Common ingredient in processed foods alter gut bacteria

Many processed foods contain an ingredient that might increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and metabolic syndrome, new study suggests.

68. And when you (Muhammad ) see those who engage in a false conversation about Our Verses (of the Qur'an) by mocking at them, stay away from them till they turn to another topic. And if Shaitan (Satan) causes you to forget, then after the remembrance sit not you in the company of those people who are the Zalimun(polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.).

70. And leave alone those who take their religion as play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world. But remind (them) with it (the Qur'an) lest a person be given up to destruction for that which he has earned, when he will find for himself no protector or intercessor besides Allah, and even if he offers every ransom, it will not be accepted from him. Such are they who are given up to destruction because of that which they have earned. For them will be a drink of boiling water and a painful torment because they used to disbelieve.

71. Say (O Muhammad ): "Shall we invoke others besides Allah (false deities), that can do us neither good nor harm, and shall we turn on our heels after Allah has guided us (to true Monotheism)? - like one whom theShayatin (devils) have made to go astray, confused (wandering) through the earth, his companions calling him to guidance (saying): 'Come to us.' " Say: "Verily, Allah's Guidance is the only guidance, and we have been commanded to submit (ourselves) to the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists);

72. And to perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat)", and to be obedient to Allah and fear Him, and it is He to Whom you shall be gathered. 6. Surah Al-An'am (The Cattle)

Emulsifiers, a common ingredient in foods, improve the food texture and prolong its shelf-life. Experiments on mice, however, showed that emulsifiers contribute to modifications in bacteria population in digestive tract.

The effect of altered bacteria population leads to the development of IBD and metabolic syndrome, researchers announced.

IBD affects millions of people worldwide, and has severe and frequently debilitating symptoms, according to researchers. Included in the IBD family are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions related to obesity, leading to diabetes, as well as heart and liver diseases.

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“A key feature of these modern plagues is alteration of the gut microbiota in a manner that promotes inflammation,” study co-leader Andrew Gewirtz, from the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University, said in a university news release.

However, the study was conducted on mice, and results in mice do not always transfer to humans. It is important to understand this study was never meant to determine whether emulsifiers are harmful to humans.

“We do not disagree with the commonly held assumption that overeating is a central cause of obesity and metabolic syndrome,” Gewirtz said. “Rather, our findings reinforce the concept suggested by earlier work that low-grade inflammation resulting from an altered microbiota can be an underlying cause of excess eating.”

 A common ingredient in many processed foods might increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and metabolic syndrome, a new study in mice suggests.

Emulsifiers are used to improve food texture and to extend shelf life. In experiments with mice, researchers found that emulsifiers can alter the make-up of bacteria populations in the digestive tract.

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This can lead to inflammation that may contribute to the development of IBD and metabolic syndrome, the researchers said.

IBD -- which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis -- affects millions of people and is often severe and debilitating, according to the researchers. Metabolic syndrome is a group of obesity-related conditions that can lead todiabetes, as well as heart and/or liver diseases.

But, it's important to note that this study was conducted in mice, and research done in mice doesn't always translate to humans. This study wasn't designed to show whether or not emulsifiers might cause health problems in humans.

The study was published Feb. 25 in the journal Nature.

There have been sharp rises in the rates of IBD and metabolic syndrome since the mid-20th century, the study authors noted.

"A key feature of these modern plagues is alteration of the gut microbiota in a manner that promotes inflammation," study co-leader Andrew Gewirtz, from the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University, said in a university news release.

Study co-leader Benoit Chassaing, also of the Institute for Biomedical Sciences, added, "The dramatic increase in these diseases has occurred despite consistent human genetics, suggesting a pivotal role for an environmental factor."

Chassaing explained that "food interacts intimately with the microbiota [of the digestive tract] so we considered what modern additions to the food supply might possibly make gut bacteria more pro-inflammatory."

The researchers are now designing experiments to determine how emulsifiers affect people.

"We do not disagree with the commonly held assumption that overeating is a central cause of obesity and metabolic syndrome," Gewirtz said. "Rather, our findings reinforce the concept suggested by earlier work that low-grade inflammation resulting from an altered microbiota can be an underlying cause of excess eating."

