complete human genome sequence"Dr. Martin Blaser on sacred cows, ear infections and the nature of science" by Ashton Applewhite, American Museum of Natural History magazine Archaea (they're not bacteria!)Really cool if slightly horrifying PBS video on DemodexSupport the showDo you have comments to share or an idea for an upcoming episode? Need something overthought? I'd love to hear from you!Email me at HeresAThought8@gmail.comOr, contact me on my website at www.JanMFlynn.netOr, DM me on Twitter: @JanMFlynnAuthorTheme music courtesy of Pixabay Music

We cannot see them, but the tiny bugs inside our bodies are crucial to our long-term health.  The problem is, they're becoming extinct. Martin Blaser, MD and Dr. Gloria Dominguez-Bello are both microbiologists from the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine at Rutgers University in the US state of New Jersey.  In the feature documentary, The Invisible Extinction, Martin and Gloria investigate the impact antibiotics and other common medical practices have on our microbiome and gut health. Their research highlights compelling evidence that the misuse of antibiotics could be to blame for a rise in food allergies, chronic diseases, and other gut-related health issues including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In this interview they discuss their work, the importance of eating organic, non-processed foods, along with the essential role of bacteria, fungi and viruses that naturally live in our intestines and stomach.This episode is brought to you in association with Clinique La Prairie, with whom we share a common goal of helping people pursue a long healthspan.  The award-winning spa clinic and pioneering health and wellness destination, nestled on the shores of Lake Geneva in Montreux, Switzerland,  combines preventative medicine with bespoke lifestyle and nutrition plans, and offers a holistic approach to living fuller, healthier, and longer lives.Credits: This interview includes clips from The Invisible Extinction  documentary, courtesy of Microbe Media LLC.  Thanks also to Steven Lawrence - the film's co-director and producer - and Paul Clarke from Newsworthy press for their help in the production of this podcast.  -Affiliation disclosure: This podcast receives a small commission when you use the code LLAMA for purchases from companies below which support our mission.   It helps to cover production costs and ensures that our interviews, sharing information about human longevity, remain free for all to listen. -FlexBeam red light therapyRecharge Health is offering LLAMA listeners an $80.00 discount on the purchase of FlexBeam, the wearable red light therapy device which targets key parts of the body to improve sleep, treat injuries and sooth aches and pains associated with aging. Use code LLAMA at checkout- DoNotAgeDoNotAge.org is offering listeners to LLAMA a 10% discount on its range of products – NAD boosters, Sirtuin activators, senolytics and more. Any health queries can be answered by emailing the team at hello@donotage.orgUse the code LLAMA at checkout. -Support the showThe Live Long and Master Aging (LLAMA) podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice. If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

Did you know that the overuse of antibiotics can disrupt our microbiome, and contribute to diseases such as asthma, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Martin Blaser, M.D., Henry Rutgers Chair of the Human Microbiome at Rutgers University, author of Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues, and featured in the documentary film, Invisible Extinction. Blaser discusses the relationship between the human microbiome, health and disease, and the cumulative effects of exposure to antibiotics.Related website:  https://www.theinvisibleextinction.com/ 

Dr. Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello, Henry Rutgers Professor of Microbiome and Health and director of the Rutgers-based New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, and Dr. Martin Blaser, Professor of Medicine and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine at Rutgers (NJ) discuss the importance of preserving microbial diversity in the human microbiome. The pair, whose research was recently featured in a documentary The Invisible Extinction, are on a race to prevent the loss of ancestral microbes and save the bacteria that contribute to human health and well-being.  Links for the Episode: The Invisible Extinction (documentary) Missing Microbes (book) Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues (article) (YouTube) Missing Microbes with Dr. Martin Blaser

In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Dr. Gloria Dominguez, a world-renowned microbiome expert who has studied the pre- and postnatal influences on the developing gut microbiome, and the implications of this early development for health and disease. Dr. Dominguez is the Henry Rutgers Professor of Microbiome and Health at Rutgers University. She is the Director of the Institute for Food Nutrition and Health and a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, and of the Infectious Disease Society of America. Her work centers and impacts exerted on the microbiome by urban practices, including practices that impair early life microbiota transmission and colonization -such as C-sections- and studying changes on microbiomes across urbanization gradients. Together with her husband Martin Blaser, she stars in the new, award winning documentary The Invisible Extinction, which is streaming on Amazon. In this podcast I talk to Dr. Dominguez about several fascinating topics, including: • The effect of mode of delivery on infant microbiome and health • Maternal-child microbial seeding interventions. • Early-life microbiome restoration • Influence of maternal diet on offspring • Gut microbiome and COVID-19 • The Microbiome Vault project Rather listen to this episode? Check it out here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ah30Mu8XN4Q Follow Dr. Mayer here: https://linktr.ee/emayer

In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Dr. Gloria Dominguez, a world-renowned microbiome expert who has studied the pre- and postnatal influences on the developing gut microbiome, and the implications of this early development for health and disease. Dr. Dominguez is the Henry Rutgers Professor of Microbiome and Health at Rutgers University. She is the Director of the Institute for Food Nutrition and Health and a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, and of the Infectious Disease Society of America. Her work centers and impacts exerted on the microbiome by urban practices, including practices that impair early life microbiota transmission and colonization -such as C-sections- and studying changes on microbiomes across urbanization gradients. Together with her husband Martin Blaser, she stars in the new, award winning documentary The Invisible Extinction, which is streaming on Amazon. In this podcast I talk to Dr. Dominguez about several fascinating topics, including: • The effect of mode of delivery on infant microbiome and health • Maternal-child microbial seeding interventions. • Early-life microbiome restoration • Influence of maternal diet on offspring • Gut microbiome and COVID-19 • The Microbiome Vault project Rather listen to this episode? Check it out here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ah30Mu8XN4Q Follow Dr. Mayer here: https://linktr.ee/emayer

Welcome to episode 56 of the Mind Gut Conversation Podcast, a place to learn about groundbreaking ideas from thought leaders in the area of health, food, the science of mind body interactions and the environment. Today's guest is Dr. Martin Blaser, a pioneer and global thought leader in the area of the gut microbiome, author of over 650 original scientific articles, of the best selling book, Missing Microbes, a book targeted to general audiences, now translated into 20 languages. Together with his wife Gloria Dominguez, he stars in the new, award winning documentary The Silent Extinction. In this episode, I speak with Dr. Blaser about the following: 1. Since the publication of your best selling book Missing Microbes, what has been the most important breakthrough in microbiome science? 2. The extinction of micro- and macro-organisms are being driven by different mechanisms. Why are the two trends happening roughly on the same time course?. 3. Of the many possible disease mechanisms that could be involved in microbiome changes and increased risk of chronic diseases, which ones do you think are the most important ones? 4. What is your view of the mismatch hypothesis between a microbiome rapidly adapting to environmental/dietary changes and slowly evolving changes in the human immune system, leading to a maladaptive response of the immune system leading to systemic inflammation? In other words, are microbes better in adaptation to different lifestyles and environments than our immune system? 5. Looking into the future, do you believe that humans will dramatically change their lifestyles and their interactions with the environment to prevent catastrophic consequences on our health? A scenario you have referred to as “Antibiotic Winter”. 6. Do you see enough changes worldwide in the inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics, C-section deliveries, diet, encroachment of wild habitats, etc. that suggest we will be able to dodge the bullet? 7. If there is one intervention that you think would have the biggest impact on our current situation, what would that be? Rather watch this episode? Check it out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eibJT0iI5nw Follow Dr. Mayer here: https://linktr.ee/emayer

Welcome to episode 56 of the Mind Gut Conversation Podcast, a place to learn about groundbreaking ideas from thought leaders in the area of health, food, the science of mind body interactions and the environment. Today's guest is Dr. Martin Blaser, a pioneer and global thought leader in the area of the gut microbiome, author of over 650 original scientific articles, of the best selling book, Missing Microbes, a book targeted to general audiences, now translated into 20 languages. Together with his wife Gloria Dominguez, he stars in the new, award winning documentary The Silent Extinction. In this episode, I speak with Dr. Blaser about the following: 1. Since the publication of your best selling book Missing Microbes, what has been the most important breakthrough in microbiome science? 2. The extinction of micro- and macro-organisms are being driven by different mechanisms. Why are the two trends happening roughly on the same time course?. 3. Of the many possible disease mechanisms that could be involved in microbiome changes and increased risk of chronic diseases, which ones do you think are the most important ones? 4. What is your view of the mismatch hypothesis between a microbiome rapidly adapting to environmental/dietary changes and slowly evolving changes in the human immune system, leading to a maladaptive response of the immune system leading to systemic inflammation? In other words, are microbes better in adaptation to different lifestyles and environments than our immune system? 5. Looking into the future, do you believe that humans will dramatically change their lifestyles and their interactions with the environment to prevent catastrophic consequences on our health? A scenario you have referred to as “Antibiotic Winter”. 6. Do you see enough changes worldwide in the inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics, C-section deliveries, diet, encroachment of wild habitats, etc. that suggest we will be able to dodge the bullet? 7. If there is one intervention that you think would have the biggest impact on our current situation, what would that be? Rather watch this episode? Check it out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eibJT0iI5nw Follow Dr. Mayer here: https://linktr.ee/emayer

The Invisible Extinction, a documentary about the human microbiome opens on January 6, 2023, in New York at the IFC Center and in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Monica Film Center. The Invisible Extinction, co-directed by Steven Lawrence, spotlights the work and of renowned scientists Martin Blaser and his partner in the lab and in life, Gloria Dominguez-Bello - as they endeavor to save our vanishing microbes that are essential for our survival. As Dr. Blaser states we have lost over 50% of our internal biodiversity and the consequences are a huge rise in diabetes, life threatening food allergies, obesity and asthma. Join us when we examine the film The Invisible Extinction which explores promising treatments in the US, Israel and China as well as diving into the brain-gut axis on this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large.

Jeremy recently spoke with the directors of the new documentary "The Invisible Extinction" Sarah Schenck & Steve Lawrence. The film spotlights the work and charismatic personalities of renowned scientists Martin Blaser and his partner in the lab and in life, Gloria Dominguez- Bello - as they endeavor to save our vanishing microbes that are essential for our survival. They talk about the delicate balance of directing a science-based documentary, how their personal experiences led them to this subject and what they hope audiences will take away from the film.

