1 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, welcome to another edition of Wisdom Wednesdays, and 2 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 1: welcome back to our series on the Hallmarks of aging. 3 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: Today we're on episode number seven, I Believe, and we 4 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:25,799 Speaker 1: are focusing on the gut microbiome, that trillions of microorganisms 5 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: are residing in your digestive track that we now know 6 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:33,559 Speaker 1: play a crucial role in our overall health. And we 7 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: now know that a compromised microbiome has been linked to 8 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: a whole host of various issues, including digestive disorders, weakened immunity, 9 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: and even accelerated aging. But the good news is that 10 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 1: lifestyle choices can significantly influence the health of our gut microbiome, 11 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: and let's explore how we can nurture these microbial communities. So, 12 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 1: first of all, let's understand the gut microboum from a 13 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: high level. You've heard me talk about it before, I've 14 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: had numerous podcast guests on But just as a quick refresher, 15 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: you've got microbiome consists of a bunch of bacteria, viruses, 16 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 1: fungy and other microorganisms that inhabit our intestines. And it 17 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,759 Speaker 1: turns out that these microbes are essential for a number 18 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 1: of different important things in the body. Firstly, digestion, that's 19 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: the obvious one, and there is important really especially for 20 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: breaking down complex carbohydrates and fibers to provide what we 21 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 1: call short chain fatty acids that are really good for 22 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,639 Speaker 1: our gut lining and our heart health than our brain health. 23 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: The next thing that you've got microbiome is really important 24 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: for is immune function and protecting against pathogens. So if 25 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: you think about it, your entire gastro intestinal tract is 26 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: essentially a tube that is outside the body, and it's 27 00:01:57,240 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: a really easy way for pathogens to get in that. 28 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: That's why we have stomach acid to make it en 29 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: hospitable for them. But then if the pathogens do make 30 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: it through the stomach acid, and the easiest way for 31 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: them to penetrate into the body is particularly through the 32 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: gut wall. And when we get what's called dysbiosis or 33 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: a leaky gut, we know that it can trigger immune 34 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: reactions in a whole host of autoimmune disorders. And we 35 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: know that about eighty percent of your immune system resides 36 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: around that gut wall, so this is a really important barrier. 37 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: The next thing is our metabolism, So we know that 38 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: your microbiome play a really important role in synthesizing vitamins 39 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: and minerals and regulating our energy. And in the last 40 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: but less obvious thing is brain health. And we know 41 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:52,799 Speaker 1: that there's this tremendous two way communication with the brain 42 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:55,639 Speaker 1: via the gut brain axis of what people are now 43 00:02:55,680 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: calling the gut brain microba axis, which we know, OHI 44 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: is hugely important in both our physical and mental health. 45 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 1: And a compromise gut brand microbra access contributes to the 46 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: development of many chronic diseases. So a diverse and this 47 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,519 Speaker 1: is important we dive into this. A diverse and balanced 48 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 1: microbiome is key to maintaining these functions and and overall health. 49 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: And these disruptions can lead to this gut this biosis 50 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: or leaky gut, and this is balance. Then that's associated 51 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,359 Speaker 1: with a whole host of various health issues. So let's 52 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: talk about lifestyle interventions to support a healthy microbiome. So 53 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: let's start with the most obvious one, which is obviously 54 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: nutrition and you've probably heard it a million times before, 55 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: but a fiber rich diet is really important for a 56 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: healthy microbiome. But the other thing is diversity is key. 57 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: I know a lot of people who eat healthily, but 58 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: they eat the same stuff we can we out and 59 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: their diet is pretty narrow, and that actually is actually 60 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: not a good thing, and especially as we ea is 61 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: because our micro boom starts to become compromised. If you've 62 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: got a narrow diet, it's definitely not ideal. And we 63 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: really should be trying to emulate traditional hunter gatherers. And 64 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: studies of the Hadza, who I've talked about before in 65 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: tanzanianies are hunter gatherer tribe whoveing that their microbiome is 66 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 1: way more diverse than that of individuals in industrial society, 67 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: and this diversity is attributed to this diet that is 68 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 1: rich in a whole host of various plant fibers and 69 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 1: minimally processed foods, and they consume a wide range of 70 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 1: foods over the year, and they actually have been identified 71 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: as consuming an average of seven hundred and thirty different 72 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: species have got microbiomes or have got microbes, compared to 73 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: just two hundred and seventy seven in the average Western individual. 