Typically, gut specialists (gastroenterologists) and the brain docs (psychiatrists) do not function under the premise that their specialties are in any way related.  However, new understandings have emerged which show a wonderfully interwoven, codependent relationship between what goes on in the gut and how well the brain functions.  The relationship is so profound, that I and many practitioners in the integrative, functional medicine community often refer to the famous quote by Hippocrates “all disease begins in the gut” when explaining why the search for the root cause of either a mental or physical ailment should begin there.   

 Let’s explore what these interconnections are between a variety of mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, autism, etc. and gut issues such as imbalanced gut flora, inflammation, poor absorption of nutrients, leaky gut syndrome & food sensitivities.   

The Gut IS the Second Brain:  In the mid 1990’s, I learned from Dr. Michael Gershon, MD (professor of anatomy and cell biology at New York’s Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and author of the bookThe Second Brain) that the greatest  concentration of the mood-stabilizing neurotransmitter Serotonin is located in the gut.  That was my first clue to understanding the idea that if the intestines are not functioning optimally, the brain can’t be expected to do so.  Then Dr. Gershon helped me realize that we actually have two nervous systems: our central nervous system composed of our brain and spinal cord, and the enteric nervous system which is the intrinsic nervous system of the GI tract, and both are created from identical tissue during our fetal development.  If that wasn’t enough to convince me that the gut was truly our “second brain”, once I learned that the Vagus nerve (which runs from the brain stem to the abdomen connecting these two organs) is the primary route our gut bacteria uses to transmit information to the brain, I was sold on just how essential it is to focus on gut health by populating it with good bacterial flora if we are to prevent or help recover individuals from both physical and mental disorders. 

What is Gut Flora? The human GI tract contains trillions of bacteria that actually outnumber the cells that make up our body.  We begin developing populations of these bacteria during our passage through the birth canal and receive more beneficial organisms via breast feeding. Since the gut is the first line of defense against infections and toxins (and 80% of our immune system is located in the gut), the quality and number of good friendly bacteria established during this newborn period lays the foundation for one’s future health.    

If the mother has abnormal vaginal bacteria, the child is born via cesarean or the baby is not breast feed, then left unaddressed, any or all of these circumstances will impact how the child’s immune system functions.  

It is estimated that good friendly bacteria in our gut perform over 30 positive actions in the body including: crowding out bad organisms such as yeast and pathogenic bacteria, supporting immune function, assisting in the absorption of nutrients, protecting against food poisoning,  helping to breakdown & eliminate toxins (including heavy metals), synthesize B vitamins, keeps the integrity of the gut lining strong,  regulates bowel movements and  limits bacteria that produce cancer causing nitrates.  Also, since 80% of the mood- stabilizing neurotransmitter Serotonin is manufactured in the gut, these bacteria are also crucial for our mental health.   

 As long as the organisms in the gut live in harmony….meaning the good ones keep the bad ones in check, we have balance and a healthy gut. ­­­ However, when that delicate balance is disturbed (referred to as dysbiosis) as a result of not having a healthy inoculation from mom’s flora, taking excessive antibiotics (either orally or via antibiotic-treated animals we consume),  stress, consuming excess sugar, and eating processed or pesticide-laden food, our gut health, and therefore our overall health suffers.  Additionally, we now know the main chemical in Roundup (glyphosate, which is used on all genetically engineered food) has especially damaging effects on gut flora.  

 In Dec 2011 a study was published in the Journal of Neurogastrenterology & Motility showing that a type of gut bacteria (Bifidobacterium longum) had been shown to normalize anxiety in mice and in a different study the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnousus lowered the level of the stress hormone coricosteorne resulting in reduced anxiety and depression related behavior.

 In 2013 researchers at UCLA showed that healthy women who consumed a drink with 4 added probiotic strains twice a day for 4 weeks, showed significantly lower brain activity in the neural networks that help drive responses to sensory and emotional behavior.  “The knowledge that signals are sent from the intestine to the brain and that they can be modulated by a dietary change is likely to lead to an expansion of research aimed at finding new strategies to prevent or treat digestive, mental and neurological disorders”, said Dr. Emeran Mayer, a professor of medicine, physiology and psychiatry at UCLA and the study’s senior author.

