How carbs cause heartburn and medication makes it worse.

Digestive complaints such as heartburn or GORD (gastro oesophageal reflux disease) are often the first disorders to improve when you switch to LCHF.  Eating excessive amounts of carbohydrates has been found to be particularly bad for the "good" bacteria in the gut, leaving room for the "bad" microorganisms to flourish and the situation is often made worse by the use of protein pump inhibitors (PPIs), the medications often prescribed to treat GORD. 

Two new studies have found that PPIs alter gut bacteria in ways that could explain some of the problems associated with the drugs.  Researchers at the University of Groningen and Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands, as well as the Broad Institute of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have discovered that, among other things, PPI users have less gut bacterial diversity.  The researchers, who published their results in the journal Gut, found that these differences existed even when PPI users did not have gastrointestinal conditions, thereby confirming that they are caused by the drugs rather than the disease.

Researchers at King's College London, Cornell University and Columbia University obtained similar results from studies in which individuals' gut bacteria were analyzed before and after patients took PPIs for four to eight weeks.

PPIs may limit the gut's diversity by reducing its natural acidity and creating an environment that is either more or less favourable to certain microbes.  Because your gut bacteria influence your intestinal absorption of calcium and other vitamins and minerals, these drug-induced changes could explain why people who take PPIs are more likely to fracture certain bones and have nutritional deficiencies. 

The good news is that you can start restoring your "good" bacteria in as little as 24 hours when you start following a LCHF diet and very quickly get rid of GORD and the need for PPIs altogether.

If you'd like to know more and get support to lose weight and manage chronic health conditions contact:

Helen Chauhan, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach

Iris Family Medicine, 1486 High St, Glen Iris  

Tel 9509 2144

Email helen@helenchauhan.com.au

Stop blaming your genes and start feeding your microbiome

Did you know that you can learn more about your health and weight by examining the DNA of the micro-organisms in your gut than examining your own genes?  Your gut is home to more than 100 trillion bacteria and a host of yeast and viruses, know collectively as the microbiome.  38% of their genes are identical to ours and research is now demonstrating  that foreign microbial DNA is crucial to the proper functioning of our own genes.  We can't do much to change our own genes, which are largely fixed before birth, but we can influence the genetic content of our microbiome by the choices we make.

It's now widely recognised that changes in our gut microbes brought about by changes in our diet and environment play a part in the obesity epidemic and the rise in chronic disease.  Our distant ancestors were probably eating around 150 different ingredients a week, where now most people eating a western diet consume fewer than 20 separate food items, many of which are highly refined.  

If you think of your own microbial community as a garden, the best way to keep your soil (intestines) and plants (microbes) healthy and stop weeds (toxins and disease) taking over is to cultivate a wide range of plants.  You can do this by eating a diverse diet and the following foods will help maintain a flourishing microbiome:

Jerusalem artichokes, chicory, garlic, onion, leek, shallots, spring onion, asparagus, beetroot, fennel, green peas, snow peas, sweetcorn, savoy cabbage, custard apples, nectarines, watermelon, pomegranate, grapefruit, chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, cashews & pistachios.

So, give your microbiome a treat and try these Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Spiced Cashews.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
• 4 Cups of Raw Cashews
• 1 Tbsp of Turmeric
• 1 Tsp of Salt
• Cracked Pepper to taste (optional)

1. Gently heat the oil in a large frying pan over a low heat.  
2. Add the cashews and toss them in the oil.  
3. Sprinkle the turmeric over the cashews and continue to toss them in the pan to avoid burning until golden brown.  
4. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the salt over the cashews.  
5. Add cracked pepper to taste.  
6. Leave the cashews to cool completely then store in an airtight container.