Would like to share my research with you...

So a lot of you who have been here a while know me. For those who don't, I'm a 2.5 year PhD student studying the gut microbiome, obesity, and skeletal muscle. I would like to share what I've uncovered so far because I think it's cool, and also because it gets lonely having no one to talk to that knows about my stuff. :sad:

After I post this I'll be gone for about 3 hours, so I hope the thread doesn't die. :laugh: Anyway, here it goes:

Your intestines are packed with multiple trillions of bacteria. Every person has a different profile of bacteria, just like a finger print. When you were born, you had none, but as you were exposed to bacteria during birth and for the 2 years following, your gut became 'colonized'. These bacteria are your 'gut microbiome'.

Everyone has a mix of healthy and harmful bacteria. Healthy bacteria keep your intestines covered in mucous, they digest fiber to make gas and some fatty acids for your intestinal cells to 'eat', and they kill harmful bacteria. Harmful bacteria are covered with something called lipopolysaccharide (LPS) which causes a type of inflammation in your body. This isn't like a bruise or an illness; it's almost undetectable, but it causes things like insulin resistance. It might also cause obesity and type 2 diabetes in the long run. When the harmful bacteria die, the LPS comes off of them and floats around in your intestine.

The LPS can bind to fat that you eat and be carried into circulation. This isn't that bad, though, because it ends up being deactivated in your liver. When LPS leaks between your intestinal cells, that's a problem. Your intestine can become 'leaky' if you are obese and/or diabetic. It can also be leaky if you happened to be 'colonized' with bad bacteria. If you have a very leaky gut, more LPS escapes and causes problems.

A big problem with LPS is that it can mess up your skeletal muscle metabolism. Skeletal muscle--the kind that moves your body--is the largest metabolically active organ in your body. LPS can make your muscle unable to use fat for energy. Instead it can only use glucose. The fats are deposited around the muscle cells which eventually causes the muscle to become insulin resistant as well. This means you have a lot of insulin, glucose, and fat in your blood stream, which leads to obesity.

I am looking at ways to make more healthy bacteria grow. You can do this by eating a high-fiber diet, flax seeds, preobiotics (like inulin fiber), and taking probiotics in very high doses (in the billions of cells per day). Avoiding a high-fat, high-sugar diet is a way to prevent harmful bacteria from growing.

I hope you guys found this a little bit interesting at least. :wink: There is much more to the picture but this is the main part. I could go into all the hormones and everything but that would take forever! Just wanted to let you know that obesity is more than what you eat. It's what's inside you, eating!
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Replies

  • badgerbadger1
    badgerbadger1 Posts: 954 Member
    I'm sorry, when you refer to "leaky gut" between the intestinal cells are you talking about a leak into the vascular space, interstitial space or peritoneal space?
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    In terms of fat and sugar, how high is "high?"
  • yothman5
    yothman5 Posts: 6
    Hello,

    This is my first day and I am just wondering how you all are losing weight? Is it just by tracking what you eat and exercising!?
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    cheers for this, really interesting read but scary. its like reading a medical illness book though - i'm now convinced i have a 'leaky gut' :/
  • 3audkids
    3audkids Posts: 74 Member
    very interesting post! thanks for sharing!
  • jenna_scott
    jenna_scott Posts: 56 Member
    Hello,

    This is my first day and I am just wondering how you all are losing weight? Is it just by tracking what you eat and exercising!?

    Yes it is pretty simple, you track everything you eat, if you exercise then you eat those calories back and you lose weight. :smile:

    Welcome!
  • huntindawg1962
    huntindawg1962 Posts: 277 Member
    cheers for this, really interesting read but scary. its like reading a medical illness book though - i'm now convinced i have a 'leaky gut' :/

