>>> PRODUCTION FUNDING FOR "QED WITH DR. B" IS PROVIDED BY -- >> THE TOUGH CARES ABOUT STEM BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF OUR FOUNDING.

GORDAN PAD T PATEL BELIEVES IN BUILDING AN INSTITUTE AND THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO HIT A GOAL OF A MILLION STUDENT A YEAR TO IMPACT AROUND COUNTRY.

>> BOUNDLESS FOR VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

>>> I'M DR. FREDERIC BERTLEY, SCIENTIST OF QED AND I'M DR. B AND LET'S TALK ABOUT QED.

!

!musiC@!!!musiC@!

>>> TODAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GUT.

SO FOR THE PURPOSE OF OUR DISCUSSION, WHAT ARE WE DEFINING AS THE GUT.

>> THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.

SO FIRST OF ALL, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EATING OR DIGESTION, THAT PROCESS BEGINS IN THE MOUTH OR THE ORAL CAVITY AND GOING DOWN OUR PATHWAY TO OUR STOMACH.

BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GUT, WE ARE BEGINNING WITH THE STOMACH, BUT THE SMALLIN TESTINE AND THAT MEANS INTO THE LARGIN -- LARGE INTESTINE AND WE'RE FINDING SOUGHT SO MUCH INFORMATION AROUND YOUR HEALTH AND WELLNESS.

>> LATER IN THE SHOW WE'RE EXPLORE OUR OUR GUT HAS ITS OWN BRAIN AND CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE GUT AND CANCER TREATMENT.

BUT FIRST LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR MICRO BOWE BIOME.

WHAT IS THAT?

>> ALL 7.8 BILLION PEOPLE IN THE PLANET HAVE AROUND 30 TO 40 TRILLION CELLS THAT MAKE UP OUR BODY.

THE MICROBIOME IS ALMOST A ONE TO RUN RATIO, IT IS 39 TO 40 TRILLION BUGS, PARASITES, VIRUSES, BACTERIA, FUNGI ON YOUR SKIN IN DIFFERENT CAVITIES AND INCLUDING YOUR STOMACH.

SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE MICRO BIOME, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR STOMACH AND IT IS FASCINATING STUFF AND WE'RE JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE OF UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF MIKO BIOME.

I SPOKE WITH HEIDI STAUDACHER AND A RESEARCHER FELLOW AT THE FOOD AND MOOD CENTER AT DEAKIN UNIVERSITY IN AUSTRALIA.

>> SO WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT GUT HEALTH.

IS THERE CONSENSUS ABOUT WHAT A HEALTHY ZBUT LOOKED LIKE?

>> YOU READ IT ABOUT ALL OVER THE PLACE AND ACTUALLY WHEN YOU LOOK INTO THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE, IT IS NOT USED VERY MUCH AT ALL.

THERE IS A FEW DIFFERENT CRITERIA THAT WOULD NEED TO BE FULFILLED FOR THERE TO BE GUT HEALTH IN A PARTICULAR PERSON.

AND MOST CRITERIA THAT SEEM TO COME UP QUITE OFTEN IN THE LITERATURE WERE A LACK OF GASTROINTESTINAL, ABDOMINAL PAIN AND DIARRHEA AND LACK OF DISEASE AND THEN FINALLY NO INFLAMMATION AND A GOOD METABOLISM IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE GUT.

AND SO THE FUNDAMENTAL TO ALL OF THOSE THREE THINGS IS THE GUT MICROBIOME.

I THOUGHT THAT ACTUALLY A FAVORABLE MICROBIOME IS A KEY TO DIVERSE MICROBIOME IS BEST BY THE WORLD HEALTH AND WELL BEING.

>> WE ALSO HEAR A LOT OF TALK IN TERMS OF DIETARY SOLUTIONS ABOUT HOW TO HEAT THE GUT LIKE CAM BUCHA AND PROBIOTICS.

>> THERE IS SO MUCH BEING PROMOTED ON THE PHARMACY SHELVES WHICH IS PRODUCTS THAT ARE THOUGHT TO BE GOOD FOR YOUR GUT HEALTH, BUT ACTUALLY EVIDENCE TO SOME OF THOSE THINGS IS REALLY VERY LIMITED.