 You can see from these studies that having a healthy population of good bacteria greatly influences our mental health.  Luckily, repopulating the gut with good bacterial flora is an area we have tremendous control over at any age.   

 Strategies to Increase Good Gut Flora:

 1. Avoid sugar, processed food and most grains.  Result: the nasty organisms in the gut will stop having a “feeding frenzy”, starve & eventually die off.   The ongoing inflammation (caused by the sugar, insulin roller coaster ride) from sugar- laden processed foods and grains will also be reduced which gives the gut a chance to heal.

2. Consume traditionally fermented unpasteurized foods.   Fermented foods are the best source of beneficial bacteria to help reseed the gut.  Choices include: cultured and or fermented vegetables (like homemade sauerkraut), Natto, fermented milk such as kefir and homemade yogurt.

3. If you do not include homemade fermented foods on a regular basis, take a high quality probiotic supplement with at least 10 -20 billion CFUs per capsule.

 Leaky Gut Syndrome Can Lead to Disturbance in the Gut Brain Connection:  An overgrowth of nasty organisms in the gut, infection, toxicity, the overuse of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (such as ibuprofen), food allergies and or stress can lead to a permeable gut membrane or “leaky gut syndrome”.   This condition allows undigested proteins, germs or toxic substances to enter the blood stream.  In addition to taxing the immune system (because it has to mount a defense in the form of antibodies against these foreign substances) this scenario can also trigger allergic reactions and cause pockets of inflammation throughout the body (arthritic symptoms).    In some instances those substances pass through the blood brain barrier, mimic neurotransmitters and interfere with proper communication between the cells in the brain. 

It is estimated that a very high percentage of children with autism have this condition.  When treated with probiotics, lifestyle and dietary changes (such as those recommended by neurologist Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD) using the GAPS (Gut And Psychology Syndrome) diet very positive changes occur in their behavior, speech and focus. The GAPS diet a book written by Dr. McBride involves repairing the gut by using organic whole foods, avoiding grains and sugars, including healthy fats and using potent probiotics especially from fermented food. 

In addition to seeing remarkable changes in children with autism, I’ve worked with many adults  to heal their permeable or leady gut membrane.  Patients frequently state that they have less joint pain, improved energy, less depression and anxiety  and in terms of mental focus they often state they feel “as if a veil has been lifted”. 

Damaged Villi:  Yet, another association between the gut and brain stems from intestinal villi (finger like projections in the lining of intestinal tract).  When these become damaged as a results of inflammation, candida, food allergies or a lack of good friendly bacteria  they can no longer absorb the nutrients (such as Zinc, B6, Magnesium, Tryptophan) that are vital for the formation of neurotransmitters and optimal brain function.  If an individual has damaged villi and therefore lacks the ability to absorb nutrients properly the ramifications are wide ranged and affect both physical and mental health. 

Inflammation:  Studies in recent years have shown that inflammation may be an underlying cause of depression and more specifically that depression is often associated with GI inflammation.   According to one study reprinted on GreenMedInfo.com

   “… [A]n increasing number of clinical studies have shown that treating gastrointestinal inflammations with probiotics, vitamin B, D and omega 3 fatty acids (all anti-inflammatory agents), through attenuating pro-inflammatory stimuli to brain, may also improve depression symptoms and quality of life. All these findings justify an assumption that treating gastrointestinal inflammations may improve the efficacy of the currently used treatment modalities of depression and related diseases.”

What causes inflammation?  In addition to stress and exposure to toxins (both external and internal), a diet rich in processed food and unhealthy trans fats trigger inflammation.   However, if I had to isolate one substance that has the most profound impact on inflammation it would be sugar.    The ingestion of sugar with the subsequent release of insulin instigates an entire cascade of chemical reactions that promote chronic inflammation. 

