Week 1 Plan
Gut Brain Ecology
Sarah Musavi,
PhD, MHA, Health Coach
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Introductions
Purpose
What is Gut Ecology?
Digestion 101
Why is gut our 2nd Brain?
What makes us unique
Microbiome and Environment
Homework to explore your Microbiome
Introductions
PURPOSE
Who am I?
Why am I teaching this?
Who are you?
Why you are here?
What could you offer to the group?
Simplifying Health
How integral is the microbiome to our
physiological and brain function?
Do we create our microbiome or vice
versa or both?
How can we coexist so that health is
within reach?
Ecology Metaphors
1. the human genome is the engine that feeds the larger
sensorymotor organ, that expresses itself in relation to cues
from its environment much like our nervous or immune systems;
2. “… the human body should be understood as a
ecosystem with multiple ecological niches and
habitats in which a variety of cellular species
collaborate and compete”; and
3. “… human beings should be understood as ʻsuper- organismsʼ that
incorporate multiple symbiotic cell species into a single individual with
very blurry boundaries, like a colony of blue–green algae on a massive
scale of complexity.”
Ref: Jeungst, 2009: Social and philosophical ramifications of the HMP:
http://hmpdacc.org/doc/Kieran%20O'Doherty.pdf
Ecology and Gut
Intestinal Ecosystem
• Ecology is….
• We coexist with bacteria; “death begins
in the colon”- Nobel Laureate Elie Mechnikov (19th
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century)
Evidence shows 90% of all known human illness can be traced
back to an unhealthy gut (and so is health vice-versa)
• Ecology is a balance of all living organisms in
symbiosis
• http://redefininghuman.com/
Over 400 microbial species in
the intestinal ecosystem
What is Gut Ecology?
• 10 trillion human cells vs. 100 trillion microbial
cells
• 90% microbial cells vs. 10 % human
• We are only 10% human!
• 20,000 human genes vs. 2-20 million
microbial genes
• We have 99% microbial genes
• The power to change our health is within
microbial reach!!
• Micro = Small + Biome= natural flora in a
large habitat
MicroBiome
• Its our fingerprint
• Human genes are very similar
• Microbial flora is unique even in
identical twins
• Its almost an organ in itself that has
changed drastically
• It also influences the expression of our
human genes
Microbiome Comparisons
Digestive System 101
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Digestion 101
Gut-Brain Axis
Intestinal Flora
Weight and Gut Bacteria
4 main parts:
1. Digestive tube
2. Gut-associated lymphatic tissue
3. Intestinal flora
4. Gutʼs nervous system
The gut is a country in itself along with an
army
Digestive Tube- keeping in touch
The Gutʼs Job in a day
with outside world
• Size: 10-15 feet from mouth to anus
• Villi and microvilli increase the surface area to
200 x the skin
• Intestinal wall is constantly in touch with
outside agents
• Designed to absorb useful agents into the
body
• It digests (breaks down) food, absorbs
nutrients, eliminates wastes and houses
intestinal flora
• Break down of food- stomach acid, digestive
enzymes and bile
• Nourishment- absorbs only what we needamino acids, fats, carbs, vitamins
• Blocks or neutralizes toxins, bugs flowing
through inner tube
• Synthesis- vitamins and healthy molecules
• Protection- gut immune system: GALT. Lies
under the 1-cell layer. Protects from illness
GALT
Gut-Associated Lymphoid
Tissue (GALT)
• Parasites, microbes and Tigers can all kill us
equally
• 80% of immune system is located in the gut
next to the IW
• Attack is called for when GALT identifies an
antigen or “foreigner”
• Undigested foods look like “foreign”
• Full attack launches with signals to the brain
to conserve heat and lead to inflammation
• Gut is the birthplace of inflammation
Intestinal Wall- customs and
immigration
Intestinal Wall and
Elimination
Gut-Brain Axis
• IW exports metabolic and toxic waste
outside the digestive tube for
elimination
• IW cells capture other waste such as
mucus, fat, toxins from blood and
dumping in the digestive tube- reverse
of absorption
Why is gut our 2nd Brain?
Gutʼs Nervous System
• Dr. Michael Gershon coined the term “the 2nd Brain”
(read the book The Second Brain)
• Gut has its own nervous system- ENS: 100 m
neurons!
• 95% of bodyʼs serotonin is produced in the gut nerve
cells
• So, how do the two nervous systems interact?
• Why is there a rise in nervous system related
disorders?
• Digestive tube has many layers of tissues
• Tiny nerve filaments touch the IW cells,
muscle cells and immune cells
• Results in chronic inflammation and gut
dysbiosis- Changes to gut bacterial balance
• It does more than just control digestion
Intestinal Flora- What makes
us UniQuE?
Intestinal Florayour best ally!
• Reside in the villi and microvilli that nourishes
them. Its bacterial heaven!
• Hundreds of species of good bacteria.
• Together they weigh more than your liver
• They keep the GALT in good shapeimmunomodulation
• Dendritic cells and “snorkelling” to stay in
touch with flora
• Integral part of our body that needs to be
protected and loved and learnt more about.
Comparing Flora across
cultures
• A large study compared feces from Malawis,
Amerindians and cosmo Americans.
• Studies show large similarities among flora
among babies across cultures; cosmo
americans have less diverse microbiome
comparatively
• Functionally, the flora performs similar
functions according to needs of life stages
across cultures
Intestinal Flora and
Nutrition Absorption
• They digest part of our food
• B Vitamins have to be predigested by
bacteria before body can absorb it
• Bacteria do chemical tricks with our
food that we cant
• A healthy gut is a fermentation tank
• They detoxify 40% of toxins from foodhelping the liver
How are we changing our
Microbiome
• Diet
• Pollution
• Antibiotics- increases superbugs and reduces
diversity of microbiome
• Highly sterile conditions
• We know of some ill effects (e.g. antibiotic
resistance), but to what degree do modern
practices affect a shared human microbiome?
Microbiome and
Environment
Diet and Microbiome
Symptoms of Gut Ecology imbalance
Diet and Alzheimerʼs
What is threatening our Gut
Microbiome
Diet Confusion
Signs and symptoms of gut
ecology imbalance
1. Constipation/diarrhea
2. Gas/bloating
3. Drowsiness after meals
4. Cravings
5. Acid reflux
6. Overeating
7. Negative emotions (fear, anxiety, guilt, resentment)
8. Fatigue
9. Excess or under weight
UNDERLYING CAUSE: INFLAMMATION
Homework
• Complete the Gut Quiz
• Take action appropriate to your results (see
handouts)
• Start a morning routine to wake up your
digestive system
• Readings: Clean Gut by Alejandro Junger; Brain
Maker by Dr. David Perlmutter:
www.drperlmutter.com
What are we doing to our
Gut Ecology
Antibiotics in food and as medicine
• 70% of antibiotics used in US are through raising
cattle and for profit
• We have created Superbugs
• Obesity and disrupted gut ecology
• Cattle microbiome is disrupted. What about us?
• 17% Americans suffering from Automimmune vs 57% in other countries?
• Antibiotics suppress beneficial microbes and lead to
growth of pathogenic bacteria and disrupt IW lining