IF WE TALK KOMBUCHA OR OTHER FOOD PRODUCTS AS AN EXAMPLE, THERE IS A WHOLE GROUP OF FERMENTS FOODS THAT ARE BEING PUSHED AS BEING GREAT FOR YOUR GUT.

WHAT HAPPENS IS BACTERIA OR SPECIFIC ORGANISMS ADDED TO THE FOOD SUBSTRATE AND THEY CEMENT ANY CARBOHYDRATES OR ANY OTHER NUTRITIONAL COMPONENTS AND YOU HAVE BACTERIA ADDED TO IT AND NUTRITIONAL COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN BROKEN DOWN.

WOULD YOU EXPECT IT TO BE GOOD FOR YOU AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE LITERATURE IT IS INVENTION STUDIES THAT TELL US WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS BENEFICIAL IMPACTS ON THE GUT MICROBIOME OR THE GUT BENEFITS.

THE PROBABLY THE BIGGEST AND BEST STUDY SO FAR WAS PUBLISHED LAST YEAR COMING FROM STANFORD IN THE U.S. AND THEY SHOW THAT IF YOU FEED HEALTHY PEOPLE FOR TEN WEEKS WITH A HIGH FERMENTED FOOD DIET, THEY FOUND THAT MICROBIOME DIVERSITY IMPROVE AND FIBER A VERY POSITIVE BUT THE ONE THING THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER HERE IS THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY HAVE TO CONSUME ABOUT FIVE OR SIX SERVES OF FERMENT FOOD A DAY TO GET THOSE BENEFITS AND THAT IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF FERMENTED FRUITS IN A DIET.

>> IS THERE SUCH A THING AS A PERFECTLY HEALTHY GUT.

>> SO IF WE GO BACK TO WHAT WE WOULD SAY IS THE DEFINITION OF GUT HEALTH, THE FIRST THING BEING LACK OF GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS.

DO YOU HAVE ANY GUT SYMPTOMS.

IF YOU DON'T, GREAT.

AND SECOND OF ALL THERE ARE COMPANIES THAT ARE TESTING SAMPLES FOR THEIR GUT COMPOSITION.

THE PROBLEM IS AT THE MOMENT WE DON'T HAVE A GREAT UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE PERFECT MICROBIOME LOOKS LIKE.

CERTAINLY WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN UNIQUE MICROBIOME.

WE KNOW THAT IS THE CASE.

BUT THERE IS A CORE MICROBIOME, SO MOST PEOPLE HAVE CERTAIN BACTERIA IN RELATIVE ABUNDANCES.

WHAT WE DO KNOW IS YOUR MICROBIOME REALLY DEPENDS ON YOUR DIET.

AND ONE REALLY INTERESTING EXAMPLE OF THAT IS IF YOU LOOK AT RESEARCH IN HAS DAH, HUNTER-GATHERERS AND THEY GET THEIR MOSTLY ANIMAL BASED DIET, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY BACTERIA IN THEIR GUT WHAT SO EVER AND THIS IS A BACTERIA THAT WE KNOW IS REALLY BENEFICIAL THAT IS OFTEN A COMPONENT OF PROBIOTICS HERE IN THE WEST AND TOGETHER THEY HAVE BACTERIA AND THEY DON'T SUFFER FROM ANY GUT PROBLEMS SO AN IDEAL GUT MICROBIOME LOOKS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IT MIGHT BE FOR US IN THE WEST.

WE DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE INS AND OUTS OF WHAT SORT OF DIET OR WHAT SORT OF VALUE YOU SHOULD FOLLOW TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT MICROBIOME.

THE BEST THING THAT YOU COULD REALLY DO IS SEE A DOCTOR IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS AND TRY TO OPTIMIZE YOUR DIET AS BEST YOU CAN BECAUSE ONE OF THE BIGGEST DRIVERS.

>> WHAT DOES OPTIMIZING YOUR DIET LOOK LIKE IN GENERAL.

>> OVERALL WE WOULD SAY IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION, TRY TO INCREASE YOUR FIBER INTAKE, BECAUSE THERE IS A BIG COMPONENT THAT MICROBIOME PROBABLY LOVE THE MOST.

