“Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution” Theodosius Dobzhansky
The Palaeolithic Diet
Obesity and Gut Bacteria: The Missing Link?
Hippocrates (400BC) “Death sits in the bowels”
15 Gut Bacteria Facts
- Humans have roughly 10 trillion cells.
- Humans have roughly 100 trillion microbes within their bodies.
- Of all the microbes within us, the gut bacteria are the most important.
- Gut bacteria differ between obese and lean people.
- It is possible to change the composition of one’s gut bacteria through one’s diet.
- Transferring the gut bacteria from obese mice to lean mice causes fat gain in lean mice.
- Artificial sweeteners might cause weight gain via their effects on gut bacteria.
- Humans are born with no microbes (or very, very few).
- “Ecobiotics” (Faecal pills) might replace antibiotics one day.
- Faecal transplants have been used successfully to treat c. difficile bowel infections in the last 30 years.
- Diabetes often gets cured within 48 hours of stomach bypass operations; a change in the gut bacteria is one of the mechanisms effecting this cure.
- People who eat grains have higher levels of a particular gut bacteria which is linked with arthritis and autoimmune diseases.
- Maternal separation in baby rhesus monkeys alters the gut bacteria in the same way as stress does.
- Use of antibiotics in infancy is associated with an increased risk of asthma and being overweight in childhood. (Antibiotics have been used to fatten animals for the last 60 years).
- The gut bacteria that one eventually obtains are derived from one’s mother and from exposure to the environment.
Is your mother always right?
The Omega Balance
What exactly are the omegas?
- They are types of fat.
What’s the big deal with the omegas?
- They affect levels of inflammation, and inflammation is at the root of most Western diseases (heart attacks, obesity, diabetes, breast cancer, dementia etc…).
When do the omega fats cause problems?
- When we consume too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3.
What is the perfect omega balance?
- Equal amounts of omega-6 and omega-3
What is the current ratio of omega-6:omega-3 in the Western world?
- Approximately 20:1
How can we correct this?
- Eat fewer omega-6 containing foods and eat more omega-3 containing foods.
What’s the best way of doing this?
- Cut out vegetable oils and grains, and eat more fish.
And finally, don’t fall into the ‘supplement trap’.
- Eat proper food instead.
