Is Your Diet Wrecking Your Gut Health & Weight Loss? | Ask Dr. Gundry

Summary

The video script discusses the critical role of the human microbiome, which is home to trillions of bacteria essential for our health. It highlights how broad-spectrum antibiotics and agricultural practices have disrupted this delicate ecosystem, leading to unforeseen health consequences. The speaker also explores the connection between the microbiome and hormones, the influence of 'obesogenic' versus 'lean' bacteria on weight, and the role of postbiotics in controlling eating behavior. The script emphasizes the importance of understanding and preserving our microbiome for overall well-being.

Takeaways

• 🌿 The human microbiome, a diverse ecosystem of 100 trillion bacteria with 10,000 species, is crucial for our health but was only fully recognized after the Human Microbiome Project in 2017.
• 💊 The introduction of broad-spectrum antibiotics in the 1970s was revolutionary for treating infections but had the unintended consequence of disrupting the microbiome, which was unknown at the time.
• 🐷 The routine use of antibiotics in agriculture to promote faster growth in animals has led to the consumption of antibiotic residues, further impacting our microbiome.
• 🌱 Glyphosate, originally an antibiotic, is now a common herbicide that also negatively affects our gut microbiome when consumed through conventional crops.
• 🛡️ The microbiome plays a critical role in educating our immune system about potential threats and has evolved to protect us from harmful plant compounds.
• 🍽️ Certain bacteria in our microbiome help us digest and neutralize substances like gluten and oxalates, which can cause issues when the microbiome is disrupted.
• 🤰 Hormonal balance, including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, is influenced by and can be produced by the gut microbiome, affecting postmenopausal women and others.
• 🔄 There is a reciprocal relationship between hormones and the microbiome, with each influencing the other in complex ways.
• 🐹 The existence of both obesogenic and lean microbiomes influences weight gain and metabolism, with studies showing that gut bacteria can affect body weight in animals.
• 🍚 Bacteria can send 'text messages' or chemical signals to the brain indicating cravings for specific types of food, potentially leading to overconsumption.
• 🌾 Prebiotic fiber, a favorite food for beneficial gut bacteria, can satiate hunger by sending signals to the brain that the body's needs are met, reducing the desire to eat.

Q & A

What is the 'tropical rainforest' metaphor referring to in the context of the human body?

The 'tropical rainforest' metaphor is used to describe the diverse ecosystem of the human microbiome, which is home to trillions of bacteria living in and on our bodies, particularly in the mouth and gut.

When was the human microbiome project completed, and what was its significance?

The human microbiome project was completed in 2017. It was significant because it revealed the existence and roles of various bacteria within the human body that were previously unknown.

How do the bacteria in our microbiome affect our body systems?

The bacteria in our microbiome produce messages that help regulate our body systems, including hormonal systems, ensuring they function properly.

What was the impact of broad-spectrum antibiotics on the human microbiome?

Broad-spectrum antibiotics, introduced in the mid-1970s, had the unintended consequence of killing off the beneficial bacteria in our microbiome, disrupting the delicate balance of this 'tropical rainforest' within us.

How did the use of antibiotics in agriculture affect human health?

The routine use of antibiotics in agriculture to promote faster growth in animals resulted in the presence of these antibiotics in their flesh. When humans consume these animals, it contributes to the destruction of our microbiome.

What is the connection between Roundup and the human microbiome?

Roundup, originally patented as an antibiotic, is a weed killer that is also effective at killing off the gut microbiome. It is sprayed on both genetically modified and conventional crops, which we consume and can negatively impact our microbiome.

How do our gut bacteria influence our immune system?

Gut bacteria have evolved over millions of years to educate our immune system about what to be concerned about and what to ignore, playing a crucial role in immune system regulation.

What is the role of gut bacteria in protecting us from harmful plant compounds?

Some gut bacteria have evolved to consume and protect us from harmful plant compounds, such as gluten and oxalates, which can cause issues in individuals with a disrupted microbiome.

How do gut bacteria relate to hormone production and regulation?

Gut bacteria are involved in the production and modulation of hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, which can have significant impacts on health and well-being.

What is the concept of an 'obesogenic microbiome' versus a 'lean microbiome'?

An 'obesogenic microbiome' consists of bacteria that efficiently extract and absorb calories from food, contributing to weight gain. In contrast, a 'lean microbiome' contains bacteria that consume excess calories themselves, promoting a leaner body composition.

How do gut bacteria influence our eating behavior?

