You Are What Your Bacteria Eat! A breakthrough study from Harvards Peter J. Turnbaugh and Dukes Lawrence David reveals some of the ways in which our diet shapes our microbiome -- and thereby affects our ability to digest various types of food. In 2011, the researchers fed volunteers two very different diets. One group was given a high-protein diet consisting of bacon and eggs, spareribs, brisket, salami, cheese, and pork rinds. The other was fed a very high-fiber diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans. Bacterial analysis of fecal samples collected before, during, and after the experiment showed that what each group ate had a huge -- and almost immediate -- effect on their gut bacteria. Lo and behold, each group began to develop the very type of bacteria that would most help them digest the particular types of food they had just eaten. In just 24 hours, meat eaters saw an increase in bacteria that are resistant to bile acids (bile acids are a byproduct of the breakdown of meat). If youre a meat-eater, you need those bacteria -- so the microbiome responded. The vegetarian group had far fewer bile-resistant bacteria, because, given their diet, they didnt need them. The microbiome was responding to them, too. Even the long-term vegetarian who agreed to eat meat for this study saw a rapid microbial shift. The microbiomes dynamic ability to respond to our diet is why our bodies can adapt to so many different ways of eating -- regardless of how long it might take for our genes themselves to change. Our genes arent what matter -- our microbiomes genes are the key. We dont have to move at the millennial pace of genetic evolution. We come equipped with a mechanism that is exquisitely responsive to a number of different types of foods, which is why humans all over the world can survive on a remarkably wide range of diets. We Can Eat Almost Anything -- But Should We? Thats why I tell my patients that they can enjoy quite a bit of flexibility in their diets -- as long as they support their microbiome. You dont want to eat too much meat -- the 55 percent of daily calories that some Paleo experts recommend -- because studies have shown that much meat is detrimental to the microbiome. Nor do you want to consume a typical Western diet -- refined flour, sugar, unhealthy fats, additives, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners -- because those ingredients also feed exactly the wrong kind of bacteria. On the other hand, lots of fresh, whole fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains are terrific microbiome food. Asparagus, carrots, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, jicama, leeks, onions, radishes, and tomatoes are Microbiome Superfoods, with exactly the kind of fiber that feed many beneficial species. Fermented foods -- kimchi, raw sauerkraut, fermented vegetables, and kefir (a type of fermented milk) -- are natural probiotics that replenish your friendly bacteria. Probiotics -- capsules, pills, or powders that contain live bacteria -- can supplement a healthy diet. There is no one size fits all when it comes to the microbiome. You could be a vegetarian who eats all those grains and legumes that the Paleo people demonize -- and be extremely healthy. You could also eat a diet full of whole, fresh foods with moderate amounts of chicken and fish, and small amounts of beef or lamb -- and also be extremely healthy. The key is to keep supporting your little friends inside -- your microbiome.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 00:00:01 +0000
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