Today’s Health Headline is: microbes mess with our genes!
I haven’t forgotten about the Brain Booster, I’m saving it for a treat later.
Did you know that you have a gene called ‘The Guardian Gene?’ It’s official name is TP53, and it encodes a protein called p53. The reason for its colloquial name is that this protein protects our DNA, spots damage in our cells, and stops mutations in their tracks. These processes help to shield us from cancer and autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes. And it turns out that our microbes interact with this gene and influence how it behaves through a process called epigenetics.
Epigenetics refers to the ability of our genes to be turned on or off by factors in our environment (including our microbes and our diet) without there being any changes to our underlying DNA. And The Guardian Gene is not the only gene affected by our microbes. Our microbes mess with many of our genes.
However, in relation to this particular gene, when mice are given antibiotics within the first six weeks of their life, they lose the protective effect of this gene, and develop type 1 diabetes. Even when the babies aren’t given antibiotics themselves, but their mothers received antibiotics in the 10 days before giving birth, the babies still develop diabetes. However, when the antibiotics were delayed until after 6 weeks of age, the gene was able to do its job and stop the mice from getting diabetes.
What this illustrates is that gut bacteria are needed to activate this gene, and there’s a critical window, early in life, when this activation needs to happen.
When we look at the data on humans, babies who receive antibiotics within the first 2 years of life — or whose mothers received antibiotics late in pregnancy — have a higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases, allergies, asthma, diabetes, and obesity.
Now this is not about making mothers feel guilty about having had antibiotics, or giving them to their children. Antibiotics save lives. The take home message is that gut bugs are critical to our health even before we’re born. And it means we need to use antibiotics — in fact, any medications — only when absolutely necessary.
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What’s Missing from Modern Medicine is recognising that MOST medicines mess with our microbes, not just antibiotics.
While antibiotics are the most well-known microbial disruptors, research shows that many common non-antibiotic drugs also significantly alter microbial composition and diversity.
But let’s start with antibiotics. Australia is consistently ranked in the world’s top 10 highest antibiotic users out of comparable European and OECD nations, but I’m relieved to say we’re demonstrating a downward trend. If we continue to use antibiotics when we don’t need them (as is sadly often the case) they won’t work in the future when we DO need them.
So what can you personally do to help the situation?
- Don’t use antibiotics for coughs, colds and runny noses because more than 80% of throat infections are caused by viruses against which antibiotics have no effect.
- If your doctor wants to prescribe you antibiotics, ask if they’re really necessary, or if he or she is prescribing them ‘just in case’. Don’t subscribe to the ‘just in case’ philosophy but remain vigilant to worsening symptoms.
- If you do need antibiotics, always finish the course (unless you have an allergic reaction). Not finishing gives bacteria more opportunity to develop resistance. Having said that, don’t take antibiotics for longer than necessary either.
- The other big thing that is contributing to antibiotic resistance is that some farmers feed their livestock with antibiotics to stop them getting sick from overcrowded conditions. In the 1940s it was also discovered that low dose antibiotics added to chick feed enhanced their growth. Consequently, some farmers are using antibiotics to speed up the fattening of cows, pigs and poultry in order to get their animals to market more quickly. This is a terrible misuse of antibiotics because the low dose gives bacteria all the more time and opportunity to develop resistance. And if taking antibiotics fattens livestock, taking antibiotics might also fatten us!
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Please forward this Health-e-Byte to anyone who is interested in gut health.