Gut bacteria can send chemical signals, or 'text messages,' to the brain indicating their hunger for specific types of food, such as simple sugars, carbohydrates, or fats. This can influence our cravings and eating behaviors.

What is the 'gut-centric theory of hunger' and how does it relate to gut bacteria?

The 'gut-centric theory of hunger' suggests that having a healthy, lean microbiome can send signals to the brain indicating satisfaction with the intake of prebiotic fiber, reducing hunger and the drive to seek out additional food.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 The Impact of Antibiotics and Herbicides on the Human Microbiome

This paragraph discusses the critical role of our microbiome, which is composed of trillions of bacteria that coexist with us, contributing to our overall health. The human microbiome project, completed in 2017, shed light on the diversity and importance of these bacteria, which were previously unknown. The speaker reflects on the introduction of broad-spectrum antibiotics in the 1970s, which, while life-saving, had the unintended consequence of disrupting this delicate ecosystem within our bodies. Additionally, the widespread use of antibiotics in agriculture has led to their presence in our food supply, further impacting our microbiome. The paragraph also touches on the use of glyphosate, originally an antibiotic, as a weed killer, which has been shown to negatively affect our gut bacteria. The speaker emphasizes the symbiotic relationship between our microbiome and our immune system, and how the loss of certain bacteria can lead to increased susceptibility to health issues.

05:01

🍽️ The Role of Microbiome in Hormone Regulation and Weight Management

The second paragraph delves into the influence of the gut microbiome on hormone production and weight regulation. It explains how the microbiome can produce hormones and even influence levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. The speaker discusses the concept of an 'obesogenic microbiome' versus a 'lean microbiome,' highlighting how certain bacteria can affect our body's ability to absorb and store calories. The paragraph also explores the idea of 'postbiotics,' chemical signals from gut bacteria that can influence our eating behavior by sending messages to the brain, indicating cravings for specific types of food. The speaker mentions a study in China that supports the idea that providing the gut bacteria with their preferred food, prebiotic fiber, can effectively suppress hunger, suggesting a gut-centric theory of hunger that could have implications for weight management and health.

Keywords

💡Seven Deadly Disruptors

The term 'Seven Deadly Disruptors' refers to seven factors that the speaker discusses as having a negative impact on human health, with a focus on the disruption of the microbiome. It is central to the video's theme as it sets the stage for the discussion on how modern practices and substances can disrupt our internal ecosystems, as illustrated by the speaker's focus on the effects of antibiotics and herbicides on our microbiome.

💡Microbiome

The 'microbiome' is the collection of all the microorganisms living in and on the human body, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. It is integral to the video's narrative as the speaker explains its importance in maintaining our health and how it is being disrupted by modern antibiotics and agricultural practices. The speaker mentions that our bodies should host 100 trillion bacteria with about 10,000 different species, emphasizing the complexity and diversity of this ecosystem.

💡Tropical Rainforest

In the script, 'tropical rainforest' is used metaphorically to describe the diversity and richness of the human microbiome. The analogy is used to illustrate the importance of maintaining a diverse ecosystem within our bodies for optimal health, just as a tropical rainforest is crucial for biodiversity in nature.

💡Broad Spectrum Antibiotics

'Broad Spectrum Antibiotics' are medications that can kill a wide range of bacteria. The speaker discusses how these were initially seen as a medical breakthrough but later realized to have unintended consequences, such as the destruction of beneficial bacteria within our microbiome. The term is key to the video's message about the unforeseen impacts of medical advancements on our health.

💡Antibiotic Resistance

The concept of 'antibiotic resistance' is not explicitly mentioned in the script, but it is implied in the discussion of the widespread use of antibiotics in agriculture and medicine. It refers to the ability of bacteria to grow in the presence of antibiotics that would normally kill them or stop their growth. The speaker's mention of the routine use of antibiotics in agriculture and the overuse in medicine suggests the potential for resistance to develop.

💡Glyphosate

'Glyphosate' is an active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup, which the speaker discusses as having a detrimental effect on the human gut microbiome. The term is central to the video's theme as it highlights another modern chemical that can disrupt our internal ecosystems, contributing to health issues.

💡Desiccant

A 'desiccant' is a substance that is used to remove moisture from the environment. In the context of the script, the speaker explains that glyphosate is used as a desiccant in agriculture to kill plants, making them easier to harvest. This practice is linked to the destruction of the microbiome due to the herbicide's presence on crops.

💡Hormonal Systems

The 'hormonal systems' in the body are responsible for regulating various functions through the secretion of hormones. The speaker mentions that the microbiome plays a role in making these systems work properly, indicating the interconnectedness of our internal ecosystems and our overall health.

