Key Messages
How What We Eat Impacts Mental Health And Disease Prevention
It’s becoming increasingly clear that the health of our stomachs and the health of our brains are linked.
Scientific research has found that unhealthy gut bacteria can lead to a host of problems, from Alzheimer’s and autism to depression and obesity.
The good news is, you can take steps to ensure that your gut bacteria stays in balance, and in turn reduce your risk for developing serious diseases.
For instance, by avoiding harsh chemicals found in plastic notebook covers, or eating more curries with turmeric-heavy ingredients – both of which have been linked to healthier brain functioning and increased resistance to disease.
By understanding how an unbalanced microbiome can negatively affect one’s health, you can be better prepared to protect yourself from future diseases.
So take the time to learn more about what foods nurture healthy gut bacteria and start implementing those changes into your diets today!
The Gut Microbes: A Major Factor In Health And Wellness
It’s amazing to think that your gut bacteria can have such an effect on your waistline.
According to the findings from Brain Maker, two main groups of bacteria make up 90 percent of your microbiome – firmicutes and bacteroidetes.
Researchers found that when you have more firmicutes than bacteroidetes, it can lead to increased inflammation and potentially even obesity.
This is because firmicutes are really good at extracting energy from food, so if you have too many present in your gut, it means that you could be taking in more calories than necessary – causing weight gain.
In contrast, bacteroidetes don’t focus on calorie extraction; instead they break down plant fibers and starches which can help to keep your waistline trim!
Furthermore, healthy gut microbes also support your liver in getting rid of harmful toxins that enter the body – acting as a first line of defense.
By neutralizing toxins before they reach the liver, these gut microbes take some pressure off the organs, keeping them stronger and healthier for longer!
Your Gut Microbiome Can Trigger Excessive Inflammation Leading To Mental Health Problems
The body’s inflammatory response is a natural defense mechanism that can protect us from illness and injury.
It usually kicks in when we have an infection or injury, and helps the immune system to fight off anything that might be dangerous.
But sometimes this response can get out of control and become harmful.
When inflammation persists for long periods of time, it can lead to various illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, asthma, arthritis or even multiple sclerosis.
Genes, lifestyle choices like sleep and diet, and blood sugar levels all play a role in activating or suppressing inflammatory responses in the body.
Too much sugar consumption may trigger a process called glycation that causes inflammation; while not enough sleep can switch on bad genes which also promote inflammation.
The Gut-Brain Connection: How An Imbalanced Gut Can Lead To Brain Inflammation And Serious Diseases
It’s true – if your gut isn’t in the best shape, your brain could be at risk of potentially harmful bacteria.
It all starts with the protective layer of cells in your gut that helps keep out foreign invaders and absorb nutrients from food.
But if this layer becomes compromised, it can open up the way for dangerous bacteria to enter your body and potentially cause harm to both physical and mental health.
Research further suggests that an inflamed gut is linked to a phenomenon known as a “leaky brain,” where even the blood-brain barrier which was thought to provide insurance against pathogens may not be enough defense.
This means that bad bugs could enter the brain and create inflammation, leading to serious illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and neurological diseases like Parkinson’s disease, depression or even autism.
So if your gut and its microbiome aren’t in tip-top shape, it might be time to give them some extra attention!
That way, you can make sure that you stay healthy both mentally and physically.
The Gut Microbiome And Autism Spectrum Disorder: How Healing The Gut Could Heal The Brain
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex condition that still has many mysteries to be uncovered.
We don’t know exactly what causes it, and while there are several therapies available for managing symptoms, there is no known cure.
However, we may be one step closer with recent research indicating that the development of autism spectrum disorder could be strongly influenced by gut bacteria.
Studies have found that many people with ASD possess a particular composition of gut bacteria which is linked to an inflammatory response in the body.
In addition, Jason was given multiple rounds of antibiotics as a baby which drastically changed the natural microbiome in his gut- leading scientists to believe that this digestive issue was a contributing factor towards his diagnosis with autism spectrum disorder.
Fortunately, some symptoms can be alleviated by healing the gut microbiome – either with courses of probiotics and vitamins or even more recently practised stool transplants that take healthy gut bacteria from another individual and transplant them into the affected person’s colon.
This revolutionary new treatment has proven to be effective in improving compromised microbiomes in patients suffering from autism spectrum disorder leading to promising results such as reducing anxiety and allowing individuals like Jason tie their own shoes for the first time!
The Health Risks Of Consuming Too Much Fructose And Gluten
The Western diet has become notorious for containing too much fructose, with soda and candy being two of the main culprits.