  

Summary:  In 1985 outpatient sales of antidepressants and antipsychotic medications in the US were approximately $500 million.  In 1988 Prozac, the first of the second generation of psychiatric drugs was introduced and by 2008 the sales of antidepressants and antipsychotic reached $24.2 billion per year.  Total sales of all psychotropic drugs in 2008 topped 40 billion! .  Today, according to the Harvard Health Blog, 1 in 10 Americans take a psychiatric drug on a regular basis.

Let there be no mistake, Anxiety, Autism, OCD, Depression and the like are real and should never be ignored, discounted or left untreated.  

The issue here is, given what we now know regarding the importance of restoring gut health in order to influence and optimize brain health, does it not make sense to include testing and treatment of gut issues as part of a comprehensive approach to treating mental disorders?   I can’t think of a more common sense strategy to include!  I leave you with“The 3 R Approach to Healing the Gut” which is a tip taught to me by Dr. Jeffrey Bland, PhD,  the “father of integrative medicine”. 

First “R”: Remove the offending trigger(s):  This could be sugar, candida, stress, heavy metals such as mercury, parasites, food allergens (such as gluten, soy, dairy etc.), pesticides in general (but specifically Glyphosate contained in Roundup and used on all GE crops) etc. 

Second “R”: Re-inoculate with good bacterial flora via fermented foods (which have the highest concentration of good bacteria) and or take a high quality probiotic with at least 10-20 billion CFU’s per capsule

Third “R”:  Repair   Consume healing anti-inflammatory herbs, fermented and non-allergenic foods and take nutrients that help repair the gut membrane such as Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil (that’s been tested for mercury), curcumin, a good comprehensive multi vitamin with adequate zinc, Vitamin D, glutamine etc.  

A new study indicates that foods genetically modified to tolerate the use of the widely used herbicide glyphosate are changing the bacteria in the guts of those who eat them. The study looked at the impact of glyphosate on the microbes in the stomachs of cows. Researchers found that glyphosate caused dysbiosis, microbial imbalance, which lead to Botulinum Neurotoxin being be produced in the rumens of cows. The study recommended that the “global regulations restrictions for the use of glyphosate should be re-evaluated.”

Read more about GMOs

That is not the only study to link microbial changes to glyphosate. A study on poultry conducted a few years ago found that glyphosate caused dysbiosis which in turn caused certain deadly pathogens to be present including Salmonella. Researchers concluded that “a reduction of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract microbiota by ingestion of glyphosate could disturb the normal gut bacterial community.”

A study published last year found that in the last 10 to 15 years there has been an increase ofClostridium botulinum among cattle in Germany. Normal intestinal microflora are a “critical factor in preventing intestinal colonization of Clostridium botulinum,” the study noted. Researches linked glyphosate to the increased levels of Clostridium botulinum.

The one study on the effects of either glyphosate or GMO foods on human microbes found the transgene epsps, an enzyme in plants, from GMO soy in the small intestine.

Studies on GMO foods have linked them to other problems, including infertility, immune problems, and changes in major organs. One study of mice in particular linked GMO corn to liver and kidney damage. “Our analysis highlights that the kidneys and liver as particularly important on which to focus such research as there was a clear negative impact on the function of these organs in rats consuming GM maize varieties for just 90 days,” the study concluded.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that GMOs are regulated “to help ensure they are safe to eat.” Despite the FDA’s assurances that GMO foods are safe to eat, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) published a position paper in 2009 that advised against eating GMOs. The paper stated that GMO foods “pose a serious health risk.” The AAEM called for a moratorium on GMO foods and for physicians to advise their patients not to eat them

Marc Bomhof would like to amend the old saying, You Are What You Eat, to be more accurate. Perhaps something like: You Are What You and Your Gut Microbiota Eat.

“It's estimated that there's about 100 trillion bacteria living in our digestive tract,” explains Bomhof. “We have about 10 trillion human cells versus 100 trillion bacterial cells and so we're essentially 10 per cent human and 90 per cent bacteria. These things obviously have a very significant effect on our host physiology.”

