Paul - I've been researching / experimenting with this stuff for the last 5 years.

Have hunt around on my research website here 50k-Gi-insight, and you might find some insights or information that you can use.  The stuff on gut brain axis fascinating::

• gut - brain axis (19)
• gut - second brain (5)
• microbiome - neuroendocrine (1)
• y - grain brain (2)
• gluten - nuerotoxin (2)

More about "pre-biotics" here:

• Prebiotics vs Probiotics - Body + Soul

• 7 Reasons to Get Prebiotics in Your Diet, Plus Best Sources - Dr. Axe

Also take a look at the  programs on the ABC Catalyst programs:

Catalyst: Gut Reaction Pt 2 - ABC TV Science

www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4070977.htm

Aug 21, 2014 - In the second episode of this two-part special Dr Graham Phillips reveals ... In a nutshell, if you eat a bad diet, you end up with bad gut bacteria, ...

Catalyst - Gut Reaction (Part 2) : ABC iview

iview.abc.net.au/programs/catalyst/SC1502H025S00

Jan 9, 2017 - Catalyst - Gut Reaction (Part 2) : The final part of a Catalyst investigation into whether food could actually be our medicine. A healthy diet could ...

Cheers

JB

The Onion – Breakthrough Discovery of Gut Flora Superfood – THE LAPINE

The Onion – Breakthrough Discovery of Gut Flora Superfood – THE LAPINE

The Onion – Breakthrough Discovery of Gut Flora Superfood

by The Lapine · February 13, 2013

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U.S.
Doctors are recommending people eat a raw Onion a day for gas-free
digestion and effortless bowel movements, following the release of a
5-year study on the effects of eating the root vegetable.

“The
days of burping are over.  The days of grunting on the toilet are
over.  The Onion is the answer,” says a media release from Biodiversity
Studies at California’s UCLA.  “This is a major finding about a food
we’ve mostly used for A&W Onion rings.”

The
study conducted jointly by UCLA, Gonzgaga University, and Idaho
Vocational College, studied more than 2,400 males and females and
discovered that consuming a minimum of 5 ounces of raw onion immediately
increased digestive activity, lowered cholestrol, balanced sugar blood
levels, and, with teenage study participants, totally cleared up acne
problems.

“And
as a bonus, your daily plop is very compact and easy to void…about the
size of a BIC lighter,” said Dr. Ida Knowles, Director of Feces Studies
at UCLA.   

The
study’s overview says,  “Most often seen as a condiment, the Onion has
been discovered to be full of amibo vitamins, probloatactic acids that
help digestion, and quite amazing fungelai that really create a flora
and fauna fiesta in people’s colons.”

The
release of the study results is expected to lead to an increase in
Onion sales and the American Farmers Of Onions and Leeks organization
says their members are already moving to increase crop production to
meet demand.

“The
Onion is taking over.  Spanish, Red, Purple, Yellow, or the new Chinese
Hybrid Onion that tastes like chicken, we’re planting ’em all,” said
South Dakota farmer Dug Fleubenhauven (pronounced “Smith”). 

And
so with this breakthrough study, an old saying has come dramatically
alive again with one small  change — an apple has become an onion.

“An
Onion a day keeps the doctor away,” says a television public service
announcement from the Physicians’ Union of California (PUC) trumpeting
the research results but making no mention of the common Onion causing
bad breath.

“This
is beyond belief,” said weekly newspaper food critic Anna Fry, an Olive
Garden franchisee in Phoenix as she bit into a Arizona All-White
Onion.  “But the science behind the Onion is 100% true.  You can now
believe it.”

Alcohol and Leaky Gut Syndrome

Alcohol and Leaky Gut Syndrome




Alcohol is viewed as one of the main causes of leaky gut syndrome. It
is already accepted that alcohol can have a toxic effect on almost
every organ in the body. It is now suggested that alcohol causes
intestinal permeability. This is believed to occur because alcohol
suppresses the production of prostaglandins. These hormonal substances
are needed because they are able to moderate inflammation. If
prostaglandins are in low supply then it allows inflammation to cause
more damage inside the gut. Another mechanism by which alcohol
exacerbates leaky gut syndrome is that it prevents some important
nutrients from being transported from the intestine into the blood.

