The Resistant Starch Challenge: Is It The Key We've Been Looking For?

[adreno]

And:

For example, GlcNAc stimulates the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans to undergo changes in morphogenesis and expression of virulence genes. Pathogenic E. coli responds to GlcNAc by altering the expression of fimbriae and CURLI fibers that promote biofilm formation and GlcNAc stimulates soil bacteria to undergo changes in morphogenesis and production of antibiotics

N-Acetylglucosamine Functions in Cell Signaling

In this work, we examined factors that are important for growth of the infectious, environmental form of thermally dimorphic fungi. We discovered that N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), a ubiquitous carbohydrate with cellular roles across all kingdoms of life, stimulated a switch to the environmental form for two thermally dimorphic fungal pathogens, Histoplasma capsulatum and Blastomyces dermatitidis.

N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) Triggers a Rapid, Temperature-Responsive Morphogenetic Program in Thermally Dimorphic Fungi

 

[Vegas]

@Sidereal

This sounds very promising. I personally believe that everyone stands to benefit from using similar plant compounds: that is, those that are abundant in mucilage. These plants that you mentioned notable for their concentration of exopolysaccharides, and these mucilage rich plants appear to be preferentially utilized by microbial organisms that produce exopolysaccharides themselves; exopolysaccharides that benefit both host and microbes. Although I am more familiar with those commensals that produce these than any pathogens that produce exopolysaccharides, the organisms that I am concentrating on as having what may be an indispensable role in health, seem to be consistently able to preferentially utilize exopolysaccharide enriched plants or algae, and phytoplanktonic synthesized exopolysaccharides.

Actually, many organisms including fungi can produce exopolysaccharides, but for the core group of organisms from which our mitochondria involved are pretty efficient at utilizing these substances.

LAB also produce exopolysaccharides, and while I continue to believe that these organisms are important, I am no longer convinced they are indispensible based upon genomic analysis. LAB abundance in healthy humans may reflect favorable metabolic conditions that are actually incumbent upon a more primitive group of microorganisms. In other words, an abundance of obligative fermenting LAB may reflect oxidative status, which seems to be dependent upon more even more fundamental metabolic processes carried out by functionally-superior organisms.

I presume that plants that are highly abundant in exopolysaccharides afford the plant with an evolutionary advantage because they can provide extra carbohydrates for their microbial inhabitants, which includes being a substrate for growth and offering protection from competing (invasive) organism (a.k.a. biofilm for the good guys). It also appears that much of these bacterial metabolites are of direct benefit to the host.

Early metabolomic studies of humans have shown that there are enormous contributions for microbes. The accumulation of phenolic compounds and the scarcity of indolic compounds stands out.

Phenolic plant compounds like coumarin, catechin, or flavonoids carry out specific roles in plants as anti-infective, root-growth stimulating, etc. Plants that today are valued as spices have enormous ability as biological modifiers. Why is green tea healthful? I'm willing to bet that one reason is that catechins, for example, are extraordinarily stimulating for one of these billion year old commensal species. The health benefits of these compounds are clearly tied to their microbial beneficiaries. This also explains, in part, why some are exquisitely sensitive to these compounds, as they do not have the necessary microbial or host metabolic capacities to metabolize these or other associated compounds.

I think this purposeful. In some ways the functions of these plant compounds in humans is similar to what happens in plants.
Many of the precious herbs and spices that humans have come to prefer are not simply anti-oxidants, and anti-bacterial agents, which of course benefit plants and humans, but they specifically defenses against pathogens. I've been looking at the micro-organisms that protect roots from fungal organisms for example, and I see lots of chitin-degrading organisms.

Plants, like humans, also require protection from gram-negative pathogens, so I have been studying how this takes place. It seems that what is good for plant growth is generally pretty good for humans, and a much more limited number of ancestrally-related organisms starts to show up. This extends not only to exopolysaccharides, but other growth factors, including the aforementioned non-carbohydrate compounds and inorganic minerals.

I think these same microbial-plant relationship parallel microbial-host relationships based upon homologous gene transfer.

It is interesting that some of these plant compounds help promote their own survival and the survival of other symbionts in ways that might not be so obvious. They ostensibly protect us from excessive sun exposure (plants need protection from the sun too) by intervening in the tyrosine/melanin/phenyalanine pathways. This is critical in the maintanance of an appropriate immune response in humans given the role of vitamin D in T-reg creation differentiation/macrophage function. (in fact all the parts to t-regs/innate immunity/mucosal immunity/ is metabolically driven by our microbes).
So if you allow me to speculate, I think you have jump-started IAA biosynthesis, which I believe represents a key metabolic product that is endogenously synthesized from tryptophan with help from microbial symbionts. Its metabolties enhances barrier function and energy biosynthesis. In fact I have never before seen a metabolite with similar biological activity.

Let's hope the inflammatory response is not around the corner.

 

[Vegas]

Looks like NAG (and some other polysaccharides) are bad news if you have candida:

Maybe, depends on your microbes.

 

[Vegas]

If you tolerate aloe mannans, and beets as well, perhaps you could try a tablespoon of honey before bed. Makes wonders on many levels.

Honey is comprised of some extraordinarily rare sugars, in small concentrations. Good prebiotics for sure, but I can't say I have noticed any particular benefit. One of my son's craves this, and I have learned to feed his natural food cravings. Surprised to see him eat whole flax seed, unaccompanied.