Humans have gotten healthier and healthier over the years due to modern medicine and the power of antibiotics.. But those same antibiotics, when overused, can lead to a whole new set of ailments, most notably obesity.Martin Blaser holds the Henry Rutgers Chair of the Human Microbiome at Rutgers University, where he also serves as Professor of Medicine and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, and as Director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine. Previously, he served as Chair of the Department of Medicine at New York University. A physician and microbiologist, Dr. Blaser has been studying the relationships we have with our persistently colonizing bacteria. He also wrote Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues.He and Greg discuss the overuse of antibiotics, how the antibiotic marketplace is broken, the variability among prescribers and the role of antibiotics in livestock.Episode Quotes:The overuse of antibioticsRecently, the CDC estimated that about a third of the antibiotics used in the United States in people are unnecessary. My own estimate is that it's about 60%. That it's more than half of all the antibiotics used are unnecessary. And so now the question is when you use a lot of antibiotics, what happens?The crux of Martin's workI have two crusades. One is to do the work, to understand exactly what antibiotics are doing and how we can counteract the bad part. So we can improve our use of antibiotics. And my other crusade is to tell people about this whole issue, because most people don't understand. They don't understand that just as we're damaging our macro ecology, which we call climate change, we're damaging our micro ecology. The ecology inside us.Misinformation about bacteriaThere are plenty of bad germs. But there's been a tremendous focus on the idea that microbes are bad.”Germ” is a negative term. Kids grow up learning about germs, companies sell products fighting those bad germs. But in fact, we live in a bacterial world.Show Links:Guest Profile:Faculty Profile at Rutgers UniversityAuthor's Profile at One World PublicationMartin Blaser on LinkedInHis Work:Works on Science FridayMartin Blaser on Google ScholarMissing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues

Our human microbiome helps us do so many things, like digest our food, train our immune system, and protect against illness. But modern-day practices are changing our microbiome and potentially increasing our risk for disease. This episode of the Advance Rutgers podcast is part one of a two-part microbiome mini-series. It features Dr. Martin Blaser, Henry Rutgers Chair of the Human Microbiome and professor of medicine and pathology, and Professor Gloria Dominguez-Bello, Henry Rutgers Professor of Microbiome and Health, who are cofounders (along with Professor Liping Zhao) of the Rutgers University Microbiome Program. They shed light on why our microbiome is changing, the impacts of that change, and how the Rutgers University Microbiome Program will help people understand the role of microbes in improving health—specifically the health of our children.Visit our website to learn about more signature initiatives taking place at Rutgers and how you can support them. 

info @ afectadosporlosantibioticos.org https:// afectadosporlosantibioticos .org Entrevista a Sergio Vallejo. Sergio es un gran afectado por el tratamiento Antibiótico del Helicobacter Pylori, lo que le llevó a titularse en Dietética, escribir un libro, estudiar Nutrición Humana, formarse de forma autodidacta y contactar con investigadores de todo el mundo. LUCHANDO POR UNA SALUD REAL Salvemos el Microbioma de la especie Humana y del Planeta. DAÑOS POR ANTIBIOTICOS Como bien expone el mayor investigador del mundo sobre Microbioma, Martin Blaser, los antibióticos generan un daño directo a nuestro Microbioma (Disbiosis) y por tanto en nuestra salud. Por este motivo han de ser utilizados con responsabilidad y cautela, y no abusando de ellos como en la actualidad. SEGURIDAD FARMACOLÓGICA Debemos asegurar la integridad del paciente frente a los efectos adversos de los fármacos alentando a los médicos para que rellenen las tarjetas amarillas documentando los efectos adversos sufridos y asegurando la independencia de las instituciones frente a las farmacéuticas. RECUPEREMOS EL MICROBIOMA Es necesario reestablecer un Micriobioma sano después de un tratamiento antibiótico. Diversos estudios en los últimos 15 años (y más antiguos) han demostrado una gran eficacia de recuperación del Microbioma, y por tanto de la salud, con compartición de fluidos corporales.

How Leaky Gut is Making Us Sick and Driving Chronic Inflammation | This episode is brought to you by BiOptimizers and ButcherBox.Over the last seventy-five years, an array of serious, seemingly unrelated chronic illnesses—cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune disorders, cancer, and brain disorders—have all been steadily rising, some at astonishing rates. While we're living dramatically longer lives, many of us are suffering throughout them, creating a public health crisis of historic scale.A key principle of Functional Medicine is looking at the gut and how it impacts the entire body. All of the diseases mentioned above have a component of gut dysfunction, especially intestinal permeability, which is also known as leaky gut syndrome. When the digestive tract is inflamed and food particles are able to make their way into the bloodstream, the body goes into fight mode. This goes far beyond a stomach ache, as symptoms can occur throughout the whole body. On today's episode of The Dhru Purohit Podcast, Dhru sits down with Dr. Emeran Mayer, the author of The Gut-Immune Connection and The Mind-Gut Connection. He has studied brain-body interactions for the last forty years and is the executive director of the G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, and the founding director of the UCLA Brain Gut Microbiome Center at the University of California at Los Angeles. His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health for the past twenty-five years, and he is considered a pioneer and world leader in the area of brain-gut microbiome interactions and its clinical implications. In this episode, we dive into: -Industrial agriculture, antibiotics, and the implications on human health (5:35)-The connection between the overuse of antibiotics and weight gain (12:17)-How our gut bacteria evolved (17:02)-The intelligence of our gut bacteria (27:03)-How modern pesticides wreak havoc on our gut health (33:46)-How fermented foods increase microbiome diversity and lower inflammation (39:26) -The importance of diversity in our diet (51:19)-Why there is a prevalence of food sensitivity in our diet (53:12)-How to figure out what foods are negatively impacting your gut health (1:03:09)-How sleep impacts the gut microbiome (1:13:12)-The gut-immune connection (1:19:15)-Chronic disease epidemic and the susceptibility to infectious diseases like COVID-19 (1:24:40) Also mentioned in this episode:-A Fermented-Food Diet Increases Microbiome Diversity and Lowers Inflammation - https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2021/07/fermented-food-diet-increases-microbiome-diversity-lowers-inflammation-Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics is Fueling Our Modern Plagues by Martin Blaser - https://www.amazon.com/Missing-Microbes-Overuse-Antibiotics-Fueling/dp/0805098100For more on Dr. Mayer you can follow him on Instagram @emeranmayer, on Facebook @emeranamayer, on Twitter @emeranamayer, and through his website https://emeranmayer.com/. Get his book, The Gut-Immune Connection: How Understanding the Connection Between Food and Immunity Can Help Us Regain Our Health at https://emeranmayer.com/the-gut-immune-connection-book/.For more on Dhru Purohit, be sure to follow him on Instagram @dhrupurohit, on Facebook @dhruxpurohit, on Twitter @dhrupurohit, and on YouTube @dhrupurohit. You can also text Dhru at (302) 200-5643 or click here https://my.community.com/dhrupurohit.Sign up for Dhru's Try This Newsletter - https://dhrupurohit.com/newsletter.Interested in joining The Dhru Purohit Podcast Facebook Community? Submit your request to join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2819627591487473/.This episode is brought to you by BiOptimizers and ButcherBox.If I had to pick one supplement that has made the biggest difference in my overall health, it would be magnesium. I personally started taking magnesium to help with my sleep, especially when I travel, and it's been super helpful. But I don't take just any old magnesium, I take BiOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough. It contains 7 different forms of magnesium, which all have different functions in the body. I haven't found anything else like it on the market. Right now, BiOptimizers is offering my community a few special bundles and for a limited time BiOptimizers is also giving away free bottles of their bestselling products P3OM and Masszymes with select purchases, just head over to magbreakthrough.com/dhru with code DHRU10. It's really important to me to source my meat from a place I can trust. ButcherBox only partners with farmers and ranchers who believe in going above and beyond when it comes to caring for animals, the environment, and sustainability—plus they make shopping way easier by delivering it right to my doorstep. ButcherBox has a variety of different boxes, and you can choose your box and frequency. For a limited time, you can sign up today and get 2 lbs of ground beef free in your first box plus $10 off by going to butcherbox.com/dhru. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

SHR # 2751:: How Antibiotics in Early Life Affect Brain Development plus Wireless Radiation Exposure for Children is Set Too High - Guest: Dr. Martin Blaser, MD - Dr. Uloma Uche Ph.D. - Antibiotic exposure early in life could alter human brain development in areas responsible for cognitive and emotional functions, according to a Rutgers researcher. The laboratory study, published in the journal iScience, suggests that penicillin changes the microbiome - the trillions of beneficial microorganisms that live in and on our bodies - as well as gene expression, which allows cells to respond to its changing environment, in key areas of the developing brain. The findings suggest reducing widespread antibiotic use or using alternatives when possible to prevent neurodevelopment problems. PLUS A peer-reviewed study by the Environmental Working Group recommends stringent health-based exposure standards for both children and adults for radiofrequency radiation emitted from wireless devices. EWG's children's guideline is the first of its kind and fills a gap left by federal regulators. The study, published in the journal Environmental Health, relies on the methodology developed by the Environmental Protection Agency to assess human health risks arising from toxic chemical exposures. EWG scientists have applied the same methods to radiofrequency radiation from wireless devices, including cellphones and tablets.

SHR # 2751:: How Antibiotics in Early Life Affect Brain Development plus Wireless Radiation Exposure for Children is Set Too High - Guest: Dr. Martin Blaser, MD - Dr. Uloma Uche Ph.D. - Antibiotic exposure early in life could alter human brain development in areas responsible for cognitive and emotional functions, according to a Rutgers researcher. The laboratory study, published in the journal iScience, suggests that penicillin changes the microbiome - the trillions of beneficial microorganisms that live in and on our bodies - as well as gene expression, which allows cells to respond to its changing environment, in key areas of the developing brain. The findings suggest reducing widespread antibiotic use or using alternatives when possible to prevent neurodevelopment problems. PLUS A peer-reviewed study by the Environmental Working Group recommends stringent health-based exposure standards for both children and adults for radiofrequency radiation emitted from wireless devices. EWG's children's guideline is the first of its kind and fills a gap left by federal regulators. The study, published in the journal Environmental Health, relies on the methodology developed by the Environmental Protection Agency to assess human health risks arising from toxic chemical exposures. EWG scientists have applied the same methods to radiofrequency radiation from wireless devices, including cellphones and tablets.

SHR # 2740:: Missing Microbes - Dr. Martin Blaser - Dr. Blaser has identified one of the prime culprits in the modern disease model - disruption of the microbiome. He has laid it squarely at the doorstep of the medical orthodoxy and their penchant to hand out antibiotics at every opportunity.

SHR # 2740:: Missing Microbes - Dr. Martin Blaser - Dr. Blaser has identified one of the prime culprits in the modern disease model - disruption of the microbiome. He has laid it squarely at the doorstep of the medical orthodoxy and their penchant to hand out antibiotics at every opportunity.