MOST COMES FROM FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, WHOLE GRAINS AND NUTS AND SEEDS, AND THESE PAST THROUGH THE LARGE INTESTINE UNDIGESTED AND THESE PRODUCE THESE IMPORTANT METABOLISM.

IT IS ABOUT 30 CENTS A DAY AND UNFORTUNATELY IN THE U.S.

IN AND IN AUSTRALIA WE'RE GETTING ABOUT 15.

AS TIME GOES ON WE'RE GOING TO GET MUCH MORE TO GRIPS FOR OUR HEALTH BASED ON WHO WE ARE, WHAT OUR BASED DIET IS AND WHAT YOUR CULTURE IS.

!

!musiC@!!!musiC@!

>>> LISTEN TO DR. STAUDACHER, I'M INTRIGUED BY ALL OF THE PRODUCTS OUT THERE TOUTING GUT HEALTH.

AND YET SHE EXPLAINS THAT NOT ALL OF THE SCIENCE IS BACKING IT UP.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS.

>> HEALTH AND DIET IS A WORLDWIDE MULTI-BILLION DOLLARS INDUSTRY AND NOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS STOP LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE PUSHING OUR PRODUCTS BUT DIVE INTO THE EXPERTS WHO ARE SPENDING TIME STUDYING ALL OF THE ASPECTS ABOUT THE GUT.

AND WHAT IS REALLY FASCINATING IS WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING YOU MAY HAVE NEVER HEARD ABOUT CALLED THE LITTLE BRAIN IN YOUR GUT.

FOR MORE ON THAT, I SPOKE WITH DR. PANKAJ PASRICHA AND THE DREBLTOR OF THE JOHN HOPKINS CENTER FOR NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY.

SO WE KNOW THE HUMAN BRAIN REGULATES EVERY PROCESS IN OUR BODY.

BUT SOMETIMES WE HEAR ABOUT THE LITTLE BRAIN IN OUR GUT AND WHAT IS IT AND WHAT DOES IT DO?

>> THE LITTLE BRAIN IS VERY REAL.

IN FACT, IT IS THE SECOND LARGEST BRAIN THAT WE HAVE.

AND YOU MAY BE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THIS BRAIN IS CONTAINED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE WALL OF THE GUT.

THIS BRAIN HAS MORE NERVE CELLS THAN YOUR ENTIRE SPINAL CORD.

AND THIS BRAIN IS WHAT WE CALL THE ENTERIC NERVOUS SYSTEM.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

WELL OBVIOUSLY IT IS IN THE GUT.

SO IT CONTROLS EVERYTHING THAT THE GUT DOES.

IT CONTROLS THE SECRETIONS THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR DIGESTION, IT CONTROLS WHAT WE CALL MOBIBILITY, WHICH IS THE ABILITY TO PUSH FOOD DOWN AND TO BREAK IT UP AND GRIND IT DOWN.

AND IT ALSO CONTROLS THE GUT'S IMMUNE SYSTEM WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PREVENT INFECTION, OR THE BUGS IN OUR COLON FROM ENTERING OUR BLOODSTREAM.

IT ALSO REGULATES THE GUT'S OWN HORMONAL SYSTEM, WHAT WE CALL THE GUT ENDOCRINE SYSTEM WHICH PRODUCE MANY HORMONES RESPONSIBLE FOR APPETITE, FOR METABOLISM, FOR SUGAR CONTROL.

AND, OF COURSE, IT ALSO HAS DIRECT AND INTIMATE COMMUNICATION WITH THE BRAIN IN OUR HEAD.

>> WHY IS IT IMPERATIVE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS OF ENTERIC NERVE SYSTEM AND THE CONNECTION TO DIGESTION.

>> DIGESTION COULD NOT TAKE PLACE IN ANY KIND OF SATISFACTORY WAY WITHOUT SOME ABILITY TO FINE-TUNE THE VARIOUS PROCESS.

WE THINK OF THE DIGESTION AS A ONE PROCESS.

BUT THINK ABOUT IT.

EVEN BEFORE THE FOOD ENTERS YOUR STOMACH, YOUR BRAIN SENDS A SIGNAL TO THE STOMACH TO EXPAND.

AND THEN AFTER YOU STORED THE FOOD, YOU HAVE TO GRIND IT DOWN TO A PARTICLE SIZE THAT GENERALLY IS LESS THAN TWO MILLIMETERS BEFORE IT IS ALLOWED TO ENTER INTO THE SMALL BOWEL.

IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT THE STOMACH CONTROLS HOW MUCH FOOD GETS INTO THE SMALL INTESTINE AT ANY ONE TIME.

THIS FEEDBACK, THIS COMMUNICATION, THIS REGULATION REQUIRES CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITHIN VARIOUS ORGANS WITHIN THE GUT AND ALSO BY THE BRAIN.

AND THAT IS WHERE NERVES COME IN.

BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT NERVES DO.

THEY COMMUNICATE.

>> HOW DOES STUDYING THE ENTERIC NERVE SYSTEM CHANGE HOW WE TREAT DISEASE?

>> SO, I THINK WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

BUT ONE THING IS BECOMING PRETTY CLEAR, DEPRESSION IS NOT ONE MONOLITHIC SYNDROME.

THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT FORMS OF DEPRESSION.

OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE A TRAUMA OR A LOSS OF A LOVED ONE, THEY'LL GET DEPRESSED.

THAT IS THE ACT OF DEPRESSION.

OTHERS GET DEPRESSION WHERE THERE IS NO CAUSE.

WE KNOW NOW FROM ANIMAL STUDIES THAT WE'VE CONDUCT SAND OTHERS HAVE AS WELL, THAT IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH YOUR GUT, THIS CAN LEAD TO ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION.

AS AN EXAMPLE, WE PUBLISHED A PAPER WHERE WE IRRITATED THE STOMACH OF NEONATAL NEWLY BORN RATS AND VERY MILD IRRITATION.

THERE WAS NO INJURY.

THEY RECOVERED VERY SOON.

AND WE LET THEM GROW UP.

AND WHEN WE THERE ADULTS, WE TESTED THEM FOR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION.

AND THE RATS WHO HAVE THE IRRITANT AS COMPARED TO RATS THAT HAD A HARMLESS SUGAR IN THEIR STOMACH WAS SIGNIFICANTLY ANXIOUS AND DEPRESSED.

BUT WHEN WE ARE LOOKING FURTHER, WE FOUND THAT THE BRAIN WAS DIFFERENT.

THERE WERE KEY CHANGES IN CERTAIN MOLECULES THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MOOD AND THEY SEEM TO HAVE BEEN PERMANENTLY RE-SET BY THAT ONE-TIME IRRITATION IN EARLY IN LIFE.

>> SO WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR RESEARCH OF THE ENTERIC NERVOUS SYSTEM.

>> THERE ARE SO MANY UNMET NEEDS.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW WE TREAT DISORDERS OF THE BIG BRAIN, IF YOU JUST TAKE DEPRESSION, THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO DOZEN MORE DRUGS THAT ARE FDA APPROVED AND YOU HAVE A PLETHORA OF CHOICES.

NOW, THINK ABOUT DISORDERS OF THE OTHER BRAIN, THE LITTLE BRAIN, THAT BRAIN, THEY HAVE HALF A DOZEN OR LESS DRUGS AND NONE OF THEM WORK VERY WELL.

THESE VERY COMMON DISORDERS WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT CAUSES THEM.

WE CALL THEM IRRITABLE BOWEL SINCE ROME OR FUNCTIONAL DYSPEPSIA AND FUNCTIONAL SOMETHING OR THE OTHER AND WE DON'T KNOW BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT DEEP DIVE.

AND IF YOU START DOING THAT DEEP DIVE, MANY OF US ARE TRYING TO DO THAT, WE CANNOT ONLY FIND OUT HOW THIS BRAIN WORKS, BUT HOW THINGS CAN GO WRONG AND THEREBY HOW WE CAN DEVELOP BETTER TREATMENTS.

!

!musiC@!!!musiC@!

>>> IT IS REALLY INTERESTING TO ME THAT MENTAL HEALTH COULD BE TIED TO YOUR GUT.

DR. B, HOW CLOSE WITH WE AT LOOKS AT PATIENTS AT WHOLE BEINGS INSTEAD OF SPECIALIZED MEDICINE FOR ONE DISEASE.

>> WE REFLECT THE SCIENTIFIC ENTERPRISE IN GENERAL.

