Your Gut Microbiome: The Most Important Organ You’ve Never Heard Of | Erika Ebbel Angle | TEDxFargo

Summary

In this talk, a biochemist entrepreneur emphasizes the significance of gut health, linking it to overall well-being, including mental clarity and emotional health. They discuss the role of the gut microbiome and its trillions of microorganisms, highlighting the importance of dietary intake in producing essential molecules like serotonin and melatonin. The speaker warns against poor diet, stress, and overuse of antibiotics, which can harm the microbiome. They conclude with actionable advice for improving gut health through diet, stress management, exercise, and targeted supplementation.

Takeaways

• 🧬 Gut microbiome is crucial for overall health, affecting energy levels, sickness frequency, mental clarity, and emotional well-being.
• 🌱 A healthy gut is linked to a diverse range of bacteria, which is essential for digesting food and producing necessary nutrients.
• 🍽️ Diet plays a significant role in gut health; poor dietary choices can lead to nutrient deficiencies and alter gut composition.
• 🥗 Consuming tryptophan-rich foods like turkey, eggs, and chia seeds is vital for the production of serotonin and melatonin, which regulate mood and sleep.
• 🏃‍♂️ Regular exercise can improve gut health by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria and reducing stress.
• 🍠 Tyrosine, found in almonds, lentils, and seeds, is converted into dopamine and epinephrine, which are essential for motivation and the fight-or-flight response.
• 🥬 Indole-3 lactic acids, found in fermented foods, are converted by gut bacteria into antioxidants that protect against cell damage and diseases.
• 🚫 Unhealthy lifestyle choices like consuming processed foods, using antibiotics, and living in aseptic environments can harm the gut microbiome.
• 🔄 It is possible to restore a damaged gut microbiome, but it may require time, effort, and sometimes supplementation.
• 💊 Targeted supplementation can help improve gut health, but it should be based on individual needs and not involve excessive use of different supplements.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the speaker's life and work?

The speaker has dedicated their life to studying the gut and the gut microbiome, and they have even started a company to address issues related to gut health.

How is gut health related to athletic performance?

Gut health is intimately related to athletic performance as it can increase performance, decrease sickness, and improve recovery time.

What is the gut microbiome and why is diversity within it important?

The gut microbiome consists of trillions of microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, viruses, and cells that live from the mouth to the colon. Diversity is important because it contributes to long-term health, including energy levels, frequency of sickness, mental clarity, and emotional well-being.

What are some potential health issues related to an unhealthy gut?

An unhealthy gut has been linked to autoimmune conditions, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's, and emotional issues such as anxiety and depression.

What is the significance of the phrase 'you are what you eat' in the context of this talk?

The phrase 'you are what you eat' is used to emphasize that eating poorly can prevent the absorption of necessary nutrients and alter the gut's composition, affecting its ability to digest food and create necessary nutrients.

What is tryptophan and why is it important?

Tryptophan is an amino acid found in foods like turkey, eggs, and chia seeds. It's important because the body converts it into serotonin, which contributes to happiness, and melatonin, which helps with sleep.

How does the consumption of tyrosine affect the body?

Tyrosine, found in foods like almonds, lentils, and seeds, is converted into important compounds like dopamine, which motivates action, and epinephrine (adrenaline), which is involved in the fight-or-flight response.

What is indole-3 lactic acid and why is it significant for gut health?

Indole-3 lactic acid is found in fermented foods and is significant because certain gut bacteria convert it into indole丙酸, a potent antioxidant that helps protect against cell damage caused by free radicals.

How can an unhealthy diet affect the gut microbiome?

An unhealthy diet high in fat can lead to an imbalance in gut bacteria, with certain types out-competing others due to a lack of diversity in the foods consumed.

What are some factors that can damage the gut microbiome?

Factors that can damage the gut microbiome include consumption of unhealthy foods, use of antibiotics, stress, and living in an overly sanitized environment.

What are some strategies the speaker suggests to improve gut health?

The speaker suggests improving gut health through dietary changes, stress management techniques, regular exercise, and targeted supplementation when necessary.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 The Gut Microbiome: Our Internal Ecosystem

The speaker, a biochemist and entrepreneur, emphasizes the importance of the gut microbiome for overall health. They discuss the gut's role in energy, sickness resistance, mental clarity, and emotional well-being, drawing connections to conditions like autoimmune diseases, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and mental health issues. The speaker highlights the impact of diet on gut health, explaining how certain nutrients like tryptophan, tyrosine, and indole-3 lactic acids are essential for producing mood-regulating and health-sustaining molecules. The talk underscores the significance of a diverse gut microbiome for proper digestion and nutrient absorption.

