The microbiome and its connections to diet, soil,
and health.
So I know I may have
touched on this a little before, but I want to start by giving some background
on my health journey and how that led me to become interested in local,
sustainable agriculture. I’ll try to
keep it short.
I struggled with eczema,
an autoimmune skin condition, for most of my life. Despite numerous visits to the dermatologist,
allergist, and pediatrician and countless prescription steroid creams, I was
itchy and uncomfortable a lot of the time.
A little over a year and a
half ago, my older sister sent me some research that connected diet and
eczema. She encouraged me to try a paleo
diet. I was skeptical, and was really unhappy
about having to give up the processed, sugary foods that I loved. But I decided to try it, and the difference
was immediate.
Not only was my eczema
disappearing rapidly, but I also noticed other positive changes in my
health. I had increased energy, less
joint pain, and faster workout recovery.
I slept better, got sick less frequently, and just felt great throughout the day. It was almost as if I hadn’t
fully lived the first seventeen years of my life; like this fog had lifted that
I never knew was even there.
My eczema was better than
I could remember it, but still not gone completely. I knew there must be something more. This is
when I first came across the idea of the microbiome, “leaky gut”, and its connection
with autoimmune (and other) diseases. All
of my free time was immediately channeled to learn ways to restore my
microbiome and heal my gut.
I made it a priority to
find vendors at the farmers market who were strictly sustainable and used
absolutely no pesticides. Knowing that
they were chemical-free, I also stopped washing most of my vegetables and
embraced any bits of soil (and soil bacteria) that were left on them. I began to eat even more fiber in the form of fruits
and vegetables, and especially made a point to eat foods that are probiotic (fermented,
having good bacteria) and prebiotic (things that feed the good bacteria).
I have now been completely
eczema-free for several months, and I feel like a totally different person than I was
two years ago. I’m a firm believer that
the microbiome is the future of medicine, and I will be studying the microbiome
in relation to diet and autoimmunity for my PhD.
Here’s some general info
on the microbiome and it's connection to leaky gut and health status. Even if you don't have time to check out any of the other articles, PLEASE read this one: https://chriskresser.com/9-steps-to-perfect-health-5-heal-your-gut/
So what does this have to
do with sustainable farming? Here are just a few connections that have been on my mind:
Pesticides
and antibiotics perturb the microbiome. Pesticides are harmful to the
microbiota. Antibiotics, particularly broad-spectrum
antibiotics, which are routinely given to conventionally raised farm animals,
make their way into meat, egg, and dairy products. When you consume those products, you are
essentially giving yourself a low-dose of antibiotics. Yet another reason to always buy
organic/sustainable produce.
Working on
a farm gives you a more robust microbiome. One of the reasons
that our microbiomes are so compromised in the first place is that we live in a
world that fears dirt and germs. Studies have found that kids who grow up on farms playing in the dirt have less allergic
disease because they have more robust immune systems: http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/can-farm-life-cut-allergy-risk/
We were
meant to eat soil microbes along with our food. We evolved
eating vegetables dug straight out of the ground, not vegetables that are coated
in chemicals and sterilized. Most people are deficient in species of bacteria
that are found in healthy soil. This is
a great article talking about how we should focus on cultivating healthy soil
ecology in order to ensure our future health.
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/06/healthy-soil-microbes-healthy-people/276710/
Our
microbiomes determine our food cravings. I alluded to this in a previous
class discussion, but I think it’s important.
Our diet determines our microbial composition, and vice versa. If we want to figure out how to reshape our collective
diet to support more sustainable food systems, we have to consider the role the
microbiome has on our brains. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/08/your-gut-bacteria-want-you-to-eat-a-cupcake/378702/
Microbiome
hype might help fuel the food revolution.
The microbiome is a
rapidly expanding field of research and as more and more people understand its
implications on human health, I believe more and more people will choose to buy
real, organic, sustainable food and invest in soil cultivation.
I’m really looking forward to discussing this with everyone on Thursday. I’d
be happy to take the discussion towards personal health, soil ecology, or the
effects on the healthcare system itself, depending on what interests everyone
most. Here’s some questions to ponder,
but feel free to take this anywhere:
Had you heard of the
microbiome before? Are there any other
connections you can draw between the microbiome and sustainable farming?
Was there anything that
really surprised you from the articles?
What implications might
this have for you personally? For the
health care system as a whole? For the food system?
Why don’t doctors warn you
about the detrimental effects on your normal gut flora when you take a course
of antibiotics?
Why is the role of diet
and nutrition in general so downplayed in modern medicine?
Why are so many doctors
not aware of this / not utilizing this knowledge in their medical practice,
particularly with conditions (like autoimmune disease) which supposedly ‘have
no cure’?