Pathogenic Clostridia, Including Botulism and Tetanus

Pathogenic Clostridia, Including Botulism and Tetanus



Pathogenic Clostridia, including Botulism and Tetanus (page 1)





























(This chapter has 4 pages)











Clostridium botulinum









Clostridia









The genus



Clostridium consists of relatively large, Gram-positive,



rod-shaped



bacteria in the Phylum Firmicutes



(Clostridia is actually a



Class in the Phylum).



All species form endospores



and have a strictly fermentative type of



metabolism.



Most clostridia will not grow under aerobic conditions and vegetative



cells



are killed by exposure to O₂, but their spores are able to



survive long



periods of exposure to air.



The clostridia are ancient organisms that live in virtually all of



the



anaerobic habitats of nature where organic compounds are present,



including



soils, aquatic sediments and the intestinal tracts of animals.









Clostridia are able to ferment a wide variety of organic compounds.



They produce end products such as butyric acid, acetic acid, butanol



and



acetone, and large amounts of gas (CO₂ and H₂)



during fermentation of



sugars.



A variety of foul smelling compounds are formed during the fermentation



of amino acids and fatty acids. The clostridia also produce a wide



variety



of extracellular enzymes to degrade large biological molecules (e.g.



proteins, lipids, collagen, cellulose, etc.) in the



environment



into fermentable components. Hence, the clostridia play an important



role



in nature in biodegradation and the carbon cycle. In anaerobic



clostridial



infections, these enzymes play a role in invasion and pathology.









Most of the clostridia are saprophytes, but a few are pathogenic for



humans, primarily Clostridium



perfringens, C. difficile, C. tetani and C. botulinum. Those that are pathogens



have primarily a saprophytic existence



in nature and, in a sense, are opportunistic pathogens. Clostridium



tetani and Clostridium botulinum produce the most potent



biological



toxins known to affect humans. As pathogens of tetanus and food-borne



botulism,



they owe their virulence almost entirely to their toxigenicity. Other



clostridia,



however, are highly invasive under certain circumstances.














Stained pus from a mixed



anaerobic



infection. At least three different clostridia are apparent.









Clostridium perfringens


















C. perfringens













Clostridium perfringens, which produces a huge array of



invasins



and exotoxins, causes wound and surgical infections that lead



to



gas



gangrene, in addition to severe uterine infections.



Clostridial



hemolysins and extracellular enzymes such as proteases, lipases,



collagenase



and hyaluronidase, contribute to the invasive process. Clostridium



perfringens



also produces an enterotoxin and is an important cause of food



poisoning.



Usually the organism is encountered in improperly sterilized (canned)



foods



in which endospores have germinated.









Food poisoning




Clostridium perfringens is classified into 5 types (A�E) on



the basis of its ability to produce one or more of the major lethal



toxins, alpha, beta, epsilon and iota (α, β, ε, and ι). Enterotoxin



(CPE)-producing (cpe+) C.



perfringens type A is reported continuously as one of the most



common food poisoning agents worldwide. An increasing number of reports



also implicate the organism in 5%�15% of antibiotic�associated



diarrhea (AAD) and sporadic diarrhea (SD) cases in humans, as well as



diarrhea cases in animals.










Most food poisoning strains studied carry cpe in their



chromosomes; isolates from AAD and SD cases bear cpe in a



plasmid. Why C. perfringens strains with cpe



located on chromosomes or plasmids cause different diseases has not



been satisfactorily explained. However, the relatively greater heat



resistance of the strains with chromosomally located cpe is a



plausible explanation for these strains' survival in cooked food, thus



causing instances of food poisonings. The presence of C.



perfringens strains with chromosomally located cpe in



1.4% of American retail food indicates that these strains have an



access to the food chain, although sources and routes of contamination



are unclear.










An explanation for the strong association between C. perfringens



strains with plasmid-located cpe and cases of AAD and SD



disease may be in vivo transfer of the cpe plasmid to C.



perfringens strains of the normal intestinal microbiota.



