Mother Gut

23/02/2025

04/07/2024

🌳Referred to as the "Tree of Life" due to its numerous beneficial properties and the vital role it plays in the ecosystems where it grows.
Some Baobab trees are estimated to be over 6,000 years old, making them one of the longest-living trees on Earth.

💊They produce fruit which here is often found as a powder form by drying and grinding the fruit pulp. It can then be added to smoothies, yoghurt, oats or fruit and is considered a superfood.

✴️🌱 Is it beneficial to gut health? 🌱✴️

🦠A recent paper published only last month by Duysburgh C et al. in journal Nutrients has shown Baobab has prebiotic properties with significant impact on microbial diversity and metabolic activity.

🥣 Not only that Coe, S et al. (2013) also showed that Baobab is a good source of polyphenols. It also significantly reduced glycaemic response I.e. the speed in which sugar enters the blood stream after eating and therefore may have roles in metabolic health.

🌱It contains approximately 50g-60g of fibre per 100g. 30g of this is soluble fibre. Soluble fibre has the ability to bind to cholesterol in the digestive system, preventing its absorption into the bloodstream, reducing the levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, commonly known as "bad" cholesterol. It can also make us feel fuller for longer and help reduce visceral fat.

Here are some examples of foods that are high in fibre content per 100 grams:

1. Chia Seeds: 34.4g
2. Flaxseeds: 27.3g
3. Almonds: 12.5g
4. Split Peas: 8.3g
5. Lentils: 7.9g
So Baobab tops all of these at ~50g per 100g

🍊On top of that, baobab is also extremely rich in vitamin C - gram per gram it contains 6x more than an orange - and it has more antioxidants than any other whole fruit.

So it may be worth a thought to sprinkle into a gut boosting breakfast along with your chia and flax seeds.

25/06/2024

Pro-, pre-, syn-, post-
All these terms get a bit confusing. A reminder:
🌟Prebiotic: compounds that feed your gut microbes

🌟Probiotic: live microorganisms that can benefit your health

🌟Synbiotic: prebitoic +probiotic

🌟🌱Postbiotic: a dead microorganism. This may also include parts of their structure such as their cell wall and metabolites that bacteria produce as they break down food. Importantly, to be a true postbiotic, it has to benefit health in some way.

You can now purchase postbiotics in supplement form. Although postbiotics aren’t as widely available, their popularity is growing. Do they benefit health? What does the evidence show? As it stands, there hasn’t been enough research to answer this question yet. However, there have been studies showing they have potential and promise.

As the microbes in postbiotics are not alive, they cannot cause infections. This offers potential for use in compromised individuals, for whom 'live' treatments are not recommended. This might provide access to a broader range of bacteria without the associated dangers and legislative hurdles.

A good summary of some of the evidence for postbiotics can be found through the Zoe Science and Nutrition website: zoe.com/learn/all-about-postbiotics.amp

I will post about buzz words like Short chain fatty acids in a later post.

21/06/2024

🤒 As a GP, I often see patients presenting with symptoms such as those listed above.

🦠I have already introduced a microbe with lots of evidence base behind it called 'Baby B' - a subspecies of Bifidobacterium Longum.

📖 A recent paper published in 2023 has looked at its impact as a probiotic across the human lifespan.

🔸️64 clinical trials were included in this review, with participants ranging from infants to elderly

🔸️ 20 investigated the efficacy of Baby B alone, while the remaining 44 trials investigated alongside other bacterial strains and/or prebiotics.

🔸️The participant sizes varied with the minimum and maximum numbers shown in brackets. One disadvantage was that some trials had pretty small numbers of participants, which can diminish the power to detect clinically/ biologically significant effects.

🔸️ However, overall, the results look promising that this species could serve to significantly improve several aspects of human health from birth and beyond & continued investment and research is worthwhile.

ℹ️If you scan the QR code, it will link you to the full paper for some bedtime reading in detail for those who are interested.

20/06/2024

🌱🦠🔍 Meet 'Baby B' 🔍🦠🌱

A Subspecies of Bifidobacterium Longum
Baby B is recognized as a significant member of the human gut microbiota and is the most abundant species in the infant gut.

It exerts numerous beneficial health effects. You will find them in yoghurts, kefir and strains have been developed as probiotics which have been studied in various randomised controlled trials.

📖 Mills, S., Yang, B., Smith, G. J., Stanton, C., & Ross, R. P. (2023). Efficacy of Bifidobacterium longum alone or in multi-strain probiotic formulations during early life and beyond. Gut Microbes, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2023.2186098
A recent paper explores the studies and benefits found to date in a nice summary. There are lots so I will summarise this in a later post.