05:02

🍽️ Diet and Lifestyle: Shaping Your Microbiome

This section delves into how dietary choices can influence the gut microbiome's composition. The speaker warns against a diet high in fats, which can lead to an imbalance in gut bacteria, potentially causing health issues. They explain that a healthy microbiome requires a variety of bacteria to process different types of food effectively. The speaker also touches on how external factors like antibiotics, stress, and a lack of exposure to diverse bacteria can negatively impact the microbiome. The paragraph concludes with the idea that despite these challenges, it's possible to restore and maintain a healthy gut environment.

10:02

💪 Improving Gut Health: Strategies for a Healthier You

The final paragraph focuses on practical steps to improve gut health. The speaker suggests dietary changes, stress management through mindfulness and exercise, and targeted supplementation as ways to enhance the gut's functionality. They introduce the concept of 'internal fitness' and the role of their company in measuring and improving the gut's functional state. The speaker concludes with a call to action, encouraging listeners to pay attention to their gut's signals for clues about their health and well-being.

Keywords

💡Gut microbiome

The gut microbiome refers to the complex ecosystem of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microbes, that live in the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the colon. In the video, the importance of a healthy gut microbiome is emphasized as it is linked to overall health, including energy levels, immune function, and mental clarity. A diverse gut microbiome is crucial for the proper digestion of food and the production of essential nutrients.

💡Tryptophan

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that the body cannot produce on its own and must be obtained through diet. It is found in foods like turkey, eggs, and chia seeds. In the video, tryptophan is highlighted for its role in the production of serotonin and melatonin, which are crucial for mood regulation and sleep, respectively. The script mentions that a lack of tryptophan can lead to decreased happiness and sleep disturbances.

💡Serotonin

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that contributes to feelings of well-being and happiness. It is synthesized from tryptophan in the body. The video explains that adequate levels of serotonin are vital for emotional health, and a deficiency can result in mood disorders such as depression.

💡Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. It is also derived from tryptophan and plays a critical role in the sleep process. The video script uses melatonin to illustrate how dietary intake can directly impact sleep quality and overall health.

💡Tyrosine

Tyrosine is another amino acid that is converted into important neurotransmitters like dopamine and epinephrine. The video discusses how tyrosine, found in foods such as almonds, lentils, and seeds, is essential for motivation and the body's fight-or-flight response.

💡Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with reward, motivation, and movement. The video emphasizes the role of dopamine in driving initiative and action, suggesting that a deficiency could lead to a lack of motivation and reduced response to challenges.

💡Indole-3 lactic acids (ILA)

Indole-3 lactic acids are compounds found in fermented foods like pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi. The video explains that certain gut bacteria convert ILA into indole propionic acid (IPA), a potent antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals and protect cells from damage, thus contributing to longevity and health.

💡Antioxidants

Antioxidants are substances that counteract the harmful effects of free radicals in the body. The video discusses how antioxidants, like IPA, are essential for breaking down free radicals that can damage cells and DNA, potentially leading to diseases such as cancer.

💡Diversity

Diversity, in the context of the gut microbiome, refers to the variety of different bacterial species present. The video stresses that a diverse gut microbiome is healthier as it can better process different types of food and produce a wider range of essential compounds. A lack of diversity can lead to an imbalance and potential health issues.

💡Stress

Stress is discussed in the video as a factor that can negatively impact the gut microbiome. It is noted that the central nervous system and the gut are intimately connected, and stress can lead to an imbalance in the gut, potentially causing digestive issues and other health problems.

💡Supplementation

Supplementation refers to the use of dietary supplements to provide nutrients that may be lacking in one's diet. The video suggests that targeted supplementation can be a strategy to improve gut health, but it should be done judiciously and with consideration of individual needs.

Highlights

The gut microbiome is crucial for long-term health, affecting energy, immunity, mental clarity, and emotional well-being.

A healthy gut can prevent autoimmune conditions, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, and emotional issues like anxiety and depression.

The saying 'you are what you eat' is scientifically accurate, as diet directly impacts gut health and overall well-being.

Tryptophan, found in turkey, eggs, and chia seeds, is converted into serotonin for happiness and melatonin for sleep.

Tyrosine, present in almonds, lentils, and seeds, is converted into dopamine for motivation and epinephrine for the fight-or-flight response.

Indole-3 lactic acids from fermented foods are converted into IPA, a potent antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals and promotes health.

A diverse gut microbiome is essential for the conversion processes that produce vital health molecules.

An unhealthy diet can skew the balance of gut bacteria, leading to a less diverse and unhealthy gut.

