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American Gut Project - Anthrophology of Microbes

Waverunner

Senior Member
Messages
1,079
Our microbiome not only influences how we feel and how healthy we are but it also determines which diets are good for us. In my eyes, this is a great project. The Human Microbiome Project was the beginning but access was limited. The American Gut Project enables people all over the world to sequence microbiome data. I'm thinking about ordering the 99 dollar kit but I really would like to know, how the results look like. Do the results tell us, which bacteria and how many we have? Has anyone ordered the kit?



http://humanfoodproject.com/americangut/

What is American Gut?
You’ve probably heard by now that the trillions of microbes living on and in our bodies are changing both the way we think about health and disease and even how we define Self. Ever wonder what’s in your gut? Ever wonder how your diet might shift your gut microbes (for better or worse), or how simple lifestyle decisions may have a dramatic impact on your gut and overall health? Ever wonder which microbes on your husband sometimes make him smell funny?

The gut is our main focus, but it is also interesting to look at oral, skin and even vaginal communities for several reasons. It might be possible to develop biomarkers--canaries in our corporeal coal mines that let us predict aspects of your gut health based on a spit sample or a reading (swabbing) of your palm. We know, for example, that arterial plaque shares microbes with the mouth but not with the gut. Could we use plaque samples to predict features of our hearts? Maybe.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Great project! They allow international parcipation but I've had difficulty getting either DHL or Fedex (who they recommend) to accept a blood sample to send from the UK to US so I don't know if it would be possible to ship the samples back.

Could this be an interesting project for PWME if we could coordinate ourselves - has anything been done on our microbiome? Basically, you donate $99 and get a test kit and a list of the dominant bacteria in your gut.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Our microbiome not only influences how we feel and how healthy we are but it also determines which diets are good for us.

I didn't know that - I thought diet influenced our microbiome but didn't realise our microbiome could affect what diets were good for us, but it certainly sounds plausible. Do you have links to any info on that?
 
Messages
445
Location
Georgia
NPR radio report last week that the rate of serious allergies in children, has DOUBLED in the past ten years. Serious means, potentially life-threatening, life-altering. Not just the sniffles or a bit of diahhrea. I have heard, anecdotaly, that almost all autoimmune disesase is on the rise. There is some kind of parallel there.

The lead researcher at Stanford Univesity blamed it partly on "genetics"; and partly on "epi-genetics," which are the genes that change after we are born. We become sensitized to things that make us sick. Our kids are becoming more and more sensitive to the world. Do we undergo "epi-genetic" change after we get sick?

http://www.npr.org/2013/04/15/177319365/the-doctor-trying-to-solve-the-mystery-of-food-allergies
 

Waverunner

Senior Member
Messages
1,079
I didn't know that - I thought diet influenced our microbiome but didn't realise our microbiome could affect what diets were good for us, but it certainly sounds plausible. Do you have links to any info on that?

I just have this link, sorry.

http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=13522&page=69

Diet heavily influences the microbiome but if we lack certain bacteria or have other bacteria in abundance, they can also have an influence on how we can metabolize the foods we eat.
 

Waverunner

Senior Member
Messages
1,079
The lead researcher at Stanford Univesity blamed it partly on "genetics"; and partly on "epi-genetics," which are the genes that change after we are born. We become sensitized to things that make us sick. Our kids are becoming more and more sensitive to the world. Do we undergo "epi-genetic" change after we get sick?

http://www.npr.org/2013/04/15/177319365/the-doctor-trying-to-solve-the-mystery-of-food-allergies

MishMash, thanks for the information. Allergies are on the rise and we certainly need better treatment for it. Actually, the best thing would be, to know the cause. That's why I'm so annoyed, when I hear the word desensitization because it only means, that patients are infused by low allergen doses over a long period of time, so the body adapts to it. But relapse rates are high, if I remember correctly and it does nothing about the cause. Maybe the microbiome has a big influence on allergies as well.
 

MeSci

ME/CFS since 1995; activity level 6?
Messages
8,231
Location
Cornwall, UK
NPR radio report last week that the rate of serious allergies in children, has DOUBLED in the past ten years. Serious means, potentially life-threatening, life-altering. Not just the sniffles or a bit of diahhrea. I have heard, anecdotaly, that almost all autoimmune disesase is on the rise. There is some kind of parallel there.

The lead researcher at Stanford Univesity blamed it partly on "genetics"; and partly on "epi-genetics," which are the genes that change after we are born. We become sensitized to things that make us sick. Our kids are becoming more and more sensitive to the world. Do we undergo "epi-genetic" change after we get sick?

http://www.npr.org/2013/04/15/177319365/the-doctor-trying-to-solve-the-mystery-of-food-allergies

There some interesting stuff on epigenetics here:

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/epi_learns/

It's worth looking at the other pages there too. Epigenetic changes can be inherited.

It's interesting that epigenetic change commonly involves the addition of a methyl group. I have noticed that there are numerous threads relating to methylation here.
 

Old Salt

Rowing the boat
Messages
70
Location
S/W Pa.
The site www.enzymestuff.com claims the protocol using digestive enzymes before and in between meals can alleviate the symptoms of CFS and many degenerative diseases, including autism.
I've tried it for a few days and it has already mitigated my terrible food reactions to wheat. I don't have Celiac disease!
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
The site www.enzymestuff.com claims the protocol using digestive enzymes before and in between meals can alleviate the symptoms of CFS and many degenerative diseases, including autism.
I've tried it for a few days and it has already mitigated my terrible food reactions to wheat. I don't have Celiac disease!

Looks interesting, though I don't have the wits to take it in!

I've started a new thread on it to see what thoughts people have:
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/enzymes-any-use-for-me.22883/

Thanks for posting about it! :)