Jim McAfee's Blog Spot

Wednesday, February 05, 2025

The Microbiome and Inflammation

One of the topics of the clinical nutrition meeting in Dallas was the relationship between the microbiome ( bacteria in the gut) and the inflammatory response. It was pointed out that the proper kind of fiber in the diet can have powerful anti-inflammatory effects.

Sabine Hazan is a key researcher on the microbiome. She found that Covid-19 depresses beneficial bacteria in the gut. Suppression of the bifidobacteria for an extended period of time may explain Long Covid. Addressing the abnormal state of the gut may be an effective means of addressing the consequences of Covid with its many symptoms.

Hazan has found that vitamin C has beneficial effects on the microbiome. Here is a plain language summary of one of her papers,

"Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is used as a supplement for fighting infectious disorders. Many disorders, including COVID-19 and cancer, harmfully disrupt the levels of bacteria that naturally reside in the gut, which may contribute to symptoms. The aim of the study was to understand whether high-dose vitamin C could improve the types of bacteria in the human gut. To do this we characterized the gut bacteria before and after 23 individuals took vitamin C, as prescribed by their respective physicians. We observed that vitamin C increased levels of a gut bacterium called Bifidobacterium which has positive health benefits, including fighting infection. This study suggests the possibility that vitamin C could be successful for improving infection outcomes, possibly even COVID-19, partially because it improves the gut bacteria present."

It is of interest that ivermectin also nourishes and supports the beneficial bifidobacteria in the digestive tract.

Hazan and associates have also published data indicating that a diet high in onega-6 fats induces dysbiosis and inflammation of the digestive tract.

Research on pigs has found that a diet low in fiber leads to death of bifidobacteria and acidophilus in the digestive tract leading to susceptibility to disease organisms, loss of the mucus barrier that protects the gut, and disturbed populations of bacteria in the digestive tract. Restoration of fiber corrected the problem.

Improvement of the health of the colon can be accomplished by supplementation with bifidobacteria and/or by fiber supplementation. A combination is probably more effective in many instances.

Researchers are demonstrating that the beneficial effects of fiber and bifidobacteria reach far beyond the gut even into the brain and its proper functioning. Beneficial bacteria produce butyrate. When the bacteria in the gut become abnormal they can produce elevated levels of another substance called propionic acid. This substance is one carbon shorter than butyrate and can interfere with brain chemistry inducing the symptoms of autism in laboratory animals. You can research the work of Derrick MacFabe for details on this research.

NeoLife has an Acidophilus Complex with targeted delivery to where the beneficial organisms are needed in the gut. It has five of the best human gut bacteria including the crucial bifidobacteria. NeoLife also has a fiber supplement with a wide variety of fibers. We tend to think of fiber as a single entity, but there are actually a wide variety of fibers in nature and each can make its own special contribution to our health.


References:


Link to article Vitamin C improves gut Bifidobacteria in humans

Link to article on how a diet high in omega-6 induces colonic inflammation and dysbiosis.

Link to article on Long Covid and the Microbiome.

Article on pigs and fiber.

Article on fiber and bifidobacteria for gut health.

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