It is possible, though challenging, to reverse an unhealthy gut microbiome through diet and lifestyle changes.

Stress has a detrimental impact on the gut microbiome, with the brain and gut being intimately connected.

Modern aseptic living decreases gut bacteria diversity, potentially linking to diseases like autism and ADHD.

Improving gut health involves changing diet, managing stress, exercising, and possibly targeted supplementation.

The speaker's company measures the functional state of the gut and creates interventions to improve it, termed 'improving your internal fitness'.

Incorporating mindfulness, meditation, and breathing exercises can help manage stress and improve gut health.

Regular exercise, such as a daily walk, promotes regularity, mitigates stress, and supports the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.

Targeted supplementation should be considered when certain nutrients are lacking and cannot be sufficiently obtained through diet alone.

Listening to your gut can provide insights into lethargy or frequent illnesses, indicating the need for improved gut health.

Transcripts

[Music]

so I am here today to talk to you about

the importance of listening to your gut

brief hello I'm a 38 year old

entrepreneur biochemist went to MIT bu

School of Medicine and I have decided to

dedicate my life to studying the gut and

the gut microbiome six years ago I even

started a company to address this issue

and I'm a routine contributor some of

the publications that you see here as a

specialist in gut health I've been

really fortunate over the last few years

to have worked with professional

athletes and professional athletic teams

to try to improve their gut health

because it's so intimately related to

things like increasing performance

decreasing sickness and improving

recovery time so why am I here today

well I'm here to talk to you about what

I think is the most important organ and

that is the gut microbiome so for those

of you who don't know what the gut

microbiome is it's everything from your

mouth to your colon from entry to exit

all the bits in between so your stomach

your small intestine your large

intestine and all of the little critters

that live in there so bacteria fungi

viruses and cells there are trillions of

these little critters that are living in

there and we'll talk about this a little

bit more later but diversity is so

important in the gut so why is it

important to have a healthy gut well

it's really important for long-term

health so if you have a healthy gut

you're gonna feel more energetic you're

gonna get sick less often you're gonna

have better mental clarity and

ultimately have better emotional

well-being versus if you don't have a

healthy gut a lot of research is showing

that this is related to things like

autoimmune conditions diabetes

neurodegenerative disorders like

Alzheimer's and even emotional issues

like anxiety and depression so our theme

for today is you are what you eat so

you're probably sitting there thinking

yeah you know as a kid

my parents always used to tell me you

are what you eat as they tried to foist

broccoli off on me or if you were really

really lucky Brussels sprouts and other

things like that but the reality is

they're actually right

eating poorly can do really two things

so the first one it can prevent you from

getting the nutrients that you need to

stay healthy and second it can actually

damage and change the entire composition

of your gut which will render it unable

to digest things properly and create the

nutrients that you need to function so

today we're gonna look at three

molecules that you get from dietary

intake you have to eat these things so

the first is something called tryptophan

you've probably heard of this

Thanksgiving comes everybody talks about

the tryptophan induced coma that happens

after you have your food it's found in

Turkey but it's also found in things

like eggs and chia seeds so your body

takes tryptophan and converts it into a

lot of other really important molecules

two of which we're gonna talk about

today so one called serotonin serotonin

is something that makes you happy super

important and something called melatonin

which actually helps you to sleep so

imagine if you don't have any tryptophan

or you're not consuming enough

tryptophan well no matter how many roses

or diamonds or chocolates your

significant other brings you it's just

not gonna make you happy and that's kind

of sad also you won't be able to sleep

so you won't be able to count sheep at

night another example is a compound

called tyrosine so tyrosine another

amino acid is found in foods like

almonds but it's also found in lentils

and seeds and edamame tyrosine is

converted to a variety of really

important things as well so we'll talk

about dopamine dopamine is a compound

that you may have heard of and it's

essentially it motivates you to do stuff

so it's this initiative oriented

behavior that it helps to propel an

epinephrine which is also known as

adrenaline the fight-or-flight molecule

which is really helpful when you're up

on this stage so you know imagine if you

don't have these things what would

happen well here's what would happen one

you'd be drooling on your couch

or worse yet if you were being chased by

a mountain lion which I'm sure you know

who knows may happen at some point in

everybody's life the emoji being you

know huh

you don't want this to happen right you

need a body to respond to these types of

situations third we're gonna talk about

something called indole-3 lactic acids

so it's really important found in

fermented foods things like pickles

sauerkraut kimchi kefir ila is super

important because your body takes it in

and there's certain bacteria in the guts

that actually convert the ILA into

something called IPA

indle Pro prion ik acid that into

appropriate ik acid is actually one of

the strongest antioxidants in the body