 

[Sidereal]

I've noticed no benefit from honey.

 

[alicec]

Yum. Sounds delicious. Thank you!

Forgot to say, though its probably obvious, just fold in blueberries at the end.

 

[ariel]

These last couple of days I shifted gears and took 5 g of beet root, 2 g of plantain and 1.5 g of aloe vera powder (spread out throughout the day) and there's been slight but so far manageable hypoglycaemia.

Great news Sidereal.
I know it's hard, but wondering if you are able to isolate which powder is helping the most. Are you bolusing a mix of all three, or one at a time throughout the day?

 

[Sidereal]

Great news Sidereal.
I know it's hard, but wondering if you are able to isolate which powder is helping the most. Are you bolusing a mix of all three, or one at a time throughout the day?

One at a time. I think beet root is the most helpful of the three.

 

[adreno]

I finally got my Miyarisan. It was tagged as "supplement" on the declaration. I took 2 tabs yesterday, and 2 tabs today. Standard dosing is 3x6 tabs daily.

So far it's giving me loose stools and slight stomach upset, which I take as a good sign. No lactate hell.

After looking at my metametrix GI fx, I wonder if I need it, though? It seems to be a major producer of IL-10, which suppresses autoimmune conditions such as allergies (which I have). I actually though my levels would be lower.

 

[Sidereal]

@adreno, does the test further break the results down by species? Those Clostridia that you have may not be the ones you want.

 

[adreno]

@adreno, does the test further break the results down by species? Those Clostridia that you have may not be the ones you want.

No, it doesn't. Only clostridium difficile is tested separately (non-existent on the test). However, clostridia should be major producers of SCFAs, and they are not that high on my test. Rather confusing.

 

[Gondwanaland]

It seems to be a major producer of IL-10, which suppresses autoimmune conditions such as allergies

Where can I read more about that?

Thanks for reporting back.

Edit: from Mercola:

Using genetic analysis, the researchers determined that Clostridia instructs immune cells to produce a signaling molecule called interleukin-22 (IL-22), which is known to reduce the permeability of the lining in your intestines.

 

[Sidereal]

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v500/n7461/full/nature12331.html

Treg induction by a rationally selected mixture of Clostridia strains from the human microbiota

Manipulation of the gut microbiota holds great promise for the treatment of inflammatory and allergic diseases1, 2. Although numerous probiotic microorganisms have been identified3, there remains a compelling need to discover organisms that elicit more robust therapeutic responses, are compatible with the host, and can affect a specific arm of the host immune system in a well-controlled, physiological manner. Here we use a rational approach to isolate CD4+FOXP3+ regulatory T (Treg)-cell-inducing bacterial strains from the human indigenous microbiota. Starting with a healthy human faecal sample, a sequence of selection steps was applied to obtain mice colonized with human microbiota enriched in Treg-cell-inducing species. From these mice, we isolated and selected 17 strains of bacteria on the basis of their high potency in enhancing Treg cell abundance and inducing important anti-inflammatory molecules—including interleukin-10 (IL-) and inducible T-cell co-stimulator (ICOS)—in Treg cells upon inoculation into germ-free mice. Genome sequencing revealed that the 17 strains fall within clusters IV, XIVa and XVIII of Clostridia, which lack prominent toxins and virulence factors. The 17 strains act as a community to provide bacterial antigens and a TGF-β-rich environment to help expansion and differentiation of Treg cells. Oral administration of the combination of 17 strains to adult mice attenuated disease in models of colitis and allergic diarrhoea. Use of the isolated strains may allow for tailored therapeutic manipulation of human immune disorders.

Tregs are high in ME/CFS, though.

 

[Gondwanaland]

Tregs are high in ME/CFS, though.

So are Clostridia good or bad? @adreno will you keep taking it or quit?

 

[Sidereal]

So are Clostridia good or bad?

Some are good, some are bad, some are very bad like C. difficile.

 

[Gondwanaland]

Some are good, some are bad, some are very bad like C. difficile.

That I know, sorry for being so laconic today, I have a bad night's sleep behind me.

I meant are the good Clostridia in theory good or bad for us? I intend to try it either way when I receive it.

 

[Sidereal]

Today my standing BP was 117/79, pulse 78 after 15 g of beet root extract taken in two split doses. To put this in perspective, I've been mostly housebound (and have spent a good portion of that time bedridden) for the last 2.5 years with POTS and other ME symptoms.

 

[Sidereal]

That I know, sorry for being so laconic today, I have a bad night's sleep behind me.

I meant are the good Clostridia in theory good or bad for us? I intend to try it either way when I receive it.

Sorry, I see what you are saying now. Good question. They're almost certainly good for autoimmune disease so people make the automatic assumption but ME/CFS almost looks like the opposite of a true autoimmune condition with high Tregs and TGF-beta in some studies.

 

[Gondwanaland]

Sorry, I see what you are saying now. Good question. They're almost certainly good for autoimmune disease so people make the automatic assumption but ME/CFS almost looks like the opposite of a true autoimmune condition with high Tregs and TGF-beta in some studies.

So ok, I am not the only one confused by the research

 

[Sidereal]

So ok, I am not the only one confused by the research

Nope! @adreno started a thread on this topic recently, if you wanna confuse yourself some more.

http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/me-cfs-and-tregs-confused.36116/