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Remember: Cultivate healthy bowel flora!

By Dr. Davis | January 28, 2015 21 Comments

Sleeping man 123rfCB chimed in on the Wheat Belly Facebook page with this interesting observation after taking efforts to cultivate healthy bowel flora:

“Added green bananas and raw potatoes to my fare: cannot believe how much better I am sleeping and dreaming! I was not getting enough sleep this last year. Now, every night, technicolour vibrancy and fully under.

“I also notice my running has improved, as my joints feel looser and don’t hurt afterwards as they normally do, and I do not tire as easily.

“I was skeptical about the whole resistant starch thing, especially as I was complacent with my food habits after 3 years on Wheat Belly. I suppose this means old dogs CAN learn new tricks by keeping an open mind and giving things a try. Thanks once again, Dr. D.!”

CB’s observation highlights how bowel flora affect emotional and mental health in important ways. Not only cam sleep become deeper and be filled with vivid dreams (reflecting deeper, more extended REM? enhanced endogenous pineal melatonin?), but depression can lift, anxiety can be reduced. It’s not entirely clear how healthy bowel flora exert this effect (via butyrate, as with other metabolic parameters?), but it reflects the profound influence healthy bowel flora species have on the human brain.

The pro- and prebiotic approach to cultivating bowel flora is discussed in this Wheat Belly Blog post, as well as an extended conversation in Wheat Belly Total Health. Also bear in mind that we try to cultivate bowel flora species diversity. In every instance when healthier populations are compared to less healthy populations–non-daibetics vs. diabetics, slender vs. obese, no autoimmunity vs. autoimmune disease, primitive culture vs. modern culture–diversity of bacterial species is a consistent characteristic among the healthier population. There is therefore benefit to varying your prebiotic fiber/resistant starch routine, and not doing the same thing day in, day out. More about this to come in future.

The relief from joint stiffness that CB experienced also suggests positive changes in joint health and further reduction in inflammation. Disrupted bowel flora can trigger autoimmunity and inflammation on their own, even after grains have been removed from the diet. This effect, along with metabolic benefits that include reduced insulin, reduced blood sugar, reduced blood pressure, and reduced triglycerides, is likely at least partially from bacterial metabolism of resistant fibers to the fatty acid, butyrate. Butyrate also exerts important effects on nourishing intestinal tissue and promoting healing (of cellular tight junctions).

Like CB did, everyone needs to purposefully cultivate healthy bowel flora, as we all start with bowel flora disrupted by many factors in modern life: intermittent antibiotics, wheat and grains, sugars, antibiotic residues in meat, chlorinated and fluoridated municipal water, Bt toxin and glyphosate-containing corn,and othersSleeping man 123rf. By “seeding” the intestinal tract with a high-potency probiotic, then nourishing bowel flora with prebiotic fibers/resistant starches, it’s your best chance to regain something close to healthy bowel flora over several months of effort.

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Filed Under: News & Updates Tagged With: bowel flora, fiber, glluten, microbiota, prebiotic, resistant starch, wheat

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About Dr. Davis

Cardiologist Dr. William Davis is a New York
Times #1 Best Selling author and the Medical Director of the Wheat Belly Lifestyle Institute and the Undoctored Inner Circle program.

Nothing here should be construed as medical advice, but only topics for further discussion with your doctor. I practice cardiology in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Comments & Feedback...

  1. Tim Steele (Tatertot)

    January 28, 2015 at 12:09 pm

    Dr. Davis – I love that you are popularizing raw potatoes. I’m also hearing from people that they love them and I think they are better than eating just potato starch. I hope you give dried green plantains a try, too. Once you get the hang of peeling one, it’s easy to slice into slabs and air-dry. They make great ‘crackers’.

    You said: “There is therefore benefit to varying your prebiotic fiber/resistant starch routine, and not doing the same thing day in, day out. More about this to come in future.”

    I hope you take a look at the 5 part series I just did on fibers, and read some comments. People are finding there is a world of prebiotics at their finger tips, if you know what to look for! Feel free to use any of it you like, I owe a lot to “Wheatbelly” and I am so happy you are now recommending replacement fiber.

    When I recently learned that newborn babies are getting 15-25g of fermentable fiber daily in breast milk, it really re-energized my excitement to pin down a ‘sweet spot’ for an adult requirement for fermentable fibers.

    Much to the chagrin of the supplement industry, it is entirely possible to get a full day’s supply of prebiotic fibers from a small raw potato or a couple green bananas. But, there are also lots of fiber’s cheaply available for those that would rather get their fiber in a smoothie or mixed with water.

