Compulsive overeating is a more classically recognized addiction disorder.
Dopamine is the recognized neurotransmitter for the classic substance abuse disorders and in the regulation of food reward and the hedonic aspects of appetite.
Important Points:
- Probiotics
- Ulcerative colitis
- Diarrhea
Can probiotics treat gastrointestinal conditions?
Definition
Probiotics are substances that contain microorganisms that are similar to the beneficial bacteria normally found in the human gut. Probiotics work by restoring the balance of the GI flora that has been altered by lifestyle, diet, toxin exposure or prolonged antibiotic use. Since the gastrointestinal ©system and the immune system are closely tied together, restoring balance within the gut has beneficial effects on our body’s ability to defend itself from inflammation and infection.
Use and Regulation
The use of probiotics to treat gastrointestinal conditions has long been regarded as a safe and effective alternative to conventional medicine. It has been shown to be effective in treating diarrhea, both infectious and antibiotic-associated types, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome. However, despite much evidence of its effectiveness, there is still a lack of clear guidelines physicians can follow in using them on patients largely due to its relative newness and overlaps in regulating agencies.
When probiotics are used as dietary supplements, they are regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. When used as drugs with therapeutic intent, the jurisdiction falls under the US FDA using Current Good Manufacturing Practices and Investigational New Drug approval processes.
Conditions treated with Probiotics
- Acute bacterial diarrhea and Antibiotic-associated diarrhea
Acute bacterial infectious diarrhea has been found to be susceptible to probiotic treatment. In a review conducted by Cochrane of over 63 randomized controlled trials, researchers found that the use of probiotics reduced the duration of diarrhea by about 25 hours without any negative side effects. It was also determined that probiotics can also decrease the risk of developing traveler’s diarrhea by as much as 15 percent if probiotic treatment is started two days before travel and continued for the duration of the trip. It is important to note that probiotics seem to exert its effect only on bacterial diarrhea and does not improve the outcome of diarrhea caused by viral infections like the ones associated with rotavirus. Another study of over 3,938 participants found that children who are given probiotics experience a reduction in the risk of developing antibiotic-associated diarrhea by at least 11 percent.
- Ulcerative Colitis
Probiotics can also be used as a supportive treatment for cases of ulcerative colitis. In a meta-analysis of 23 randomized controlled trials with 1,763 adult participants, it was shown to increase the rate of remission by a rate of 12 percent. In another Cochrane review, it was found that probiotics were able to match the effect mesalamine, a standard drug for ulcerative colitis, with no significant difference.
- Constipation
Constipation can be effectively treated with probiotics specifically those containing the probiotic Bifidobacterium. A randomized controlled trial involving 165 adults was able to determine that yogurt containing the Bifidobacterium probiotic was able to alleviate the symptoms of constipation.
- Necrotizing enterocolitis
Necrotizing enterocolitis is a serious condition in which the intestinal tissue becomes damaged and begins to die. This condition commonly affects infants who are born prematurely. Compared to a control group, the group treated with probiotics experienced a reduction in the risk of severe necrotizing enterocolitis by as much as 0.43 and was able to decrease the mortality rate by 0.65.
Safety
Although probiotics are generally considered safe, it is prudent to exercise caution when using it in immunologically vulnerable populations. The findings from Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality states that in over a total of 24,615 participants, they did not show a significant increase in the reporting of side effects or adverse effects versus the control group. However, it is important to note that the studies only covered the short-term use of probiotics, and the long-term effects are still largely unknown. Populations cautioned with the overuse of probiotics include those with impaired immune conditions like those suffering from cancer. In a systematic review of 17 studies involving 1,530 cancer patients, five cases of probiotic associated bacteremia were confirmed via blood culture.
Like any other treatment, the risk must be weighed against the benefits, and as for the current evidence, it would seem like the use of probiotics has a positive future in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.
Necrotizing enterocolitis
Constipation
Probiotics for treating acute infectious diarrhea
http://www.cochrane.org/CD003048/INFECTN_probiotics-for-treating-acute-infectious-diarrhoea
Probiotics for Gastrointestinal Conditions: A Summary of the Evidence.
The human brain has a homeostatic set points for food and liquid consumption that are nutrient based.
The reward system is activated when highly nutrient-dense foods which promote primitive species survival by rapid fat storage. This reward system activation of the primitive endorphin system occurs by dopamine production in the nucleus acumens, similar but not exactly the same as other addictive substances.
No amount of habit formation can steer the patient away from a dopamine flux, this is an itch that demands to be scratched.
The treatment requires extinguishing the precedent cues, providing satiety, and a temporal substitution model.
The Standard American Diet has a greater than 20:1 ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3. This distorted ratio is associated with many neuropsychiatric dysfunctions, including profound anxiety. Restoring a healthy ratio of 4:1 (even by supplementing Omega 3) seems to reduce this profound anxiety.
Buydens-Branchey, L., & Branchey, M. (2007). Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids decrease feelings of anger in substance abusers. Psychiatry Research, 157(1-3), 95–104. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2007.01.004
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2225526/
Could it be the sugar-sweetened beverage companies know that the reward system is activated by fructose, creating more compulsion to purchase?
