THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY GUT BACTERIA

                                  LEAKY GUT

"The diagram above shows how larger proteins can “leak” across the gut and get into the bloodstream, whereas in healthy situations the larger proteins “bounce off” until they are fully digested, or they pass into the stool.

The problem is that larger molecules that get into the blood stream will cause the immune system to react to the proteins and become over-active (to grossly oversimplify things). This worsens conditions such as asthma and eczema. In other conditions, such as chronic fatigue, larger molecules such as gluten and casein can cause morphine like actions on the brain causing sedation." This diagram and quote are from the link below.
http://tinyurl.com/2fao35c


One of the main reasons for "leaky gut" or abnormal permeable intestinal lining.....is an imbalanced intestinal microflora.It may be an over simplification but the easiest way that I know of to explain leaky gut is that  the digestive system contains "good" bacteria and "bad bacteria" and that an overabundance of bad bacteria plays a role in creating fissures or openings in the intestinal lining which then allows proteins and other substances to pass through into the blood stream. These substances do not belong in the blood stream and can cause allergic and other unhealthy manifestations.

Some of the things that may cause this imbalance are.....extended use of antibiotics without supplementing with beneficial bacteria, exposures to chemicals in the diet or environment, and consuming any kind of sugar or other refined foods. Then to top it off, the modern diet is almost completely lacking in high quality living fermented foods. Many of our foods have been fermented to create the product but then they are pasteurized which  negates the healthful benefits of the fermentation process. Pasteurization  kills off the beneficial bacteria and enzymes.

We need to begin looking at how our ancestors lived and how they grew and prepared their foods. There is much wisdom to be found there which we are ignoring... due to the idea that we are now more advanced than our ancestors...but are we really? It can be a fascinating study to research the food preparation methods of our ancestors and to try and understand why these methods made food even more healthy for human consumption than the original product. Our modern food processing brings the opposite result. Most modern foods are so highly processed that if the foods were not labeled, we wouldn't even know what the original food item was.

Examples of fermented foods are: 
Beer

Wine

Natural soda

Kombucha Tea

Cheese

Fermented Veggies such as sauerkraut or ginger carrots

Fermented bean pastes
Raw vinegar
Kefir and yogurt free of sugar

Take beer and cider for example.....both commercial products are now mostly filtered and pasteurized. These beverages actually had some healthy benefits when allowed to naturally ferment and left unheated. Our society has been educated to be germ phobic....to avoid bacteria by sterilizing everything. However, a living healthy ecosystem depends on the presence of bacteria. Humans ...in their arrogance...think they are more intelligent than the infinite wisdom of nature/God . Instead of working with nature we think we need to tame and control it. This results in a world that is out of wack, not in tune.....disconnected from harmonious interaction.
There are many symptoms and conditions associated with leaky gut. I will list only a few:
Hair loss, Anxiety, Bloating and Indigestion, Autoimmune Disease, Muscle Cramps, Insomnia, Poor Immunity, Poor Memory, Liver Dysfunction, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Heartburn, Celiac Disease, Skin Problems, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Acne, Food Allergies, and Asthma

SEE STUDY AT BOTTOM OF THIS ARTICLE

Healthfood stores do sell some fermented foods, however, it can be fun, rewarding and cheaper to ferment your own food. Excellent books that I would recommend on this subject are WILD FERMENTATION


THE BODY ECOLOGY DIET


NOURISHING TRADITIONS


The study below shows that probiotic bacteria can enhance or repair the intestinal lining.
Lactobacillus plantarum MB452 enhances the function of the intestinal barrier by increasing the expression levels of genes involved in tight junction formation.


Rachel C Anderson , Adrian L Cookson , Warren C McNabb , Zaneta Park , Mark J McCann , William J Kelly and Nicole C Roy

BMC Microbiology 2010, 10:316doi:10.1186/1471-2180-10-316
Published: 9 December 2010

Abstract (provisional)
Background
Intestinal barrier function is important for preserving health, as a compromised barrier allows antigen entry and can induce inflammatory diseases. Probiotic bacteria can play a role in enhancing intestinal barrier function; however, the mechanisms are not fully understood. Existing studies have focused on the ability of probiotics to prevent alterations to tight junctions in disease models, and have been restricted to a few tight junction bridging proteins. No studies have previously investigated the effect of probiotic bacteria on healthy intestinal epithelial cell genes involved in the whole tight junction signalling pathway, including those encoding for bridging, plaque and dual location tight junction proteins. Alteration of tight junction signalling in healthy humans is a potential mechanism that could lead to the strengthening of the intestinal barrier, resulting in limiting the ability of antigens to enter the body and potentially triggering undesirable immune responses.