    Also, potato and green bananas supply mostly RS2, I keep a jar filled with numerous fibers on my counter for when I want to ‘mix things up’ a bit.

    It really is too easy!

    I rarely use the same dose/type of prebiotics from day-to-day.

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    • Boundless

      January 28, 2015 at 12:23 pm

      re: I keep a jar filled with numerous fibers on my counter for when I want to ‘mix things up’ a bit.

      So is this one jar with a mix, or several jars each with a different RS?

      Having a dry mix at hand strikes me as a way to get variety without effort (and a great market opportunity for some enterprising sellers).

      Log in to Reply
      • Tim Steele

        January 28, 2015 at 12:40 pm

        Well, actually I have two jars…one labeled ‘flour’ and one labeled ‘sugar,’ but inside one is straight potato starch and in the other is a mixture of Metamucil Clear and Natural Inulin (50%), Benefiber Wheat Dextrin (25%), and NutriSource 100% partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) (25%).

        These all dissolve rapidly in water. Some of the supplemental fibers out there (Glucomannan for instance) do not lend themselves well to mixing with water!

        Log in to Reply
        • Bob Niland

          January 28, 2015 at 12:56 pm

          Net Carb Nanny here doing some homework …

          Re: Metamucil Clear and Natural Inulin

          That might be a Metamucil product that’s safe to consume – interesting, as I had previously written off the entire product line.

          Re: Benefiber Wheat Dextrin

          May be gluten-free, but is it free of other troublesome wheat proteins? It’s also 25% net carb, but that might amount to only 1 gram per serving, and less if part of a mix. The readership here is apt to avoid this just due to being wheat-sourced. We won’t even get into issues like glyphosate uptake.

          Re: NutriSource 100% partially hydrolyzed guar gum

          Again 25% net carb, but amounting to 1 gram/serving, and less if part of a mix.

          Log in to Reply
          • Tim Steele

            January 28, 2015 at 1:07 pm

            lol, I figured that Wheat Dextrin would raise some eyebrows!

            In studies on prebiotics, wheat dextrin stacks up well, same as the PHGG.

            OK, let me give a bit more background. I’m involved in a 9 month study being run out of Stanford, getting my gut flora tested weekly. I’m rotating through all of the prebiotics I can get my hands on during this time and taking careful notes as to what I was eating each week. I’ll also do some weeks of low carb/low fiber. Trying to give each fiber blend about 4 weeks before switching. I think the results will be well worth the trouble, but it will take about a year to compile everything.

            As to wheat dextrin…it may be the ONLY redeeming quality in wheat. I resisted using it myself. But seems harmless and so far no problems. It supposedly contains no gluten, but obviously can’t be called ‘gluten-free.’ As to what else it may contain…no idea.

            I really can’t wait to see what Dr. Davis comes up with,

          • Boundless

            January 28, 2015 at 9:01 pm

            re: Re: Metamucil Clear and Natural Inulin

            re: That might be a Metamucil product that’s safe to consume – …

            And too good to last. We actually needed to order some inulin tonight, and according to remarks on Amazon, this Metamucil product has been discontinued. From the Q&A: “Clear & Natural, which was our only non-psyllium product, was discontinued so we could focus on our other Metamucil products, all of which are psyllium-based.”

          • Tim (tatertot)

            January 28, 2015 at 9:07 pm

            Metamucil Clear still available on Amazon!

            http://www.amazon.com/Metamucil-Inulin-Natural-Clear-Mixing-Servings/dp/B001EP3IEA

          • Boundless

            January 28, 2015 at 9:13 pm

            re: Metamucil Clear still available on Amazon!

            Yes, but the price has now skyrocketed as apparently all that’s left is remaindered inventory. We found another brand on VitaCost for much less (and not the house brand, which senselessly has stevia added to it – harmless, but not what many buyers are looking for).

            Tim, have you any insights on the IR/keto/RS question below:
            https://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2015/01/remember-cultivate-healthy-bowel-flora/comment-page-1/#comment-58427

  2. Jewwell

    January 28, 2015 at 12:42 pm

    I have been taking probiotics for the last few months. I’ve been using the Renew Life ones recommended by Dr. Davis and also obtained some probiotics from Dr. Mercola to put in the fermented vegetables I’ve been making lately.

    I noticed that they each have some kinds of bacteria which the other doesn’t have so it’s giving me a bit of variety, which is good.

    Log in to Reply
    • Bob Niland

      January 30, 2015 at 7:45 pm

      re: I noticed that they each have some kinds of bacteria which the other doesn’t have …

      Check into what the on-going Hazda biome research is turning up, and expect to be shocked.

