A plethora of conditions, from obesity to anxiety, appear to be linked to the microbes inside our gut. In today’s episode, Dr. Minni Malhotra explains why the microbiome is such a hot topic of research. The human body, both inside and out, is covered with microbiomes. The bulk of them are in the intestinal walls, or in your gut lining. Recent research has shown that there is a relationship between the microbiome and the body, and illustrates the ways in which in this relationship impacts the immune system. Although this research is still in the early stages, some researchers and clinicians believe that microbiome could become a cornerstone for autoimmune disease treatment, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Tune in to find out more about the link between our gut microbiome and obesity, explained by Dr. Minni Malhtora as she shares a number of study results.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The microbiota are implicated in almost all chronic conditions, including autoimmune disease. 
• The accumulation of these microbes are perceived as pathogens, leading to inflammation.
• There are circumstances in which our microbiome can change profoundly, like pregnancy.
• During childhood, the gut microbiome is influenced by a number of environmental factors.
• This line of research points towards treatments and therapies directed at the microbiome.
• Therapeutic probiotics, which contain spores of healthy bacteria, may be used as a treatment for a wide variety of autoimmune conditions.
• The gut microbiota can exert immune-modulatory effects, particularly antigen-specific T-cells.
• Probiotic treatments may impact the immune system by influencing activity of cells in the gut.
• A breach of intestinal barriers and the translocation of gut bacteria to other organs may trigger an autoimmune response like inflammation.
• High-fat diets of animal-based foods can dramatically shift the structure of the microbiome.
• Studies have shown that the intestinal microbiome composition is strongly influenced by diet.
• A high-fat, high-sugar diet has been proven to diminish health gut bacteria in mammals.
• The association between gut microbiome and obesity – Dr. Minni shares some studies.

Tweetables:

“The microbiota is implicated in almost every chronic condition, including autoimmune condition. An imbalance among the gut microbiota may drive inflammatory conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and also lower the immune system or immune health in the elderly, as well as endocrine or hormonal imbalances.” — Dr. Minni Malhotra [0:01:36]

“It has been shown in research that probiotic treatments may impact the immune system by influencing activity of cells in the gut. One study found that a 4-strain probiotic is capable of modifying immune response in vitro, by enhancing colonic butyrate production in cells from healthy humans.” — Dr. Minni Malhotra [0:05:40]

“Diet plays a big role. Of course, there is probiotics, prebiotics, but if you’re not eating healthy, if your diet is full of fats and you have less vegetables and plant-based products, it can actually alter your microbiome, which can lead to inflammation and affect not only just obesity, but your hormone imbalance, all those things.” — Dr. Minni Malhotra [0:12:40]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Anchor Wellness Center

PubMed

The Gut Microbiome and Its Role in Obesity