Improve Gut Health With Powerful Brain Supplements

EpigeneticsAndNutriton.com is a source for optimal health and wellness! The quality, quantity, and make up of the bacteria in your gut determines your gut health and has enormous influence on your brain.

Dr. David Perlmutter examines this phenomenon in great detail in his new book, Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain-for Life.

Dr. Perlmutter is a board-certified neurologist and a fellow of the American College of Nutrition (ACN). Dr. Perlmutter has a clinic in Naples, Florida, and he’s been very active in publishing his findings in peer-reviewed medical journals.

Grain Brain, his prior book, was on top of the New York Times bestseller list for 54 weeks. Dr. Perlmutter is one of the leading natural medicine neurologists in the US.

Most neurologists never consider how peoples day to day lifestyle impacts the neurological disorders they diagnose and treat daily.  Prevention is an area of critical importance as there are, as of yet, no effective treatments for many of the more common brain disorders.

Dr. David Perlmutter stated;

“We’re now recognizing from research at our most well-respected institutions from around the globe that the gut bacteria are wielding this very powerful sword of Damocles,” he says.

They determine whether we’re going to have a healthy brain or not, whether our brain is going to function well or not, and whether our brain is going to become diseased or not. Who knew that we’d be referring back to the gut?”

Dr. Mercola interviews Dr. Perlmutter on the topic of gut health, listen in here.

In Dr. Perlmutter’s view, the understanding and modification of the microbiome is a very critical part of the future of medicine. It was fifteen years ago, that we thought that the Human Genome Project  or (HGP), would allow modern medicine to springboard into new gene specific therapies that would solve all our health concerns.

Well, that didn’t happen, as the HGP discovered that genetics are only responsible for only about 10% of disease, the remaining majority balance of 90% is effected by environmental factors. As a result of these findings, we’re coming to understand, that your microbiome is actually a driver of genetic expression, which means the microbes are responsible for turning the genes on and off depending on which ones are present. He goes onto say:

“The gut microbiome is 99 percent of the DNA in your body, and it is highly responsive and changeable based upon lifestyle choices, most importantly our food choices,” Dr. Perlmutter says.

“There’s this beautiful dance that happens between the gut bacteria and your own DNA. The gut bacteria actually influenced the expression of our 23,000 genes. Think about that. The bugs that live within us are changing our genome expression moment to moment.

Our genome has not changed over thousands of years. But now, suddenly, because we’re changing our gut bacteria, we are changing the signals that are going to our own DNA; coding now for increasing things like free radicals, oxidative stress, and inflammation. That is a powerful player in terms of so many disease processes…

Being a brain specialist dealing with brain disorders, my whole career I’ve been stymied by not having really powerful tools to implement to bring about changes in individuals who have these issues. Now we’re beginning to get those tools, and they are in the gut. Who knew?

In neurology school, we didn’t study the makeup of the gut bacteria and how that would ever influence the brain, and yet, this is leading-edge science.

This is what our most well-respected researchers and peer-reviewed journals are talking about: not only are the gut bacteria fundamentally involved in brain health, but you can change the gut bacteria by interventions – taking probiotics and choosing to eat foods that are rich in prebiotics and to enhance the growth of good bacteria – and even more aggressive therapies [such as fecal transplants]”

Nourish your gut health and it will nourish you right back!

Best Foods for Gut Health

Two important strategies to feed and protect your gut health are to limit your intake of antibiotics, only use them when they’re absolutely necessary, and in regards to the foods you eat, choose wisely. The majority of your diet should consist of whole, raw organic, non-GMO foods (genetically modified organisms), along with traditionally fermented and cultured foods. Some examples include fermented vegetables of various kinds, including sauerkraut and kimchi, kombucha (a fermented drink), and prebiotic foods which are loaded with fiber, like jicama, artichokes, dandelion greens and garlic.

Fermented and cultured foods are powerful brain supplements because they are feeding your gut, promoting good gut health and as a result they are signaling to the brain, all is well here, we have everything we need to function optimally!

Avoiding confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) meats is a must. These animals which are raised in factory farms are pumped full of antibiotics, which changes their gut health as well.  Pesticides have also been shown to change gut bacteria and create drug-resist bacteria in the soil and food, that’s why organically-grown foods are the best when it comes to your health.

Cheers!

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