74 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: Data are some research from the Scientific American So we 75 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: should be incorporating a variety of plant foods and am 76 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: to have a wide range of fruits vegetables, lagoons, nuts, 77 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: and whole greens. And when I say whole grains, they 78 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 1: don't mean breakfast cereals, I mean real whole greens. This 79 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 1: variety provides different types of fibers and nutrients that then 80 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: feed these diverse microbial species and then promote a robust 81 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:37,360 Speaker 1: and healthy microbiome. And really important are what we call prebiotics, 82 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: not probiotic, but prebiotic foods. So probiotics are basically will 83 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:48,039 Speaker 1: help if you have a dodgy gut, if you've been sick, 84 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:51,919 Speaker 1: or if you've had antibiotics, but pre biot and what 85 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: we know is probiotics are kind of transitory, but prebiotics 86 00:05:56,440 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: actually are these non digestible fibers that nourish the beneficial 87 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: gut bacteria. So they actually provide the substrates or the 88 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:10,279 Speaker 1: food for these diverse bacteria. And there's a few foods 89 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: that are real standouts here, so garlic, onions and that 90 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 1: whole family. These are rich in inulin and what's called 91 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:25,839 Speaker 1: fruittal oligo saccharides and so really really helpful for feeding 92 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:28,839 Speaker 1: our gut microbiome. The only thing to be aware of 93 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: is if you are sensitive to faud maps foods and 94 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:34,599 Speaker 1: garlic and onions really not good for you because of 95 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:38,039 Speaker 1: the fruital oligo sacharides in them. But for everybody else 96 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: who's not faud map sensitive individual, they're wonderful foods for 97 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: your microbiom as are things like asparagus and leaks. Again, 98 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: they contain inulin to support this beneficial bacteria. Then bananas, 99 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: actually banana at flour bananas, especially when they're slightly green, 100 00:06:56,520 --> 00:07:00,080 Speaker 1: they got a really high amounts of resistant starch. And 101 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: also things like pays beans and lentils are good. In 102 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:07,920 Speaker 1: these resistant starts, it's resistant to our digestion and then 103 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: it's fermented by these healthy bacteria. And then whole grains 104 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: such as oats and barley are excellent sources. Again not 105 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: the bloody process breakfast cereals, but we want the real 106 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 1: whole grains oats, barley, kinmoa, all of that sort of stuff. 107 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: Then the next thing is to really minimize our intake 108 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: of ultra process foods. Again, I've been buyging on about 109 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 1: this for quite a while, but we ni know with 110 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 1: our the shadow of a doubt that diets that are 111 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: high in ultra processed foods as we get in many 112 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 1: Western countries and negatively impact the gut microbiome, leading to 113 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:51,680 Speaker 1: reduced diversity and increased inflammation. And we've got to realize 114 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: that these foods often contain addatives such as the multifiers, 115 00:07:56,320 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: artificial sweeteners, flavor enhancers, and preservatives that hrupped our microbial balance. 116 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 1: And a diet rich in ultra processed foods has been 117 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: linked to adverse effects on brain health and increasing our 118 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: susceptibility the mental illness and neurodegenerate diseases. And it's not 119 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: just the stuff that you're eating and all the bad 120 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: stuff that's in these ultraprocessed foods, but it's the crowding 121 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 1: out of healthy foods. Like I talked about before. If 122 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 1: you're eating a lot of shit, you're obviously not eating 123 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: healthy foods, so you get this double negative wammy when 124 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,080 Speaker 1: you've got significant amounts of these foods in our diet. 125 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 1: Then let's talk about some targeted supplements. And I'm not 126 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 1: going to go through an extensive list, but stuff that 127 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: we know can be really useful. Look, if you know 128 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:48,319 Speaker 1: you have a compromised gut, if you've got a bit 129 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:52,800 Speaker 1: of a leaky gut, and el glutamine is an amino 130 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: acid that really has been shown to resport, resupport the 131 00:08:56,240 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: repair and maintenance of your intestinal lining and potentially airing 132 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 1: in gut health. And then that's when a whole host 133 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:10,439 Speaker 1: of probiotics can be useful. So supplementing with beneficial bacteria 134 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 1: can help restore balance, especially after anti biotic use. And 135 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 1: I know all about this having had my microbiome carpet 136 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:22,840 Speaker 1: bomb when I went through open heart surgery and I 137 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 1: actually got an evidence based a bunch of probiotics that 138 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: I had to order in from the UK that had 139 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: actually been shown to restore gut balance in people who'd 140 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: had heart surgery. And I took this two weeks before 141 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:45,160 Speaker 1: and then two weeks after, and my got actually went 142 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: back in my biol movement to be delighted to hear 143 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:51,559 Speaker 1: and returned after just a couple of days after surgery. 