      Or just what the Human Genome Project, uBiome, and American Gut projects are turning up. The variations aren’t limited to species, but also to strains, as a recent post by Tim Steele discusses:
      http://vegetablepharm.blogspot.com/2015/01/in-search-ofthe-perfect-gut-bug.html

      It is not known what constitutes an ideal probiotic. There may not be such a thing for any random individual. I’m expecting that the Wheat Belly probiotic recommendations are going to evolve over time, based on actual results and emerging science.

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  3. Maryann

    January 28, 2015 at 5:25 pm

    Hello…I would love some advice on prebiotics or resistant starches that are tolerated for very insulin resistant people. Even the small raw potato will stop ketosis and I have no idea what to do. Thank you to the Wheat Belly community for all of the great, encouraging posts and comments. I am not on facebook, so I can’t post, but I read every day and appreciate Dr. Davis and everyone here very much. Warm wishes and success to all, maryann

    Log in to Reply
    • Bob Niland

      January 28, 2015 at 6:30 pm

      Re: advice on prebiotics or resistant starches that are tolerated for very insulin resistant people.

      I can’t even speculate on this usefully, but anyone who can is likely to want to know what the suspected source of the IR is, such as (but not limited to): T1D, LADA, advanced T2D, Donohue Syndrome, LMNA, etc .

      Re: Even the small raw potato will stop ketosis …

      Is there any BG response to the consumption of the raw potato?

      Log in to Reply
  4. Ladyermintrude

    January 29, 2015 at 11:07 am

    Quick question – I know potatoes and potato starch must be eaten raw but what about other RS sources? Onions, garlic, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts etc?? Does cooking destroy the RS in them?

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    • Boundless

      January 29, 2015 at 12:32 pm

      While we await any insights that Dr.D. might share, I asked that same question on Tim’s blog:
      http://vegetablepharm.blogspot.com/p/faqs.html#c4948357061763253451

      Log in to Reply
      • Ladyermintrude

        January 29, 2015 at 1:09 pm

        Thanks! Good resource!

        Log in to Reply
  5. Victoria

    February 5, 2015 at 11:52 pm

    I have been grainless now for over 1 month and I have two questions: 1) Why on earth am I experiencing WORSE lower intestinal gas than ever? And 2) How can I keep up my weight? I started this journey as a thin person and I cannot afford to get thinner, but eating grains again is also no option. I am doing resistance exercise but gee whiz, I feel too lean now!

    Log in to Reply
    • Bob Niland

      February 6, 2015 at 8:17 am

      Re: 1) Why on earth am I experiencing WORSE lower intestinal gas than ever? And 2) How can I keep up my weight?

      These two things might be related.

      What have you done about restoring gut health (the topic of the base blog article here)?

      If a course of quality probiotics, and adding ample prebiotic fiber to the diet doesn’t resolve the excess gas, then other intestinal disorders probably need to be tested for, such as SIBO or candida. Is there any chance you are celiac? As I understand it, these last three can interfere with nutrient absorption. And going grain-free doesn’t cause them; it just reveals them.

      Log in to Reply
      • Victoria

        February 6, 2015 at 8:51 am

        Hi Bob,

        What you say about being grain-free revealing problems with gut flora entered my mind. I don’t think I have celiac disease, but I have tested positive for candida overgrowth and I also wondered about die off. I haven’t yet gotten to the part in the Wheat Belly books that talks about how to restore gut health, so given what you said, I may skip to that section. Thanks so much for your input!

        Log in to Reply
        • Bob Niland

          February 6, 2015 at 9:17 am

          Re: … have tested positive for candida overgrowth and I also wondered about die off.

          Not being any sort of expert on this, I’ve gotten the impression that candida won’t necessarily remiss just by throwing in desired bacteria (probiotics) and making sure the new guys are fed (prebitoics).

          The internet is awash in various natural remedies (essential oil of lemon just popped up this week), and some of those things might be easy and harmless to try. Chris Kresser did a write-up on his approach recently.

          Consensus medicine is apt to prescribe massive antibiotics, and it might come to that if nothing else works. That would also definitely call for an extended course of probiotics to undo the collateral damage.

          Log in to Reply
          • Ladyermintrude

            February 6, 2015 at 12:06 pm

            I’ve had candida. Going grain free really highlighted it for me. Make sure you take a high dose probiotic for at least several weeks. Also make sure you eat lots of coconut oil and grass fed organic butter. Both of these contain nutrients that feed good bacteria and fight candida. Also Google as Bob suggests. There are some foods which will help. If the candida is breaking out externally you can apply coconut oil too. It’s brilliant!!

          • Victoria

            February 6, 2015 at 1:13 pm

            Thanks, Bob! I am encouraged!

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