💡Obesogenic Microbiome

The 'obesogenic microbiome' refers to a type of gut microbiome that is associated with obesity. The speaker uses this term to explain how certain bacteria can influence our body's ability to store fat and our eating behaviors, contributing to weight gain.

💡Postbiotics

'Postbiotics' are chemical signals or 'text messages' as the speaker describes, produced by bacteria that can influence our brain and eating behavior. The term is used to illustrate the complex communication between our gut bacteria and our brain, affecting our appetite and food preferences.

💡Prebiotic Fiber

'Prebiotic fiber' is a type of dietary fiber that is not digestible by humans but serves as food for beneficial gut bacteria. The speaker mentions it as a key component in maintaining a healthy, lean microbiome and as a factor that can influence our satiety and hunger signals.

Highlights

Human microbiome is a diverse ecosystem with 100 trillion bacteria and 10,000 different species.

The microbiome plays a crucial role in the proper functioning of our body systems, including hormonal systems.

Broad-spectrum antibiotics, introduced in the 1970s, were miraculous for treating infections but had unknown effects on the microbiome.

Antibiotics in agriculture have led to faster and fatter livestock growth, but also contribute to the destruction of the human microbiome.

70% of all antibiotics produced are fed to animals, which affects humans through the consumption of animal products.

Glyphosate, originally an antibiotic, is now a common weed killer that also negatively impacts the gut microbiome.

Glyphosate is sprayed on a wide range of crops, leading to its consumption through the food we eat.

The microbiome has evolved to educate our immune system and protect us from harmful plant compounds.

Certain bacteria in the microbiome can eat gluten and oxalates, which are often problematic in societies with disrupted microbiomes.

The microbiome can modulate hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

Postmenopausal women may still experience hot flashes due to estrogen production by the gut microbiome, not ovaries.

There are obesogenic and lean microbiomes, which can influence body weight and fat distribution.

Bacterial transfer through feces can alter the body weight of animals, demonstrating the power of the microbiome.

Certain bacteria extract and absorb calories more efficiently, contributing to weight gain.

Lean bacteria consume extra calories, preventing weight gain and promoting a lean body type.

Postbiotics are chemical signals from bacteria that influence our eating behavior and food preferences.

The gut-centric theory of hunger suggests that a healthy microbiome can signal satiety, reducing the need for more food.

A study in China demonstrated that prebiotic fiber can significantly reduce hunger, supporting the gut-centric theory of hunger.