I have never heard of the microbiome specifically before, but as I read the articles and Lucy’s posts, I realized that I have heard of its theories, just not with the name attached. To me it seems like a pretty straightforward scientific explanation of the body’s functioning (this coming from a non-science person) with a pretty easy solution, ie to eat the right kinds of food to support and sustain the microbes in our gut. But when I say easy, I recognize that this shift is easier said than done. I was reading some of the comments written on the first article, on the Chris Kesser website, and one person asked why eating has to be so much of a chore now. The foods that these articles are all suggesting are by no means unappealing to me, but I understand where this person is coming from. There are so many choices, and quite often foods that are potentially harmful to our bodies are labeled as just the opposite, something we have talked about in class. Ideally every party involved in the food system would be on the same page about motives and how to promote different diets, but clearly that’s not the case.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you bringing in an up and coming medical perspective on our eating habits, Lucy, and look forward to discussing this further in class.
I had never heard of the microbiome before, but I find this topic really interesting. For a long time I believed that ‘modern’ medicine was the best way to treat medical issues, but over the past couple of years I have become more interested in alternative medicine. It makes a lot of sense to me that diet and nutrition have significant roles in determining health, but so many times doctors don’t focus on their impacts. So I appreciate learning about the microbiome and the impacts it can have on health. It seems to me that similar to how we are so divorced from knowledge of where our food comes from we are also distanced from the knowledge of alternative medicine. It is sad that we have discarded historical knowledge of medicine and healing in our society’s attempt to ‘modernize’ and ‘progress’. In this way, I think that just as small farms have been diminished in value, so has healing and medicine. Therefore, I think that the resurgence of valuing local, organic farming might suggest that alternative medicine and healing will also increase in importance soon.
ReplyDeleteIt is impossible to address food or health without talking about the interconnectedness of our food systems and our health care systems, so thanks for bringing this up! I had never hear of the microbiome before you brought it up in class. I have had similar experiences with a lot of alternative medicine over the years and have been continually amazed by the power that food, acupuncture, and herbal remedies can have on our bodies and emotional and spiritual health. Like Annie, I think it is can be so difficult to find these alternative options and utilize them in a society that is geared towards corporate systems of agriculture and health, so I am inspired by your story Lucy! I think that doctors don't often advocate for alternative medicine, not because they are intentionally out to get us, but because they are often taught that the "modern" way is the right way and that is what they know and are trained in. This of course is a product of the economic and political situation, but I think as we see a shift towards local food and organic agriculture we will also see people to begin to reexamine our health care system to a larger extent.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that we get to talk some more about this because I find microbiomes kind of awesome. I mean, really, AWE-some. I have over 10,000 species of bacteria in my gut? What?! How did that happen? And they influence who I am, how I feel, and what I want for dinner? I mean, it makes sense, but it's also kind of mind-boggling.
ReplyDeleteOne scary idea that I hadn't considered before from the first Atlantic article (which is great, by the way--thanks for sharing that) is that we may be causing species of microbes essential to our health to go extinct. That's not good! That seems to me to be another case of us destroying or disrupting things before we fully understand them. One of my general farming principles--don't kill it before you know what it is and what it's doing.
Life is so amazingly intricate and inter-connected and I feel like with as much as we know (and we do know a lot), our understanding still barely scratches the surface of what's going on on this planet. That's what I love about farming and gardening--I get to watch this intricate dance of life play out and to play with it and to try to learn from it. But as much as I learn, there is always more mystery to uncover. It seems like we have a lot to learn about the microbial realm and its importance in our lives. I wonder how much most doctors know--are they perhaps not addressing diet, nutrition, and the effects of the microbiome on people's health because med schools aren't emphasizing these things? And if that's the case, why not?
I'm encouraged by the increasing conversations I'm hearing in sustainable agriculture circles about restoring the biological health of the soil. Most farmers I know are trying to do this through cultivation practices that support diverse microbial populations and through on-farm nutrient cycling. I'm less enthusiastic about biological products from corporations such as Pioneer and Syngenta that farmers must purchase and apply to their fields annually, especially since its products and farming practices promoted by these corporations that depleted our soil microbiomes in the first place. That seems awfully convenient--I'll sell you a product that destroys the life of your soil, then I'll sell you a product to restore it. Perhaps some parallels there with the pharmaceutical industry?
Lucy, I have really been looking forward to your blog comment and discussion day. As you know, in the last twenty days I have completely cut out processed foods (including sugars), and dairy from my diet. I have also continued to drink kombucha. I’ve talked to you about my GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) symptoms subsiding, but I haven’t mentioned my mood. Depression runs in my family and between my father, my brother, and myself, it seems like at least one of us is always experiencing severe depression. By changing my diet and drinking kombucha more regularly I have been feeling much happier overall. I have more energy and I spend less time sleeping. So I have started experiencing firsthand what you are expressing in your post here.
