Human Microbiome Project Highlights: Christensenella minuta – A Probiotic for Weight Control

Kate

commonfund.nih.gov

The genome sequence of Christensenella minuta: a bacterium which is the most heritable member of the gut microbiota and which also influences host weight.

There has been considerable interest in a particular member of the gut microbiota, a bacterial species named Christensenella minuta, which is a member of the Firmicutes phylum. Three recent findings have generated this interest. First, the Christensenella genus appears to be found so far only in human hosts (link is external). Second, C. minuta was found to be the most heritable species in the human gut microbiome, meaning that it is the species whose presence or absence in our gut is mostly determined by the genes of its human host. Third, evidence suggests that the presence of C. minuta can directly affect the weight of its host by as yet unknown mechanisms. C. minuta is more likely to be present in leaner people, and adding C. minuta to the gut tracts of mice resulted in leaner mice. These findings suggest a potential use of C. minuta as a probiotic for weight control.

HMP researchers at WashU have now published the complete genome sequence of C. minuta. The availability of this genome sequence will allow future researchers to gain in depth insights into its life cycle, its metabolism and the mechanisms by which it can affect the human host in which it lives. This research highlights another way in which the HMP is supporting the larger microbiome research community.

Reference:

Genome Sequence of Christensenella minuta DSM 22607T. Rosa BA, Hallsworth-Pepin K, Martin J, Wollam A, Mitreva M. Genome Announc. 2017 Jan 12; 5(2).

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The Best Things You Can Do for Your Gut

The Best Things You Can Do for Your Gut

Kate

www1.cbn.com

Medical evidence shows the bacteria in our gut, that is, in our intestines, affects all aspects of our health. The key is trying to stop the things that kill our good bacteria such as antibiotic overuse, sugar, and junk food, then putting the good bacteria in our gut by eating probiotic foods and taking probiotic supplements, and finally, feeding the bacteria their favorite foods in the form of fiber.

Heal Your Gut in 3 Steps:

  1.  Stop Killing Bad Bacteria
  2.  Put Good Bacteria in Your Gut
  3.  Feed the Good Bacteria

The mixture of good and bad bacteria in our intestines is called the gut microbiome. Virginia Commonwealth University researcher Dr. Jasmohan Bajaj says building a better gut involves eating a diet rich in probiotics. These are foods and drinks that contain living, healthy bacteria.

“The things that can help healthy gut microbes are diets that have fermented products,” he said, “And by fermented products, I do not mean beer.”

Fermented foods are found in the refrigerated areas of the grocery store. For example, Kim-Chi, which is fermented cabbage, also Kombucha, fermented tea, can be found in the produce section. Kefir and yogurt, both high in probiotics, can be found in the dairy section.

Dr. Bajaj recommends plain yogurt. “When we talk about yogurt, you have to be very careful, when you look at the nutritional information, that you do not take yogurt that is so high in sugar that it actually negates the effect of the beneficial microbes in it,” he said.

Probiotic Supplements

In addition to food, probiotic supplements can also help build levels of good bacteria. According to Johns Hopkins gastroenterologist Dr. Gerard Mullin, author of the book The Gut Balance Revolution, you must choose carefully because all supplements aren’t always the real deal.

“If I’m in a store I’d go more towards where there’s a refrigerator,” he said, “For some people, 10 billion is fine, for others, 30 billion is the sweet spot. Yet if some people are really sick and they need it as a therapeutic rescue, like people with ulcerative colitis who are quite ill,” he continued, “Those who took a trillion or more a day of a very highly purified brand called VSL-3, they actually were able to induce remission when they failed heavy doses of medications.”

“If I’m in a store I’d go more towards where there’s a refrigerator,” he said, “For some people, 10 billion is fine, for others, 30 billion is the sweet spot. Yet if some people are really sick and they need it as a therapeutic rescue, like people with ulcerative colitis who are quite ill,” he continued, “Those who took a trillion or more a day of a very highly purified brand called VSL-3, they actually were able to induce remission when they failed heavy doses of medications.”

[…]

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Human Microbiome Project Highlights: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Kate

commonfund.nih.gov

Dramatic Fluctuations of the Gut Microbiome in Individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a group of conditions caused by chronic inflammation in the digestive tract. The most common subtypes of IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. iHMP researchers are generating a public database containing information collected over time from several studies of IBD patients. Along with a variety of relevant patient data, the database will contain information about both the composition of the gut microbiome over time in these patients as well as the small molecules and proteins being produced by these microbes.

It has been previously established that patients with IBD have large differences in the composition of their gut microbiome compared to heathy individuals. These findings are often based on samples obtained at a single point in time. However, the species that make up our gut microbiome can fluctuate over time based on infections, diet, antibiotics, and other factors. As part of the larger iHMP study on IBD, Dr. Jansen and colleagues determined the composition of the gut microbiomes in over 100 patients with IBD in three month intervals to determine how these microbiomes differs over time. They found that patients with IBD had much less consistency in their microbiomes when compared to healthy individuals. This information could potentially be used by doctors to monitor the health of IBD patients and their response to treatments. In addition, understanding the dynamics of the microbiome in IBD patients should help the design of future therapies that aim to restore the microbiome to a more natural state.

Reference:

Dynamics of the human gut microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease. Halfvarson J, Brislawn CJ, Lamendella R, Vázquez-Baeza Y, Walters WA, Bramer LM, D’Amato M, Bonfiglio F, McDonald D, Gonzalez A, McClure EE, Dunklebarger MF, Knight R, Jansson JK. Nat Microbiol. 2017 Feb 13; 2:17004.

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Human Microbiome Project: Overview

Kate

commonfund.nih.gov

Microscopic study of the healthy human body has demonstrated that microbial cells outnumber human cells by about ten to one. Until recently though, this abundant community of human-associated microbes remained largely unstudied, leaving their influence upon human development, physiology, immunity, and nutrition almost entirely unknown. The NIH Common Fund Human Microbiome Project (HMP) was established with the mission of generating research resources enabling comprehensive characterization of the human microbiota and analysis of their role in human health and disease. The information generated by HMP is made available worldwide for use by investigators and others in efforts to understand and improve human health.

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ADVANCED STRATEGIES TO HEAL LEAKY GUT AND OVERCOME ADRENAL AND THYROID ISSUES

Advanced Strategies to Heal Leaky Gut and Overcome Adrenal and Thyroid Issues

Kate

live.draxe.com

Presented by DR. JOSH AXE DNM, DC, CNS

Dr. Josh Axe is the best-selling author of Eat Dirt and creator of the fastest growing natural health site in the world and now has over 2 million fans on Facebook teaching people every day about living healthier, naturally. Time left […]

WARNING: Space is limited and these LIVE trainings always fill up because they are significantly better than the information others charge you thousands for… even though this one is free.

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