Results
The effect of Lactobacillus plantarum MB452 on tight junction integrity was determined by measuring trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) across Caco-2 cell layers. L. plantarum MB452 caused a dose-dependent TEER increase across Caco-2 cell monolayers compared to control medium. Gene expression was compared in Caco-2 cells untreated or treated with L. plantarum MB452 for 10 hours. Caco-2 cell RNA was hybridised to human oligonucleotide arrays. Data was analysed using linear models and differently expressed genes were examined using pathway analysis tools. Nineteen tight junction-related genes had altered expression levels in response to L. plantarum MB452 (modified-P<0.05, fold-change>1.2), including those encoding occludin and its associated plaque proteins that anchor it to the cytoskeleton. L. plantarum MB452 also caused changes in tubulin and proteasome gene expression levels which may be linked to intestinal barrier function. Caco-2 tight junctions were visualised by fluorescent microscopy of immuno-stained occludin, zona occludens (ZO)-1, ZO-2 and cingulin. Caco-2 cells treated with L. plantarum MB452 had higher intensity fluorescence of each of the four tight junction proteins compared to untreated controls.

Conclusions
This research indicates that enhancing the expression of genes involved in tight junction signalling is a possible mechanism by which L. plantarum MB452 improves intestinal barrier function.

The complete article is available as a provisional PDF. The fully formatted PDF and HTML versions are in production. http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2180-10-316.pdf

BENEFITS OF TRADITIONAL FERMENTED FOODS

                                KEFIR CHEESE: This Was Made From Raw Whole Milk And Kefir Grains.
                                Its Simple To Make Using Raw Or Pasteurized Milk. Learn More      
                                http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html


by Jyoti Prakash Tamang on May 5, 2010

All around the world, fermented foods and beverages are part of the human diet. In some places they make up a minor 5% of daily intake, while in others their role can be as substantial as 40%.


Using native knowledge of locally available raw materials from plant or animal sources, people across the globe produce this type of food and drink either naturally or by adding starter cultures that contain micro-organisms. Micro-organisms transform these raw materials both biochemically (i.e., the nutrients) and organoleptically (i.e., the taste/texture/odour) into edible products that are culturally acceptable to the maker and consumer.


Fermented foods can be fried, boiled or candied, or consumed in curries, stews, side dishes, pickles, confectionery, salads, soups and desserts. They can be in the form of pastes, seasonings, condiments, masticators, and even colourants. Fermented drinks can be either alcoholic (such as beer and wine) or non-alcoholic, like butter milk, certain teas, or things that contain vinegar.


However, though most fermented foods have health-promoting benefits, their global consumption is declining as traditional food systems give way to the influence of a western diet and fast foods.


A world of therapeutic food
Many of the fermented products consumed by different ethnic groups have therapeutic values. Some of the most widely known are fermented milks (i.e., yoghurt, curds). Containing high concentrations of pro-biotic bacteria, these can lower your cholesterol level........Read More... http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/benefits-of-traditional-fermented-foods/

Making Your Own Probiotics

Making Your Own Probiotics and Enzymes
By Marjorie Tietjen

Since time began, man has preserved his food through the process of fermentation. Humans live in a symbiotic relationship with yeasts, mold and bacteria. These organisms are in everything we eat and are even in the air we breathe. Historically each region of the world is known for it's specific fermented foods.......such as....... sauerkraut in Germany, kimchi (fermented mixed vegetables) from Korea, Kefir (a cultured milk product from the Caucus Mountains), and Japan is known for it's miso (fermented soybeans).

The list of fermented foods goes on to include fermented teas, wine, beer, hard cider, sourdough breads, fermented grain porridges, most vegetables and fruits....and even meat and fish. Rediscovering the miracle of fermentation has become an exciting and magical adventure as I continue to try my own hand at culturing the many different foods which are amenable to this process. I must admit however, that the thought of fermented meat and fish has not yet tempted me.