Thus, a small amount of ingested cpe+ C. perfringens



would act as an infectious agent and transfer the cpe plasmid



to cpe� C. perfringens strains of the normal



microbiota. Conjugative transfer of the cpe plasmid has been



demonstrated in vitro, but no data exist on horizontal gene



transfer of cpe in vivo, and whether cpe+ strains



that cause AAD and SD are resident in the gastrointestinal tract or



acquired before onset of the disease is unknown.

---

Case Study





Report of C. perfringens Food



Poisoning









Clostridium perfringens



is a common cause of outbreaks of foodborne illness in the United



States,



especially outbreaks in which cooked beef is the implicated source.



This



is a condensed version of an MMWR report that describes an outbreak of



C.



perfringens gastroenteritis following St. Patrick's Day meals of



corned



beef. The report typifies outbreaks of C. perfringens food



poisoning.









Report








On March 18, 1993, the



Cleveland



City Health Department received telephone calls from 15 persons who



became



ill after eating  corned beef purchased from one delicatessen.



After



a local newspaper article publicized this problem, 156 persons



contacted



the health department to report onset of diarrheal illness within 48



hours



of eating food from the delicatessen on March 16 or March 17. Symptoms



included abdominal cramps (88%) and vomiting (13%); no persons were



hospitalized.



The median incubation period was 12 hours (range: 2-48 hours). Of the



156



persons reporting illness, 144 (92%) reported having eaten corned beef;



20 (13%), pickles; 12 (8%), potato salad; and 11 (7%), roast beef.









In anticipation of a large



demand



for corned beef on St. Patrick's Day (March 17), the delicatessen had



purchased



1400 pounds of raw, salt-cured product. Beginning March 12, portions of



the corned beef were boiled for 3 hours at the delicatessen, allowed to



cool at room temperature, and refrigerated. On March 16 and 17, the



portions



were removed from the refrigerator, held in a warmer at 120^oF



(48.8^oC), and sliced and served. Corned beef sandwiches also



were made for



catering



to several groups on March 17; these sandwiches were held at room



temperature



from 11 a.m. until they were eaten throughout the afternoon.









Cultures of two of three



samples



of leftover corned beef obtained from the delicatessen yielded greater



than or equal to 10⁵ colonies of C. perfringens per



gram.









Following the outbreak,



public



health officials recommended to the delicatessen that meat not served



immediately



after cooking be divided into small pieces, placed in shallow pans and



chilled rapidly on ice before refrigerating, and that cooked meat be



reheated



immediately before serving to an internal temperature of greater than



or



equal to 165^oF (74 C).









Analysis








C. perfringens is a



ubiquitous,



anaerobic, Gram-positive, spore-forming bacillus and a frequent



contaminant



of meat and poultry.



C. perfringens food poisoning is characterized



by onset of abdominal cramps and diarrhea 8-16 hours after eating



contaminated



meat or poultry. By sporulating, this organism can survive high



temperatures



during initial cooking; the spores germinate during cooling of the



food,



and vegetative forms of the organism multiply if the food is



subsequently



held at temperatures of 60-125^oF (16-52^oC). If



served without



adequate



reheating, live vegetative forms of C. perfringens may be



ingested.



The bacteria then elaborate the enterotoxin that causes the



characteristic



symptoms of diarrhea and abdominal cramping.









Laboratory confirmation of C.



perfringens foodborne outbreaks requires quantitative cultures of



implicated



food or stool from ill persons. This outbreak was confirmed by the



recovery



of greater than or equal to 10⁵  organisms per gram of



epidemiologically



implicated food. An alternate criterion is that cultures of stool



samples



from persons affected yield greater than or equal to 10⁶



colonies



per gram. Stool cultures were not done in this outbreak. 



Serotyping



is not useful for confirming C. perfringens outbreaks and, in



general,



is not available.









Corned beef is a popular



ethnic



dish that is commonly served to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The errors



in preparation of the corned beef in this outbreak were typical of



those



associated with previously reported foodborne outbreaks of C.



perfringens. Improper



holding temperatures are a contributing factor in most C.



perfringens



outbreaks



reported to CDC. To avoid illness caused by this



organism, food should be eaten while still hot or reheated to an



internal



temperature of greater than or equal to 165^oF (74^oC)



before serving.