A fermented-food diet increases microbiome diversity and lowers inflammation, study finds Stanford University, July 13, 2021 A diet rich in fermented foods enhances the diversity of gut microbes and decreases molecular signs of inflammation, according to researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine.  In a clinical trial, 36 healthy adults were randomly assigned to a 10-week diet that included either fermented or high-fiber foods. The two diets resulted in different effects on the gut microbiome and the immune system. Eating foods such as yogurt, kefir, fermented cottage cheese, kimchi and other fermented vegetables, vegetable brine drinks, and kombucha tea led to an increase in overall microbial diversity, with stronger effects from larger servings. "This is a stunning finding," said Justin Sonnenburg, PhD, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology. "It provides one of the first examples of how a simple change in diet can reproducibly remodel the microbiota across a cohort of healthy adults." In addition, four types of immune cells showed less activation in the fermented-food group. The levels of 19 inflammatory proteins measured in blood samples also decreased. One of these proteins, interleukin 6, has been linked to conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Type 2 diabetes and chronic stress.  "Microbiota-targeted diets can change immune status, providing a promising avenue for decreasing inflammation in healthy adults," said Christopher Gardner, PhD, the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor and director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center. "This finding was consistent across all participants in the study who were assigned to the higher fermented food group." Microbe diversity stable in fiber-rich diet By contrast, none of these 19 inflammatory proteins decreased in participants assigned to a high-fiber diet rich in legumes, seeds, whole grains, nuts, vegetables and fruits. On average, the diversity of their gut microbes also remained stable. "We expected high fiber to have a more universally beneficial effect and increase microbiota diversity," said Erica Sonnenburg, PhD, a senior research scientist in basic life sciences, microbiology and immunology. "The data suggest that increased fiber intake alone over a short time period is insufficient to increase microbiota diversity."  The study will be published online July 12 in Cell. Justin and Erica Sonnenburg and Christopher Gardner are co-senior authors. The lead authors are Hannah Wastyk, a PhD student in bioengineering, and former postdoctoral scholar Gabriela Fragiadakis, PhD, who is now an assistant professor of medicine at UC-San Francisco. A wide body of evidence has demonstrated that diet shapes the gut microbiome, which can affect the immune system and overall health. According to Gardner, low microbiome diversity has been linked to obesity and diabetes.  "We wanted to conduct a proof-of-concept study that could test whether microbiota-targeted food could be an avenue for combatting the overwhelming rise in chronic inflammatory diseases," Gardner said.  The researchers focused on fiber and fermented foods due to previous reports of their potential health benefits. While high-fiber diets have been associated with lower rates of mortality, the consumption of fermented foods can help with weight maintenance and may decrease the risk of diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. The researchers analyzed blood and stool samples collected during a three-week pre-trial period, the 10 weeks of the diet, and a four-week period after the diet when the participants ate as they chose.  The findings paint a nuanced picture of the influence of diet on gut microbes and immune status. On one hand, those who increased their consumption of fermented foods showed similar effects on their microbiome diversity and inflammatory markers, consistent with prior research showing that short-term changes in diet can rapidly alter the gut microbiome. On the other hand, the limited change in the microbiome within the high-fiber group dovetails with the researchers' previous reports of a general resilience of the human microbiome over short time periods.  Designing a suite of dietary and microbial strategies The results also showed that greater fiber intake led to more carbohydrates in stool samples, pointing to incomplete fiber degradation by gut microbes. These findings are consistent with other research suggesting that the microbiome of people living in the industrialized world is depleted of fiber-degrading microbes.  "It is possible that a longer intervention would have allowed for the microbiota to adequately adapt to the increase in fiber consumption," Erica Sonnenburg said. "Alternatively, the deliberate introduction of fiber-consuming microbes may be required to increase the microbiota's capacity to break down the carbohydrates." In addition to exploring these possibilities, the researchers plan to conduct studies in mice to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which diets alter the microbiome and reduce inflammatory proteins. They also aim to test whether high-fiber and fermented foods synergize to influence the microbiome and immune system of humans. Another goal is to examine whether the consumption of fermented food decreases inflammation or improves other health markers in patients with immunological and metabolic diseases, and in pregnant women and older individuals.  "There are many more ways to target the microbiome with food and supplements, and we hope to continue to investigate how different diets, probiotics and prebiotics impact the microbiome and health in different groups," Justin Sonnenburg said.   Effect of resveratrol intervention on renal pathological injury in type 2 diabetes Capital Medical University (China), July 11, 2021 According to news reporting from Beijing, People's Republic of China, research stated, “Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a clinically common cardiovascular disease that can lead to kidney damage and adversely affect male fertility and sperm quality. Resveratrol (Res) is a natural product that has a wide range of effects in animals and cell models.” The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from Capital Medical University, “This research is designed to observe the effect of resveratrol (Res) intervention on renal pathologic injury and spermatogenesis in mice with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Sixty healthy male SD mice without specific pathogens (SPF grade) were selected, and numbered by statistical software to randomize into control group (CG; n=20), model group (MG; n=20) and research group (RG; n=20). Mice in CG were given regular diet, while those in MG and RG were fed with high fat diet. Subsequently, RG was given Res intervention while MG received no treatment. Biochemical indexes [triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), fasting blood glucose (FBG), 24-hour urinary albumin excretion rate (24h-UAER)] of mice in the three groups before and after intervention were observed and recorded. The effect of Res on oxidative stress, kidney histopathological structure, spermatogenic function, sperm density and viability of mice, as well as spermatogenic cell cycle of testis were determined. Res reduced hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia in T2D mice. By reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) and increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), Res relieved oxidative stress and alleviated kidney tissue damage. In addition, Res improved the spermatogenic function of T2D mice by increasing the sperm density and survival rate and restoring the percentage of spermatogenic cells at all levels.” According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Res intervention in T2D mice can reduce kidney tissue damage, lower blood glucose (BG), and improve spermatogenic function by increasing sperm density and restoring the percentage of spermatogenic cells at all levels.” This research has been peer-reviewed.     Eating whole grains linked to smaller increases in waist size, blood pressure, blood sugar Study in middle- to older-aged adults suggests whole grains may protect against heart disease Tufts University, July 13, 2021 Middle- to older-aged adults who ate at least three servings of whole grains daily had smaller increases in waist size, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels over time compared to those who ate less than one-half serving per day, according to new research. Published July 13, 2021, in the Journal of Nutrition, the study by researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University examined how whole- and refined-grain intake over time impacted five risk factors of heart disease: Waist size, blood pressure, blood sugar, triglyceride, and HDL ("good") cholesterol. Using data from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort, which began in the 1970s to assess long-term risk factors of heart disease, the new research examined health outcomes associated with whole- and refined-grain consumption over a median of 18 years. The 3,100 participants from the cohort were mostly white and, on average, in their mid-50s at the start of data collection. The research team compared changes in the five risk factors, over four-year intervals, across four categories of reported whole grain intake, ranging from less than a half serving per day to three or more servings per day. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, the recommended amount of whole grains is three or more servings daily. An example of a serving is one slice of whole-grain bread, a half cup of rolled oats cereal, or a half cup of brown rice. The results showed that for each four-year interval:   Waist size increased by an average of over 1 inch in the low intake participants, versus about ½ inch in the high intake participants. Even after accounting for changes in waist size, average increases in blood sugar levels and systolic blood pressure were greater in low intake participants compared to high intake participants. The researchers also studied the five risk factors across four categories of refined-grain intake, ranging from less than two servings per day to more than four servings per day. Lower refined-grain intake led to a lower average increase in waist size and a greater mean decline in triglyceride levels for each four-year period. "Our findings suggest that eating whole-grain foods as part of a healthy diet delivers health benefits beyond just helping us lose or maintain weight as we age. In fact, these data suggest that people who eat more whole grains are better able to maintain their blood sugar and blood pressure over time. Managing these risk factors as we age may help to protect against heart disease," said Nicola McKeown, senior and corresponding author and a scientist on the Nutritional Epidemiology Team at the USDA HNRCA. "There are several reasons that whole grains may work to help people maintain waist size and reduce increases in the other risk factors. The presence of dietary fiber in whole grains can have a satiating effect, and the magnesium, potassium, and antioxidants may contribute to lowering blood pressure. Soluble fiber in particular may have a beneficial effect on post-meal blood sugar spikes," said Caleigh Sawicki. Sawicki did this work as part of her doctoral dissertation while a student at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and while working with the Nutritional Epidemiology Team at the USDA HNRCA. The greatest contributor to whole-grain intake among participants was whole-wheat breads and ready-to-eat whole-grain breakfast cereals. The refined grains came mostly from pasta and white bread. The difference in health benefits between whole and refined grains may stem from the fact that whole grains are less processed than refined grains. Whole grains have a fiber-rich outer layer and an inner germ layer packed with B vitamins, antioxidants, and small amounts of healthy fats. Milling whole grains removes these nutrient-dense components, leaving only the starch-packed refined grain behind. "The average American consumes about five servings of refined grains daily, much more than is recommended, so it's important to think about ways to replace refined grains with whole grains throughout your day. For example, you might consider a bowl of whole-grain cereal instead of a white flour bagel for breakfast and replacing refined-grain snacks, entrees, and side dishes with whole-grain options. Small incremental changes in your diet to increase whole-grain intake will make a difference over time," McKeown said. Methodology To measure daily grain intake, the researchers used diet questionnaires that participants completed every four years from 1991 to 2014, resulting in a median of 18 years of data. Dietary assessment data came from five study examinations, and observations were only included if participants attended at least two consecutive examinations with accurate dietary data. Participants with diabetes at baseline were excluded. The statistical analysis was adjusted for factors that might influence the results, including other aspects of a healthy diet. Limitations of the study include the fact that food consumption is self-reported, and participants may over- or under-estimate intake of certain foods based on perceived social desirability. Due to its observational design, the study does not reflect a causal relationship.   Antibiotics in early life could affect brain development Exposure to antibiotics in utero or after birth could lead to brain disorders in later childhood Rutgers University, July 14, 2021 Antibiotic exposure early in life could alter human brain development in areas responsible for cognitive and emotional functions, according to a Rutgers researcher. The laboratory study, published in the journal iScience, suggests that penicillin changes the microbiome - the trillions of beneficial microorganisms that live in and on our bodies - as well as gene expression, which allows cells to respond to its changing environment, in key areas of the developing brain. The findings suggest reducing widespread antibiotic use or using alternatives when possible to prevent neurodevelopment problems.  Penicillin and related medicines (like ampicillin and amoxicillin) are the most widely used antibiotics in children worldwide. In the United States, the average child receives nearly three courses of antibiotics before the age of 2. Similar or greater exposure rates occur in many other countries.  "Our previous work has shown that exposing young animals to antibiotics changes their metabolism and immunity. The third important development in early life involves the brain. This study is preliminary but shows a correlation between altering the microbiome and changes in the brain that should be further explored," said lead author Martin Blaser, director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine at Rutgers. The study compared mice that were exposed to low-dose penicillin in utero or immediately after birth to those that were not exposed. They found that mice given penicillin experienced substantial changes in their intestinal microbiota and had altered gene expression in the frontal cortex and amygdala, two key areas in the brain responsible for the development of memory as well as fear and stress responses.  A growing body of evidence links phenomena in the intestinal tract with signaling to the brain, a field of study known as the "gut-brain-axis." If this pathway is disturbed, it can lead to permanent altering of the brain's structure and function and possibly lead to neuropsychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders in later childhood or adulthood. "Early life is a critical period for neurodevelopment," Blaser said. "In recent decades, there has been a rise in the incidence of childhood neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and learning disabilities. Although increased awareness and diagnosis are likely contributing factors, disruptions in cerebral gene expression early in development also could be responsible." Future studies are needed to determine whether antibiotics directly effect brain development or if molecules from the microbiome that travel to the brain disturb gene activity and cause cognitive deficits.  The study was conducted along with Zhan Gao at Rutgers and Blaser's former graduate student Anjelique Schulfer, as well as Angelina Volkova, Kelly Ruggles, and Stephen Ginsberg at New York University, who all played important roles in this joint Rutgers-New York University project.   Taking the brain out for a walk A recent study shows that spending time outdoors has a positive effect on our brains Max Planck Institute for Human Development, July 15, 2021 If you're regularly out in the fresh air, you're doing something good for both your brain and your well-being. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). The longitudinal study recently appeared in The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry. During the Corona pandemic, walks became a popular and regular pastime. A neuroscientific study suggests that this habit has a good effect not only on our general well-being but also on our brain structure. It shows that the human brain benefits from even short stays outdoors. Until now, it was assumed that environments affect us only over longer periods of time. The researchers regularly examined six healthy, middle-aged city dwellers for six months. In total, more than 280 scans were taken of their brains using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The focus of the study was on self-reported behavior during the last 24 hours and in particular on the hours that participants spent outdoors prior to imaging. In addition, they were asked about their fluid intake, consumption of caffeinated beverages, the amount of time spent outside, and physical activity, in order to see if these factors altered the association between time spent outside and the brain. In order to be able to include seasonal differences, the duration of sunshine in the study period was also taken into account. Brain scans show that the time spent outdoors by the participants was positively related to gray matter in the right dorsolateral-prefrontal cortex, which is the superior (dorsal) and lateral part of the frontal lobe in the cerebral cortex. This part of the cortex is involved in the planning and regulation of actions as well as what is referred to as cognitive control. In addition, many psychiatric disorders are known to be associated with a reduction in gray matter in the prefrontal area of the brain. The results persisted even when the other factors that could also explain the relationship between time spent outdoors and brain structure were kept constant. The researchers performed statistical calculations in order to examine the influence of sunshine duration, number of hours of free time, physical activity, and fluid intake on the results. The calculations revealed that time spent outdoors had a positive effect on the brain regardless of the other influencing factors. "Our results show that our brain structure and mood improve when we spend time outdoors. This most likely also affects concentration, working memory, and the psyche as a whole. We are investigating this in an ongoing study. The subjects are asked to also solve cognitively challenging tasks and wear numerous sensors that measure the amount of light they are exposed to during the day, among other environmental indicators," says Simone Kühn, head of the Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and lead author of the study. The results therefore, support the previously assumed positive effects of walking on health and extend them by the concrete positive effects on the brain. Because most psychiatric disorders are associated with deficits in the prefrontal cortex, this is of particular importance to the field of psychiatry. "These findings provide neuroscientific support for the treatment of mental disorders. Doctors could prescribe a walk in the fresh air as part of the therapy - similar to what is customary for health cures," says Anna Mascherek, post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) and co-author of the study. In the ongoing studies, the researchers also want to directly compare the effects of green environments vs urban spaces on the brain. In order to understand where exactly the study participants spend their time outdoors, the researchers plan to use GPS (Global Positioning System) data and include other factors that may play a role such as traffic noise and air pollution.     Vitamin C found to block growth of cancer stem cells, says peer reviewed study University of Salford (UK),  July 8, 2021   Increasingly, researchers are discovering the role played by cancer stem cells in the growth and spread of the disease. In groundbreaking new research, vitamin C showed its ability to target cancer stem cells and stop their growth – preventing the recurrence of tumors. Although mainstream medicine has been slow to accept the cancer-fighting properties of vitamin C, the exciting results of this study could help to change that. It's official: Vitamin C interferes with cancer stem cell metabolism In a newly-published study conducted at the University of Salford in Manchester, vitamin C demonstrated its power to stop tumors in their tracks by interfering with cancer stem cell metabolism – suppressing their ability to process energy for survival and growth. Cancer stem cells are responsible for triggering tumor recurrence, and promoting their growth and metastasis. Researchers believe that cancer stem cells give cancer its ability to resist chemotherapy and radiation – the reason for treatment failure in advanced cancer patients. The study, helmed by researchers Michael P. Lisanti and Gloria Bonucelli, was published last month in Oncotarget, a peer-reviewed journal. Peer-reviewed studies are considered the gold standard of scientific research. The study was the first to explore the effects of vitamin C on cancer stem cells – and provided the first evidence that vitamin C, in the form of ascorbic acid, can target and kill them. In a side-by-side comparison of seven different substances, vitamin C even outperformed an experimental cancer drug. Vitamin C works ten times better than the experimental cancer drug 2-DG The team investigated the impact on cancer stem cells of seven different substances. Three were natural substances, three were experimental drugs, and one was an FDA-approved clinical drug that is widely used. The natural products studied, along with vitamin C, were silibinin – derived from milk thistle seeds – and caffeic acid phenyl ester – or CAPE – derived from honeybee propolis. The experimental drugs were actinonin, FK866 and 2-DG, and the clinical drug was stiripentol. Researchers noted that vitamin C destroyed cancer stem cells by inducing oxidative stress. And, the vitamin performed this process ten times more effectively than 2-DG. Vitamin C used two different mechanisms of action to attack cancer stem cells. It worked as a pro-oxidant in cancer cells, depleting them of the antioxidant glutathione and causing oxidative stress and apoptosis – or cell death. It also inhibited glycolysis, which is the process that creates energy production in cell mitochondria. By inhibiting glycolysis, vitamin C inhibited mitrochondrial protein synthesis in cancer stem cells – while leaving healthy cells unaffected. Non-toxic vitamin C lacks the serious side effects of many pharmaceutical drugs Both experimental and approved cancer drugs can feature serious adverse effects, including thrombocytopenia – a deficiency of platelets in the blood that can cause bruising and slow blood clotting. They can also induce lymphopenia – a decrease in the body's infection-fighting white blood cells – and anemia, or low red blood cells. And the clinically-approved drug used in the study, stiripentol, can cause severe nausea, vomiting and fatigue. On the other hand, the National Cancer Center reports that high-dose vitamin C has caused very few side effects when used in clinical studies. Scientifically speaking, the future looks bright for vitamin C All seven of the substances tested inhibited the growth of cancer cells to varying degrees – including the non-toxic natural substances. But researchers said the most “exciting” results were with vitamin C. The research team concluded that vitamin C was a “promising new agent,” and called for more study to explore its use as an adjunct to conventional cancer therapies to prevent tumor recurrence and growth. “Vitamin C is cheap, natural, non-toxic and readily available, so to have it as a potential weapon in the fight against cancer would be a significant step,” observed Dr. Lisanti. As in most of the successful studies showing vitamin C's cancer-fighting properties, researchers used high doses of vitamin C, administered intravenously. IV vitamin C therapy is available in some alternative and holistic cancer treatment clinics worldwide. The real reason why vitamin C is ignored by conventional medicine and the mainstream media Again, vitamin C was 1,000 percent more effective than 2-DG, an experimental pharmaceutical drug – in targeting cancer stem cells. If vitamin C were developed by big pharma, these results would be shouted from the rooftops and featured in newspaper headlines. Yet, as always, “the powers that be” in mainstream medicine respond with…crickets. The reason; say natural health experts, is all too obvious. As a natural nutrient and vitamin, vitamin C can't be patented, and is inexpensive and easy to obtain. Therefore, there is no incentive for cancer clinics to promote it – when they can instead rake in the profits from chemotherapy. The indifference of conventional medicine to vitamin C is all the more frustrating because the nutrient has been shown to be an effective and non-toxic anti-cancer agent in previous studies, including many conducted by Nobel prize-winning scientist Linus Pauling. Vitamin C has been shown in a Japanese study to cut mortality in cancer patients by 25 percent. In addition, it has inhibited tumors in animal studies, and been shown to kill cancer cells in a wide variety of cancer cell lines. How much longer will the potential of this safe and powerful cancer-fighting nutrient be overlooked?     Mothers' high-fat diet affects clotting response in sons, mice study finds University of Reading (UK), July 13, 2021 Mothers who follow a high fat diet may be affecting the cardiovascular health of their sons, according to a new study in mice. In a paper published in Scientific Reports, a team of scientists found that the male children of mice mothers who were fed on a high fat diet during pregnancy had unhealthy platelets, which are responsible for clotting, when fed on a high fat diet themselves. Although both male and female children of the mothers fed on a high fat diet showed a variety of risks associated with cardiovascular disease, it was only the platelets of male mice which were considered hyperactive. These platelets were larger, more volatile and showed signs of stress compared to offspring fed on a normal diet. Dr. Dyan Sellayah, lecturer in cellular and organismal metabolism at the University of Reading said: "Heart disease is one of the UK's biggest killers and mounting evidence suggests that the risk of developing it may be increased during early development, particularly during the gestation period where mothers have a high-fat diet/are obese. The underlying mechanisms by which an unhealthy maternal diet may impact heart disease risk remains largely unknown. "This study used a mouse model of maternal obesity to understand how specialist blood cells known as platelets may be programmed during pregnancy. Platelets are important for blood clotting but are also the cause of heart attacks and strokes if they are activated at the wrong time and place." Children of the mothers fed on a high fat diet who followed a control diet however did not show the same concerning heart disease risks. The offspring from the group given a control diet had very similar levels of fat mass, cholesterol and other markets of cardiovascular health as the children of mothers fed a standard diet. In addition, where mothers had been fed a standard diet and their offspring fed a high fat diet, those children had higher levels of fat mass and other cardiovascular markers, but their platelets were statistically similar to the other groups apart from where both mum and child were fed high fat diet.  Dr. Craig Hughes, lecturer in cardiovascular biology at the University of Reading said: "This study revealed that maternal obesity during pregnancy causes offspring platelets to become hyperactive in response to a high-fat diet in adulthood. These results raise the possibility that the risk of unwanted blood clotting (aka thrombosis) in adulthood could be altered during pregnancy by diet of the mother. "The specific mechanisms for why high fat diets affect male offspring are still being investigated but we can see that there's likely to be a double-hit where both mums and sons diets together were required to see these bigger, more hyperactive platelets."

