Hello Everyone! Welcome back to another Friday blog. Almost all of us have had an antibiotic at some point. These miracle drugs not only kill the harmful pathogen but kill our good microbes as well. Today I want to look at the after-effects of antibiotics and address what we can do to restore our gut microbiota. Why? Consequences include indigestion, brain fog, depression, anxiety, mood swings, insulin-resistance, diabetes, metabolic dysfunction, bloating, susceptibility to infection or frequent illness, constipation, acne or skin issues and a myriad of chronic diseases…First, let's look at what the human microbiota is.

‘‘Human microbiota’’ is the term used to describe all the microorganisms (bacteria, eukaryotes, archaea, and viruses) within the human body, while the microbiome is defined as the complete catalog of these microbes and their genes (Dave et al., 2012).” There are roughly 10X more microorganisms than cells in our bodies. When our gut microbiota is diverse, health is promoted and they aid in preventing chronic disease. In contrast, poor diversity is a characteristic feature of chronic diseases including diabetes, obesity, asthma, anxiety, depression and digestive issues. There is bidirectional communication between the brain and our microbiome via the Vagus nerve. Did you realize that 90% of the communication is from the gut to the brain - and only 10% is the brain sending information to the gut. This should stop you in your tracks. What happens in the gut is going to affect the brain. Hard stop.  

These microbes communicate with the mitochondria - they are like sisters - and work symbiotically with our bodies. We feed them sunlight, fiber, and polyphenols - they aid in absorbing nutrients, eliminating toxins, destroying harmful microbes, helping our immune system, synthesizing vitamin K2 (about 50%), B vitamins including thiamine, folate, biotin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid. They are intricately involved in our metabolism and significantly affect our brain! WOW!!! If you aren’t getting adequate sunlight, vitamin D, fiber, polyphenols and feeding your microbes you will not be well.

Researchers gave 3 broad-spectrum antibiotics to 12 healthy men for 4 days resulting in near complete eradication of gut bacteria. It took about 6 months for a slow, gradual recovery of most species, but they were “still missing nine of their common beneficial bacteria and a few new potentially non-desirable bacteria had colonized the gut. The findings are published today in Nature Microbiology.” Now we know it can take up to 2 years to restore our microbiome following an antibiotic. This is a real problem!!! To make matters worse, over-prescribing and poor patient follow-through has created resistance factors in bacteria to antibiotics.

Infections like pneumonia, TB, gonorrhea, C-difficile, staphylococcus, streptococcus and food-borne diseases are becoming increasingly more difficult to treat, due to antibiotic-resistant forms of pathogens like MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).  “MRSA is common in hospitals, prisons, and nursing homes, where people with open wounds, invasive devices such as catheters, and weakened immune systems are at greater risk of hospital-acquired infection. MRSA began as a hospital-acquired infection but has become community-acquired, as well as livestock-acquired.”  Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered the “next threat” in medicine. “AMR can affect anyone, of any age, in any country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 3 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year, and 48,000 people die as a result. And according to a recent GAO report, because of inadequate surveillance, this may actually be an underestimate of the extent of the problem. A lack of sufficient point of care diagnostics also makes it difficult for physicians to get the right treatment to the right patient at the right time. As a result, AMR threatens many modern medical advances that depend on antimicrobial medicines to fight potential infections, including joint replacements, organ transplants and cancer therapy.”

“Worldwide antimicrobial resistance is increasing at an alarming rate. By 2050, antibiotic resistant microbial infections are projected to cause millions of additional deaths and cost taxpayers about $100 trillion.”

What can we do to prevent resistance to antibiotics and restore our gut microbiota?

• If you are taking an antibiotic, it is very important to fully complete that antibiotic - to fully eliminate the pathogen 
• NEVER take antibiotics for a viral infection!
• Probiotics can help - check for 3rd party testing to make sure you are getting one with efficacy. I personally like SEED.
• Sunlight - Red light, UV-A and UV-B from the sun help to sculpt and balance our microbiome. Early am sunlight is best - aim for at least 4-6hrs of sunlight daily.
• Sleep - get early am sunlight to set circadian rhythm and get a good night's sleep. This is when our body heals, cleans house, gets rid of pathogens.
• Fast - 24hr - 72hr fasting - after 24hrs of fasting several pathogenic species and some others start to die off. We release stem cells in our gut - then when we re-feed with good substrate for our microbiome we support the colonization of healthy gut species.  
• Fermented foods like raw sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, natto, fermented pickles and other veggies.
• Fiber-rich foods - eat a full spectrum of functional foods 
• MCT oil - (C8) provides instant ketones that feed microbiome and mitochondria
• Vitamin D3 - really a hormone that controls/balances your microbiome and immune function. Get levels >60nm/dL
• Vitamin K2 - microbes eat vitamins before we can absorb them. Covid destroys bifidobacteria - a keystone species in our gut - within 2 weeks. High dose vitamin K2 restores bifidobacteria.
• B vitamins - microbes eat vitamins first - we get what's left over. Make sure you get plenty of all 8. They work together with thiamine (B1) being the quarterback of the team.
• HP-EVOO - (high polyphenol extra virgin olive oil)
  • Selectively antimicrobial!  Enhances good microbes, while destroying pathogens. Polyphenols are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
  • Polyphenols feed the microbiome as well as the mitochondria
  • Heals the gut lining as well as the BBB (blood brain barrier) and is one of the most powerful functional foods!
  • Has 200 times the amount of vit E and 80 times the amount of vitamin K when compared to virgin coconut oil.
  • EVOO acts dually as a supplier and cofactor of B-carotene (converted to vit A in small intestine), increasing the absorption and bioavailability of carotenoids over that of eating fruits and vegetables!
  • increases levels of peptide YY and enteroglucagon- suppressing appetite, enhancing nutrient absorption and reducing calorie absorption - 
    
  • HP-EVOO constituents possess anti-microbial, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and anti-nociceptive (pain) properties and contribute to cardioprotective, gastroprotective, and neuroprotective activities.

So, until next time my friends…Drink, Drizzle, Digest HP-EVOO at least 4T raw daily, - use more for cooking and drizzling onto your food - eat the rainbow of organic or wild-sourced or organic veggies (7-9 C) and low-glycemic fruits (to get the rainbow of gut microbes!) - eat wild-caught, pasture-raised, grass-fed - get plenty of sunshine - supplement magnesium, zinc, vitamin D3 + K2 - get your trace minerals and electrolytes with good sea salt - Celtic is hand-harvested and Himalayan was formed before plastics - eat foods high in lutein - drink your body weight in oz of water - get a good pre/probiotic - consume digestible and indigestible fiber for your gut microbes - adaptogens (such as mushrooms) and methylation donors (kale, beets, spinach, cruciferous, lion’s mane…), marjoram, rosemary, oregano, parsley and other herbs to detox, enhance overall health and reverse aging and disease - exercise your body and mind - add a few minutes of mindful meditation and breathing exercises to your day to combat stress - take a hot Epsom salt bath and follow with a cold shower/ice plunge - practice “earthing” as an anti-inflammatory - remove EMF (electromagnetic frequency) devices and blue light - use IR (infrared) from incandescent lighting, non-toxic candle or light a fire to enhance sleep and...turn off the light!!   #HP-EVOO

This blog is intended for informational purposes only. Discuss strategies with your Healthcare Practitioner.