NO LONGER AREA PHYSICIST AND OR BIO CHEMIST, BUT THESE ARE UNIFIED AND CLINICIANS ARE LOOKING AT THE HUMAN BODY WHOLE LIFTICLY.

SO IT WOULD BE YOUR GUT, YOUR BRAIN, STUDYING HOW ALL OF THESE ORGANS TO PROVIDE YOU THE BEST HEALTH OUTCOME.

FOR MORE THAN THAT WE REACHED TOUT TO DANIEL SPAKOWICZ FROM THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WHO STUDS HOW YU GUT MICROBIOME MAY INDICATE CANCER TREATMENTS.

>> BREAK DOWN WHAT IS IMMUNOTHERAPY.

>> IT IS A AMAZING CLASS OF MOLECULES BEING USED MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY IN CANCER TREATMENTS AND IT HARNESSES THE BODY IMMUNE SYSTEM TO FIGHT OFF THE CANCER.

IT IS UNDER-APPRECIATED THAT MOST PRECANCEROUS CELLS IN OUR BODY GET PICKED UP AND CLEANED OUT BY THE IMMUNE SYSTEM WITHOUT US HAVING TO THINK ABOUT IT AT ALL.

CANCER IS WHEN THEY APPEAR, MUST HAVE AVOIDED THE IMMUNE SYSTEM ALREADY AND THE IMMUNOTHERAPY IS TRYING TO INCREASE THE FUNCTION OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IN A WAY THAT DE-CLOAKED THE CANCER OR MAKES IT STOP HIDING AND EVADING AND THAT IS REALLY EFFECTIVE IN THE LAST DECK SAID.

IT CHANGED A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENT CANCER TREATMENTS.

>> YOU'RE WORKING ON CANCER, IMMUNOTHERAPY, BUT THE MICROBIOME, CONNECT THE DOTS FOR US.

>> MICROBIOME HAS STRONG EFFECTS ON YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE'RE ONLY STARTING TO LEARN ABOUT.

IT EVERYTHINGS OBESITY, DIABETES, THERE IS SPL INDICATION THAT IT EFFECTS DEPRESSION AND SCHIZOPHRENIA.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW IS EFFECTS IS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND THEREFORE HAS THIS EFFECT ON IMMUNOTHERAPY RESPONSE.

>> HOW DOES A MICROBIOME EITHER MAKE THE CANCER TREATMENT POSSIBLY MORE EFFECTIVE OR NOT.

TALK TO US ABOUT THAT.

>> YEAH.

YEAH, SO THERE IS A LOT WE'RE STILL LEARNING ABOUT THIS SPACE.

SO IT IS VERY MUCH IN ACTIVE RESEARCH.

BUT HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW.

IF YOU TAKE A PERSON WHO IS ABOUT TO GET A IMMUNOTHERAPY TREATMENT, IF YOU TAKE SOME OF THEIR POOP SAMPLE, COULD YOU TELL WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GOING TO RESPOND.

NO KIDDING.

SO, AND I STILL SORT OF FIND OF THAT FUNDAMENTALLY CRAZY TO THINK ABOUT.

SO POOP SAMPLE BEFORE TREATMENT, I COULD TELL WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE LIKELY TO RESPOND TO THIS TREATMENT.

AND WE KNOW IT IS THE MICROBIOME THAT IS HAVING THIS EFFECT.

BECAUSE WE CAN TAKE YOUR POOP, WE CAN PUT IT INTO A MOUSE AND THAT MOUSE WILL THEN RESPOND OR NOT RESPOND DEPENDING ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU WERE GOING TO RESPOND OR NOT RESPOND AND ALL WE'RE TRANSFERRING IS THE POOP.

BUT ONE OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT THE MICROBIOME, IS YOU COULD CHANGE IT AND GIVE SOMEBODY A DIFFERENT DIET SAND PROBIOTICS THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THAT ARE BEING EXPLORED SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TELL PEOPLE, YOU GOT THIS CANCER TREATMENT, AND LET'S CHECK YOUR MICROBIOME, AND LET'S SAY YOU'RE IN A GOOD STATE AND YOU'RE READY TO GO, GREAT.

LET'S START TREATMENT RIGHT AWAY.

IF IT IS NOT, WELL LET'S FIX IT.