Transcripts

well you know I spent most of my time in

writing books talking about the the

seven deadly

disruptors of among other things our

microbiome we're supposed to have 100

trillion different bacteria living in us

living in our mouth living in our gut

and there are probably 10,000 different

species of these bacteria this is

supposed to be a tropical rainforest

it's supposed to be this diverse

ecosystem we didn't even know these guys

existed until the human microbiome

project was finished in 2017 we didn't

know they were there number one number

two we didn't know what these guys

actually did we now know that they make

all these messages that make all our

body systems including our hormonal

systems work properly the other thing we

had no idea I'm old enough to remember

when Broad Spectrum antibiotics were

introduced in the mid 1970s when I was

in medical school they were miraculous

because before then if somebody had an

infection let's say they had pneumonia

Well we'd have to culture a bacteria on

a petri dish hope it would grow and then

we'd have to test it against certain

antibiotics to find out which antibiotic

would kill that particular bacteria when

broad spectrum antibiotics came out we

didn't have to figure out what the bug

was we didn't have to figure out the

antibiotic was we basic Al got a shotgun

out and blasted every last living

bacteria to Smither and that was great

it was miraculous it saved a lot of

lives what we didn't know is that these

broads Spectrum antibiotics yeah solved

the Infectious problem but it killed off

this tropical rainforest within us we

had no idea number one that they were

there number two that we would kill them

too we should have realized and number

three at the same time researchers

figured out that if you gave animals

antibi iotics they would grow faster and

put on much more fat than if you didn't

give them antibiotics so it became a

routine part of Agriculture to give

antibiotics to chickens Beef Pork

whatever to make them grow faster and

fatter and we had no idea that those

antibiotics would be incorporated into

their flesh and we eating their flesh

would every day be eating antibiotics

that would kill off our microbiome

that's just actually one example that we

just didn't know 70% of all the

antibiotics produced in this country are

fed to animals right now and we eat

those animals we can say oh well we we

don't want to take broadspectrum

antibiotics and quite frankly we still

take much to many but more importantly

we're getting it in all the foods we eat

and add to the fact that simultaneous

with all this round up glyos s was

introduced as a weed killer 50 years ago

and most people don't know that Roundup

was actually patented as an antibiotic

it wasn't patented as a wheat killer

most people to this day still don't know

that Roundup is not primarily sprayed on

genetically modified crops it's sprayed

on conventional crops to desiccate the

plant to kill the plant because quite

frankly it's easier harvesting a crop

when the plant is dead because it

doesn't have any water and it's much

more efficient what we didn't know is

that glyphosate is really good at

killing off our gut microbiome and it's

sprayed on conventional wheat

conventional oats conventional rice

soybeans corn you choose the crop and

it's sprayed on it so we've just done an

incredible number on

destroying probably the most important

symbiotic organ within us that up until

a few years ago we didn't even know

existed and we're paying the price so so

getting back to the original question

these organisms number one evolved

through millions and millions of years

to educate our immune system about what

our immune system should be worried

about and not worried about these

organisms evolve to believe it or not

eat and protect us from plant compounds

that might wish us harm Believe It or

Not There are bacteria that eat gluten

there are bacteria that eat oxalates

they're gone most people killed them off

no wonder so many people have issues

with things that traditional societies

don't have issues with because they've

got an intact microbiome we now know

that there's a microbiome that makes

hormones that modulates hormones that

modulates estrogen that modulates

progesterone that even modulates

testosterone and those guys are gone or

they've been altered for instance many

women are shocked who are postmenopausal

they're still having hot flashes lo and

behold we can watch them make or not

make estrogen not from their ovaries but

from their gut microbiome they're

shocked that their 10 years

postmenopause and they make estrogen

think oh no no no that's impossible I

don't make estrogen well yes you do well

where's it coming from you know my ovar

has died a long time ago well it's

coming from you know your fat cells your

microbiome no wonder you've got into

this problem or at least that's

contributing to it interestingly enough

we know that hormones influence the

microbiome and the microbiome influences

hormones but what's fascinating is

there's an

obesogenic microbiome and there's a lean

microbiome this was actually discovered

a number of years ago in animal studies

where mice and rats are great because

mice and rats actually like to eat feet

feces that's their thing some dog owners

may have a dog that enjoys eating feces

so it's actually not unusual

interestingly enough you can take fat

rats who have been bred to be fat and

house them with skinny rats and the

skinny rats will become fat by eating

the feces of the fat rat you can take

human feces the humans are fat and feed

them to skinny rats and the skinny rats

will be become fat by eating the human

species how does that happen well in two

ways number one we know that there are

bacteria that are very efficient at

extracting calories from the food we eat

and then literally feeding it to us in

other words they make the calories more

absorbable on the contrary there are

lean bacteria that actually keep all

those extra calories for themselves

to make more of themselves and the

beauty of that is they're going gim me

givme giv me I'm going to eat it I'm

going to make more of myself and will

just poop out all those extra calories

now there's a third thing we've learned

and that is there's a control of our

eating Behavior by bacteria and these

are compounds these are chemical signals

we call them postbiotics I like people

to think of them them is text messages

that bacteria can make that go up to the

brain and say hey I'm hungry but I'm

hungry for specific things I'm hungry

for simple sugars for simple

carbohydrates and I'm hungry for fats

particularly saturated fats our brain

says hey we're getting the signal from

the gut that we should be looking for

these sorts of foods if we eat those

certain sorts of foods unfortunately the

gut bacteria say yeah that's exactly

what I'm looking for send some more on

the other hand there's a theory that I

like and I've written about called the

gut Centric theory of hunger that if you

got good bacteria if you've got lean

bacteria those bacteria send messages to

the brain that if you give them what

they want and quite simply that's

Prebiotic fiber soluble fiber that they

go yeah that's exactly what we wanted

eat we're full you don't have to go

looking for any more food and this has

actually been proven in humans in China

they took volunteers and put them on a

two we water fast one group all I got

was water the other group got 100

calories a day of Prebiotic fiber now

what that means is we don't digest

Prebiotic fiber we can't absorb it we

can't turn it into carbohydrates we

can't get to it but the gut bacteria

that's their favorite food the folks who

just had water were really hungry the

folks who got just a 100 calories of

Prebiotic fiber and again they couldn't

absorb it they had no hunger which

literally proves that yeah these text

messages were coming out of the gut from

the gut microbiome saying hey we're

great shape our needs are bet you're

fine you don't have to go find anything

else

[Music]