---

Gas gangrene









Gas gangrene generally occurs at the site of



trauma or a recent surgical wound. The onset of gas gangrene is sudden



and dramatic. About a third of cases occur on their own. Patients who



develop this disease in this manner often have underlying blood vessel



disease (atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries), diabetes, or



colon cancer.



Clostridium perfringens



produces many



different toxins, four of



which



(alpha, beta, epsilon, iota) can cause potentially deadly syndromes.



The toxins cause damage to tissues, blood cells, and blood vessels.










Gas gangrene is marked by a high fever, brownish pus, gas



bubbles under the skin, skin discoloration, and a foul odor. It is the



rarest form of gangrene, and only 1,000 to 3,000 cases occur in the



United States each year. It can be fatal



if not treated immediately.










Clostridium perfringens,



Gram Stain. Most clostridia are renowned for staining "Gram-variable".

Your Gut Bacteria Linked to Your Risk for Heart Disease

Your Gut Bacteria Linked to Your Risk for Heart Disease





A
new mechanism has been discovered that connects phosphatidyl choline
(also called lecithin), a common dietary fat, along with intestinal
microflora, to an increased risk of heart disease. The study shows that
the heart risk of people with a diet high in the lipid depends on how
the micro-organisms that live in their digestive tracts metabolize it.


When lecithin and choline were fed to mice, the substances were
converted to a heart disease-forming product by the intestinal microbes.
In humans, higher blood levels of choline and the heart disease forming
microorganism products are strongly associated with increased
cardiovascular disease risk.


According to Science Daily:

“... [D]ifferences in gut flora metabolism of the diet from one
person to another appear to have a big effect on whether one develops
heart disease.”

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

How Probiotics May Aid Your Weight Management

How Probiotics May Aid Your Weight Management

Visit the Mercola Video Library

By Dr. Mercola

Your gastrointestinal tract houses some 100 trillion bacteria—about two to three pounds worth. In all, the bacteria outnumber your body's cells by about 10 to 1.



Your intestinal bacteria are part of your immune system, and researchers
are discovering that microbes of all kinds play instrumental roles in
countless areas of your health. For example, beneficial bacteria, also
known as probiotics, have been shown to:

• Modulate your immune response and reduce inflammation
• Produce vitamins, absorb minerals, and eliminate toxins
• Control asthma and reduce risk of allergies
• Benefit  your mood and mental health
• Boost weight loss

Beneficial bacteria also control the growth of disease-causing
bacteria by competing for nutrition and attachment sites in your colon.
This is of immense importance, as pathogenic bacteria and other less
beneficial microbes can wreak havoc with your health if they gain the
upper hand. It can also affect your weight, as you'll see below.



For all of these reasons, and more, I always recommend a diet rich in
whole, unprocessed foods along with cultured or fermented foods. A
high-quality probiotic supplement can also be a helpful ally to restore
healthful balance to your microbiotia—especially when taking
antibiotics.

The Diet-Bacteria-Weight Connection

Bacterial imbalance in your gut can be made worse by processed foods and
foods that have been pasteurized or sterilized. Other factors affecting
your gut flora include where you live, your age, your stress level, and
any health issues you may have. Like processed foods, sugar also
promotes the growth of disease-causing yeasts and fungi.



Symptoms of a yeast (candida) overgrowth include fatigue, depression,
irritability, headaches, problems concentrating, muscle weakness,
recurrent vaginal and urinary tract infections, athlete's foot, jock
itch, persistent heartburn, indigestion, constipation, swollen joints,
nasal congestion, and sore throat.¹



In case you don't have reason enough yet to re-evaluate your sugar and
fructose intake, here's another twist in the sugar-obesity connection:
researchers have discovered a difference in gut bacteria between the
overweight and those of normal weight.²



In the obese, a bacterial strain known as firmicutes is found in much greater abundance than in leaner individuals. In those of normal weight, the bacteroidetes strain is in greater supply.