The incidental side effect is an excessive fat accumulation in the liver, and our epidemic of NAFLD, Metabolic Syndrome, Prediabetes, Type 2 Diabetes. Could the priming of the opioid epidemic be associated?
The constant signaling from hyper palatable food barrage promotes grazing behavior, near continuous eating and chronically high levels of insulin.
Unfortunately, the brain’s perception of the nutrient value is distorted by synthetic flavors. The patient (squirrel) ends up over-consuming manufactured carbohydrate and manufactured fat in a combination that is highly obesogenic.
Important Points:
- Probiotics
- Alzheimer’s
- Cognitive function
Can probiotics help those with Alzheimer’s?
With the discovery of how the gut microbiome directly effects brain functions, it is inevitable that in time new alternative treatments for cognitive disorders will be coming. A clear example of this was recently published in the journal Frontiers. In the study, researchers were able to show that the probiotics Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium bacteria have a positive effect on the participants diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The study followed a double-blind controlled structure involving a total of 52 participants over the age of 60. Half of them were given a daily serving of 200ml probiotic milk while the other received the placebo. Baseline blood chemistry and cognitive functions were taken for the end comparison.
At the end of the 12-week experiment period, the group given the probiotic supplement performed significantly better in taking the Mini-Mental State Examination which is the standard test used in measuring cognitive impairment. Those in the probiotic treatment group also showed marked improvement in their triglycerides, lipid and C-reactive protein parameters as compared to their initial measurements. Researchers think that these lowered levels in their blood chemistry are the metabolic adjustments produced by the intake of probiotics, suggesting that their cognitive improvements go hand and hand with metabolic and gut health. Their response is to say that the next step would be identifying the exact mechanism on how supplementing with probiotics produced a remarkable improvement in patients with serious cognitive problems.
It is important to note that although the improvements seen are significant, the resulting changes are moderate. However, these findings help build confidence that probiotic treatment is definitely the next big thing.
Probiotics Improve Cognition in Alzheimer’s Patients
Table of Contents:
Blood sugar
Artificial sweeteners
Bacteria
Can artificial sweeteners disrupt blood sugar via its effect on gut bacteria?
According to a study presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2018 Annual Meeting, the use of low-calorie sweetener capsules altered the gut microbiota in favor of the pathogenic bacteria compared to the capsules used on the placebo group. This alteration, caused by consuming artificial sweeteners, increased bad bacteria and decreased beneficial ones. This disruption in gut balance lead to certain metabolic consequences that are harmful to the consumer.
Researchers found that after two weeks of supplementation, the experimental group showed increase glucose absorption and glycemic response while the response to glucagon production decreased thereby altering glucose metabolism. More sugar isn’t absorbed while the mechanism regulating sugar metabolism is disrupted. Due to this finding, experts say that the use of low-calorie sweeteners can actually interact with the effects of diabetes medication making them less effective in the long run.
Long-term data is still not present to make a conclusive interpretation as of the moment. Experts now believe that the use of low-calorie sweeteners should be in moderation as it has been shown to have both negative and positive effects on weight control.
European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2018 Annual Meeting
https://www.medscape.com/viewcollection/34642
Important Points:
- Gut bacteria
- Serotonin
- Depression
Can gut microbial activity be used as serotonin drug treatment?
Serotonin is known to be the crucial neurotransmitter needed for emotion and behavior regulation. It has been long established that imbalances in serotonin levels are related to depression and bouts of anxiety. Despite being a major neurotransmitter exerting its effect on brain function, up to 90% of our serotonin is produced in the enterochromaffin cells found in the gastrointestinal tract.
The surprising location of its origin may imply a bigger role for serotonin than what researchers have initially thought. This could further support findings that point out that serotonin may not be just a substance that has an exclusive brain significance but also possibly linked to other diseases like osteoporosis and heart disease.
In line with these results regarding the other possible functions of serotonin, researchers from the California Institute of Technology have reported in their study that serotonin could be directly related to microbial activity in the gut. They have discovered that mice without gut microbes produced 60 percent less serotonin compared to those with normal gut bacteria. Upon restoring the presence of normal gut flora, the serotonin levels shot back within normal parameters. This reversible causal relationship seems to prove the hypothesis that serotonin production is heavily reliant on certain types of gut bacteria.
Researchers are now excited to find out which bacteria can be used to modulate the body’s level of serotonin. Once identified, this could be the first step in the path of creating new medications that could possibly support or replace the mode of actions seen in the medication SSRI or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors used to treat depression.
Yin and yang of serotonin neurons in mood regulation: More nuanced view of brainstem neurons could lead to better drugs for depression, anxiety
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151119134012.htm
Inhibiting serotonin in gut could cure osteoporosis
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-02/cumc-isi020110.php
Serotonin may play role in hardening of the arteries
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-03/uopm-smp022706.php
Microbes Help Produce Serotonin in Gut
https://www.caltech.edu/news/microbes-help-produce-serotonin-gut-46495
Tags: gut bacteria, Serotonin