ReplyDeleteThis is incredibly important to me and I hope that you take some time in the discussion to focus on health because I have seen how diet affects everything. Thank you so much for writing this post. I look forward to the discussion!
Lucy I think that you have a unique way of considering the way agriculture is being produced in this country! I think that anyway that we connect to the more sustainable agricultural systems and direct connections with the people growing our food is incredibly important. The article that you posted is interesting, admittedly I know very little about this topic. I hope that you can clarify further in class.
ReplyDeleteThat being said I've always been somewhat skeptical of diets that seem to trend in and out of popularity, although paleo does seem like it has a large range of supporters! I think one of the things that I come up in resistance against is the word toxins which is mentioned in the article as something that we need to reduce our consumption of. The word toxin is thrown around a lot and I think often people don't fully understand what it means. Maybe you can help me better understand what is being referred to by the word toxin? The link provided in the article describes toxins in this way: "a toxin is something capable of causing disease or damaging tissue when it enters the body", but I think from a biological standpoint I would not have considered wheat to be a toxin. Synthetic agricultural products such as pesticides and fertilizers I think more to be toxic in that they are persistent organic pollutants. But like the article states, I guess I fall more into the popular opinion about toxins. Additionally, grains are something that people have subsisted on for thousands of years, but gluten intolerance seems to be more of a recent development.
Thinking about my time in Thailand I'm considering how many Thais have eaten the same diet that has been present in their villages since their creation; rice, pork, chilies, fish, lemongrass etc... Although we were only there for a short time, I never encountered anyone with a dietary restriction to the same magnitude as they exist in the United States. Are paleo and other diets (including being a vegetarian) a luxury that we can only follow due to privilege? Are food allergies a privilege?
Anyway, I'm looking forward to talking about this more in class and maybe you can help me clear up my skepticisms!
Lucy, thank you so much for bringing this topic into conversation. I always found your comments and tidbits in past classes enlightening so I was really excited to delve deeper and better understand the transition from your past to current relationship with food. I had definitely heard the word ‘microbiome’ tossed around in conversations, but I don’t think that I ever fully grasped its complete concept.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in an extremely medical family, I have been taught to accept modern medicine as the best medicine. However, after taking various classes at K, like Health Psychology, I have grown to realize the value and importance in the history of alternative medicine in comparison to modern medicine. Specifically, I strongly agreed with your point that ‘we were meant to eat soil microns along with our food.’ In this day in age, I think people are so terrified of bacteria that they will go to extreme methods to completely eradicate it. Our society doesn’t realize that there are a lot of benefits that come with good bacteria found in healthy soil. We can see this in other aspects of our lives too. For example, more and more studies have shown that hand sanitizer can often be more harmful than beneficial, as overexposure to antibiotics can lead to bacterial resistance.
I’m really looking forward to discussing this more in class—particularly about the “leaky gut” microbiome.
This is a very interesting topic that I feel could really impact my life once I learn more and take action. For years I have been affected by acid reflux and lately I have been trying to listen to my body more about how different foods work for me. Pizza and chocolate are two foods that definitely upset my stomach. Kombucha is something that makes my stomach feel great. It also helps me when I drink it along with a meal, making digestion much more comfortable overall.
ReplyDeleteI am fascinated by the links you posted, because while I have made some progress by simply listening to my body, there is research being done that I can tune in to so I can instantly see mistakes I've been making. I'm willing to bet that I've had some leaky gut problems going on! I'm very interested in taking the steps to heal my gut.
I think that the role of diet and nutrition is downplayed in modern medicine simply because the system seems to be more about treatment than prevention. Plus is everyone ate clean healthy food and our guts were happy, I'm sure there'd be less demand for pills and big pharma wouldn't be too happy about that.
While I was aware of gut health stuff before this post, I had never heard the word microbiome until you said it in class a few weeks back. Ever since then I have been interested and wondering when you would be leading discussion, because I really want to learn more about this.
Wow! Thanks for sharing this Lucy. I didn't really know anything about the microbiome before this post (aside from what you have mentioned in class) This all make so much sense to me. I think generally there is a huge disconnect between farming practices and health and I think the microbiome draws a very important link!
ReplyDeleteI feel very inspired after this post to not only do better for the earth and for society, but for my own body. Your experience is really making me think about my own health. I definitely have stomach issues. Almost everything I eat makes my stomach feel some kind of strange. I think I have almost become numb to the feeling. It ihappens so often it's like I don't even realize it anymore. I think it would be totaly worth while to heal my microbiome. It seems like it might be at the root of my stomach problems.