Here's a few examples:
- 25% relative risk reduction in the percentage of children who suffered at least one winter disease during the treatment period (p = 0.045)
- associated with a 54% reduction in Necrotising Enterocolitis in premature babies (NEC)
- significantly relieving nasal symptoms of allergic rhinitis
- reducing eczema spread and severity

The dose of the probitoic is possibly important as in a study involving 362 IBS patients, B. infantis failed to provide relief from symptoms at doses of 10^6 colony forming units (CFU)/ml for 4 weeks but at 10^8 CFU/ml the strain significantly relieved many IBS symptoms compared with placebo (and other doses).

19/06/2024

🥣🌟Breakfast Berry Boost 🌟🥣

1. In a serving bowl or jar, combine 1 cup of kefir yoghurt and 1 tablespoon of chia seeds. You can let it sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the chia seeds to absorb the liquid and thicken the mixture

2. Add 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries and raspberries to the yoghurt mixture. Gently stir to incorporate the berries.

3. Sprinkle grated dark chocolate (ideally 70% and over) on top of the yoghurt and berries. The amount of chocolate can be adjusted based on personal preference.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of mixed nuts and seeds to the bowl. You can use a combination of almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, and sesame seeds. Feel free to add more or less depending on your taste.

5. Sprinkle of cinnamon over the mixture

6. If desired, you can add optional extras such as inulin and honey. Inulin is a prebiotic fibre that can be beneficial for gut health, and honey adds natural sweetness.

7. Give the Breakfast Berry Boost a final stir to combine all the ingredients.

8. Serve and enjoy your nutritious and delicious Breakfast Berry Boost!

🌱🦠This breakfast recipe contains probiotic, prebiotics, and polyphenols as well as being a great source of fibre (remember we are aiming for at least 30g a day)

🧠Breakfast Berry Boost can also provide a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids from the chia seeds (~4g per tablespoon) If you include omega-rich nuts and seeds in the mix, such as walnuts, flaxseeds, or h**p seeds, it can further increase the omega fatty acid content.

🥜Berries, nuts, and seeds are also rich in various vitamins and minerals. For example, berries are a good source of vitamin C, while nuts and seeds provide minerals like magnesium, zinc, and iron.

💪For those interested in protein:
🌟On average, kefir contains around 3-4 grams of protein per 1 cup (240 ml) serving.
🌟One tablespoon (15 grams) of chia seeds typically contains around 3 grams of protein
🌟On average, a handful of mixed nuts and seeds (about 28 grams) contains approximately 5-7 grams of protein
Nuts like almonds, cashews, and pistachios are generally higher in protein, while seeds like pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds also contribute to the protein content.

18/06/2024

🌱🦠 Combining probiotics and prebiotics - evidence to suggest this can improve gut health.

You can do this yourself at home - I will suggest some ideas in another post. 💡
Or when buying kefir and kraut some of them will also contain prebiotics which you can look out for.

📖 There have been several clinical trials looking at synbiotics in health:

E.g. Tannaz Eslamparast et al British journal of nutrition 112 (3), 438-445, 2014 shown above looked at metabolic health.

Also there are some studies looking specifically at pregnant women and metabolic health / gestational diabetes 🤰

The effect of probiotic and synbiotic use on glycemic control in women with gestational diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Serap Çetinkaya Özdemir et al.
Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice 194, 110162, 2022

Eight randomised controlled trials involving 551 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Probiotic use in women with gestational diabetes significantly decreased fasting blood glucose and serum insulin.
The use of probiotics and synbiotics significantly reduced the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) level compared to the control group.

14/06/2024

WHICH ROAD TO TAKE ❓️

The last 2 weeks I've had a teething toddler waking me up and my own cough/cold to contend with alongside work.
After a busy day today I felt like coming home and jumping into bed for a sleep. 💤

HOWEVER...

I listened to an inspiring podcast only this week on 'Feel Better, Live More' (check him out if you haven't already, he's one of my biggest sources of inspiration) about the impact of exercise on the brain.🧠

They discussed a study whereby 121 participants were randomised into an aerobic exercise group or a control stretching group and MRI scans looked at their brain. Nothing too intense just a 40 minute brisk walk 3 times a week.

The hippocampus is a region in the brain that plays a crucial role in memory formation and learning. It shrinks by 1 to 2% annually in adulthood and this loss of volume increases the risk of cognitive impairment. 😣 The stretching control group showed a 1.4% decline in volume of the hippocampus over the 1 year period whereas the aerobic exercise group increased hippocampal volume by 2% offsetting the deterioration associated with aging.🧠

A brisk walk is free and accessible to all.
So tonight I chose to look after my brain and instead of lying down which I really wanted to do, I went on a 30 minute brisk walk around our village. I felt so much better by the time I got home, my headache had gone and I was more energised to spend a Friday evening with my family.