The firmicutes bacteria appear to be much better than the bacteroidetes
strain at turning calories from complex sugars into fat. As those who
are overweight begin to slim down, the bacterial balance shifts from
predominantly firmicutes to predominantly bacteroidetes.
Research published last year discovered that as much as 20 percent of
the substantial weight loss achieved from gastric bypass, a popular
weight loss surgery, is actually due to shifts in the balance of
bacteria in your digestive tract.³

Bacteria Can Affect Your Food Cravings, and Weight Loss Success

According to the most recent study, a strain of friendly bacteria called Lactobacillus rhamnosus also appears to be quite helpful for weight loss in women.⁴ As reported in the featured article:

"The controlled clinical trial was set up so that the first 12 weeks
women were guided to eat less food and some were additionally given the
Lactobacillus rhamnosus. After 12 weeks the amount of weight loss was
greater in the group receiving the friendly flora supplement.

Over the next 12 weeks the dietary restrictions were lifted, and the
friendly flora was continued. Those women not taking Lactobacillus
rhamnosus now gained weight, whereas the friendly flora group continued
to lose weight. The weight loss benefit was linked to measurements of
the bacterial profile of the digestive tract. This study is the
latest to show that the balance of power in the digestive tract is a
metabolic variable of high importance and nothing to ignore as part of a
long-term successful weight loss plan."

As it relates to weight management, one hypothesis states that your gut
bacteria may in fact be in control of your appetite. Recent research⁵
suggests there's a positive-feedback loop between the foods you crave
and the composition of the microbiota in your gut that depend on those
nutrients for their survival. Microbes that thrive on sugar, for
example, can signal your brain to eat more sweets. Other studies⁶,⁷
have shown that certain bacteria found in your gut can produce insulin
resistance and weight gain by triggering chronic low-grade inflammation
in your body. Three such culprits include:

• Endotoxin-producing Enterobacter⁸
• Staphylococcus aureus⁹ (an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria)
• The human adenovirus-36 (a cause of respiratory infections and pinkeye)

Yet another recent study revealed that a breath test of the gases
given off by your gut bacteria might actually be able to predict your
likelihood of becoming obese. The study found that people with high
levels of hydrogen and methane in their breath are more likely to have a
higher body-mass index (BMI) and proportion of body fat.¹⁰
This, the researchers believe, may be because the related gut bacteria
influence your body's ability to extract calories from food, leading to
weight gain.

Diets, Not Borders, Dictate Gut Bacteria

It's important to understand that while your gut microbes may have a
tremendous say in you bodily processes, YOU are ultimately in control of
your intestinal microflora—through the foods you eat. Science News¹¹
recently ran an article about how local diets dictate the bacterial
balance found in residents. For example, despite living on opposite ends
of the Earth, people in Malawi and the Guahibo of Venezuela have
similar microbial makeup, courtesy of the similarities between their
native diets.

"Americans, on the other hand, have a distinctive microbiome with about 25 percent less diversity than indigenous Venezuelans," the article states.

One of the primary differences between the diets is meat consumption.
Malawian and Guahibo diets are high in corn and cassava, with an
occasional piece of meat. Americans, on the other hand, are far more
carnivorous, and also eat far more bread, lettuce and tomatoes,
potatoes, pasta, milk and dairy products. The microbial makeup of the
three groups reveals these dietary differences. Needless to say,
altering your diet has a direct impact on the microbial community
residing in your gut—for better or worse. According to Science News:¹²

"A more recent study found that major diet shifts can change the mix of gut microbes noticeably in just a day.
Omnivores switching to a diet of all animal products saw the biggest
change, as some bacteria boomed and others declined. Microbes settled
back to their previous profiles a day or two after subjects returned to
their usual diets..." [Emphasis mine]

A More Complete Understanding of the Gut Could Change Modern Medicine...