In this podcast, Tina Persson,  the founder of PhD Career Stories has an interesting interview with  Dr. Martin Blaser, who is a postdoc coordinator and co-founder of the Max Planck PostdocNet.  He studied food and nutritional science in Giessen and continued his doctoral study in microbial biochemistry at the University of Marburg (2007). He continued his academic career as a postdoc and project group leader at the MPI for terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg until 2017. During this time he also was a postdoc representative. After spending over 10 years in academia, he took his first step out of academic system and became a career coach, a postdoc coordinator at the Justus Liebig University Giessen and  a co-founder of the Max Planck PostdocNet. “Really the problem is that you focus on the academic track and a lot of people are really having biased idea that they can stay. Which isn't supported by the evidence in reality so much.” Martin Blaser.  If you are curios how Martin step out of academic career and started a new career, please listen to this episode. If you also have a story to be told or if you know someone, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Enjoy Listening!   For complete show notes and a transcript of the podcast, visit www.phdcareerstories.com.  You can also find us on social media: www.facebook.com/PhDCareerStories www.twitter.com/PhDCareerPod www.instagram.com/phdcareerstories www.linkedin.com/company/phd-career-stories

Visit netsuite.com/tai to download your FREE guide, “Seven Key Strategies to Grow your Profits”Go to stamps.com, and click on the microphone at the top of the homepage and type in TAI—to get a 4-week trial plus free postage and a digital scale without any long-term commitment.“We’ve grown up in under an antibiotic umbrella where we think antibiotics are going to cover and cure everything.” - Dr. Martin Blaser(click to tweet) Health is more than a diet and exercise regimen. When we take a minute to examine our health from a more global perspective, the other factors of well-being surface. Our lifestyle, our habits, our mindset—these are the things that shape a person’s vitality. And on today’s episode of The Tai Lopez Show, we are joined by Dr. Martin Blaser, the Director of The Human Microbiome Project at NYU’s School of Medicine, to discuss the dangers of antibiotic use. Dr. Blaser has 28 patents, and is the author of Missing Microbes, a book that examines how our species is devolving with the declining supply of microbes in our system.Tune in to this conversation to capture an educated perspective of the whole health ecosystem!Don’t forget! You can also listen to The Tai Lopez Show on Spotify! Click “Follow” and let me know what you think!“Our system is completely backwards. It’s a false economy. People are making a lot of money out of germaphobia.” - Dr. Martin Blaser(click to tweet)Points to Keep In MindHumans are actually a partnership between microbes and us (equal numbers of cells)Without microbes we would not be aliveThere is evidence that our supply of microbes is disappearingEvidence that this is at the root of the rising rates of autism, celiac disease, Alzheimer’s, etc. Most probiotics have not been tested in scientific studies over the long termKids who take on average more antibiotics than others turn out fatterWe only look at the benefits of antibiotics because doctors are too concerned about liabilityBabies pick up their mother’s microbes in the birth canalRising rates of cesarean sections are preventing this from happening70 years ago, agriculture experts figured out that if you feed antibiotics to animals, they gain weight fasterSome cities have an antibiotics in their drinking waterSweden uses 40% of the antibiotics we useEpidemics come from the lack of diversity in our current living situationsKids born by C-section are more prone to disease (celiac disease, juvenile diabetes, etc.)The rate of juvenile diabetes is doubling every 25 yearsA Denmark study showed that antibiotics increase risk of inflammatory bowel disease by 14% in kidsWe’ve engineered a system where the doctor-patient relationship is sterile Antibiotics change the metabolism in adults We need better diagnostics to determine viral vs. bacterial infectionsFood preservatives are antibacterials destroying our microbiomeOur good bacteria fights the bad bacteria; this is the problem with anti-bacterial productsHospitals and doctors like C-sections because they’re scheduled

Dr. Martin Blaser is the Henry Rutgers Chair of the Human Microbiome, professor of medicine and microbiology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and author of Missing Microbes. His lab has been studying pathogenic bacteria since 1981 and the human microbiome since 2002. In the episode Dr. Blaser discusses how the overuse of antibiotics may be fueling the ills that especially bother modern society.