144 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,480 Speaker 1: And they were actually quite surprised about that in the hospital. 145 00:09:54,559 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: So we know that targeted, evidence based and probiotics are 146 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 1: really really important and it's not just about just going 147 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 1: in and grabbing your cult or something like that from 148 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: the chemist. But if you want more information on this one, 149 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: refer to my recent podcast with doctor Jason Hardrech for 150 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 1: more information. It was only a couple of months ago 151 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: and he did a deep dive into this stuff. Then, 152 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 1: the other thing that we know is really useful for 153 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 1: your gut is curstin, and that's a polyphenolic flea ofvonoid 154 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 1: and founding foods like onions and apples, and studies suggest 155 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: that curstin, which you can also get as a supplement, 156 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 1: but you're better getting it from food. But we know 157 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 1: that carser tin can modulate your got microbiota. It can 158 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 1: alleviate this biosis or leaky gut and actually reduce inflammation. 159 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: So either get yourself a supplement or eight lots of 160 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: those foods that are high in curser tin. And the 161 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: next thing is exercise. For once, this hasn't been first 162 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: off the bat, but we do know that various types 163 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: of physical activity have been shown over and over again 164 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: to enhance microbial diversity and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria. 165 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: And that's probably due to the actions of what we 166 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: call myokines, these messenger molecules that are released from contracting 167 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 1: muscle that have an influence on all your organs, including 168 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: your gut. And we know that a mixture of aerobic exercises. 169 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: Typical cardio stuff, but also high intensity interval training and 170 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 1: strength training all are beneficial. So and doing that regular 171 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: exercise also reduces stress and inflammation partly through the release 172 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 1: of these mayakins, and that reduced stress further supports gut health. 173 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:50,559 Speaker 1: And then it's about sleep. We know that sleep debt, 174 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 1: sleep deprivation, sleep debt can disrupt the gut microbiome, leading 175 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 1: to imbalances. And I have talked about sleep and sleep 176 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 1: high before, so I'm not going to go into it 177 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:06,040 Speaker 1: in detail, but having a consistent sleep schedule, going to 178 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:09,400 Speaker 1: bed and waking up around the same time is really important. 179 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: Getting adequate sleep is the most important seven to eight 180 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: hours a night, but making sure that you got that 181 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 1: good sleep hygene as well as the consistent timings of 182 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 1: going and waking up, minimizing lights in the evening and 183 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:28,680 Speaker 1: stimulation from computers, Netflix, your mobile phone, those sorts of things. 184 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: Making sure you're having a wind down routine of thirty 185 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:37,239 Speaker 1: to sixty minutes and minimizing coffee and caffeine at particularly 186 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 1: after midday is really really important because we know that 187 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 1: if you do have good sleep, it actually supports the 188 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: balance of I've got bacteria and overall got the health 189 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 1: and if you have bad sleep, it compromises it. The 190 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:53,240 Speaker 1: other thing that compromises is stress, and that's through this 191 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 1: gut brain micro bio to access. We know that chronic 192 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: psychological stress negatively influences your gut health in your microbiome. 193 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: So regular stress reducing practices such as exercise which is 194 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 1: a natural stress buster, but also mindfulness meditation and just 195 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: being mindful throughout the day and deep breathing exercises and 196 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: slow control breathing helps to reduce our stress and activate 197 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 1: the powa sympathetic nervous system. So really enclosing, it is 198 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 1: so clear that maintaining a healthy gut microbiome is a 199 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:40,080 Speaker 1: really important cornerstone of overall health and well being and 200 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: healthy aging. And we know that when people age there 201 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 1: are changes in their gut microbiome. It becomes much more 202 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:52,200 Speaker 1: narrow and it becomes more and balance towards the negative. 203 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:57,200 Speaker 1: But adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes a diverse, fiber 204 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:02,000 Speaker 1: rich diet, regular physical activity and sleep, and effective stress 205 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 1: management can support your gut health and be a really 206 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 1: effective anti aging strategies. And remember it's these small, consistent 207 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:14,320 Speaker 1: changes that lead to big improvements over time. So that's 208 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 1: it for this week, folks. Next week we'll explore yet 209 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 1: another hallmark of aging and discuss some practical strategies. But 210 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 1: from now here's to nurturing your gut for a healthier life. 211 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: Catch you next time.