Beneficial Chemical Changes

Fermentation favorably alters the chemical nature of our food. Not only does it preserve the food but this natural process also improves its digestibility, while increasing nutrient and enzyme content. The helpful bacteria which are involved in this magical transformation are very valuable for the more complete assimilation of nutrients and they are a critical component of our immune system. Many of you are already aware of the fact that these helpful microbes or probiotics (pro-life) help to keep the more harmful bacteria in our digestive tracts, under control and in balance. The presence of friendly microbes actually improves our ability to resist infection. A healthy colon is considered to be our second immune system.

Another advantage of fermentation is the neutralization of anti nutrients or enzyme inhibitors. For example, grains and beans contain phytic acid, which blocks the absorption of zinc, iron, calcium and phosphorous. The culturing process disables the phytic acid and these fermented foods now become more nutritious, easier to digest and less allergenic. A more dramatic example of fermentation neutralizing toxins comes from page 7 of the book... Wild Fermentation: The Flavors, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods by Sandor Ellix Katz. "Fermentation also removes toxins from foods. This is vividly illustrated by the case of cassava, an enormous tuber native to the tropical regions of the Americas that has also become a staple food in equatorial regions of Africa and Asia. Certain varieties of cassava contain high levels of cyanide and are poisonous until they have undergone a soaking fermentation. The fermentation process eliminates the cyanide, rendering the cassava edible and nutritious."

Processed Foods

When I speak to people of the health benefits of fermented foods, many will say that they already consume fermented foods , such a beer, canned sauerkraut and other pickled vegetables. However, unless the product in the store is refrigerated, it has already been cooked or pasteurized. These potentially healthy vibrant foods have had all the life taken out of them through this heating process. In recent times, the mass production of our food supply has discouraged the use of fermented whole foods. Fermentation involves more labor and time and is really more of an art than a science. The shelf life of the foods is also a consideration.

Homemade cultured vegetables should not be heated on the stove as this cancels out the activity of the good bacteria and of the enzymes. To take the chill off, portions can be brought to room temperature before a meal.

Sandor Katz, the king of fermentation, assures us that making our own cultured foods can be fun and easy. Sometimes it requires a bit of patience and experimentation, but anyone with a interest can succeed. No fancy equipment is needed. A grater, knives, wide mouth quart canning jars, sea salt, the vegetables you have chosen, and an implement to pound with, are all that is necessary.

One of my favorite recipes, fermented ginger carrots, comes from the cookbook Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. This book is an excellent resource on how to properly prepare foods to retain and enhance nutrient content. It is a treasure trove of interesting facts and valuable information. I will be modifying the recipe just a bit because fresh whey is one of the optional ingredients that many of you may not have access to.

Ginger Carrots ..... makes one quart

4 generous cups raw fresh grated carrots
1 TBSP of grated fresh ginger
2 TBSP sea salt

Mix all of these ingredients together in a container. Then pound the mixture with a meat hammer or an old fashioned wooden pounder. This releases the juice of the carrots, which is needed to cover the carrots during the process of fermentation and to help preserve them while in cold storage.

Place the ingredients into the quart wide mouthed canning jar. Press the mixture down firmly as you add layers of the ingredients. Pressing down as you go, eliminates air pockets which could cause spoilage. Keep pressing until the juice covers the top of the carrots. The top of the carrots should be at least one inch from the top of the jar. Cover and leave at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring the jar to the refrigerator. If the jar is filled too full, you may notice the jar leaking during the fermentation period. This is OK because we don't need a "seal" as we do when canning. Because of this possibility it is wise to place something protective under the jar .... such as a plate.

I have also substituted grated raw turnips for the carrots, with excellent results. The carrots should stay fresh for a couple of months in the refrigerator. Once made, these cultured vegetables can be thought of as the perfect fast food, immediately available to add zip and digestive power to meat, fish and other heavy foods.

Eating a diet rich in fermented foods should provide your body with a sufficient amount of friendly bacteria. However, if you happen to be taking antibiotics for a chronic infection, it would be wise to add a concentrated commercial source of probiotics, for increased assurance and protection.