There are three major collaborative efforts underway that help deepen our understanding of the human microbiome:

• The International Human Microbiome Consortium¹³
• The US National Institute of Health's Human Microbiome Project¹⁴
• The American Gut Project

So far, the NIH's Human Microbiome Project alone has produced 190
scientific papers, along with a repository of resources that scientists
can access to explore the relationships between human gut bacteria and
disease. The American Gut Project decided to take it a step further by
allowing the American public to participate.¹⁵
All the gathered information from this project will eventually be made
public. It's an extremely ambitious project seeking to identify the
parameters for the ideal gut flora, and how your diet affects it.



What's particularly exciting about the American Gut Project is the fact
that it will allow us to really evaluate and compare the effects of a
very diverse conglomeration of lifestyles. Scientific studies almost
always focus on carefully chosen groups of people who are studied for a
specific purpose, typically to confirm or debunk a hypothesis. This
project, on the other hand, will crack the lid open on the effects on
gut flora of a myriad of lifestyle choices, by people of all ethnicities
and ages.



If we can better understand how diet and lifestyle—whether by choice or
necessity—affect your microbial makeup, doctors may eventually be able
to precisely address health problems and disease through dietary
prescriptions known to shift the microbial population in one direction
or another.

Diet and Lifestyle Dos and Don'ts

Granted, I don't see any point in waiting for such
confirmations. The fundamentals are already quite well understood, and
include a rather concise list of dos and don'ts. When it comes to diet,
you want to eat mostly whole, fresh, unadulterated foods,
taking pains to avoid sugars and processed/pasteurized and genetically
engineered foods of all kinds. Add to that a healthy amount of
traditionally fermented foods each day and you're off to a good start.



A strong case can be made for eating organic to protect your gut flora
as agricultural chemicals take a heavy toll on beneficial microbes—both
in the soil in which the food is grown, and in your body. Glyphosate
(Roundup), used in particularly hefty amounts on genetically engineered
crops, appears to be among the worst of the most widely used chemicals
in food production. As for general lifestyle advice, you'll want to
avoid well-known culprits that kill beneficial bacteria, such as:

• Antibiotics (also note that most store-bought beef typically comes from cattle raised with antibiotics. To avoid getting a low dose of antibiotics in every piece of meat you eat, make sure your meat is grass-fed and finished)
• Chlorinated water
• Antibacterial soap
• Pollution

Foods 'for Life'

In contrast to the pesticide effect of processed foods and sugar on the
state of your health, fermented foods act as natural fertilizers, if you
will—providing nutrients and promoting growth of healthy bacteria in
your digestive tract. For ages, humans have used fermented foods to
improve intestinal health. As an added boon, fermented foods are also
some of the best chelators and detox agents available, meaning they can
help rid your body of a wide variety of toxins, including heavy metals
and pesticides.  Examples of healthy fermented foods include:

• Sauerkraut, pickles, and other fermented vegetables
• Fermented dairy products, such as yoghurt and kefir made from raw (unpasteurized) dairy
• Miso
• Tempeh
• Olives

To Be 'Alive,' the Food Must Be Unprocessed and Not Pasteurized...

It is important to note that traditionally fermented foods are not the
equivalent of the same foods, commercially processed and pasteurized.¹⁶ Fortunately, preparing your own fermented foods
at home is quite easy, and very cost effective. For instructions,
please see my previous interview with Caroline Barringer, a Nutritional
Therapy Practitioner (NTP), and an expert in the preparation of the
gut-nourishing foods prescribed in Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's Gut
and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) Nutritional Program.



Caroline recommends eating about a quarter to half a cup (2 to 4 oz) of
fermented vegetables or other cultured food, such as raw yoghurt, with
one to three meals per day. Bear in mind that since cultured foods are
efficient detoxifiers, you may experience detox symptoms if you
introduce too many at once. So start with very small servings—as little
as a teaspoon of fermented vegetables, for example, or even just a spoon
or two of the juice—and slowly work your way up to the quarter to half
cup serving size. This way your intestinal microbiota has the chance to
adjust.

For Optimal Health, Pay Attention to Your Gut

Two things are clear:

• Sufficient amounts of friendly bacteria are fundamental to your good
  health. It's impossible to be optimally healthy if your gut's bacterial
  balance is out of whack.
• Your lifestyle –your diet, medications, the antibacterial cleansers
  you use, and other factors outside your control – are working together
  to compromise the number of lifesaving friendly bacteria in your
  digestive system.

