Human Microbiome Project

In the average human, microbial cells outnumber our very own human cells by a factor of 10 to 1. Essentially, we are apartment complexes for a whole lot of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. This means there are gobs of genetic material within us, carrying out functions, that hasn't been considered in relation to human health until recently.

The Human Microbiome Project was initiated in 2007 to try and understand the extent of the microbial diversity we carry around and how it affects our health. These organisms have been within us since the beginning of human evolution; they are intimately involved in human physiology. Emerging research from the HMP is revealing just how symbiotic the relationship is. The microbes provide certain vitamins we need but don't get regularly from our diet, they regulate our immune system, and potentially colonize areas that "bad" microbes could get to.

Each person has an unique "community" of microorganisms throughout their body, which, will be similar to their parents, and should include a core gang. Colonization by these thousands of species is dependent on our diet and environment as we develop. Certain species are proving to be so important that a recent study carried out "poop transplants" in patients with colitis, inflamed large intestine. "Normal" patient family members had the microbiota extracted from their poop and transplanted into the colitis patient. 13 out of 15 patients were relieved of their symptoms fairly quickly. It seems people prone to colitis have an excess of Clostridium difficile and it can be managed by letting "normal" microbes take over.

Microbes are also being given credit for obesity. Not all obesity is the same, but in certain cases it may come down to the efficiency of your GI microbiome. Studies are showing that with different communities we get a different dietary energy harvest, fat deposition, and systemic inflammation. Poop transplants in mice to create a good microbiota community are proving to be effective for these symptoms.

The most interesting research, I think, is being done with regressive autistic kids. This is the type of autism blamed on vaccinations, but research could never show a strong correlation. These children are normal until about age 2, then suddenly regress in their social and behavioral skills. They are plagued by distended bellies, inflamed intestines, diarrhea, and constipation. Because of these symptoms, and the fact that children communities should resemble adult communities by around age 2, researchers began to look at the microbiota of affected children in comparison to their parents. Several studies have shown regressive autistic children may have a displacement of the normal community by a specific bacterial order, Clostrodiales.

Some other conditions being looked at in relation to our microbiome include; asthma, allergies, acne, psoriasis, Chron's disease, and febrile illness.

• The Human Microbiome Project http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/hmp/
• Khoruts A, Dicksved J, Jansson JK, Sadowsky MJ. Changes in the composition of the human fecal microbiome after bacteriotherapy for recurrent Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. 2010. May-June; 44(5):354-60.
• Tsai F, Coyle WJ. The microbiome and obesity: is obesity linked to our gut flora? Current Gastroenterology report. 2009 August; 11(4):307-30.
• Researcher Dr. Allen-Vercoe discusses her autism research http://www.uoguelph.ca/mcb/people/faculty/faculty_allen-vercoe.shtml

Rock celery, a.k.a parsley

This little herb should definitely be used for more than just garnishing! With just 10 sprigs you receive: 205% of your daily value of vitamin K, 22% DV of vitamin C, 17% DV of vitamin A, and less impressive but still great, 4% DV of folate, and 3% DV of iron.

Vitamin K prevents the loss of bone density and keeps our arteries/heart from hardening. Vitamin C is our body's primary water-soluble antioxidant. Or put another way, vitamin C renders harmless the free radicals, a source of degenerative diseases and cancers, in the water-soluble areas of our body. Vitamin A does the same but for the fat-soluble areas. Vitamin A is also great for combating aging skin and acne!

I suggest choosing Italian parsley (flat leafed) over the classic curly parsley. It has a more fragrant taste and is less bitter. Try adding it to your protein rubs, tomato sauces, pesto, and salads.

This is not the only herb that packs a lot of nutrients. Utilize websites like http://nutritiondata.self.com/ to do simple searches for the nutrition value of other herbs and food in general (they even detail restaurants and supermarket food!). They are super detailed yet very easy to understand. Here's what they say about parsley: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2513/2.

Bad grapefruit!

After a very careless, stupid injury I have to begin a cycle of antibiotics. Any time I add a new drug to my repertoire I check to see if I should avoid grapefruit.

Furanocoumarins, a class of organic chemical compound, are present in grapefruit and get metabolized by the same enzyme that metabolizes many drugs. Depending on the medication the bioavailability can either be increased or decreased. Something like an antibiotic can't be fully incorporated into the body so the infection will last longer than expected. A cholesterol-lowering drug will remain in the bloodstream at dangerously high levels, causing a breakdown of muscles and eventually kidney failure.

Some of the medications that interact with grapefruit include: hormone replacements, antidepressants, blood pressure regulators, cholesterol regulators, anti-fungals, antibiotics, antivirals, immunosuppressants, antihistamines, and medications that are slow release.

The take home message is to read the warning label of your medications. There might be information present you never would have considered!

A is for Aging, B is for burning

Unfortunately, 1 out of the 3 different wavelengths of radiation reaching Earth by our dear sun is definitely harmful to us. It is known as the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum and can be split into 3 ranges, however we only concern ourselves with 2. UVA irradiance can penetrate down far into the dermis, ruining the collagen and suppleness of our skin. UVB burns the top layers. Both cause damage to our skin's DNA. Just as we can expect to be hit by the visible portion of the spectrum (light) when we wake up in the morning, we can expect to be hit by the ultraviolet portion too. There is no denying a sun-kissed glow (for me, the only thing that keeps my legs presentable) is really just a side effect of skin radiation.

I'm not going to delve into why you should wear sunscreen on your exposed skin everyday (but you should!). Instead, I'm going to name some foods you can eat to give yourself a little extra sun protection. These are great to eat when going to the beach, hiking, or just sitting on the couch next to a window all day. This is not a substitute for sunscreen, just an extra little tool for those concerned about the efficacy of their sunscreen. Why be concerned? When companies determine the SPF of a sunscreen the test subjects have a thick, goopy layer applied to them. I'm not willing to do that so I have to accept my SPF is really a fraction of what is printed on the bottle. However, I can ingest nutrients that valiantly throw themselves to the free radicals, a product of radiation. They lose their electrons and my cell's electrons are spared.

Lycopene, selenium, and vitamin C and E are the top four nutrients you want for fighting sun damage. One of the best sources of lycopene is tomato sauce/paste. This powerful antioxidant present in tomatoes has an increased bioavailability upon being cooked. Of course, you will still take in some lycopene if you eat a raw tomato. Watermelon, red bell pepper, grapefruit, and papaya are also good sources of lycopene (notice a trend in color?). Your best bet for selenium is seafood. Vitamin C is in high quantities in tomato, bell pepper, broccoli, papaya, and strawberry. Vitamin E can be found in tomato (such a magical fruit!), sunflower seeds, almonds, olives, avocado, and dark leafy greens.

So if you know you're going to be in the sun all day consider eating accordingly. Dinner beforehand could be shrimp fajitas with guacamole. Maybe watermelon cubes and a good trail mix as snacks the day of. Dinner afterwards could be a nice Italian dish with lots of tomato sauce paired with a spinach salad. Not too hard!

If interested, here's an article detailing a study on lycopene reported by The British Society for Investigative Dermatology.

http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Study-supports-lycopene-protecting-skin-from-within