Which road to take? 🚸
When there is a fork in the road you can make a choice.
We always have choices.
Try and choose the path that leads to better health for you and your family.
I challenge you next week to pick 3 days and try and do a 30 to 40 minute brisk walk at some point during the day, I promise you won't regret it. Take the kids along too.

12/06/2024

Discover the Power of Polyphenols! 🌿💪

Nature's hidden treasures for your health! Polyphenols are powerful compounds found in fruits, veggies, and plants including herbs and spices (in particular cloves, oregano and rosemary).

They fight inflammation, protect against oxidative stress, and support overall well-being. Boost heart health, brain function, and more! 🍓🥦💚✨

Berry fruits are reported to have the highest total antioxidant capacity (TAC) among fruits. Blueberries for example have been reported to have cardiovascular protective health effects by preventing cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis (blood vessel disease) (📖Del Bo et al. 2022; Stull et al. 2015;), and suppressing the release of inflammatory mediators (📖Curtis et al. 2022)

04/06/2024

❤️ I love this quote.

🌱 Changing your health doesn't come easy. It's a challenging journey, especially when life gets busy and tough. But remember, even the smallest steps toward forming new healthy habits can make a big difference. 💪

🚶‍♀️ Don't be discouraged if you slip back into old habits from time to time. It's normal! The key is to keep trying and never give up on yourself. 🙌

🌞 Your body and mind will thank you for making the effort. Each healthy choice you make, no matter how small, is a step towards a happier and healthier you. 🌿

💫 So, let's embrace the challenge and commit to making positive changes. Together, we can achieve our health goals and create a better future for ourselves and our families 💚

03/06/2024

Probiotics help to seed your gut with well-defined good microbes. Probiotics are a good way of administering a defined amount and diversity of beneficial microorganisms, mainly made up of bacteria but also including yeast.

Benefits of fermented foods:

🌱 Contain antimicrobial compounds called bacteriocins, produced during food fermentation. Can inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria but also enhance the integrity of the intestinal barrier, reducing the risk of infection and inflammation.
🌱 Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) production: derived from dietary fibre fermentation, SCFAs provide energy to colon cells and may help in regulating immune function, & reducing inflammation

It's important to note that the effectiveness of probiotics in both food and supplements can vary among individuals. Factors such as the individual's digestive system, the specific strains of bacteria used, and the overall health of the gut microbiota can influence the ability of probiotics to colonize the gut and provide benefits.

There is evidence to suggest that probiotics in fermented foods have a higher chance of survival during digestion compared to probiotic supplements. One reason is that the fermentation process creates an environment that is favorable for the growth and survival of probiotic bacteria. Additionally, the presence of other compounds in fermented foods, such as organic acids and antimicrobial substances, may enhance the viability of probiotics.

A study published found that fermented milk products containing live probiotics had a higher survival rate in simulated gastric conditions compared to probiotic capsules.

I have dabbled in brewing kefir both milk and water kefir, kombucha and making sauerkraut all at home in my kitchen. This is often cheaper than buying them already made. It can also be fun, like looking after a pet!
Later posts I can show you how to go about doing this.

30/05/2024

🌱 Gut dysbiosis and Metabolic Health 🌱

Last but certainly not least...our metabolic heath
Ever wondered why the fad diets don't work??

🔬 Research suggests that a healthy gut microbiome can help regulate our appetite, making us feel more satisfied after meals and reducing cravings for unhealthy foods. So, next time you're reaching for that snack, remember, it might not just be your willpower at play! 😉

🍎 Furthermore, a balanced gut microbiome also affects calorie absorption. Certain bacteria can enhance the breakdown and absorption of nutrients, while others may inhibit it. This means that even if we consume the same amount of calories, individuals with a healthier gut microbiome may absorb fewer calories from the same food. 📊

📖 Reference Le Chatelier E, et al. "Richness of human gut microbiome correlates with metabolic markers." Nature. 2013. This study found that a higher diversity of gut microbiota is associated with better metabolic health markers, including lower risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

📖 Reference Vrieze A, et al. "Transfer of intestinal microbiota from lean donors increases insulin sensitivity in individuals with metabolic syndrome." Gastroenterology. 2012. This study showed that transplantation of gut microbiota from lean individuals improved metabolic health in individuals with metabolic syndrome