20. The Microbiome Makeover: Secrets to a Healthy Gut

This episode of Walk, Don't Run to the Doctor emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining a healthy microbiome for better health outcomes, disease prevention, and overall well-being. The microbiome, a complex population of microorganisms living in the gut, plays a significant role in protecting against cancer, regulating digestion, and supporting various metabolic and immune functions. A home-cooked diet, particularly a whole food omnivorous diet rich in fiber and fermented foods, helps to cultivate a resilient microbiome. Exercise, scant to moderate alcohol consumption (especially wine), and avoiding sugar, refined flours, and artificial sweeteners further enhance gut health. This episode also warns against overuse of antibiotics and reliance on probiotic supplements, advocating instead for a food-based approach through diet and lifestyle changes.

Key Takeaways:

1. Microbiome's Role in Health: The microbiome impacts everything from cancer prevention to appetite regulation, insulin sensitivity, immune function, and even brain health.
2. Diet and Gut Health: A Mediterranean-style, omnivorous whole food, diet improves microbiome diversity and overall health, reducing risks for conditions like obesity, diabetes, and cancer.
3. Fermented Foods: Incorporating fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and kombucha supports a healthy microbiome and reduces cancer risk.
4. Exercise and Lifestyle: Regular exercise promotes gut health and boosts immunity, while avoiding sugar, artificial sweeteners, and unnecessary antibiotics helps maintain microbiome balance.
5. Natural Approach: The podcast recommends focusing on diet and lifestyle over probiotic or prebiotic supplements to build a resilient microbiome.

For more insights and advice on reducing dependence on medications through lifestyle changes, make sure to subscribe to Walk, Don’t Run to the Doctor.

More references can be found at www.GreatMed.org

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References:

          Zhang, X., et al. (2023). Modulating a prebiotic food source influences inflammation and immune-regulating gut microbes and metabolites: insights form the BE GONE trial. The Lancet, 98:104873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104873

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