In this podcast episode, we speak with Ross Pelton, RRh, CCN, about the variety of mechanisms of action that probiotics have when it comes to reducing cancer risk. Pelton also talks about colon cancer, H. pylori, and probiotic safety and dosage. Finally, he describes how to support a healthy microbiome with a healthy lifestyle. (Approximate listening time is 32 minutes) About the Expert Ross Pelton, RPh, CCN, is Essential Formula's director of science, in addition to being a practicing pharmacist, clinical nutritionist, and health educator in Southern Oregon. Pelton earned his bachelor of science in pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin. A certified clinical nutritionist, Pelton was named as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Pharmacists in the United States by American Druggist magazine for his work in natural medicine. Pelton teaches continuing education programs for healthcare professionals to use natural medicine and integrate it into their practices. He also has authored numerous books, including The Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion Handbook, which is a gold-standard reference book for health practitioners. About the Sponsor Essential Formulas Incorporated (EFI) was established in 2000 as the sole US distributor of world-renowned microbiologist Dr. Iichiroh Ohhira’s award-winning probiotic dietary supplements and skin care products. Always an innovator, EFI introduced REG’ACTIV in 2015, containing ME-3, a probiotic catalyst that produces the “master’” oxidant glutathione inside the body's cells. A family-owned and operated business, EFI was founded on the philosophy of providing high-quality preventative, supportive, and comprehensive pro-health products for the entire family. EFI continues to flourish and grow through a strong company and product integrity and the knowledge that they’re providing scientifically proven products that positively impact the health and well-being of their customers. Transcript Karolyn Gazella: Hello. I'm Karolyn Gazella, the publisher of the Natural Medicine Journal. Today, our topic is reducing cancer risk with probiotics. Before we begin, I'd like to thank the sponsor of this interview who is Essential Formulas Incorporated. My guest is integrative pharmacist and nutritionist Ross Pelton who is an expert on the topic of probiotics and health. Ross, thank you so much for joining me. Ross Pelton, RPh, CCN: Hi, Karolyn. It's really nice to be with you. I enjoy our conversations. Gazella: Yes. Now, first of all, how does the scientific literature stack up when it comes to probiotics and cancer prevention? Are there published human clinical trials? Pelton: Well there's really not a lot of human clinical trials, but there's really quite a bit of research that has been conducted looking at cancer with probiotics. Human clinical trials are lacking, but there's a lot of work that has been done, cell culture studies and animal studies. There's a lot of work being done in this area. We just don't have the longterm human clinical trials which are very expensive to do. I think there's a lot to talk about because we've got substantial studies that have been published on the relationship between probiotics and cancer. Gazella: Right. So I'd like to begin by having you give us an overview of exactly how probiotics influence the microbiota to reduce cancer risk. Now, there are several mechanisms of action. So go ahead and fill us in. Pelton: Sure. Well some of your probiotics produce compounds that have antioxidant activity. Some of them have anti-inflammatory activity. They help to regulate detoxification. A lot of these functions are due to the fact that your probiotic bacteria produce secondary compounds or secondary metabolites that are called postbiotic metabolites. This is really the new frontier in microbiome science, starting to learn more about the compounds that your probiotic bacteria produce when they digest and ferment the food that you give them. Remember, these compounds have anticancer activity or protectant mechanisms that help protect against cancer. Gazella: So I'd like to focus on these mechanisms of action as they relate to reducing risk of cancer. So let's begin with a more well-known mechanism and that is, as you mentioned, probiotics influence immunity. Describe what the scientific literature tells us about probiotics and the immune system. Pelton: Well we know that 70% to 80% of the cells in your immune system reside in the gut. So it's really critical to have a healthy microbiome, a healthy gastrointestinal tract because that is the bulk of your immune system cells. One thing a lot of people don't realize is in the first 6 months of life, the primary function of your probiotic bacteria is to train your immune system. So it's really critical that kids get a good start in life with a vaginal delivery and adequate breastfeeding and for kids that don't, that's a compromised immune system. The gut is the seat of the immune system, and your probiotic bacteria are what trains the immune system. Gazella: So now, what about maybe a little less known activity which is, as you mentioned, the antioxidant potential of probiotics? This may not be on the radar of some practitioners. Describe this mechanism of action. Pelton: Sure. We know that free radical damage causes DNA damage and can increase your cancer risk. In a highly inflammatory condition in the gastrointestinal tract, there's a lot of free radicals being produced and a number of your probiotic bacteria have antioxidant activity and they also produce compounds that have antioxidant activity. There's 2 things going on here. Some of the bacteria themselves are antioxidants, but more importantly, they produce compounds that have direct antioxidant activity. In that respect, they're reducing free radical damage and reducing cancer risk especially for colon cancer which is a site of a lot of the free radical activity in a highly inflamed colon. Gazella: Yeah. We're going to definitely talk about colon cancer, but now, when it comes to this influence on immunity and antioxidant potential, are there research studies in vivo or in vitro studies indicating probiotics, which probiotics can help with immunity and antioxidant potential? Pelton: Sure. There's both some of the lactic acid-producing bacteria, Lactobacillus strains, and also some of the Bifidobacteria, bacteria that reside primarily in the large intestine and colon. One of the classes of antioxidants that they produce, they're called exopolysaccharides. That's a big word for people, but it just means that there are chains of sugars that the bacteria produce and then they excrete them and they have antioxidant activity. So this is just one of the mechanisms of action by which both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria are able to produce antioxidant compounds that reduce cancer risks. Gazella: So the research tells us that probiotics can influence gene expression. Tell us how this impacts cancer risk reduction. Pelton: Well various different strains of probiotic bacteria can influence gene expression. They can influence apoptosis, which is the rate of cell death. They can influence metastasis. They can influence cancer stem cells. They can up-regulate tumor suppressor genes. So a number of different ways that probiotic bacteria and the compounds that they produce, these postbiotic metabolites can influence gene expression which ultimately is going to influence cancer risks. Gazella: So now, there's a significant amount of evidence and research showing that toxins can increase risk of cancer. What role do probiotics play in neutralizing some of these toxins or in supporting the detoxification of some of these toxins? Pelton: Sure. This is actually a pretty broad category. There's a lot of different ways that probiotics can have detoxification capabilities. Some strains of bacteria can detoxify or decrease the absorption of a cancer risk factor called bisphenol A. There's a lot of studies on that substance now that show that it increases cancer risk. This is a compound that's in a lot of products that are on the market, especially baby products. Some strains detoxify some of the agricultural pesticides. One of the Essential Formulas' products, Reg'Activ, contains a strain of bacteria called Lactobacillus fermentum ME3, and that strain of bacteria up-regulates a group of enzymes called paraoxonase enzymes. Those enzymes directly detoxify things like organophosphates, which are one of the commonly used pesticides in the agricultural industry. Other strains can directly bind some of the heavy metal toxins like mercury and lead and cadmium. They also decrease the absorption of these heavy metal toxins when they bind them up so they don't get absorbed into your system. They get excreted. Some strains actually metabolize cancer-causing food preservatives like sodium nitrate, and Bifidobacteria are able to degrade and detoxify a very serious compound called perchlorate. We get exposed to perchlorate from fertilizers in the environment and a lot of that in the agricultural industry. Heterocyclic amines are frequently caused by cooking meat at high temperatures. So our middle America, meat and potato people, they're out there with their barbecues and they're producing these heterocyclic amines. Some of the Lactobacillus organisms reduce the toxicity from heterocyclic amines. That's just a number of the different ways that your probiotic bacteria function as detoxifying agents in the gastrointestinal tract. Gazella: Yeah. It's a long, impressive list. Now, I want to get back to the ME3 that you mentioned. Are there scientific studies on that particular- Pelton: There are. Gazella: ... strain, the ME3? Pelton: It is a really, really fascinating topic because Lactobacillus fermentum ME3 synthesizes glutathione. Glutathione is the master regulator of your detoxification throughout your system and every cell produces glutathione, but it's hard to boost your levels of glutathione because, when you take it orally, it gets oxidized, it gets broken down and destroyed so you don't absorb it. But now we've got a strain of bacteria, this Lactobacillus fermentum ME3, where the bacteria actually synthesize glutathione. Yes, we have human clinical trials showing that the antioxidant activity of glutathione produced by the ME3 probiotic bacteria will reduce levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol so you're reducing your cardiovascular risk, and it does a good job of increasing detoxification throughout your whole body. The human clinical trial, people taking ME3 had an astounding 49% increase in the ratio between oxidized glutathione to reduced glutathione with the reduced glutathione is the active form. A 49% increase in the ratio of the reduced to oxidized glutathione is a huge, huge meaningful marker. This is really a revolution in healthcare and medicine to be able to boost your glutathione levels on a regular basis because, as I mentioned, glutathione regulates your detoxification. It's also called the master antioxidant and probably protects more of your body than all the other antioxidants combined. This is one area that is just really astounding both in terms of antioxidant protection and detoxification capabilities. Gazella: That's great. So I'd like to switch gears and I'd like to talk about specific cancers. When I think about probiotics and cancer, I often think about colon cancer. You mentioned that previously. What role can probiotics play in reducing the risk of colon cancer? Pelton: Well there's a number of ways that this can happen. Pathological bacteria will convert bile acids into secondary metabolites that promote cancer. When you have the proper acid-base balance in the GI tract, there's a dramatic reduction in the conversion of these bile acids into the more cancer-causing secondary metabolites. So maintaining the proper acid-base balance, which is what the probiotic bacteria do when they produce things like short-chain fatty acids and organic acids and nucleic acids, they create the proper acid-base balance which reduces the conversion of bile acids into secondary cancer-causing metabolites. Your probiotics can also inhibit the activity of carcinogenic enzymes. They suppress growth of bacteria that produce enzymes that deconjugate carcinogens. What I mean by that is that a lot of carcinogens get bound up and they're supposed to be excreted when you have bowel movements, but if you don't have good elimination and so things stay in the colon too long, those cancer-causing things that are bound up can get released and reabsorbed. So probiotics can actually suppress the growth of bacteria that produce these enzymes that are deconjugating these carcinogens. Good bacteria are actually keeping these carcinogenic byproducts bound up so they get eliminated from your body. Gazella: Well speaking of bacteria, it's widely known that there's a connection between H. pyloriand cancer. Can you describe that connection and tell us how probiotics can help prevent or even reverse H. pylori? Pelton: Sure. That's another big topic because now that H. pylori has been discovered and understood, we realize it's the primary cause of stomach cancer and cancers in the upper small intestine. This is an interesting bacteria. It's got kind of a corkscrew tail on it, and it can just burrow its way into the lining in the stomach or the lining in the small intestine. When that happens, you've got a hole in your intestinal wall. Then you get the acids and the digestive enzymes leaking through, creating inflammation, and you end up with a higher incidence of cancer. If you have a good, healthy microbiome and adequate numbers of your good bacteria, you suppress the growth or the overgrowth of H. pylori. There's a little bit of a controversy about whether people should try to totally eradicate H. pylori. Some people, some of ... Martin Blaser is one of the leading scientists that's exploring this and saying maybe we shouldn't totally eliminate H. pylori, but people that have H. pylori overgrowth certainly do have increased risk to gastric cancer and small intestinal cancers. It's having a good microbiome and adequate numbers of your good bacteria that will keep the H. pylori in check and not get overgrown so you reduce your cancer risk. Gazella: What are some of the symptoms of H. pylori overgrowth? I mean how does a doctor recognize this in their patient population? Pelton: Well as I described, the bacteria has this corkscrew tail that burrows through the unprotected mucus lining in your stomach or your small intestine. When you get that hole in the lining, you've got an ulcer. It's painful. Your digestive acids, your stomach acid, and your bile acids and small intestine. Then they go through the mucus membrane which is your protective barrier, and they come into direct contact with the cells that line your GI tract. When that mucus protective layer is breached, then those acids contact those cells that line the GI tract and it's painful. You've got an ulcer and you say "Oh, man. This is sore." So people actually oftentimes stop eating because every time they eat, they get more digestive juices in that ulcerative location. You need to heal that ulcer. Getting rid of H. pylori is one thing, but you also have to take time to heal the ulcer. Gazella: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Now so far, we talked about colon cancer, stomach, upper GI. Are there any other cancers when it comes to using