and again you guys might have heard of

what you know this word antioxidant but

I'll explain what it does so in your

body you have a variety of different

chemical processes that happen and they

many of them create things called free

radicals these are bad they're reactive

species that go and damage your cells

they damage DNA and then ultimately can

lead to things like cancer so these

antioxidants come in and actually break

down your free radicals keeping you

healthy longer IPA very important so

clearly eating certain types of foods is

really necessary to keep you healthy but

it's not sufficient a healthy microbiome

is needed to be able to execute these

conversion processes that we're talking

about to take things in to digest them

and to spit out other molecules that are

really important to your health so let's

talk a little bit about what makes a

healthy microbiome so I've tried to

simplify this a bit but essentially each

emoji is a type of bacteria you have

different ones right so you've got some

that digest veggies some that digest

meats and breads and oils and your gut

is populated by many many different

types of things so in a healthy gut you

have very diverse species in there now

let's say you decide that you are just

going to eat foods that are really high

in fat things like hotdogs and ice cream

and and pizza

although Pizza sounds really good right

now if you train your systems to do this

your guts going to start

using more and more of the type of

bacteria that are used to seeing the

kinds of foods that you eat and

eventually you're going to skew the

ratios those bacteria are going to

out-compete the other types that are

there because they're just not being

used and then you'll end up with a

situation where you can have a very

unhealthy not diverse set of bacteria in

your gut now you might ask can you

reverse that yes but it often takes a

lot of time and energy to do sometimes

you actually can't sometimes you just

you know once those bacteria are gone

it's really tough to bring them back so

what's really interesting is the body

tries to actually generate the right

building blocks even if you've damaged

your gut so again on the bottom right

hand side you can see there's a

silhouette you can see the little emojis

down at the bottom they've taken in food

but you don't have a diverse set of

bacteria in there they've taken in your

food and they're trying to create these

compounds to keep you healthy but

there's just not enough of them they're

not working the right way whereas on the

other side you've got a silhouette where

the person has lots of diversity lots of

different bacteria emojis and they're

being able to take in the food digest it

and spit out many things that are really

important to keep you healthy now here's

the sad part many of the things that we

do in our life are in fact completely

lethal to the microbiome I love chips

sadly you don't find a lot of healthy

stuff in most chips you're not gonna

find tiresome tryptophan or ILA here

antibiotics medicines helpful but they

kill bacteria and they don't just kill

bad bacteria they kill all bacteria and

so oftentimes after you've gone through

a course of antibiotics you kill off

your microbiome sometimes it never

rebuilds properly again stress you know

you hear this stress kills kills thing

stress is bad we could have a whole 30

minute talk on the impact of stress on

the microbiome stress is in fact

extremely bad for the microbiome your

central nervous system your brain is

intimately connected

to your gun the two talk back and forth

to each other think about it when you're

stressed have a headache you feel

terrible you often feel that stress in

your stomach butterflies in your stomach

anxiety sometimes you have to go to the

bathroom more it's the to talk to each

other all the time they're intimately

connected and so the more stressed you

are the more likely it is that you will

damage your microbiome and then lastly

you know we live in a very aseptic

society and this is bad

decreases the diversity of bacteria in

the gut one of my favorite examples is

you know back many years ago kids would

play in the dirt and they'd be exposed

to all kinds of different things now

kids come inside they watch TV they play

on their phones and a lot of diseases

are actually being connected to the lack

of diversity in the gut things like

autism ADHD so super important to get

outside so what can we do about this

well the good news is not all is lost

it is possible to improve your gut and

this is one of the things that I get to

do every day and I'm so fortunate in my

job my company actually is trying to

measure the functional state of the gut

define what that is and then to create

interventions to improve it we call this

improving your internal fitness so what

are some simple things that you can do

to help improve your gut well one we've

talked about changing your diet two

we've talked about stress management

techniques incorporating mindfulness

meditation breathing exercises to

minimize your stress or exercise is

great fifteen twenty minutes of walking

a day can help to you know keep you

regular it can you know we talked about

that in front of the group that's what

we do it can help to you know mitigate

your stress and it can actually help to

promote the growth of certain types of

bacteria and then lastly targeted

supplementation

I'm not saying to take lots of different

supplements I'm saying if there's

certain things that your body needs you

might actually take a supplement yeah

sometimes there's a lot of fish that you

have to eat in order to get the

equivalency of one pill but make sure

it's what you need so the next time that

you're lying on the couch feeling

lethargic and not sure why or you're

sick

the fifth time in a year listen to your

gut thank you

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]