LET'S MAKE IT BETTER AND GIVE YOU A BETTER CHANCE OF RESPONDING.

SO HOW WE DO THAT ISN'T CLEAR BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE THINK IS VALUABLE IS YOU NEED TO MAINTAIN THIS PART OF THE DIET SO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THESE ORGANISM AND THEY WILL HELP YOU RESPOND.

SO WE JUST FINISHED A CLINICAL TRIAL WHERE WE GAVE PEOPLE THESE LITTLE JUICE BOXES THAT IS BLACK RASPBERRY NECTAR, SO IT IS ONE OF THE FOOD PRODUCTS WITH THE HIGHEST DENSITY OF THE POLYPHENOLS THAT WE THINK WILL INCREASE THE ONE ORGANISM AND THAT ORGANISM WILL HELP YOU RESPOND BETTER TO CANCER TREATMENTS.

NOW, THAT PROCESS IS STILL SUPER UNCLEAR AS WELL.

EXACTLY HOW THAT ORGANISM IS DOING IT, WE COULD TELL FROM THE EARLY EXPERIMENTS THAT IT IS IMPORTANT.

>> I WONDER IF WE'RE GOING TO WIND UP FINDING THAT IT IS SORT OF LIKE HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING FOR EXERCISE.

LIKE IMAGINE THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO BE IN THIS REALLY ACTIVE INFLAMMATORY STATE ALL OF THE TIME BUT YOU NEED IT SOMETIMES TO WORK OUT YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM.

YOU PUNCH IT AND THEN RECOVER AND SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO WE OFTEN GET ASKED WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DIETARY INTERVENTION, SHOULD I JUST GO BUY A BUNCH OF BLACK RASPBERRIES AND BE EATING THOSE EVERY DAY AND I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE I WORRY.

WE'RE REALLY TRYING IN THAT CONTEXT TO RAMP UP THE IMMUNE SYSTEM TO FIGHT THE CANCER THAT WE KNOW IS THERE AND BEING ACTIVELY TREATED.

BUT WHAT IF THAT SORT OF IMMUNE SYSTEM IS KIND OF DANGEROUS TO HAVE AROUND ALL OF THE TIME.

WE KNOW THAT IT INCREASES THE FREQUENCY OF THESE IMMUNE RELATED ADVERSE EVENTS WHICH IS AUTOIMMUNE TYPE REACTIONS SO YOU COULD IMAGINE MAYBE HAVING IS THE RIGHT MICROBIOME TO FIGHT OFF CANCER PREDISPOSES YOU TO ASTHMA OR ALLERGIES.

BUT YOU WANT IT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.

>> ONE OF THE PIECES OF THIS THAT WE REALLY LOVE IS THAT PARTICIPANTS IN THESE STUDIES, CANCER PATIENTS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, COULD COLLECT THESE SAMPLES AT HOME MAKING THIS LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD IN TERMS OF HEALTH CARE BURDEN IS THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT IT.

SO YOU THINK ABOUT OLDER ADULTS WHO PREDOMINANTLY HAVE CANCER GETTING TO THE CLINIC REGULARLY, COULD BE REALLY CHALLENGING.

TO TEST THIS REGULARLY, SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT MICROBIOME STATE FOR PROMOTING THE BEST HEALTH AT ANY GIVEN TIME.

AND RIGHT NOW THERE IS VERY MUCH THIS IT FACTOR WHERE PEOPLE WOULD RATHER HAVE SOMEBODY TAKE A BIT OF BLOOD FROM THEIR BODY THAN PROVIDE A POOP SAMPLE AND WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE ALL OF THAT.

BECAUSE IT IS JUST SO MUCH LESS INVASIVE AND POTENTIALLY EXTREMELY POWERFUL IN BOTH PREDICTION AND ALSO AGAIN IN THE CONCEPT OF MODIFICATION TO PROMOTE HEALTH.

!

!musiC@!!!musiC@!

>>> SO WE'VE HEARD ABOUT ALL OF THESE EXTREME DIETS FOR THE GUT.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

>> SO THE FIRST THING IS WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT DIETS AS YOU MENTIONED ARE A WIDE RANGE OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE COULD DO VIS-A-VIS INVESTING FOOD AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN UNDERSTANDING IS WE'RE NOTTOID KAY TWINS, ONE DIET MIGHT BE GOOD FOR ONE PERSON AND THERE IS NO ONE DIET FOR EVERYONE.

