Does a Bad Diet Cause Bad Behavior? Part 2 Might Fermented Foods Help Prevent Memory Loss in the Elderly? Fermented foods have been a staple in virtually all native diets, and the more I learn about fermented foods and the importance of gut health, the more convinced I get that many of our “age-related” health problems stem from lack of protective intestinal microbiota. We have, en masse in the Western world, abandoned traditionally fermented foods and replaced them with processed foods high in sugar and grains—which feed harmful bacteria instead and promote chronic inflammation. The effects of this dietary trade-off can be seen in our worsening rates of behavior problems in children, depression, and mental decline in the elderly. It’s worth reiterating that memory loss is NOT a “normal” part of aging at all. It used to be quite normal for seniors to be “sharp as tacks.” In a recent study, polyamines, found in foods such as wheat germ, fermented soy, and matured cheeses, were shown to stave off memory decline in fruit flies. The researchers are now embarking on studies to see whether a polyamine-rich diet might have the same effect on humans. I believe chances are, they’ll find that this is indeed the case... Polyamines are aliphatic amines believed to be essential components of all living cells. Your body gets polyamines from three sources: 1. Endogenous biosynthesis 2. Intestinal microorganisms, and 3. Through your diet As described in a 2011 report on polyamines in food: “[P]olyamines are involved in the differentiation of immune cells as well as in regulation of inflammatory reactions, and they exert a suppressor effect on pulmonary immunologic and intestinal immunoallergic responses. In children, high polyamine intake during the first year has been significantly correlated to food allergy prevention... Diet can to a certain extent regulate biosynthesis of polyamines. Thus, dietary polyamines have several important roles to play in this regard; supporting a normal metabolism and maintaining optimal health as well as regulating the intracellular polyamine synthesis. These seem to be of importance for maintaining the normal growth, maturation of the intestinal tract. Since the level of polyamines decreases with age in animal organs (brain, kidney, spleen, and pancreas), it has been suggested that maintenance of polyamine level from the diet is important to keep the functioning of various organs in the elderly.” At Least One-Quarter of Population Have Too Little Gut Bacteria According to recent research from Denmark, in which they analyzed the human gut microbial composition on 292 people (169 of them obese and 123 of healthy weight), a quarter of the participants were found to have 40 percent fewer gut bacteria than the average needed for optimal health. Obese participants were particularly at risk of having too little beneficial bacteria to maintain health. Oluf Pedersen, professor and scientific director at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen told Medical News Today: "Not only has this quarter fewer intestinal bacteria, but they also have reduced bacterial diversity and they harbor more bacteria causing a low-grade inflammation of the body... Our study shows that people having few and less diverse intestinal bacteria are more obese than the rest. They have a preponderance of bacteria which exhibit the potential to cause mild inflammation in the digestive tract and in the entire body, which is reflected in blood samples that reveal a state of chronic inflammation, which we know from other studies to affect metabolism and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. ...Our intestinal bacteria are actually to be considered an organ just like our heart and brain, and the presence of health-promoting bacteria must therefore be cared for in the best way possible.” Recent studies have repeatedly demonstrated that the makeup of your intestinal flora can have a powerful impact on your weight, and your propensity to gain or lose weight. For example, lean people tend to have higher amounts of various healthy bacteria compared to obese people. One 2011 animal study9 even suggested that daily intake of a specific form of lactic acid bacteria could help prevent obesity and reduce low-level inflammation. Probiotics have also been found to benefit metabolic syndrome, which often goes hand-in-hand with obesity. This makes sense since both are caused by a diet high in sugars, which leads to insulin resistance, , fuels the growth of unhealthy bacteria and promotes chronic inflammation, and packs on excess weight. PART 3 TOMORROW Diet and Environmental Factors Affect Your Gut Flora
Posted on: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 13:39:29 +0000
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