probiotics? I mean do you pretty much recommend probiotics as a risk reduction strategy across the board? Pelton: I do because your immune system is so directly related to cancer risk factors. A lot of people don't realize that probiotics have an effect outside the intestinal tract. We now know that things like short-chain fatty acids get absorbed into your system and can actually reduce the risks of liver cancer. It's a whole body effect. These bacteria are not just a local effect in the gastrointestinal tract. I kind of use the analogy of Mission Control at NASA where those computers are controlling your space flights. Well your probiotics and the postbiotic metabolites in your small intestines and your colon are really Mission Control for all health-regulating effects in your whole body. There's a new study that I wanted to share with you, Karolyn, published just recently in a journal called Oncotarget. It's a cancer journal. It says cancer killers in the human gut microbiota. One of the things they're reporting here is that they identify intestinal bacteria that exhibit potent antimalignancy activities on a broad range of solid cancers and leukemia. So this is a relatively new paper just published in July of 2017, identifying that postbiotic metabolites and your probiotic bacteria are helping to reduce both solid cancer tumors and leukemia. It's just an exciting new report giving more emphasis on the anticancer capabilities of your probiotic bacteria. Gazella: Yeah. I think this area of research is going to just really explode. Now, a lot of patients go into their doctor's office and they say "Oh, well I'm fine. I don't need a probiotic supplement because I eat yogurt everyday," or something like that. How easy or difficult is it to get the probiotics we need from diet alone? Pelton: It depends on what you mean by diet. If people are eating fermented foods, that's a really good source of probiotic bacteria, but most people aren't eating sauerkraut and kimchi and tempe and things like that. Most foods don't have probiotic bacteria. People think about yogurt, but commercial yogurts have a lot of sugar which actually promotes the growth of your pathological bacteria and yeast like candida. So commercial yogurts are generally not a good idea either in terms of just not getting a good source of probiotic bacteria. You're really working against the health of your gastrointestinal tract and your microbiome. If people produce their own yogurts, there are some good ones. Yes. But you're really not getting a diverse level of bacteria in yogurt, and a healthy microbiome is a diverse microbiomes which means you want to get a lot of different types of strains of bacteria. The best way to do that is to consume a diet that has many different types of fiber-rich foods, especially the multicolored vegetables. That's the number one food source for your bacteria. Gazella: Right. We have to feed those good bacteria. Pelton: That's right. Gazella: So now, you represent a specific type of probiotic, the Dr. Ohhira's brand. Why do you recommend that specific brand of probiotic? Pelton: Well I'm glad you asked that. I'm the scientific director of Essential Formulas, and Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics is our primary product line. Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics are made differently than every other probiotic in the world. In fact, it's kind of confusing, but Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics is really not primarily a probiotic. It is primarily a fermented food. The Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics are produced in a fermentation production system. We have large fermentation vats in a warehouse, and we start with 12 strains of probiotic bacteria. Then at seasonally appropriate times throughout the year, we shred and harvest dozens of different types of organically-grown foods. There's fruits and vegetables and mushrooms and seaweeds. Then the bacteria get to digest and ferment these foods for 3 years before the product is finished. During that fermentation process, the bacteria are breaking down the foods and producing this wide range of compounds that we now refer to as postbiotic metabolites. As I mentioned earlier, these are the master health-regulating compounds in our system. So Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics have been tested and we find out there are over 400 postbiotic metabolites in Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics. We are not primarily just delivering probiotic bacteria. We're delivering over 400 of these postbiotic metabolites that rapidly create change in the GI tract. You rapidly reduce inflammation, rebalance the acid-base level, promote the growth of healthy new cells that line the GI tract, cell signaling and gut-brain communication directly with postbiotic metabolites. We get what we call rapid microbiome restoration or rapid microbiome repair. Other companies are just giving you bacteria in a capsule. That's kind of like a starter culture. Those bacteria haven't done any work yet. Our bacteria have been working for 3 years producing postbiotic metabolites by the time you ingest them. That's the big difference. Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics is different than every single other probiotic in the world. The new science in the microbiome, the new frontier in microbiome science is starting to realize that it's these postbiotic metabolites that have the master health regulatory effects in the gastrointestinal tract and health-regulating effects for the entire body. So by directly delivering this postbiotic metabolites, we get rapid improvement in the microbiome in the gastrointestinal tract for people who take Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics. Gazella: Now, I know this particular product does not have to be refrigerated. Why is that? Pelton: Well these bacteria learn to thrive and survive at room temperature during the 3 years of fermentation. They don't need to be refrigerated, which makes them very user-friendly. Also they are in a patented capsule that stays hard in the harsh acid environment in the stomach. Then it preferentially releases the contents in the small intestine. So it doesn't make any difference if you take it with food or on an empty stomach. Any way you take it, just the main thing is 2 capsules once a day. Get Dr. Ohhira's in on a regular basis and you'll be maintaining a healthy microbiome. Gazella: Yeah. I'd like to talk a little bit about dosage because honestly it seems like you can ask 3 different experts about dosage and they'll give you 3 different answers. When it comes to dosage specific to cancer prevention, is that the 2 caps per day? What does that deliver in terms of CFUs or different strains for that two caps per day? Pelton: Well 2 capsules a day is the recommended dosage. One thing we emphasize, we're not concerned about how many million or how many billion bacteria we have. There's a numbers game that is really a misconception by people when we're talking about probiotics that they call the bacteria that are available CFU which stands for colony forming units. It really means just the number of viable bacteria, but people have a misconception that more is better. They say "Mine has 30 billion. Mine has 50 billion. Oh, mine's got 100 billion." They think more is better. One of the most critical factors in a healthy microbiome is balance. If you take massive doses even as a healthy strain of bacteria, you're not working in favor of balance. You're actually working against creating balance in the microbiome. So it's not important to have high strains of, high dosages and high numbers. It's better to have a multistrain probiotic, a lot of different strains but at lower dosage levels. I really talk in my lectures and seminars against the high-dose probiotics. I'm not saying they're never appropriate. A product like VSL3, which is a prescription probiotic, I think it has 112 billion bacteria per dose. Those people have some good research and have documented benefits from their high-dose probiotic, but I don't think high-dose probiotics are appropriate on a longterm maintenance basis. You want to strive for balance and diversity. Gazella: Yes, I would agree with that. How many strains are in the Dr. Ohhira's product? Pelton: Dr. Ohhira's has 12 strains. We start out with 12 strains in the manufacturing process. We are a multistrain probiotic. I'm not sure, but Dr. Ohhira may have been the first scientist in the world to understand the concept and the importance of a multistrain probiotic because he created Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics 30 years ago. Gazella: Yeah. So let's talk a little bit about safety. When it comes to cancer prevention, are probiotics safe for the majority of patients or is there any patient or group of patients who should not take probiotics to help reduce cancer risk? Pelton: No, everybody should take probiotics. One of the most important things for health is a healthy microbiome. We now understand that a healthy microbiome is the foundation of health. I think it's important for everybody to realize that supporting and maintaining a healthy microbiome is a critical factor for health regulation. There's no contraindications. I do want to mention briefly, Karolyn, there are 2 studies that were recently published in the journal Cell that have gained a great deal of publicity because they cast doubt on the effectiveness of probiotics. The scientists who conducted these studies stated that their results suggested probiotics are almost useless. There's been a lot of pushback after the publication of these studies. It turns out there was some methodological shortcomings in the way they set up their studies, and there were a very low number of people. I think there was only 8 to 12 people in these studies. What's more disturbing is that it has been learned that the scientists that conducted these studies, they have a personalized approach to probiotics that they promote in their studies. Turns out that they have a vested interest. They have financial interest in this company that's promoting this personalized approach. So it's a very serious flaw and their conclusions should not be generalized of the whole field of probiotics. Allowing studies to be published in which the authors state that probiotics are almost useless is really grossly misleading and a disservice to the general public. Gazella: Yes, I would agree. Now, I often like to ask experts to grab their crystal ball and look into the future. In your case, I'd like to have you tell us what you'd like to see happen when it comes to probiotic or postbiotic metabolite research in the future. What do you want to see happen as we go into this next phase? Because I'll tell you, there's a lot of exciting stuff happening. There's a lot of different directions we could go into. Pelton: You're absolutely right. It is a very exciting field and rapidly evolving. As I've talked about these postbiotic metabolites, the compounds that your probiotic bacteria produce, in the future, we will learn a great deal more about the health-regulating effects of these compounds that your bacteria produce and we'll learn more about which strains of bacteria are more effective at producing some of these health-regulating postbiotic metabolites. I think in the future, we'll probably make a great deal of inroads and progress in designing personalized probiotic programs for people. We'll be able to assess your own innate microbiome and be able to know more accurately how to promote and enhance the growth of your own innate what we call your probiotic fingerprint, the bacterial population that you've developed early in life. I think we'll get into more of a personalized microbiome and personalized approach to probiotics to help promote health in individuals. Gazella: When you think about cancer specifically and reducing cancer risk, I mean now obviously, it's estimated that 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will develop cancer in their lifetime. I mean this is now reaching near epidemic proportions. How critical is it that we look at things like probiotics when it comes to reducing cancer risk? Pelton: Well again, I go back to the immune system. It's absolutely essential that people have a healthy microbiome so that they have a healthy immune system. This is really where it starts. Your gastrointestinal tract and your microbiome are literally the foundation of your health for everything that happens. It is the number 1 thing that people need to be aware of and it's not just the microbiome. As we mentioned earlier, you have to learn how to feed your probiotic bacteria well. This is another key message of mine. This is why diet is so important because you're not eating just for yourself. You're eating to feed 100 trillion guests. It's a pretty big party that's going on down there. Every time you eat, you have to realize that you're feeding your microbiome, and your microbiome is the center and the foundation of your health and your immune system and your anticancer activity. So people need to realize how important it is on a regular basis to eat a wide range of different types of fiber-rich foods, especially the multicolored vegetables, because a more diverse fiber-rich diet will promote the growth of a more diverse microbiome which means your bacteria will produce a wider range of these health-regulating postbiotic metabolites and you will be a healthier person with a stronger immune system. There's a recent study that was just published that shows that, reports that people that consume more probiotics take less antibiotics. That's just another insight into probiotics being able to support your immune system. So these people using probiotics more have a stronger immune system. They have less need over time for antibiotics. Gazella: Yeah. That antibiotic issue, that's something that we ... That could be whole other topic for us. Pelton: It's a big one. Gazella: But as an integrative pharmacist, you share a philosophy with our listeners who are, most of them are integrative practitioners. It's not just about giving a pill and calling it a day. It's a very comprehensive approach, and I like the fact that you focus so heavily on diet and using a healthy diet to feed the probiotics and the bacteria and that you use probiotics hand-in-hand with that comprehensive lifestyle approach which I'm assuming, beyond diet, you counsel people to exercise and get enough sleep and those other lifestyle factors as well. Pelton: Absolutely. Those are critical factors. There are studies now that show that your probiotic bacteria respond to exercise. Exercise needs to be emphasized. So it's diet and exercise, lifestyle. All these healthy things go into creating and maintaining a healthy individual and having a healthy aging process. It's not just probiotics and it's not just diet as you mentioned. It's exercise and sleep and learning how to avoid environmental toxins. There's lots of things that go into it. Gazella: Right. Treat your microbiome well and it will serve you for a long time to come. Pelton: It will work for you. Absolutely. Gazella: Well great. Well Ross, this has been very informational as per usual. I want to thank you for joining me. Once again, I'd like to thank Essential Formulas Incorporated for sponsoring this topic. Thanks so much, Ross. Have a great day. Pelton: Nice to be with you, Karolyn. Always enjoy speaking with you.