>> SO WHAT DO OUR EXPERTS SAY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF GUT HEALTH?

>> THE RATE HAS PROGRESSED SO RAPIDLY EVEN IN THE LAST TEN OR 15 YEARS SO I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE 500 YEARS AND PROBABLY MUCH BEFORE THAT WHERE WE CAN GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN FIX ALL OF THE ORGANISMS IN OUR GUT.

AND THEN GET A REPORT BACK SAYING, OKAY, YOU NEED TO IMPROVE HERE AND HERE.

THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT.

TAKE THIS PILL, EAT THIS AND YOU'RE GENETIC BACKGROUND IS SUCH THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO MAKE ANY CHANGES OR YOU'RE DIET IS FINE AND YOU NEED TO GET MORE SLEEP.

SO I THINK WE'LL GET TO THAT POINT WHERE THE TECHNOLOGY IS CREATED SO RAPIDLY THAT WE'LL GET TO THAT POINT AT SOME STATE.

>> SO MY TAKEAWAY FROM TODAY'S SHOW IS THAT THE HUMAN BODY IS REALLY COMPLICATE AND INTERCONNECTED AND THAT GUT HEALTH REALLY IS TIED TO THIS WHOLE IDEA OF HEALTH AND WELL BEING.

WHAT ABOUT YOU.

>> I LOVE THAT.

AND WHAT I REALLY APPRECIATE WHERE WE HAVE WITH CLINICAL MEDICINE AND HEALTH CARE IN GENERAL, WE ARE UNDERSTANDING EXACTLY THAT.

THAT THE WHOLE BODIES IS A HEWNITY IS INTERCONNECTED BUT EVERYTHING IMPACTED AS WE STUDY THAT AND THINK OF BEST IN HEALTHIEST OUTCOMES LOOKING AT WHOLISTICALLY IS THE WAY TO GO.

BUT THERE IS ONE MORE THING, THIS CONCEPT OF YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT IS CRITICAL.

BECAUSE OUR GUT AND OUR MICROBIOMES ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND IMPACTED BY WHAT THEY GET EXPOSED TO.

WHAT YOU EAT AND DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE ENVIRONMENT.

>> AND THAT IS "QED WITH DR.

B."

AND THAT IS ME.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER.

AND WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

>> THERE ARE YOU NEUROTRANSMITTERS THAT WE KNOW ARE ASSOCIATED WITH OUR BRAIN, BUT MANY ARE ACTUALLY PRODUCED IN OUR GUT.

SO CAN YOU CONTINUE ALONG THAT LINE.

>> -- 90% OF THE BODY ACTUALLY PRODUCED BY THE GUT.

AND ABOUT 50% OF THE BODY'S DOPAMINE.

NOW WHAT THEY DO IN THE GUT IS QUITE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY DO IN THE BRAIN.

IT IS NOT AS IF THE GUT IS PRODUCING THESE NEUROTRANSMITTERS FOR USE DIRECTLY BY THE BRAIN.

THE BRAIN HAS ITS OWN SOURCE OF THE NEUROTRANSMITTERS AND THE GUT HAS ITS OWN SOURCE.

IN FACT, MANY OF THE NEUROTRANSMITTERS WERE FIRST DISCOVERED IN THE GUT.

SO THESE TWO NEUROSYSTEMS ARE VERY ALIKE IN SOME WAYS.

IN FACT, WE USE THE TERM LITTLE BRAIN.

I CALL THIS BRAIN MINI ME.

>> I REALLY LIKE THAT.

>> PRODUCTION FUNDING FOR "QED WITH DR. B" IS PROVIDED BY -- >> THE HEALTH CARE IS ABOUT STEM BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF OUR FOUNDING.

GORDON PADDEL BELIEVED IN BUILDING AN INSTITUTE THAT WOULD BETTER SOCIETY THROUGH THE USE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

>> AND THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO HIT A GOAL OF A MILLION STUDENTS A YEAR AROUND THE COUNTRY.

>> AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER FOUNDATION.

BOUNDLESS ENERGY FOR BRIGHTER FUTURE.

>> AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.