One thing I think I would struggle with is the social/cultural/traditional element to food. I love food so much, and I love sharing it with others. I love going out to eat, dinner parties, holiday meals ect and I think I would be sad if I couldn't particpate in those things. Is it possible to maintain a healthy biodiome without having such a strict diet? Does it completely throw off your biodome if you have one beer or eat one waffle? I think I would like to start maintaining a healthier bidome, but I think I am discouraged because I don't think I could follow a strict diet. I think it would effect my emotional health too much. Wow I realize I sound like I have a love affair with food... but I kind of do. I would love to talk more about this in class!
I most certainly agree that there is a connection between good gut health and a more natural diet. The questions you pose about why doctors do not mention diet and microbial health in association with autoimmune diseases are great ones. I think it stems from our societies obsession with cleanliness and associating dirt with illness. This sterilization has definitely penetrated into our food system. The over prescription of antibiotics likely contributes to decreased gut microfloua diversity. I would say that modern doctors would be apprehensive to prescribe alternative diets because they may be unaware of their patient’s access to healthier food options. It would be great if we had healthier food options at fair prices so ultimately everyone could save money on medical bills.
ReplyDeleteOne connection I am thinking of between farming and ecosystems and our bodies and the microbiome is the bacteria's role in the ecosystem and the bacteria's role in our gut. In the Ecosystem, bacteria has many very important roles, one being fixing nitrogen. We saw those nodules on the roots of the cloves in like week two or three providing a house for the bacteria, which fix nitrogen making it available for the plant and helping the plant grow and survive. Bacteria in our gut interacts with our body to make hormones such as serotonin available, which makes us happy and energized :) Our body is also one system just like an ecosystem and bacteria plays an equally important role. I am very excited for our discussion tomorrow and to gain more insight from Lucy who has so much knowledge on this subject.
ReplyDeleteIt is so fascinating for me to try to understand the way our bodies digest food at such a micro level. I really appreciate the info you provide here, Lucy (And I really do want to read your SIP!)
ReplyDeleteThere were definitely some surprising points in these articles:
“one of the most important functions of the gut: to prevent foreign substances from entering the body.” I realized that, before I read these articles, I imagined that the gut was really tied up with the stomach and food digestion, not as a vessel to carry food that the body doesn’t want. Fascinating.
“When the intestinal barrier becomes permeable (i.e. “leaky gut syndrome”), large protein molecules escape into the bloodstream. Since these proteins don’t belong outside of the gut, the body mounts an immune response and attacks them. Studies show that these attacks play a role in the development of autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s and type 1 diabetes, among others.” This is a completely different way of understanding disease than I had ever considered.
I wasreally interested in the part of the article about how plants communicate through tiny organisms and bacteria on their roots – “Another study showed that diseased tomato plants also use the underground network of mycorrhizal filaments to warn healthy tomato plants, which then activate their defenses before being attacked themselves.”
This discussion can lead to an understanding that there’s so much we don’t know. It seems that research of the microbiome is starting to show the actual impacts of the chemicals we use on our food in our bodies. I appreciate having more evidence and analysis of how these toxins and chemicals are affecting us, because I tend to just think that the substances are unnatural and harmful without knowing how and why exactly.
For a brief time, I wanted to study nutrition. I’m actually thinking about the idea again after reading some of these articles. When talking about food systems and health, it’s so helpful to have the scientific biological knowledge as well. If I ever do get into studying nutrition, I would love to focus on the microbiome!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I had only briefly heard of the microbiome, as a biology major, I thought this was a very interesting post. I have so many mechanistic questions. How is the dysregulation of the microbiota linked to diseases like type I diabetes? Would proteins that help store or synthesize insulin leak through the permeable gut and become attacked by the body's immune system, thus attacking ones own body after eating a high glucose meal? Or hormone regulators like birth control?
It was interesting that you mentioned the “hygiene hypothesis” because I have heard of it before. Although I did not grow up on a farm, we had chickens and lamas in my neighborhood (community) growing up and I was homeschooled until the sixth grade. I was outside everyday once I finished my work around 11 or 12 until we had to come home for a quick dinner and then we were back in the woods (Hannah can attest to this). It is interesting because recently, as I had to get an epipen, I was given a panel and found out that I am allergic to just about every grass, tree, weed, pollen, and mold there is. Why?
I think that you made a great connection between but bacteria and sustainable farming by suggesting that eating foods grown in the absence of any chemical is the way to go. I think that the role of diet and nutrition is downplayed in modern medicine because how else would few people get rich off everyone being sick? As long as health care insurance is privatized, and large corporations/government are regulating what kinds of food circulate our large grocery stores (as well as many other factors), people will continue to get sick on a regular basis. Modern medicine does not teach this because preventative medicine is not profitable. For example, as many doctors do know that cardiovascular disease is reversible by eating a plant based diet and exercising, cardiac surgeons only make money when they have to perform surgery and insert a catheter into someone who already had a myocardial infarct. The motivation for them to teach and preach preventive medicine and practices is not logical for them. There are many other examples but anyways I am excited for tomorrows discussion.