This special edition of the eLife Podcast marks our 50th episode and we've decided to mark the milestone by focusing on a field that's huge and tiny both at the same time: huge in terms of the rate at which the discipline's growing and the impact it's set to have our lives, and tiny because its subjects are microscopic. It's our microbiome, the community of micro-organisms that live on us and in us and outnumber our own human cells by maybe 50 fold: we're literally passengers in our own bodies, and over the next 30 minutes we'll hear how gut bacteria might alter your risk of diabetes, and how... Get the references and the transcripts for this programme from the Naked Scientists website

  This episode digs into what the microbiome really is, what it does for us & how it develops. Obesity, asthma, food allergies and behavioral disorders have all been linked to problems with the gut and our bacteria.   You have several POUNDS of bacteria living in your gut. And if they disappeared you would die! Your bacteria are essential to your health.    There are nearly 40 TRILLION bacteria in your gut. That's about a billion bugs per millimeter.  *Some links may be referral links  Things I discuss in this episode that you should check out Missing Microbes by Dr. Martin Blaser  Evivo Probiotic (Bifidobacterium infantis)  Bio-Kult Infant Probiotic    Scientific research  Vaginal seeding for c-sections - https://www.nature.com/news/scientists-swab-c-section-babies-with-mothers-microbes-1.19275 FDA Says Don't Use Antibacterial Soap -  https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm378393.htm  

We're not worthy! We're not worthy! In Episode 6, we sit down with Dr Shawn Yakimovich BSc, ND, a super REAL expert, and ask him all (some of) the tough questions, on mental health, normal poop, healthy balance, and rural dating. Schwing! Hop aboard the Merthmobile, in this incredibly informative and extremely silly mashup of your favourite neighbours and favourite fictional public access TV personalities. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll hurl. xo Sarah and Melody Go here to check out 'Missing Microbes' by Martin Blaser (highly recommended by Dr Shawn): www.goodreads.com/book/show/17910121-missing-microbes Find Shawn at www.kemptvillenaturopathic.com AND www.facebook.com/kemptvillenaturopathic Find Sarah at www.instagram.com/littlewrightcrew.art Find Melody's art at www.melodystarkweather.ca **Send us your rando QUESTIONS! Write us an email/send a voice note to teachmetiger [at] gmail [dot] com**

When a doctor prescribes an antibiotic, we take it. We do this because the medicine significantly reduces our pain and suffering. But what we don’t realize are the long-term effects of the antibiotics. Studies show that antibiotics alter our metabolism and contribute to many other diseases like Alzheimer’s and celiac disease. The relief they bring in the moment has attached pain and suffering that we experience later on in life.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a move towards probiotics that has resulted in a so-called yogurt craze: people are stocking their fridges with pints of yogurt and with bottles of Yakult, a Japanese probiotic drink. But isn’t probiotic food just traveling through your system without sticking to the wall of your gut? How do we know that probiotics is even doing anything? These are logical questions that microbio research is trying to answer. Martha Carlin, CEO of The Biocollective and Biocollective Research, says that we’re actually more microbial than we are human. The ratio now is about two to one cell count of microbes versus human cells. They focus on gut health and the human microbiome composed of trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses and archaea living in and on our body. The Biocollective connects their membership and the collected sample with the research world in order to accelerate discovery in the microbiome space and create solutions for gut health overall. Watch the episode: Listen to the podcast: The Human Microbiome And Gut Health With Martha Carlin, CEO The Biocollective Research We’re incredibly fortunate we have Martha Carlin on the show. She’s the CEO of the (http://www.biocollectiveresearch.org/) . Martha, welcome to the show. Thank you. Tell me a little bit about your company and who you serve? The BioCollective is a company that’s focused on gut health and the human microbiome. For people who don’t know what the human microbiome is, that’s the trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses and archaea that live in and on our body. We’re actually more microbial than we are human. The ratio now that they’ve agreed on is about two to one cell count of microbes versus human cells. The BioCollective connects our membership and the sample that we collect with the research world to try to accelerate discovery in the microbiome space and solutions to gut health overall. We have both a business to consumer side of the business and a business to business side. I did a bit of homework before we did the show and for the audience that go, “Tell me more so I understand,” but before we go into the why of understand about the BioCollective, how did you get started? Are you a biologist by training? I am not a biologist by training. I’m actually an accountant by training, but accounting is one of the original systems and I’m a systems thinker. In 2002, my young, 44-year-old husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and I looked at how science and medicine was approaching that problem. I said, “That’s never going to solve the problem or understand why. This is a complex problem and you have to take a systems approach.” I started teaching myself science on the side and over thirteen years, I started with the food supply, how we grow our food, nutrition, and then I moved into the human systems and got back into chemistry and biology and molecular biology and genetics and epigenetics. In 2014, I read a book by Dr. Martin Blaser of NYU called (https://www.amazon.com/Missing-Microbes-Overuse-Antibiotics-Fueling/dp/0805098100) and that was a big light bulb for me. He was talking about the age of antibiotics and how we have seen this rise in chronic diseases since antibiotics have been ubiquitous in the environment either from human prescribing or through use in animal feed and animal husbandry. About two or three months after that, I met a young man who was looking for an investor in a company called Pure Cultures (http://purecultures.com/) . His background was fermentation chemistry. I thought, “I’ll invest in that and I can learn a little bit about fermentation chemistry.” He had spent twenty years in the human nutraceuticals business, which most people won’t know. Most of the vitamins you buy off the shelf are actually fermented by bacteria and fungi in big vats in industrial operations. That was his expertise, but he was focused on

MTPI Career Development Series -- Dr. Martin Blaser Interviewed by Dr. Benjamin Wu

This week on How on Earth, Beth interviews Dr Martin Blaser of New York University who challenges the assumption that antibiotics are harmless drugs targeting only harmful pathogens. In his recent book, Missing Microbes, Blaser presents the evidence that antibiotics are causing the extinction of important bacteria in our microbiome. These microbes have co-evolved with us, so losing them puts us at risk of many of the rising diseases of our society: asthma, allergies, eczema and obesity. Check out his book: https://books.google.com/books/about/Missing_Microbes.html?id=RJucAwAAQBAJ Host: Beth Bennett Producer: Beth Bennett Engineer: Maeve Conran Executive Producer: Beth Bennett Listen to the show:

Martin Blaser, professor of medicine and microbiology at New York University, has a theory about why humanity is getting fatter. He believes that some of our modern medical practices are to blame. The main culprit? Antibiotics – or rather, the way we have abused these antibacterial drugs over the last 70 years. Each one of us hosts a collection of good bacteria, known as the microbiome, that keep us healthy by training our immune system, helping us digest food and making essential vitamins for us. In this episode, Martin Blaser explains how this useful alliance is perturbed when we take antibiotics. Who would have guessed that the same ‘miracle drugs’ that cure us from horrible, deadly infections would – in some ways – make us sicker?

Martin Blaser, professor i medicin och mikrobiologi vid New York University, har en teori om varför vi människor blir allt fetare. Han tror att det är delvis den moderna medicinens fel, med antibiotikan på första plats. Eller egentligen handlar det om att vi har överanvänt mediciner som antibiotika, vilket i sin tur påverkar tarmfloran. I och på våra kroppar finns nämligen många bakterier som är bra för oss, de hjälper till exempel till för att vi ska kunna smälta maten och tillgodogöra oss alla näringsämnen och vitaminer. I det här avsnittet berättar Martin Blaser för oss att allt detta kommer ur balans när man tar antibiotika. Vem hade trott att samma medicin som kan rädda oss från dödliga bakteriella infektioner även kan göra oss sjukare?