Maintaining a good balance of gut bacteria through diet is one of the
most important things you can do to increase your chances of remaining
healthy and vital for a lifetime. Remember, a gut-healthy diet is one
that is rich in whole, unprocessed, unsweetened foods, along with
traditionally fermented or cultured foods. And, although I'm not a major
proponent of taking many supplements (as I believe the majority of your
nutrients need to come from food), probiotics is an exception if you
don't eat fermented foods on a regular basis.

Alcoholism linked to lack of intestinal bacteria | ScienceNordic

Alcoholism linked to lack of intestinal bacteria | ScienceNordic

October 20, 2014 - 06:23

New study suggests connection between the gut flora and addiction to alcohol.

Keywords:


Alcohol, alcohol consumption, alcoholism, Gut bacteria, intestines

SendPDFPrint

By: Anne Ringgaard

It
could be that some alcoholics have a particularly hard time quitting
the alcohol because they have fewer intestinal bacteria than other
people. (Photo: Shutterstock)

A new study suggests that bacteria in the gut may play a role in alcohol addiction and the risk of relapse after rehab.

"Our
results provides strong evidence that alcohol addiction is not only in
the brain, but that it in some cases can be associated with an imbalance
in the intestinal flora,” said Professor Fredrik Bäckhed from the
University of Gothenburg during a guest lecture at Novo Nordisk
Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research at Copenhagen University.

Some alcoholics have fewer intestinal bacteria

In the study, which was recently published in the journal PNAS, Bäckhed and his colleagues from Belgium and Sweden have analysed the intestinal bacteria composition of 60 alcoholics.

The 60 alcoholics in the study had an equal use of alcohol.

After
the test participants had spent 19 days in rehab it became apparent to
the scientists that there was a big difference in how well the
participants recovered: their well-being and risk of relapse was
connected to their gut flora.

26 out of the 60 alcoholics suffered
from leaky gut syndrome and generally had a low amount of intestinal
bacteria -- specially their levels of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii,
which is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, were detected as
unusually low. The leaky gut syndrome is linked to inflammation of the
gut and diseases like Crohn disease.

After 19 days without alcohol
the 26 test subjects still scored high on tests that measuered
depression, anxiety, and alcohol cravings. There was in fact not much
difference from before they went to rehab.

In comparison, the
remaining 34 subjects with normal gut flora were recovering much better,
scoring low on depression, anxiety, and alcohol cravings. In fact,
their scores decreased to levels comparable with the control group who
didn't have a drinking problem.

On the basis of these results the
scientists concluded that intestinal flora is connected to the
likelihood of relapse after sobering up in rehab.

Bäckhed hopes that the study will lead to new treatment possibilities for alcoholics where the intestinal flora is considered.

Our results strongly suggest that alcohol addiction is not only a problem which starts in the brain

Professor Bäckhed

"It
appears that some alcoholics may need a different treatment than
others. The study has an interesting treatment potential,“ he said.

Professor: The study does not prove a connection

Professor Ove
Schaffalitzky, head of research at the department of gastroenterology,
University of Southern Denmark, is not entirely convinced that the new
study shows a link between intestinal bacterial flora and alcohol
addiction. He was not involved in the study, but has read it.

“The study does indeed show a correlation, however, this doesn't necessarily prove anything," said Schaffalitzky.

Even
though there is some overlap it does not prove that there is a
connection between intestinal flora and increased alcohol addiction, he
says.

“There can be other explanatory factors which the study does
not account for. It may be that the test subjects have a special
drinking pattern or diet, have other illnesses, have a special gut or
something else. There are many uncertain points in the hypothesis,” said
Schaffalitzky.

The brain-gut connection is still not clear

Although Bäckhed is
certain that there is a link between the bacteria in the gut and alcohol
addiction, he also stresses that there is a need for more studies,
before we can understand the exact relation.

“It's the first time
we have shown that there is a correlation between alcohol craving and
bacterial gut composition. Previously studies with mice have produced
similar results," said Bäckhed. "However, we still don't know how the
connection between the gut and the brain works."