Saturday, February 23, 2019

Food Diversity's Enormous Impact on Your Health

What is left unsaid by many articles on these healthy oldsters is the variety of fiber-rich foods in their diets.
This essay was initially distributed only to subscribers and patrons, but at the suggestion of some longtime subscribers, I'm sharing it with all readers. I hope it helps everyone manage our most precious wealth, our health. CHS
One of the most astonishing developments in science is the profound impact of the microbiome, the 100 trillion microbes that live within us, on our health. It's now clear that this immense colony directly impacts our immune system, our sense of well-being, our appetite, weight, and so on.
Scientific American summarized this new research thusly: "Leading scientists now think of humans not as self-sufficient organisms but as complex ecosystems colonized by numerous collaborating and competing microbial species. From this perspective, human health is a form of ecology in which care for the body also involves tending its teeming population of resident animalcules."
Poorly functioning microbiomes are now linked to Parkinson's disease and a host of auto-immune disorders as well as metabolic disorders such as diabetes. (It seems that the majority of people who develop Parkinson's suffer from chronic constipation.)
I've been following this research since 2012, when the new understanding started to attract funding and media coverage.
"I came away from Sonnenburg’s office with a sense that I’d glimpsed a principle underlying our relationship with microbes. Wringing calories from wild, fibrous fare required a village-- microbes specialized in distinct tasks, but each also dependent on its neighbors. The difficulty of the job encouraged cooperation between microbes. When you withheld fiber, though, you removed the need for that close-knit cooperation. The mutually beneficial arrangements began to fray.
In their recent book, The Good Gut: Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood, and Your Long-term Health, the Sonnenburgs argue forcefully that boosting fiber intake is the best way to cultivate a healthier community of microbes."
There are hundreds of articles on this rapidly expanding field; here are a few that illustrate the breadth of research:
How Gut Bacteria Tell Their Hosts What to Eat: By suppressing or increasing cravings, microbes help the brain decide what foods the body “needs”
Here is a documentary on the topic from 2013: The Gut: Our Second Brain(documentary) (Amazon Prime members can watch it for free)
Here is the key take-away of this research in my view: diversity and variety are essential features of healthy ecosystems, including the one inside us and the social-economic ecosystems we inhabit.
Given what we know about the microbiome, it makes excellent sense to eliminate / restrict processed foods. But it also makes excellent sense to consume as wide a variety of fiber-rich fruits and plants as possible, and to consume a wide variety of types of foods in moderation, as a means of supporting a diverse and healthy microbiome.
It's also wise to spend time outdoors, working in the garden and soil if possible and weather permitting, as there is evidence that suggests living in sterile interiors increases allergies and other disorders. This makes sense, as our genome (including our digestive/immune ecosystem) is adapted to living outdoors, not to living in sterile indoor environments.
Much has been written about human populations that are healthy far into old age: people who live in the Greek islands, Okinawa, etc. It has been widely noted that these elderly people eat real food (i.e. not refined/processed), much of which they grow themselves. They also live in a healthy social ecosystem of friends and sharing.
What is left unsaid by many articles on these healthy oldsters is the variety of fiber-rich foods in their diets: whole grains, vegetables, fruits, etc. Yes they eat meat and fish, and in the Mediterranean they drink wine, and these are integral to the variety in their diet. But the core of their diet is fiber-rich plants. This aligns with what we know about healthy microbiomes and thus healthy immune systems.
Of related interest:
My book Money and Work Unchained is now $6.95 for the Kindle ebook and $15 for the print edition. Read the first section for free in PDF format.


If you found value in this content, please join me in seeking solutions by becoming a $1/month patron of my work via patreon.com.

NOTE: Contributions/subscriptions are acknowledged in the order received. Your name and email remain confidential and will not be given to any other individual, company or agency.
Thank you, J.M. S. ($250), for your beyond-outrageously generous contribution to this site -- I am greatly honored by your steadfast support and readership.
 
Thank you, William C. ($50), for your magnificently generous contribution to this site -- I am greatly honored by your steadfast support and readership.

Terms of Service

All content on this blog is provided by Trewe LLC for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information. These terms and conditions of use are subject to change at anytime and without notice.


Our Privacy Policy:


Correspondents' email is strictly confidential. This site does not collect digital data from visitors or distribute cookies. Advertisements served by a third-party advertising network (Investing Channel) may use cookies or collect information from visitors for the purpose of Interest-Based Advertising; if you wish to opt out of Interest-Based Advertising, please go to Opt out of interest-based advertising (The Network Advertising Initiative). If you have other privacy concerns relating to advertisements, please contact advertisers directly. Websites and blog links on the site's blog roll are posted at my discretion.


PRIVACY NOTICE FOR EEA INDIVIDUALS


This section covers disclosures on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for users residing within EEA only. GDPR replaces the existing Directive 95/46/ec, and aims at harmonizing data protection laws in the EU that are fit for purpose in the digital age. The primary objective of the GDPR is to give citizens back control of their personal data. Please follow the link below to access InvestingChannel’s General Data Protection Notice. https://stg.media.investingchannel.com/gdpr-notice/


Notice of Compliance with The California Consumer Protection Act
This site does not collect digital data from visitors or distribute cookies. Advertisements served by a third-party advertising network (Investing Channel) may use cookies or collect information from visitors for the purpose of Interest-Based Advertising. If you do not want any personal information that may be collected by third-party advertising to be sold, please follow the instructions on this page: Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information.


Regarding Cookies:


This site does not collect digital data from visitors or distribute cookies. Advertisements served by third-party advertising networks such as Investing Channel may use cookies or collect information from visitors for the purpose of Interest-Based Advertising; if you wish to opt out of Interest-Based Advertising, please go to Opt out of interest-based advertising (The Network Advertising Initiative) If you have other privacy concerns relating to advertisements, please contact advertisers directly.


Our Commission Policy:

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also earn a commission on purchases of precious metals via BullionVault. I receive no fees or compensation for any other non-advertising links or content posted on my site.

  © Blogger templates Newspaper III by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP