Overview of Tuberculosis

For this week’s blog, I will discuss tuberculosis and share some interesting facts I learned while researching the topic! Tuberculosis was very common not too long ago due to the increase in sanitation and education in the recent years. Tuberculosis is a very big issue in underdeveloped countries due to the fact that they are the ones that usually suffer the most from unsanitary living standards.

Pictograph image of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the lungs

Using our class’ textbook, tuberculosis (“TB”) is an infection of the lower respiratory tract by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is commonly referred to as tubercle bacillus. The infection is spread through the inhalation of tiny droplets containing M. tuberculosis. TB can be distinguished into 2 categories: Latent TB and Active TB. Latent TB is what comes first and is followed by active TB. Latent TB is also called latent tuberculosis infection.

Latent TB and Active TB – Symptoms

In this category, the person is left healthy. They are experiencing no symptoms (asymptomatic) and cannot shred the bacteria. This is due to the body’s immune system fighting the infection. An interesting fact I learned from this research article was that the majority of people (90%) infected by the bacteria do not develop the disease. However, if you are already immunocompromised, you may get active TB immediately after being infected.

Latent TB become active TB (also called tuberculosis diseases) later in life of that healthy individual who caught the latent tuberculosis infection. The symptoms for this now disease is persistent coughing, weight loss, fever, sweat and red sputum.

According to Mayo Clinic, the coughing can persist for up to three week or more. Furthermore, TB can affect different parts of the body- “including the kidneys, spine or brain.” In these cases, the signs and symptoms will depend on the organ that is infected.

Pictograph image of the transmission of TB

Tuberculosis Quick Facts

Did you know that TB is recognized as the world’s most infectious disease killer. In 2019, 1.4 million people died from TB and “more than 10 million become ill with active TB disease each yet”. Wow! That is crazy statistics, it makes me wonder how much of that number is reported by the US and by other developing countries.

As expected, there are still a lot of cases in the US. However, they are not as much as smaller countries. In fact, in the US there are up to 13 million with latent infection. That means that 13 million are at risk of developing TB disease.

Lastly, did you know that there is a day for tuberculosis? March 24th is the World TB Day to celebrate Dr. Robert Koch’s discovery of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. It is a day that raises awareness to TB and provides an opportunity for organizations to educate people about the disease.

What is CRISPR-Cas9?

CRISPR-Cas9 stands for “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats”. Two women, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna, won a Nobel Prize in 2020 for their “breakthrough research on CRSPR technology.”

For the past decade, the Nobel Prize has been anticipated to see which peoples would receive the magnificent discovery. If you have not heard of CRSPR technology, don’t worry. I will be explaining this innovative technology in a language that everyone can (hopefully) understand!

Pictograph of a genome being “cut”

According to MedlinePlus, CRISPR-Cas9 is a technology that allows scientist to modify and edit the genome of all sorts of organisms- from bacteria, to mammals to humans! It’s a discovery that has the potential to change the course of the future. CRISPR-Cas9 works through the use of a bacteria’s genome editing system that can target and cut DNA from viruses to remember them for the next time the bacteria is attacked by the virus again. Cas9 is the enzyme these bacteria will use to “disable the virus.”

Photo of the two women who won the Chemistry Nobel Prize for CRSPR

Researchers like Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna created an artificial cleaving system like the ones seen in bacteria. They were able to create a “small piece of RNA with a short guide sequence that attaches to a specific target sequence of DNA in a genome.” At this point, the cas9 enzyme will cut the DNA at that specifitic target sequence, which can be fixed through the organism’s own systems or replaced with a totally different DNA sequence.

In 2020, a research article was released that explores the use of CRISPR for treating Cystic Fibrosis. The article made the claims that the advancements of gene therapy has the ability to correct all sorts of “mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regular (CFTR) gene.” CRISPR-Cas9 has the potential ability to treat a variety of illness that we see as uncurable today, such as cancer. That is crazy!

Recent CRISPR-Cas9 Discoveries

The most recent CRISPR-Cas9 discovery I will talk about today is one that may not be favorable to talk about. I chose this topic to raise awareness of the dangers of groundbreaking and usually successful discoveries such as CRISPR. In 2020, it was discovered that the use of CRISPR can cause damage to cells of the human embryos, which is especially dangerous since we plan on using CRISPR in the future to prevent unavoidable diseases. As a result, many places, including the US, do not allow experiments on CRISPR and embryonic cells.

Our Mind and Food

If you’re anything like me, then you are very careless with the food you put in your body. Yep. As much as I hate to admit it, I am one of the many Americans who have a bad habit of eating fatty-rich foods. As we’ve previously learned, there are consequences of having an unhealthy diet to our gut microbiota. Which is why, a proper diet is heavily encouraged by doctors. A rich and balanced diet is necessary to live a healthy and fabulous mind. Scientific studies have shown that a healthy diet has positive effects on our mind!

For example, a study found that a diet rich in fiber favors the development of a greater variety of bacteria in the intestine, which has a good impact on our mental health since other studies have indicated that people with a diet high in fat and sugar have less diversity of intestinal microbiomes, and as a result these people have a greater risk of feeling depression. It can even be concluded that if you compare someone who is clinically depressed with someone who is healthy, there is less microbiota diversity. “One of its findings is that the more ultra-processed foods (usually, energy-dense foods that are significantly altered from their original state) you eat, the greater your risk of depression.”

Image of the back of a Snickers candy

If we do a simple analysis, for example of the snacks that we can consume frequently, we can evaluate a Snickers chocolate bar, whose portion size is 58.7g, it contains ingredients such as: sugar, cocoa, butter, chocolate, lactose, skim milk, milk fat, soy lecithin, artificial flavor, peanuts, corn syrup, sugar skim milk butter, milk fat, lactose, and salt. Among which stands out are a variety of sugars, which is 30g in comparison to fiber, which we learned promotes positive mental clarity, to be only 1g. In total, a Snickers bar has a total of 215 calories, which is about 9% of the total recommended calories for a woman, like me. 30g of sugar is a lot, especially when you consider that the FDA recommends only consuming 50g a day.

Another example are Oreos cookies. The packet shows itself to be 154g in total and the following ingredients are: wheat flour, sugar, palm oil, rapeseed oil, fat-reduced cocoa powder, wheat starch, glucose-fructose syrup, raising agents (potassium carbonates, ammonium carbonates, sodium carbonates), salt, emulsifiers (soy lecithin, sunflower lecithin), and flavorings. Analyzing its nutrition facts, each 100g of cookie contains 38g of sugar and only 2.7g of fiber. That is way more than the Snickers bar and the FDA recommendation on sugar consumption. And I can easily eat too much in one sitting.

Mind and food

I hope to not send the wrong message. I am not saying snacks are bad, but they must be balanced! Snack consumption can become negative if we do not know how to choose what is the healthiest for our body or how to balance it.

A diet rich in fiber may be a good start for you, fellow reader. It is very easy to incorporate into whatever diet you may be on. Not only will it be beneficial in your daily microbiome(which we learned would decrease our risk to disease) but it may also remove some of that “mental fog” you might be feeling at time. For example, if you decide to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts as a snack instead of processed foods with high levels of fat and sugar, there will be an improvement in the development and diversity of the microbiomes in your gut. Which, in turn, will help improve your overall mental. An article reviewed observational studies on diet and depression, and stated that “adhering to a healthy diet, in particular a traditional Mediterranean diet, or avoiding a pro-inflammatory diet appears to confer some protection against depression in observational studies.”

I talked about the Mediterranean diet a while ago, so check it out if you need a refresher.

Anyways, adopting a whole new diet may also be a good starting place for you. It all depends on what is realistic and available to you! Because, if you’re like me, then you are a broke college student…

McDonalds really is cheap, though.

Check it out here!

Stock image. Infographic describing the benefits of running.

Lastly, a way to help the microbiomes to proliferate positively and improve our mental health is physical activity. If you couple your new diet with weekly workout exercises, you will see real changes in your life. A study showed that physically fit people had a bigger microbiome diversity than those who doesn’t- The article states, “for measured lifestyle factors, we found strong evidence for associations between physical activity and microbiome diversity, with both the frequency (i.e., number of days per week) and duration of physical activity positively correlated with microbiome diversity.”

I will be going for a run tomorrow. I hope you can join me!

What is a Superbug?

According to Mayo Clinic, superbugs are “strains of bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that are resistant to most of the antibiotics and other medications commonly used to treat the infections they cause.” The name is very fitting, as they are more damaging and lethal than the typical microorganisms we know and commonly see. An example of superbugs are the Enterobacteriaceae family. This family consist of bacteria that are resistant to almost ALL antibiotics we use today. It is very hard to treat diseases caused by this family because antibiotics are no longer effective to them, which is why we must reevaluate our use of antibiotics.

Image showcases antibiotic resistance through disk diffusion test

What’s Creating These Superbugs?

Well, to better understand antibiotic resistance, you will need to familiarize yourself with gene transferring (amongst bacteria). Through horizontal gene transfer, bacteria are able to share genes with each other. This can be done through conjugation, transduction and transformation. In each of these mechanisms, antibiotic resistant gene is one of the genes that can be transferred. So, if one bacterium happens to obtain an antibiotic resistant gene through a mutation, for example, it can pass that gene to another bacterium and so on. More specifically, the antibiotic resistant gene is referred to as the R factor, contrary to the F factor- which contain a non-virulent gene.

Antibiotics Use in Farms

Antibiotic has been used on farm animals to make them fatter and grow faster, benefitting the incomes of every farmer around the globe. However, it is one of the biggest driving force of the antibiotic resistance we see today. Even though the antibiotics can kill the bad bacteria in the animals’ guts and treat their infections, misusing them is a slippery slope. As we learned earlier, bacteria can transfer genes to each other in multiple ways. This means that the bacterium in the animals can give each other the R factors that contain the antibiotic-resistant gene.

In February 2021, MDPI published an article that outlines the “Antibiotic Use in Food Animal Production: Escalation of Antimicrobial Resistance…” They acknowledge that antibiotics are very useful as growth enhancement, they also know that it poses a huge risk “due to the enrichment of resistant microorganism.” They went as far as saying that antibiotic resistance is “one of the biggest public health threats of the present time.”

The CDC website points out that the use of antibiotic on animals require proper documents and authorization. They have FDA guidelines that farmers must adhere to. However, this will not stop farmer from illegally using antibiotic on their livestock.

My Opinion

To be frank, it is a bit hard to say what my stance is, exactly. I support proper use of antibiotics, but I also know that it benefits a lot of farmers globally. Careers in the agriculture field is hard, so you must do what is necessary to make the money you need. However, antibiotic resistance is a real problem. It is causing a lot of unecessary deaths and diseases that could have been easily avoided if it was properly used in the beginning. So, my opinion in antibiotics is that it must be regulated in all aspects of life, not just on the farm. It must be regulated on the market(buying from the internet), in the hospitals, in other countries, and in the farms. Proper education must also be implemented so that everyone knows that risk it poses.

A Guide for Herbicides

If you’re anything like me, then you might not know a whole lot about herbicides. I’ve actually never used one myself, but I have seen it lying around my home’s garage before. Basically, it’s this toxic chemical you spray on weeds to kill them and inhibit further growth. There’s a lot of advantages and disadvantages to them. For example, glyphosate-based herbicides are excellent at doing their job, which is a good thing. If too much unwanted vegetation is left untreated, then the competition for space and nutrients in the soil would be too high for the good vegetation to flourish and grow. Herbicides help eliminate this competition, quickly and effectively (in comparison to hand-pulling). So it benefits a lot of folks whose lives depend on agriculture. However, herbicides are not good in the ways that it is toxic to a wide range of organism, such as “birds, fish, beneficial insects, and non-target plants” for it increases their risk for diseases.

Roundup, glyphosate-based herbicide used on weeds

One of the leading brands in glyphosate-based herbicides is Roundup. It is found in most stores, and it is very effective in its job as a weed-killer. As a phosphate-based herbicide, it is toxic to animals and the environment. Studies have shown that glyphosate-containing products can decrease the chance of a fish survival when it is drained into bodies of water, causing “dramatic decreases in the populations of birds”, and “reduce the growth… of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in soil.” As you can see, herbicides such as glyphosate are very bad for the environment. If this doesn’t concern you, then let me tell about recent studies that may impact you.

A Study on Herbicides

Earlier this year, in February, Scientific Reports published an article about the impact of glyphosate on the gut microbiota in humans. The study used a rodent model to examine the “potential effects of GBHs on urinary metabolites and their interactions with gut microbiome.” The study ultimately found a strong correlation between the abundance of Prevotella (a bacteria associated with gut inflammation) in the gut microbiota of the rodents. Furthermore, the study examined an increase in homocysteine, an amino acid that is known as a great risk factor for heart diseases.

Picsart image showing a warning to the use of pesticides

What the FDA Says

I want to say that I was a bit shocked when I read what EPA and FDA had to say about glyphosate. After going through several scientific studies that linked glyphosate to terrible effects on the environment alone, I expected to see scrutiny on the subject. However, that is not what I saw. The EPA website claims that it “continues to find that there are no risks of concern to human health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current label.”

They also claim that glyphosate is “unlikely to be a human carcinogen.”

Oh, I get it.

Glyphosate is not a carcinogen in itself, but when it is combined with the inert ingredients of popular glyphosate-based products, like Roundup, then it is. Scientific American actually wrote an article about the inert ingredients of Roundup. They discovered that one of the inert ingredients was “more deadly to human embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells than the herbicide itself.”

Why the Disparities?

How does the EPA and science academia come to such differing conclusions? Chales M. Bebrook actually published a journal on this, titled “How did the US EPA and IARC reach diametrically opposed conclusions on the genotoxicity of glyphosate-based herbicides?” For context, IARC stands for Internation Agency for Research on Cancer. His study concluded that the reason the 2 agencies disagreed is because of the nature of the data each study focused on, claiming that the “EPA largely ignored epidemiological studies.” In other words, the EPA used data in which glyphosate-based herbicide would be exposed to humans or animals in the quantities that the product label recommends. It ignored incidence / studies where large amount of glyphosate-based herbicides is exposed to a cell and causes great damage.

Still, why the disparities?

I think people behind the scenes are just trying to make a buck, like Andrew Wakefield from last week’s blog. But maybe that’s just the nihilist in me. Since I know there are people lobbying every day to keep glyphosate FDA approved. Many people are making lots of money from it- farmers, and CEO’s of Roundup and the countless products that are glyphosate-based and contain “inert ingredients.” On the other hand, I’m sure many crooked lawyers want to say glyphosate is harmful so they and their clients can make some money. But really, maybe that’s just the nihilist in me.

Where to go from Here

Honestly, Roundup won’t be getting any business from me. Plowing doesn’t even sound that bad, but I guess I wouldn’t know since my life doesn’t depend on 36-acre farming land. Heck, I don’t even think I’ll ever garden.

What you do from here, depends on you. I recommend doing your own research instead of just listening to me because my personal bias could have easily seeped into this blog post.

Until next time, I’ll see you later!

The History of Vaccine Hesitancy

Andrew Wakefield is an infamous British physician known for his study that associated the MMR vaccine to increased risk for autism. The study was published in a journal, The Lancet, in 1998. It took nearly 12 years for The Lancet to retract the study, despite the fact that in 2004, 10 authors filed for its retraction.

Andrew’s study played a key role in the popularization of vaccine hesitancy, which is also commonly associated with anti-mask beliefs. In my opinion, The Lancet played a bigger part in his achievement. If the study had been properly analyzed for suspicious tropes prior to its publication by The Lancet, then the vaccine hesitancy would not have gone far as it has come. It should not have taken 12 years.

Group of anti-vaccine protestors

This is not to say all people who are “anti-vax” lost causes. I know their reasons for their belief. I can empathize with their concerns because at the end of the day they are truly only worried about the health of their children. As someone who is a naturally suspicious person, I am extra cautious of what I put inside my body- not limited to vaccine. For this week’s blog, my goal is to clear up any misunderstanding you may have about the MMR vaccine.

Andrew Wakefield’s MMR-Autism Study

12 children, ages between 3-10, took part in the study where Andrew and his team investigated the correlation of the MMR vaccine and autism. His controls were blood, urine, and stool samples of 14 children who “age-matched” and “sex-matched” the subjects of the study. In other words, there weren’t actually any controls in the study, but data from other children instead. Furthermore, 12 children is nowhere near a representation of the of hundreds of thousands of children who received the MMR vaccine each year. The subjects were also chosen by Andrew himself, so he can manipulate the study for his benefits.

You may be wondering what I mean when I say “his benefit.” As it turns out, Andrew Wakefield was a crooked a man who soon became the face of the anti-vaccine movement. According to NCBI, an investigation in his life showed that Wakefield had sketchy relations with “lawyers and families who were pursuing the manufacturers of the vaccine in the courts.” In other words, Andrew Wakefield was getting paid to forge and manipulate scientific data so that the manufacturers of it can be sued, profiting the lawyers and families of children with autism.

It is hard to digest.

Image of Andrew Wakefield standing in front of anti-vaccine protesters

The study has obvious bias. So, more studies began to replicate its findings and prove it wrong. One example, is the retrospective study by Kreesten Madsen and his team that showed no correlation between autism and the MMR vaccination. They obtained information of children’s age from the Danish Civil Registration System and the Danish National Board of Health for their MMR-vaccination status. Out of 567,303 children, 440,655 of them received their MMR vaccine. They “identified 316 children with a diagnosis of autistic disorder and 422 with a diagnosis of other autistic-spectrum disorder.” They then calculated the Risk Ratio (also called relative risk) of autistim-spectrum disorders between the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups of children. The Risk Ratio follows this formula:

Screenshot of the formula of risk ratio from the CDC website.

It takes into account various factors, such as demographic, age, etc. to get the most accurate comparison of the prevalence of a disease between the two groups. A relative risk greater than 1 shows that there is an increased risk among the first group. Meanwhile, a relative risk less than 1.0 shows that there IS a lower risk among the first group, “indicating that perhaps exposure actually protects against disease occurrence.” In the case of Madseen’s study, the relative risk between the children with autism- related disorders in vaccinated and unvaccinated group was 0.92.

The data speaks for itself. The MMR vaccine does not increase the risk of autism or any autism-spectrum disorder.

Now, I have a lot of questions.

First, how was it possible that Wakefield’s “study” pass through the screening process for publication?

Second, why did it take more than a decade for the “study” to be retracted despite new studies providing it to be wrong?

Third, who else is getting paid?

I hate to be that guy, but all of this seems very fishy. We already know that Andrew Wakefield had some really suspicious relationships with lawyers, so who’s to say that there wasn’t any funny business going on in The Lancet?

Regardless, the damage has been done and justice was served.

Andrew Wakefield had his licensed revoked and study retracted. Justice served, right?

Wrong! The collateral damage from Andrew’s behavior and The Lancet’s enabling is irreparable! Even a hefty fine couldn’t fix this. I don’t know what would, but 12 years is too long to let them off the hook like that.

Pictograph representing vaccine hesitancy

Where to go From Here

I am pro-vaccination, as you can probably tell by the voice in my blog posts. To me, the scientific data doe not lie, especially when it is properly obtained. I believe the statistics and I believe in the scientists.

I know the MMR vaccine works because I do not know anyone around me who have gotten measles, mumps and rubella because we are all vaccinated. It is truly a privilege to be able to say these things. In my home country, the Philippines, outbreaks of measles still occur. In 2018, childhood immunization was 66%!

Mothers are very hesitant to vaccinate their children, especially in developing countries like mine, where access to healthcare information is difficult. There is obvious mistrust between people and scientists, those guys up making the vaccines.

It is hard to change someone’s mind when you’ve broken their trust. Education can only go so far when people have already set their minds on their belief. That’s why I think that the only way to reconcile that trust is by punishing those responsible for breaking it, properly. The people must know that justice is on the side of the truth. There are a lot of bad people in this world who are willing to jump over hoops to make a big profit. When they are caught, they should face the courts properly and receive the correct punishment.

I hope I was able to clear up any sort of misunderstanding you had about the MMR vaccine and the autism scandal. Tune in next week, I’ll be talking about something cool again.

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine and YOU

The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from SARS-CoV-2 and its variants is by getting vaccinated. ASAP!

I am all for vaccination because I trust the expertise of the scientists who worked tirelessly to make this vaccine happen. I received my dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine the first week my age group was eligible to get it. I believe that some of the reasons people are hesitant to get the vaccine are silly because a simple Google search can easily clear up any misunderstanding.

Likewise, I believe that there are many people out there that purposely dismiss evidence of the vaccine working because it does not align with their views. I hope that with this blog, I can educate you about the vaccine, so you can avoid that mistake!

Photo showing Johnson and Johnson vaccine bottles

The Johnson and Johnson Vaccine

This was the vaccine that I personally got, but for no particular reason. It just happened to be the one that the University of Chapel Hill was administering to its students and faculty. The J&J vaccine differs from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine in the way it delivers its instructions. According to New York Times, the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine uses mRNA technology, while the J&J vaccine uses a double-stranded DNA common in most of the vaccines we see and receive today.

Image shows how the Johnson & Johnson vaccine express the protein spikes of the COVID-19

The creators of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine modified a pre-existing virus, called Adenovirus 26, and placed instructions for the spike proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 inside the virus. This new modified version of the Adenovirus will not be able to replicate inside human cells nor cause any illness. Adenovirus has a tough protein coat that is durable in protecting the genetic material inside the cell, which is why it can be stored in refrigerators for months and still work. Furthermore, DNA is more durable in comparison to RNA, so storing it is easier.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine enters the cell through endocytosis. After it is engulfed, the virus makes its way to the nucleus where it injects its DNA for the cell to express and copy into mRNA (to make the protein spikes). The vaccine is given in a single dose and require no booster because memory B and T cells “might retain information about the coronavirus for years or even decades.”

The Pfizer Vaccine

The biggest distinction between the Pfizer vaccine and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is its use of mRNA technology. By definition, mRNA are messenger RNAs used for creating blueprints for protein production. According to MedLinePlus, mRNA vaccines work by injecting the body with a messenger RNA, a blueprint for “a small piece of a protein found on the virus’ outer membrane” that the cell will produce. Its lipid coating allows it to fuse through the membrane of a cell. Once inside, it will inject the RNA into the cytoplasm. From there, the cell will begin expressing the viral protein that make up the spikes of Coronavirus.

Once enough of the viral protein is made, the immune system will take note and begin producing antibodies, which attach to the protein so that it is marked for destruction. These antibodies are what will protect us from COVID-19!

A downside of the Pfizer vaccine is that it requires 2 doses, unlike the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. RNA is more fragile than DNA, which means that this vaccine requires freezing cold refrigeration. This means that it is more difficult to transport, which makes it harder to access

Image of the Pfizer vaccine being used.

Where to Go from Here.

Now that you know the differences and similarities between the 2 vaccines, I hope you will be able to make the best decision for you and your loved ones. Vaccines are great. They save countless lives every day.

It’s time to end this virus once and for all.

I hope you will become part of the post-pandemic journey to herd immunity.

Multiple Sclerosis and Diet

If you’ve never heard of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) then you have come to the right place. For this week’s blog, I will be discussing the relationship between the microbiota that inhabit our guts and Multiple Sclerosis, and how the food we put in our body can affect the progression of the disease.

First, MS is characterized by the deterioration of the myelin sheath that surrounds the nerves of the brain and spinal cord in the central nervous system. Myelin sheath allows for quick and efficient transmission of electrical impulses along the axon. With damage in myelin sheath, the communication between the body and brain is harder since the conduction of electrical impulses along the neurons are slower. This is why the symptoms for MS are usually fatigue and weakness, blurry vision, tremor and in some cases, paralysis.

Common areas of pain among MS patients and comparison of myelin sheath of MS vs. non-MS sheaths

There’s approximately 39 trillion microbial cells in our body right now! As crazy as it sounds- you do not have anything to worry about. These microbes are crucial for our survival and as long as they are not disrupted- we are okay! These microbes are known as normal microbiota (flora). They protect us by producing toxic compounds that make it difficult for pathogens to grow, use up binding sites that these pathogens may use to attach, and exhaust the nutrients and space from the pathogens so they cannot grow freely!

Examples of microbiomes in the gut

As I mentioned earlier, these microorganisms are harmless unless they are disrupted (via the use of antibiotics, infection or unbalanced diet). When the normal microbiota of the body is disturbed, the body is vulnerable for diseases, like Multiple Sclerosis. Although the actual cause of MS is unknown, we know that environmental and genetic factors play a role, like with most diseases. These environmental factors include exposure to infectious agents prior to a diagnosis of the disease. Studies suggest that MS is influenced by the composition of the gut microbiota. Tolerance mechanism is the physiological functions in your body so that T cells don’t attack your own body’s cells. Gut microbiota has been shown to regulate our body’s tolerance mechanisms. Having dysbiosis (disruption of normal microbiota) in your gut can be a major factor for an individual contracting MS. On the more positive note, science suspect that changing gut microbiota can help treat MS!

The Western Diet of America

If you are reading this blog, there’s a 99.99% chance that you consume food that is in line with the Western Diet. The diet consist of high amount of processed foods like sausage rolls, bacon, bread, microwave-ready meals, and more. The diet also includes high-fat dairy products like butter, whole milk and cheese and high (refined) sugar foods like sodas, candy, cookies, ice cream and donuts. Many of the most popular fast-food chains in America greatly exemplify the Western Diet. And if you are anything like me, then you have a general idea that these foods are not good for you. Before I did my research on the Western Diet, I did not realize how much I didn’t know about what I was putting in my body. For example, I did not know that eating high amount of processed food can impair the region of the brain associated to self-control, a slippery slope that can lead to overeating.

Comparison of Mediterranean diet and the Western diet

The consumption of the unhealthy foods found in Western Diet is placing our body in a vulnerable state, especially when we are infected by a pathogen. Going back to the importance of our microbiome, a healthy diet is crucial in maintaining our microbiome so that our body and immune system is always ready to fight against any pathogen. When we eat fatty foods like junk food and fast food, our immune system is heavily weakened by it since they are not getting the correct amount of nutrients and fat they need to do their job- protect us.

The Importance of a Healthy Diet and MS

There is no “Best Multiple Sclerosis Diet”, but as I’ve discussed the relation between gut microbiota and MS, a healthy and balanced diet is necessary for maintaining the symptoms of MS. According to Mayo Clinic, individuals with MS needs a diet that is low in fat and high in fiber. They also suggest that those with MS get enough vitamins and minerals, which means eating lots of leafy vegetables and unprocessed foods.

Probiotic use is also a good way to control the symptoms of MS. Preclinical studies have suggested that the use of probiotics “reduces the incidence and severity of MS… and improves motor impairment… and intestinal microbiome composition.” The clinical studies showed that the use of probiotics had a positive effect on the inflammatory response of MS patients through the regulation of gut microbial composition.

Where To Go From Here

If you are reading this, you may or may not have MS. Regardless, I hope this blog helped you realize the importance of our microbiome, specially our gut microbiome, in fighting infections and pathogens. The stability of our gut microbiome is directly linked to the types of food we consume, so the next time you are in line of a fast food, I hope you keep those microorganisms in mind.

Thanks for reading!

Hello, my name is Lyn.

This is my introductory post.