Topic Introduction There is a fascinating new study in Pediatrics April 2015 that raises new questions about a medical tool that has been around for almost 100 year, antibiotics. First discovered in the 1930s, antibiotics have undoubtedly saved millions of lives and have been a great tool for medical science. Until recently, doctors and scientists thought of antibiotics as targeted weapons that are able to selectively destroy germs that our bodies were fighting, invasive germs, and leave the host, your child, with a balance of healthy bacteria, so called normal flora. Recently these assumptions have started to be questioned because of an observation that farmers have known about for 60 years which is... that giving small amounts of antibiotics to growing farm animals makes them get fatter and bigger than those animals that don't get them. I think until recently that farmers assumed that these antibiotics just made the animals less sick and therefore able to grow bigger but now scientists are changing their mind about that. The new thinking, backed up by this recent data in the Journal Pediatrics, indicates that very young children who get broad spectrum antibiotics very early in life, have a greater risk of being obese by age two than children around them raised in similar circumstances. Just an association, but interesting. How Do Antibiotics Affect Children's Health? If we assume this is true why should this be? What is it about antibiotics early in life that make animals and children bigger?  The current belief by many is that these antibiotics change the kind of "normal flora" the child or animal carries in their gut and changes the way the child digests food. For hard-core docsmo.com listeners, you might remember that we talked about in the book review I did of Dr. Martin Blaser's book, The Missing Microbes. It seems like the recent data is validating that thinking. Not only did the data find that antibiotics had a growth promoting effect in children, but the more potent the antibiotics and the more exposure, the bigger the growth promotion effect. I think this is powerful evidence that this is not just an association effect but also a real effect of the antibiotics. Finding the Balance So what useful information can parents get from all this. Here is what I think; If you have a child less than two years of age who is sick and needs antibiotics, have a conversation with your child's pediatrician about the potency and length of treatment that should be used. Antibiotics are here to stay when it comes to children but in the past 10 years, pediatricians are trying to pull back on their use, trying to hit the bare minimum without jeopardizing a child's health.  I know those parents that oppose vaccines don't want to hear it, but vaccines are our best way of reducing exposure to antibiotics by preventing the infection from ever happening. You know that Doc Smo pearl; Prevention trumps treatment, every time!  Certainly true here. As always, thanks for joining me today. I would love to hear from you and I would appreciate you taking a minute to subscribe to docsmo.com at my website or on iTunes. This is Dr. Paul Smolen, hoping I can keep you in the loop, with the latest medical scoop. Until next time. Smo Notes: 1.Antibiotic Exposure in Infancy and Risk of Being Overweight in the First 24 Months of life Pediatrics Volume 135, number 4, April 2015 The Missing Microbes by Martin Blazer, Henry Holt and Company, New York, 2014 3.Missing Microbes, by Martin Blaser MD (Book Review Pedcast) - See more at: https://www.docsmo.com/missing-microbes-by-martin-blaser-md-book-review-pedcast/#sthash.jsjUF0wY.dpuf  

Why are obesity, juvenile diabetes and asthma increasing? Is it something in the environment or in our modern lifestyle? Dr. Martin Blaser thinks that it may be due to changes in our microbiome – the ecosystem of tiny microscopic creatures that live in and on us. Learn about his hypothesis that some of the greatest medical advances in the 20th century – antibiotics, C-sections and antiseptics- may be having unintended consequences. Dr. Martin Blaser has studied the role of bacteria in human disease for over 30 years. He is the director of the Human Microbiome Program at NYU. He founded the Bellevue Literary Review and has been written about in newspapers including The New Yorker, Nature, Science, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. His more than 100 media appearances include The Today Show, The Daily Show, Fresh Air (NPR) GMA, the BBC, The O'Reilly Factor, and CNN. He lives in New York City.  

Why are obesity, juvenile diabetes and asthma increasing? Is it something in the environment or in our modern lifestyle? Dr. Martin Blaser thinks that it may be due to changes in our microbiome – the ecosystem of tiny microscopic creatures that live in and on us. Learn about his hypothesis that some of the greatest medical advances in the 20th century – antibiotics, C-sections and antiseptics- may be having unintended consequences. Dr. Martin Blaser has studied the role of bacteria in human disease for over 30 years. He is the director of the Human Microbiome Program at NYU. He founded the Bellevue Literary Review and has been written about in newspapers including The New Yorker, Nature, Science, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. His more than 100 media appearances include The Today Show, The Daily Show, Fresh Air (NPR) GMA, the BBC, The O'Reilly Factor, and CNN. He lives in New York City.  

Why are obesity, juvenile diabetes and asthma increasing? Is it something in the environment or in our modern lifestyle? Dr. Martin Blaser thinks that it may be due to changes in our microbiome – the ecosystem of tiny microscopic creatures that live in and on us. Learn about his hypothesis that some of the greatest medical advances in the 20th century – antibiotics, C-sections and antiseptics- may be having unintended consequences. Dr. Martin Blaser has studied the role of bacteria in human disease for over 30 years. He is the director of the Human Microbiome Program at NYU. He founded the Bellevue Literary Review and has been written about in newspapers including The New Yorker, Nature, Science, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. His more than 100 media appearances include The Today Show, The Daily Show, Fresh Air (NPR) GMA, the BBC, The O'Reilly Factor, and CNN. He lives in New York City.  

This program was originally broadcast in April of 2015.

In this sixth installment of the Open Forum Infectious Diseases podcast, Editor in Chief Paul Sax, MD, speaks with Martin Blaser, MD, about the overuse of antibiotics in the United States and the consequential impact on the normal flora within the human body, known as the microbiota.

Dr. Martin Blaser — author of Missing Microbes — reveals how the overuse of antibiotics is fueling our modern plagues. Here’s what we talked about: 1:53 – How a small village in Venezuela proved that we really are “missing microbes” and what that actually means for you.  4:12 – What your mama (and your mama’s mama) has to do with your microbiome. 6:25 – What bacteria has to do with a virus (hint…nothing!) and why antibiotics won’t get rid of your viral infection.  8:50 – The illness spectrum, the gray area of treatment, and the “defensive medicine” being played by doctors.  12:35 – The collateral damage being done by broad spectrum antibiotics – and what the government and Big Pharma can do to stop it. 18:44 – Are antibiotics “spilling out of the farm”? How they get into our food supply and how much we are really consuming.  21:20 – The C-section connection: moms, microbes and why your baby could be getting antibiotics without you even knowing it.  29:07 – Are we supposed to have H. Pylori? The many sides of the H.Pylori story. 36:36 – Gastritis and inflammation could actually be a “normal” response and why we need to be weighing costs, not just benefits.  40:28 – Celiac and antibiotics: what the loss of our bacteria means for our immune system.  44:20 – Solutions for taking back our bacteria for a early life benefit without the late in life cost. Want the written version? Join The Transcribe Tribe for FREE transcripts at www.undergroundwellness.com!  Hosted by Sean Croxton of Underground Wellness. 

In this podcast, physician and microbiologist Martin Blaser discusses how changes in the human microbiome - for example, through antibiotics and hand sanitizers - may be contributing to an increase in chronic conditions including obesity, allergic disorders, and diabetes. For more information on upcoming SciCafe events, visit amnh.org/scicafe.

For three billion years bacteria were the sole living inhabitants on Earth.  Today humans host around 100 trillion bacterial cells, outnumbering human cells 10 to one. The three pounds of bacteria that we contain forms what is called the microbiome, … Continue reading →

Innovations in modern society have created several benefits to human health, but they may have also created changes to human development. On this episode, Dr. Martin Blaser discussed changes to the human microbiome.

When we talk about drugs, or see the myriad array of pharmaceutical ads, we usually hear about a whole range of unique side effects.  These are not just side effects, they are real effects with real medical consequences.This is true not just for the complex, highly marketed drugs, but even from our most basic antibiotics. While we’ve come think of this class of drugs as almost free from consequence,  the truth is they may have bigger and more far reaching consequences than the drugs that may cause individual problems.  For these drugs, the side effects may be to our whole species and to the ancient human microbiome that makes up a large part of who we are as individuals and as a species. We may be seeing these consequences every day, in the increase in childhood asthma, autism, obesity, and certain types of cancers.  This discovery has been the life's work of Dr. Martin Blaser.  He examines this in Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern PlaguesMy conversation with Dr. Martin Blaser:  

In this excerpted coverage from our live event, a panel of experts discusses our relationship with our microbiota from research and medical perspectives. Dr. Martin Blaser, Director of the Human Microbiome Program at the NYU School of Medicine

Bakterier förknippas ofta med fara och sjukdom. Men något håller på att hända, det forskas allt mer på deras goda sidor. Ett exempel är magsårsbakterien helicobacter pylori som blev världsberömd när Barry Marshall och Robin Warren fick nobelpriset 2005. De hade bevisat att bakterien leder till magsår som i sin tur kan orsaka magcancer och helicobacter pylori skulle utrotas med antibiotika. I dag menar kritiker att bakterien också har goda sidor och att barn som saknar den löper större risk att drabbas av astma och fetma. I veckans Kropp & Själ djupdyker vi i bakteriernas dubbla ansikte, att de kan göra oss sjuka vet vi, men på vilket sätt kan de hjälpa oss? Martin Blaser, professor i microbiologi vid New Yorks universitet, är den främsta kritikern mot bilden av magsårsbakterien helicobacter pylori som något som ska utrotas; ”Pendeln har svängt, helicobacter Pylori, har två ansikten, och vi har fokuserat för mycket på det negativa.” menar han. Även på andra håll studeras bakteriernas positiva effekter, på flera sjukhus används donerad avföring för att bota magåkommor. Genom att föra in friska bakterier i en sjuk person kan tarmfloran, i bästa fall, normaliseras. En annan fråga som studeras är huruvida allergier kan påverkas genom att mammor ges vissa bakterier under graviditeten. Thomas Abrahamsson, barnläkare och forskare vid Linköpings universitet, berättar om en stor studie där kvinnor ges mjölksyrebakterier efter den tjugonde graviditetsveckan. Gäst i studion är även professor Lars Engstrand vid Karolinska institutet som forskat om bakterier och deras påverkan på människan i över två decennium.

In this podcast, I speak to Martin Blaser, Frederick H. King Professor of Internal Medicine and Chairman of the Department of Medicine and Professor of Microbiology at the New York School of Medicine. Blaser studies Helicobacter pylori, bacteria that live in the stomachs of billions of people. Blaser has shown that H. pylori has a strange double life inside of us. On the one hand, it can cause ulcers and gastric cancer. On the other hand, it can protect us from diseases of the esophagus, allergies, asthma, and perhaps even obesity. We're now eradicating H. pylori with antibiotics and other luxuries of modern life; Blaser thinks we ought to bring it back--but keep it on a tight leash.

In this episode, we'll hear parts of three talks from the recent symposium, Exploring the Dynamic Relationship Between Health and the Environment, organized by the American Museum of Natural History's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation. Speakers include Penn State's Peter Hudson, who talks about disease transmission; Oxford's Oliver Pybus, on how genome analysis exonerated health care workers accused of infecting children with HIV; and N.Y.U.'s Martin Blaser on our disappearing stomach flora. Plus, we'll test your knowlege of some recent science in the news. Web sites related to this episode include www.symposia.cbc.amnh.org/health