    Boy am I glad I was not drinking anything when I read this response -= thanks for the laugh today!
  • yothman5
    yothman5 Posts: 6
    WOW! It is funny because I just found out I have H pylori and my doc. said something about my colon ? She told me to eat a high fiber diet as well... I wonder if this is why I am experiencing all my stomach cramps.. I do have a question though... What can you tell me about H pylori? I have read all about it but can it affect me the same as described in your post?
  • hbm616
    hbm616 Posts: 377 Member
    I'm such a nursing student nerd so I lovelovelove learning about the body! Thanks for sharing =]
  • yothman5
    yothman5 Posts: 6
    Awesome! Thank you... I am trying to figure this website out.. how do you see when someone replies to your post! lol
  • hiker282
    hiker282 Posts: 983 Member
    Very interesting, thanks for taking the time to post this. I'm sure your research has been much more technical, but thanks for putting it up in simple terms.
  • blondejillie
    blondejillie Posts: 305 Member
    Any recommendations on types and dosages of pre- and pro-biotics? I'm ready to shop.
  • AEB_WV
    AEB_WV Posts: 323 Member
    You might add that over-use of antibiotics can also kill the 'good' bacteria in your body and cause a lot of harm. Should only use as absolutely necessary and as low 'strength' as possible.
  • amymrls
    amymrls Posts: 1,673 Member
    Great post thank you!
  • jessicaacampbell1
    jessicaacampbell1 Posts: 133 Member
    Awesome post.... I'm trying to get into medical school and I love hearing about new research. Keep posting.
  • 2chubby4now
    2chubby4now Posts: 93 Member
    Very interesting. I enjoyed reading this.
  • Bump, great post!!
  • Lance_K
    Lance_K Posts: 104 Member
    Wow, really interesting. Thanks for sharing!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,420 Member
    song, I love it when you dazzle me with your brain.
  • Aleara2012
    Aleara2012 Posts: 225 Member
    Interestingly enough last summer I had to take probiotics (combination of pre and pro biotics in a capsule form) due to a course of heavy antibiotics. I started losing weight without even trying. I lost about 6lb in the course of 2 months and I felt much better as far as my stomach and digestive system go. I was sure it had something to do with the good bacteria and it seems a lot of research I could find on google scholar confirmed that. What you are saying confirms it once again, thank you for sharing!
  • cheers for this, really interesting read but scary. its like reading a medical illness book though - i'm now convinced i have a 'leaky gut' :/

    Boy am I glad I was not drinking anything when I read this response -= thanks for the laugh today!

    Water squirtted outta my nose!!! LOL
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    Awesome! Thank you... I am trying to figure this website out.. how do you see when someone replies to your post! lol

    You'll have to hope they clicked on "quote" before responding to you so you know their comment is meant for you! Also, you don't get a message for replies on the message boards, only if someone posts on your profile. To see the threads you replied to, click on "My Topics".


    Thanks for posting all that information! I love learning new "stuff", I just wish I could retain it all!
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Weren't you originally doing work on mTOR and the likes?
  • sdguy2002
    sdguy2002 Posts: 84 Member
    Your intestines are packed with multiple trillions of bacteria. Every person has a different profile of bacteria, just like a finger print. When you were born, you had none, but as you were exposed to bacteria during birth and for the 2 years following, your gut became 'colonized'. These bacteria are your 'gut microbiome'.
    Is there a way to better start your baby off to have the best results later? Proactiveness?
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,728 Member
    Awesome! Thank you... I am trying to figure this website out.. how do you see when someone replies to your post! lol

    The site doesn't give you a notice when someone replies to you. You have to check back to see. If you go into My Topics (it's right above), you will see the different places you have posted. You can then click in to them to see if someone has responded to you.
  • SPBROOKS68
    SPBROOKS68 Posts: 561 Member
    I have been a type 1 diabetic for 37 years - does this mean I am doomed?
  • 81Kyra
    81Kyra Posts: 115
    Very interesting stuff! Thanks for the post!
  • This is great information and I really enjoyed reading it!! I just love knowledge something no one can take from:flowerforyou: u!!! keep up the good work!!
  • jenalderman
    jenalderman Posts: 411 Member
    Very interesting read. Thanks for sharing. However....now I'm going to have to resist the urge to blame my weight management...or lack thereof at time.... on those dang bacteria. lol
  • Thanks for this information. I never heard of a lot that you mentioned. I did learn the hard way not to take TUMS (popping them ) on a regular basis for indigestion since all my good digestive bacteria got destroyed as a result. Then I had to take digestive eznzymes full of good bacteria for about 6 months until my digestive system got back into working order. Now I take these digestive enzymes once every couple of weeks instead of 3 X/day like I had been to keep these good bacteria going.........Carol