Mind & Matter
Whether food, drugs or ideas, what you consume influences who you become. Learn directly from the best scientists & thinkers alive today about how your mind-body reacts to what you feed it.
The weekly M&M podcast features conversations with the most interesting scientists, thinkers, and technology entrepreneurs alive today.
Not medical advice.
At M&M, we are interested in trying to figure out how things work, not affirming our existing beliefs. We prefer consulting primary rather than secondary sources and independent rather than institutional voices. If we encounter uncomfortable truths or the evidence suggests unfashionable ideas may be valid, so be it.
As the host, my aim is to help you better understand how the body & mind work by curating & synthesizing information in a way that yields science-based insights that you can choose to use or disregard in your own life. Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
I am motivated to connect the dots and distill general principles from what I learn, preferring to ask questions and play devil’s advocate to debating or incessantly pushing my own viewpoint.
My beliefs:
- Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
- All knowledge is provisional and we must work hard to prevent ourselves from becoming attached to our favorite ideas & preferred conclusions.
- Wisdom comes from an iterative, trial-and-error process of learning and unlearning. Letting go of pre-conceived notions can be painful, but pain is information.
Sometimes modern discoveries teach us we must unlearn received wisdom. Other times, modern information overload & historical chauvinism cause us to forget ancient wisdom which stills applies. The framework for learning that I embody is inspired by three Ancient Greek maxims inscribed in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi:
- “Γνῶθι σεαυτόν” (Know thyself)
- “Μηδὲν ἄγαν” (Nothing in excess)
- “Ἐγγύα πάρα δ Ἄτα” (Certainty brings insanity)
Mind & Matter
Microbiome as a Modifiable Organ System | Eugene Chang | 240
Episode Summary: Dr. Eugene Chang talks about the microbiome’s role as a vital organ, the impacts of antibiotics and Western diets on microbial health, and strategies for restoring a damaged microbiome through diet and fecal microbial transplants. They delve into microbiome dysbiosis, its links to modern diseases, and Chang’s research on personalized microbiome interventions.
About the guest: Eugene Chang, MD is a physician-scientist and Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago, specializing in gastroenterology. His research focuses on the gut microbiome as a vital organ influencing metabolic and immune health.
Discussion Points:
- The gut microbiome is a vital organ, acquired early in life, that supports metabolic and immune functions, but can be disrupted by antibiotics, leading to diseases like C. difficile colitis.
- Western diets, high in saturated fats and low in fiber, contribute to microbiome dysbiosis, linked to modern conditions like inflammatory bowel diseases, obesity, and allergies.
- Microbiome health is better assessed by functional markers (e.g., short-chain fatty acid production) than taxonomic diversity, as diversity varies widely among healthy individuals.
- A patient with severe food intolerance due to antibiotic-induced microbiome damage was treated over 50 weeks with a tailored diet, restoring healthy microbiome function.
- Different dietary fibers (e.g., beans vs. seaweed) are metabolized at varying rates, affecting gut health; fermented foods like kefir can bypass digestion issues.
- Diet can rapidly reshape the microbiome within 24-48 hours, but severe dysbiosis may require microbial transplants if key microbes are extinct.
- Chang’s research shows a high-fiber, low-fat diet outperforms fecal microbial transplants in restoring microbiome resilience in mice post-antibiotics.
- Future microbiome medicine may involve personalized “omni microbial transplants” targeting both small and large intestines for comprehensive restoration.
Related episode:
- M&M 203: Metagenomics, Microbiome Transmission, Gut Microbiome in Health & Disease | Nicola Segata
*Not medical advice.
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