Bomhof, a PhD candidate in Raylene Reimer’s lab, was recently announced as the winner of a prestigious Killam Pre-Doctoral Scholarship. The Scholarship pays $33,000 for 12 months, along with a research allowance of $3,000. Since Bomhof and his wife Tara had their first son in June, the funding will be particularly welcome in allowing him to stay focused.

“I'm extremely grateful for this funding and deeply honoured by it,” he says. “The financial support is awesome and it allows me to stay really dedicated, and answer the questions that I really want to answer.”

Linking gut bacteria to obesity

Like many researchers in his field, the questions that Bomhof wants to answer revolve around the growing problem of obesity in our society. Bomhof believes obesity rates may be partly due to a change in the bacteria in our gut. Specifically, he believes that what we eat affects the type of bacteria that take up residence.

Our modern, high-sugar, low-fibre, processed way of eating invites the wrong characters, and starves the most beneficial bacteria. “Historically we've had a diet that's been very, very high in complex carbohydrates, and it's estimated our ancestors ate about 100 grams of fibre a day. Now our food environment is almost void of fibre,” says Bomhof.

“We have a lot of processed foods where a lot of the fibre has been removed from the foods and the high-fat, high-sugar diet is thought to really impact that gut microbiota so it's taken on a different profile which has a negative effect on our body, the host metabolism,” he says. “It might be increasing inflammation, it might be increasing energy extraction, it might be changing the various metabolites that are absorbed by the body and that's what's causing the negative effects on the health.”

Feeding the good bacteria

One of the research solutions pursued by Bomhof and the Reimer lab is to "feed" the good bacteria, using prebiotics. Reimer’s lab has been using a specific prebiotic fibre called oligofructose to feed the gut bacteria of overweight subjects in several trials, and so far they’ve seen some interesting results.

“We're looking at the different metabolic changes that are happening at a cellular level with the oligofructose,” he says. “Prebiotic fibre, for whatever reason, really seems to reduce adipose tissue. It might not necessarily decrease weight, but it has an effect on reducing adipose tissue. We're still trying to figure out the mechanism of what's mediating that reduction.”

The hope is that by feeding the good bacteria in our guts using prebiotics we can change our metabolism, kind of a “gut makeover” project, which Bomhof says might be more effective than simply eating live bacteria — probiotics — which don’t seem to have as big an effect.

Bomhof, who also holds an NSERC and an Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions scholarship, became ‘viscerally’ interested in the relationship between diet and health, during his career as a professional cyclist competing with a team based in Toulouse, France.

In a sport plagued with performance-enhancing drug scandals, he became interested in finding an ethical way to maintain a competitive edge that focused on how proper nutrition could be used to fuel the body for optimal health and performance. This interest led him to the Nutrition and Food Science program at the University of Alberta and a dietetics degree.

Driven to relieve the burden of chronic disease

While working as a clinical dietitian at the Sturgeon Community Hospital in St. Albert, Bomhof counseled individuals on the management and prevention of chronic diseases through nutrition, and provided nutrition support services to patients in intensive care, cardiology, nephrology, internal medicine, and gastrointestinal surgery units. He says that this clinical experience gave him a strong appreciation for the impact and burden of chronic diseases like diabetes on his patients and became the motivational force for his research career, which he pursued at the University of Calgary.

Bomhof isn’t naïve, however, and he emphasizes that the lab’s research is only part of the obesity puzzle. “Obesity is a very, very, very complex disease. We know with weight loss that most people can lose weight in the short term but sustaining that weight loss is extremely difficult,” he says. “Now the reason for that is your underlying biology is protecting the set point—your previous weight—and your body is resisting that downwards movement in your body weight.

“It’s always trying to draw it back up through powerful physiological mechanisms. It's not just because of a lack of willpower or being lazy. It’s a fact that it's very, very hard to maintain weight loss. We’re trying to target those underlying physiological reasons — the biological reasons that make it hard to maintain that weight loss.”

Bomhof says that’s where prebiotic fibre comes in. “If we can make it a little bit easier for people to maintain a weight loss by increasing the satiety, by decreasing the feelings of hunger in the brain, then perhaps that can just be one tool in the toolbox for people to utilize to maintain a healthy weight in the long term and fend off different metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.”