A single 350-milliliter can of soda contains around 140 calories from fructose sugar, way higher than the 70 calories found in one medium-sized apple.
As such, far too many people are consuming large quantities of fructose on a daily basis and it is having a damaging affects on their health.
Fructose has been proven to have a negative effect on blood sugar levels and insulin resistance – a condition that can contribute to diabetes, hypertension and other health issues.
Even worse,our livers need to work extra hard to metabolize fructose into fat – yet another unhealthy outcome of its overconsumption in our diets today.
Gluten is commonly found in pizza, pasta and even ice cream these days – however, some people are intolerant or sensitive to gluten which can increase our body’s inflammatory response.
This could lead to diseases such as celiac disease or other issues so it is important to be aware if gluten may be affecting your health negatively.
Be Mindful Of Chemicals And Antibiotics To Maintain A Healthy Gut Microbiome
As a society, we use too many antibiotics and are exposed to many toxins that can be damaging to our health.
To give an example of the extent to which we make use of antibiotics, in 2010 doctors in the United States prescribed some 258 million courses of antibiotics.
That’s far more than the US population – over 300 million people – and most of these prescriptions were for ailments that antibiotics couldn’t help with, like the common cold.
Antibiotics are also used excessively in agriculture; farmers often pump them into healthy animals just to make them larger and fatter.
This is risky as bacteria can very quickly become resistant to antibiotics, so the more we use them, the higher the chance that harmful bacteria will evolve and spread.
We’ve already observed this happening with certain strains of staphylococcus aureus bacteria; now resistant to common antibiotics, they can cause dangerous infections and even be fatal.
Taking too many antibiotics can also disrupt your gut microbiome; when healthy bacteria are killed off by it, harmful bacteria have an opportunity to colonize instead.
We’re not only exposed to over-used antibiotics though; there are numerous environmental chemicals such as Bisphenol-A (BPA) that could harm our health if taken in large doses or prolonged exposure.
For instance, BPA is found in countless items such as notebooks and receipts yet only 200 out of 100,000 chemicals approved in recent decades have been safety-tested.
Studies indicate that BPA exposure might not only mess up our body’s hormonal balance but alter our gut microbiome too.
The Health Benefits Of Fermented Foods And Fasting
It’s no secret that the process of fermentation in food has benefitted humans for 7,000 years and is good for your health.
During fermentation, either yeast, bacteria, or both are needed to convert carbohydrates such as sugar into alcohol, carbon dioxide, or organic acids.
One beneficial form of fermentation is lactic acid fermentation; eating foods such as unsweetened yogurt made through this process helps increase beneficial bacteria (probiotics) levels in your gut while protecting it from harmful bacteria and spoilage.
Probiotics have many health benefits including vitamins absorption, inflammation reduction, and more.
Both fermented foods and fasting can help you boost your overall health.
Fasting involves restricting caloric intake or not eating at all for 24 to 72 hours – a practice that has been around since ancient Indian Vedic texts over 3,000 years ago!
Health benefits from fasting include increased insulin sensitivity, slowing the aging process and switching the body into fat-burning mode to lose weight.
Fasting even promotes positive changes in gut bacteria by encouraging bacterial growth connected with longer life spans.
Choosing fermented foods each season in combination with regular fasting is undeniably good for you and your body!
Turmeric And Coconut Oil: Super Foods For An Optimum Well-Being
Turmeric and coconut oil are two natural substances that have amazing health benefits.
Turmeric has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and is believed to increase the number of brain cells.
It also contains curcumin, which can help balance your blood sugar levels.
Coconut oil contains powerful anti-inflammatory properties that can protect against neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.
You can incorporate turmeric into your diet by adding it to curries, or take supplements if you don’t enjoy the flavor.
Coconut oil, on the other hand, is great as a cooking oil or consumed directly with one to two teaspoons of pure oil daily.
Both of these substances are good for your health and taking them can make a world of difference!
Wrap Up
In summary, the Brain Maker by David Perlmutter shows us that our gut has a powerful influence on our health.
By making small dietary adjustments such as consuming more probiotics, we can improve the state of our microbiome and subsequently improve our overall health.
The book also recommends simple steps for increasing the quality of your water and bacteria intake – like purchasing a filtered water jug or taking probiotics with antibiotics to restore healthy bacteria in your system.
Ultimately, this book provides us with sound scientific evidence about how our diet affects our mental and physical well-being and equips us with knowledge to make healthier choices for the sake of ourselves and others.
