This episode of Walk, Don't Run to the Doctor emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining a healthy microbiome for better health outcomes, disease prevention, and overall well-being. The microbiome, a complex population of microorganisms living in the gut, plays a significant role in protecting against cancer, regulating digestion, and supporting various metabolic and immune functions. A home-cooked diet, particularly a whole food omnivorous diet rich in fiber and fermented foods, helps to cultivate a resilient microbiome. Exercise, scant to moderate alcohol consumption (especially wine), and avoiding sugar, refined flours, and artificial sweeteners further enhance gut health. This episode also warns against overuse of antibiotics and reliance on probiotic supplements, advocating instead for a food-based approach through diet and lifestyle changes.

Key Takeaways:

1. Microbiome's Role in Health: The microbiome impacts everything from cancer prevention to appetite regulation, insulin sensitivity, immune function, and even brain health.
2. Diet and Gut Health: A Mediterranean-style, omnivorous whole food, diet improves microbiome diversity and overall health, reducing risks for conditions like obesity, diabetes, and cancer.
3. Fermented Foods: Incorporating fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and kombucha supports a healthy microbiome and reduces cancer risk.
4. Exercise and Lifestyle: Regular exercise promotes gut health and boosts immunity, while avoiding sugar, artificial sweeteners, and unnecessary antibiotics helps maintain microbiome balance.
5. Natural Approach: The podcast recommends focusing on diet and lifestyle over probiotic or prebiotic supplements to build a resilient microbiome.

For more insights and advice on reducing dependence on medications through lifestyle changes, make sure to subscribe to Walk, Don’t Run to the Doctor.

More references can be found at www.GreatMed.org

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References:

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           Perler, B., et al. (2023). The role of the gut microbiota in the relationship between diet and human health. Annual Reviews in Physiology, 85:44 9-68. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-physiol-031522-092054

           DeVos, W., et al. (2022). Gut microbiome and health: mechanistic insights. Gut-BMJ, 71:10 20-1032. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-326789

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           Pyo, Y., et al. (2024). Probiotic functions in fermented foods: Anti-viral, Immunomodulatory, and anti-cancer benefits. Foods, 13:23 86. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13152386

           Zhang, K., et al. (2019) Fermented dairy foods intake and risk of  cancer. International Journal of Cancer, 144: 2099-2108.

           Michels, K. B., et al. (2020). Yogurt consumption and colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 112(6), 1566–1575. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa244

           Shams-White, M., et al. (2022). The 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) Score and All-Cause, Cancer, and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Risk: A Longitudinal Analysis in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, Current Developments in Nutrition, Volume 6, Issue 6, nzac096,ISSN 2475-2991,https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzac096.

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           Sharma, A., et al. Final results of a phase I/II study to investigate efficacy of a high potency multistrain probiotic on chemo induced diarrhea. ESMO, 29(8). Doi:10.1093/annonc/mdy424

           Luceron-lucas-Torres, M., et al. Association between wine consumption and cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Nutriition, 10:11 97745. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1197745

           LeRoy, C., et al. (2020). Red  Wine Consumption  Associated with increased gut microbiota a-diversity in 3 independent cohorts. Gastroenterology, 158:27 0-272. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2019.024

           Duan, J., et al. (2021). The mechanisms of wine phenolic compounds for preclinical anticancer therapies. Food and Nutrition Research, 65:65 07. http://dx.doi.org/10.29219/fnr:v65.6507

           Zhao, L., et al. (2023). Sugar-Sweetened and Artificially Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Liver Cancer and Chronic Liver Disease Mortality. JAMA, 330(6), 537–546. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.12618

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