What Your Microbiome Wants for Dinner • Hacker News Board

Re: What Your Microbiome Wants for Dinner

#11

Post by scholia » Thu, Dec 10, 2015, 6:18 PM UTC

It's a book extract: "Excerpted from The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health by David R. Montgomery and Anne Biklé. Copyright © 2016 by David R. Montgomery and Anne Biklé. With permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. All rights reserved."

Based on that section, I would look for an extract from The Good Gut (1) instead. It leans more towards science and less towards popularization....

(1) http://www.amazon.com/The-Good-Gut-Control-Long-term-ebook/d...

Re: What Your Microbiome Wants for Dinner

#12

Post by stevenkovar » Thu, Dec 10, 2015, 6:21 PM UTC

kefka wrote: post #6

That's an interesting article, for sure. It also applies to what I've been diagnosed with as well. Type 2 diabetes. I'm applying data science to this disease. It's what I do, and can afford. Unfortunately, my doctor thinks that pushing pills is an adequate response, which I heartily doubt. The more I understand this disease, it has to do with either: pancreas is dead (type 1), or your glucose response/insulin respons…

It may be worth looking into how different forms of exercise may affect insulin sensitivity; additionally, fasting (as well as the two combined).

Re: What Your Microbiome Wants for Dinner

#13

Post by justinph » Thu, Dec 10, 2015, 6:25 PM UTC

As someone who's going through a not very fun period of C. Diff, this is pretty relevant. There is still so much we don't know about what makes a healthy and un-healthy biome, it's maddening.

Re: What Your Microbiome Wants for Dinner

#14

Post by Swizec » Thu, Dec 10, 2015, 6:25 PM UTC

stevenkovar wrote: post #5

blakesterz wrote: post #2

Somewhat interesting and different look at what different types of foods do to us by focusing on our guts and those little things that help us digest. His recommendation seems to be more complex carbohydrates, less sugar... same old conclusion, different way of getting there I guess. It's still "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

The take-away, to me, is to append one more variable when we consider wehat goes in our mouth: the bioavailability / effect in your microbiome. "We realize a diet like this doesn’t lend itself to being packaged and sold. It emphasizes how to think about food in the context of one’s microbiome, rather than prescribing a narrow choice of foods, counting calories, or advocating “dieting” as a daily activity. This advice…

My favourite way of phrasing that is: "Athletes don't diet and workout, they eat and train."

How you get there is up to you. Calorie counting and avoiding simple carbs works for me. As does training for at least an hour a day.

Re: What Your Microbiome Wants for Dinner

#15

Post by scholia » Thu, Dec 10, 2015, 6:26 PM UTC

kefka wrote: post #6

That's an interesting article, for sure. It also applies to what I've been diagnosed with as well. Type 2 diabetes. I'm applying data science to this disease. It's what I do, and can afford. Unfortunately, my doctor thinks that pushing pills is an adequate response, which I heartily doubt. The more I understand this disease, it has to do with either: pancreas is dead (type 1), or your glucose response/insulin respons…

Are you able to watch this BBC TV program? (I hope it's the right one: my wife suggested it.)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06rdtx0/doctor-in-the-...

Re: What Your Microbiome Wants for Dinner

#16

Post by shanusmagnus » Thu, Dec 10, 2015, 6:31 PM UTC

asciimo wrote: post #7

This article opens with, "[New science] is also showing us that advocates of trendy paleo and vegan diets are missing the big picture of how our omnivorous digestive system works." But it concludes with, "Pick a modest-sized plate and make meals using vegetables, legumes, leafy greens, beans, fruits, and unmilled whole grains as the main ingredients. Add some meat if you want and dollops of healthy fats on the side o…

And omit the legumes and grains and you have paleo. Agreed, it's pointlessly contrary.

Re: What Your Microbiome Wants for Dinner

#17

Post by coldcode » Thu, Dec 10, 2015, 6:36 PM UTC

When I was in graduate school in the early 80's I wanted to get a PhD in toxicology (but didn't, became a programmer instead). Today if I was at that same stage I would study the microbiome, it's a fascinating melange of chemistry, microbiology and food science, and we still know very little about it, plus it can make a huge difference in the world. Toxicology seemed too much like slaughtering rats for a living.

Re: What Your Microbiome Wants for Dinner

#18

Post by joeatp » Thu, Dec 10, 2015, 6:42 PM UTC

_fs wrote: post #8

One topic that was not mentioned in the article that I have found fascinating is that your gut microbiome can actually affect your cravings. (1) Your microbiome accomplishes this through a host of mechanisms including changing the expression of taste receptors, making certain foods taste better; they may release hunger-inducing hormones; or they may manipulate the vagus nerve (which connects the stomach to the brain)…

Would love to see this tested in a more detailed way, what if your vegan diet consists of high amounts of non-animal oils, would you still crave oily burgers eating a vegan diet with high amounts of canola or olive oil? Would you lose the cravings with lower oil intakes on the same vegan diet?

Re: What Your Microbiome Wants for Dinner

#19

Post by kuschku » Thu, Dec 10, 2015, 6:50 PM UTC

shanusmagnus wrote: post #16

asciimo wrote: post #7

This article opens with, "[New science] is also showing us that advocates of trendy paleo and vegan diets are missing the big picture of how our omnivorous digestive system works." But it concludes with, "Pick a modest-sized plate and make meals using vegetables, legumes, leafy greens, beans, fruits, and unmilled whole grains as the main ingredients. Add some meat if you want and dollops of healthy fats on the side o…

And omit the legumes and grains and you have paleo. Agreed, it's pointlessly contrary.

You don’t even need to omit the grains. You can just eat Dinkel or Urkorn, two very common (like, in every bakery) types of grain that existed even in the paleolithic times.

EDIT: Seriously, how is this not contributing? Please provide a comment if you think it is not contributing.

Re: What Your Microbiome Wants for Dinner

#20

Post by shanusmagnus » Thu, Dec 10, 2015, 6:58 PM UTC

kefka wrote: post #6

That's an interesting article, for sure. It also applies to what I've been diagnosed with as well. Type 2 diabetes. I'm applying data science to this disease. It's what I do, and can afford. Unfortunately, my doctor thinks that pushing pills is an adequate response, which I heartily doubt. The more I understand this disease, it has to do with either: pancreas is dead (type 1), or your glucose response/insulin respons…

Congrats on your approach to managing your condition. Couple of things to think about.

First, you may find a continuous glucose monitor helpful to get a more granular view of what's going on. Dexcom [1] makes the most popular one, which is also hackable [2].

Second, keep in mind that all carb avoidance isn't equal. If you up your protein a lot, you could still get postprandial glucose spikes due to gluconeogenesis from protein breakdown. A good low-carb diet for you will be a low-carb, high-fat diet.

Third, for extra bang for your buck, go for a walk after you eat. The CGM, if you get one, will verify the efficacy of that.

Fourth, look into high-intensity exercise, which will help combat your insulin resistance. All exercise is not the same. Weight training is particularly good.

Your MD's reaction is sadly typical. You're taking the right approach by taking matters into your own hands, using her as a backup.

[1] http://www.dexcom.com/dexcom-g4-platinum-share

[2] http://www.nightscout.info