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Gut Bacterial Diversity & Immune System Balance w/ Maya Shetreat-Klein MD

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• published: 30 Jan 2016
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Get the show notes: http://bit.ly/1RSplZt Learn about the Dirt Cure: http://amzn.to/1OX41hN Key Discussion Points: 04:26 The Brain is the Top of the Totem Pole: The longstanding approach to the brain is that the central nervous system is an inner sanctum that nothing can penetrate. We are now learning that the brain has its own immune system, which is connected to the rest of the immune system. There is the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system and the enteric nervous system of the gut, which contains enteric neurons. The G.I. tract produces more neurotransmitters than the central nervous system. If there is a problem in the gut, the enteric nervous system communicates that to the central nervous system and we feel it in our brain. Data is building that what happens in the gut is impacting our mood, our cognition, out memory, our anxiety, our stress levels, and our sleep. These are also modulated in part by our immune system. 07:30 Digestive Tract/Immune System and the Brain: Our immune system is heavily influenced by our digestive tract. Dr. Maya sees the immune system as a social entity. It wants to meet and greet. The immune system is an information processing center. When the immune system is not receiving the social interaction that it needs, it starts to get paranoid and may react to things that are not problematic. In response to the perceived threat, the immune system releases chemicals called cytokines. Dr. Maya thinks of cytokines as walkie-talkies, telling immune cells all over the body that there may be a problem. This can activate the immune system in the skin as eczema, or in the lungs as asthma, or in the gut as colitis, IBS, constipation, reflux or diarrhea. There are also immune cells in the brain called microglia, which are more than immune cells. They are more of a nurse cell that outnumbers neurons 3 to 1. They protect the neurons. When microglia receives the signal from cytokines, they go into warrior mode, releasing inflammatory factors which can damage neurons. This can manifest as attention problems of ADHD, seizures, migraines, tics, Tourette’s, or PANDAS. They are all linked to the immune system. 15:20 Gut Bacterial Diversity is the Key to Balancing the Immune System: The hygiene hypothesis, the idea that we are too clean, came from studies that showed that children who were raised on farms were less likely to have asthma, allergies and other allergic syndromes than children who lived in urban environments. People thought that farms are dirtier and must have more bacteria. Testing of bacteria levels showed that bacteria levels were similar. The difference was that on the farm, there was far more bacterial diversity. The immune system is social and likes to have a variety of visitors. Recent data is showing that when people with celiac have more diversity in their gut, their symptoms calm. A study was done on the stools of indigenous people of the amazon. They were not exposed to pesticides and antibiotics, eat natural foods, are born vaginally, and live with dirt and the earth. Their stool had more bacterial diversity than any other documented stool sample. They don’t have these chronic diseases. 35:51The Importance of Phytonutrients: Plants produce phytonutrients in response to stressors, making them more resilient. Our bodies crave phytonutrients. It is what makes food delicious to us. We interact with them on a cellular level, helping our bodies respond to our environment. 38:35 Fecal Microbial Transplantation Therapy: In fecal microbial transplantation, fecal matter from an individual is given to an ill individual via enema or capsule. It is being done in major medical centers for things like untreatable clostridium difficile. Some are using it for treating autism and other digestive tract issues. Man-made products fall short of providing true biodiversity. The problem is with the health and gut of the stool donor. There are not many truly healthy people.