In order to possess a healthy vibrant body, we must feed the body vibrant living fuel. Summer is coming and local organic produce will soon be available to experiment with. Try your hand at fermentation. The bacteria that initiates the fermentation process is a free gift from nature and I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Fermentation Preserves and Adds Vitamins and Enzymes

Despite all the media hype concerning germs, contaminated foods and ill health, microbes are our friends. When we are living in rythmn with nature, illness... especially the degenerative diseases, are rare. Industry is trying to take control of our food supply and wants to convince us that only sterilized food is safe. However, if food is processed and sterile.... without life, we lose our capacity to resist disease. The friendly microbes in our digestive system are essential in protecting us from the overpopulation of unfriendly microbes. We all have "dangerous" germs in our bodies but if the different types of bacteria are in balance, we will remain healthy. Of course other factors are involved if we are to maintain vibrant health.....but fermenting our foods plays a very large role. Fermentation of foods is an ancient practice which has been used by cultures all over the world. It is a form of predigestion. Humans have a much less sophisticated digestive tract compared to the herbivores and so man has learned how to prepare foods properly to destroy anitnutrients and to increase digestive power and friendly bacteria.

When the news tries to scare us with contamination of vegetables, peanut butter...etc, it is rarely for our protection in the end. There is usually a profit goal they are working towards. The following paragraph is from the article "Lacto-Fermentation" by Sally Fallon

"Scientists and doctors today are mystified by the proliferation of new viruses--not only the deadly AIDS virus but the whole gamut of human viruses that seem to be associated with everything from chronic fatigue to cancer and arthritis. They are equally mystified by recent increases in the incidence of intestinal parasites and pathogenic yeasts, even among those whose sanitary practices are faultless. Could it be that in abandoning the ancient practice of lacto-fermentation and in our insistence on a diet in which everything has been pasteurized, we have compromised the health of our intestinal flora and made ourselves vulnerable to legions of pathogenic microorganisms? If so, the cure for these diseases will be found not in vaccinations, drugs or antibiotics but in a restored partnership with the many varieties of lactobacilli, our symbionts of the microscopic world."

About the Author
Sally Fallon is the author of Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats (with Mary G. Enig, PhD), a well-researched, thought-provoking guide to traditional foods with a startling message: Animal fats and cholesterol are not villains but vital factors in the diet, necessary for normal growth, proper function of the brain and nervous system, protection from disease and optimum energy levels. She joined forces with Enig again to write Eat Fat, Lose Fat, and has authored numerous articles on the subject of diet and health. The President of the Weston A. Price Foundation and founder of A Campaign for Real Milk, Sally is also a journalist, chef, nutrition researcher, homemaker, and community activist. Her four healthy children were raised on whole foods including butter, cream, eggs and meat.

Read More about the ancient practice of lacto-fermentation at
http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/lacto.html

Making Your Own Probiotics

Lyme disease patients and others with illnesses ,which require long term antibiotics, are advised to take probiotics (beneficial bacteria). As many know, antibiotics kill off the good bacteria along with the harmful bacteria and as a result the body becomes unbalanced.

Throughout history,most if not all societies utilized the fermentation process to preserve their foods. However, there are many other benefits which are a result of the fermentation process. Fermentation chemically changes our food and can aide in digestion, nutrient assimilation and helps provide us with our second immune system. Before antibiotics were discovered, people absolutely benefitted from fermented or "cultured" foods. In other words, we have always needed fermented foods and if one is also taking antibiotics, then supplementing with the beneficial bacteria is essential.

It is fun, easy and practical to make your own cultured products at home. The grocery stores sell beer , saurkraut, pickles, etc....but they are all heated (pasteurized), which kills the enzymes and beneficial bacteria. When you make your own at home, you have complete control of the quality of the food used and there is no need for processing or heating. In fact, heating up these miracle products of fermentation defeats the whole purpose.

The photo I included is an example of the brilliant colors and beautiful textures.

I layered purple and green cabbage in the one jar. The purple cabbage bled into

the green...creating the different shades. The other smaller jar is filled with ginger shredded turnips. I also had a jar of ginger carrots, which would have added even more color.....however, it was so good that I ate it all. These foods are very much alive and taste very fresh and bright.

Two books I would recommend to get you started are Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz and Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon