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Build a Better Gut

How Does a Baby’s Immune System Develop?

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Baby’s immune systems are not fully matured at birth, which can leave them vulnerable to germs and infections. This is probably why babies get so many colds, ear infections and diarrhea.

While still in the womb, babies receive antibodies from their mothers via the placenta to provide passive immunity. These antibodies decline as the baby ages, highlighted in the blue graph below.

Newborn Immune System

A baby’s immune system develops from the time they are in the womb. When a bacteria or virus enters the body, white blood cells notice the threat and begin to fight it by making special proteins called antibodies. The immune system also ‘remembers’ the germ so that it can easily fight it the next time it encounters it.

Babies who have been born prematurely do not receive as many of their mother’s antibodies through the placenta and have a higher chance of getting sick in their early months of life. However, they do get some maternal antibody through breastfeeding.

This is because they have a specific receptor, FcRn, expressed in placental syncytiotrophoblasts, that efficiently transports maternal IgG antibodies to the newborn baby. FcRn is able to transport IgG subclasses with different structures, such as protein antigens that elicit IgG1 and polysaccharide antigens, which are found on the surfaces of most bacteria.

Infant Immune System

Researchers have found that infants are better at fighting new germs than adults. Whether they’re exposed to them from their environment or through vaccination, babies build active immunity quickly.

Babies are protected from harmful bacteria by antibodies transferred via the placenta and through breast milk. These antibodies bind to bacteria in the intestine, blocking them from entering the baby’s body and causing infection.

When a virus or germ gets into the body, white blood cells notice and start making special proteins called antibodies. These bind to the virus or germ and switch on other parts of the immune system, which fight it. Vaccines can also help “teach” the immune system to recognize pathogens so it can remember them in the future and quickly respond to them again.

Baby Immune System 6 Weeks

As babies enter the world they are exposed to bacteria and viruses. They also start receiving immunizations (vaccines). Vaccines help our immune systems “teach” themselves to recognize the pathogens that vaccines protect against so they can fight them more effectively in the future.

Mothers’ antibodies pass through the placenta and remain with infants for the first few months of life. They are present in colostrum and breast milk.

Immune systems are shaped by genetics, environment, and lifestyle factors. Healthy eating and adequate sleep are important to immune system health. Practicing proper handwashing is another way to keep your baby’s immune system strong.

Baby Immune System 6 Months

At this time, a baby’s immune system is maturing and they are producing their own antibodies. This means that they have a lower chance of getting sick from germs like bacteria and viruses, but they are still at risk. This is why it is important to keep them up to date with their vaccinations.

The immune system matures gradually during infancy. Critical early protection against many infectious diseases that the mother experienced occurs via passive IgG transferred through the placenta during pregnancy and in breastmilk. However, this immunity fades after birth. Immunity is built through exposure to pathogens and stimulated by vaccinations.

Baby Immune System Development

A fetus gets protection from bacteria and viruses in the womb but when they’re born, they come into contact with many pathogens that are new to them. Their immune systems must rapidly develop to shield them from infection.

This happens thanks to antibodies that pass from the mother through the placenta to her baby. The antibodies last a long time, especially if the mother breastfeeds.

This is great for babies, but premature infants don’t have this luxury and are more susceptible to life-threatening infections like necrotizing enterocolitis. Way and her team are now working to understand how to boost a preemie’s immune system so that they can fight off the pathogens that threaten them.

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Build a Better Gut

The Mycobiome: Understanding the Role of Fungi in Our Health

The mycobiome consists of fungi, including yeasts and molds, that inhabit our gastrointestinal tract. These fungi, though fewer in number than bacteria, are

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What Is the Mycobiome?

When we talk about our gut health, the focus often falls on the gut microbiome, which consists of trillions of organisms, primarily bacteria. However, there’s another player in this ecosystem that deserves attention: fungi. The mycobiome refers to the diverse populations of fungi, including yeasts and molds, that reside in our gastrointestinal tract. These fungi may be small in number compared to bacteria, but they play a vital role in maintaining our overall health and metabolic function.

How Diet Shapes the Mycobiome

Your diet has a direct impact on the composition of your microbiome, including the mycobiome. Research shows that changes in diet can be detected within days, emphasizing the connection between what we eat and our gut health. A diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods fosters a healthy mycobiome, while a modern diet high in processed foods can lead to imbalances, potentially resulting in conditions like obesity and metabolic disease.

Insights from Recent Research

Recent studies have shed light on how the mycobiome interacts with our metabolism. For instance, a study on mice revealed that those fed a processed diet showed significant changes in their gut fungi, which were linked to weight gain and altered metabolic markers. This research suggests that the composition of our gut fungi may influence our metabolic health, opening new avenues for understanding how we can support our well-being through diet.

Supporting Your Mycobiome: Practical Tips

While research on the mycobiome is still emerging, there are several actionable steps you can take to promote its health:

  1. Eat a Diverse Whole Food Diet: Fill your plate with a variety of plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. This diversity supports a healthy mycobiome.
  2. Avoid Processed Foods: Limit your intake of refined sugars and flours, which can negatively impact your gut fungi.
  3. Heal Your Gut: If you suspect an imbalance in your gut microbiome, consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized strategies.
  4. Manage Mold Exposure: Keep your living environment free from toxic mold, which can harm your immune system and overall health.
  5. Connect with Nature: Spend time outdoors and engage in activities like gardening to expose yourself to beneficial microorganisms.
  6. Prioritize Lifestyle Factors: Don’t forget about sleep, exercise, and stress management—these are all crucial for maintaining a balanced microbiome.

The Bottom Line: Fungi Matter

Understanding the mycobiome adds another layer to our knowledge of gut health. As science continues to unravel the complexities of these fungi, it becomes clear that they play an essential role in our metabolic health. By making informed dietary choices and adopting a holistic approach to wellness, we can support our mycobiome and, in turn, our overall health.

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Understanding MAFLD: The Rising Tide of Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease

Fatty liver disease is often mistakenly associated solely with alcohol abuse. Recent studies reveal a significant link to metabolic issues from diet and

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Fatty Liver Disease: More Than Just Alcohol

When people hear “fatty liver,” they often think of alcohol abuse. However, a significant portion of fatty liver disease is linked to metabolic issues stemming from diet, lifestyle, and environmental factors. The term has evolved from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), emphasizing its broader metabolic connections.

The Alarming Statistics Behind MAFLD

Since the 1980s, the prevalence of MAFLD has surged, with estimates suggesting that 25% of the global population is affected. In Asia, rates skyrocketed by 40% between 2012 and 2017, highlighting a growing epidemic that poses serious challenges for individuals and healthcare systems alike.

What Exactly is MAFLD?

MAFLD is characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver, affecting at least 5% of liver cells. Unlike alcoholic fatty liver disease, MAFLD is primarily driven by metabolic dysfunction rather than alcohol consumption. If left untreated, it can lead to severe liver complications, including liver disease and even cancer. The good news? In its early stages, MAFLD is reversible.

The Metabolic Connection

MAFLD serves as a manifestation of various metabolic disorders. Its rise correlates with modern lifestyle changes, particularly in regions adopting Western habits. Risk factors include:

  • High sugar and processed food consumption
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Genetics
  • Obesity, particularly central/abdominal obesity
  • Insulin resistance and related conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes
  • Exposure to toxins like air pollution
  • Certain infections, including COVID-19

The Role of Toxins and Air Pollution

The liver plays a crucial role in detoxification, and exposure to toxins can significantly impact its function. Air pollution, linked to millions of deaths annually, has been associated with various metabolic diseases and is now recognized as a contributing factor to MAFLD. Recent studies have shown that long-term exposure to air pollutants increases the risk of developing MAFLD, particularly among individuals with other risk factors.

Steps to Prevent and Reverse MAFLD

Improving liver health is interconnected with overall well-being. Here are some actionable steps to consider:

  1. Combat Insulin Resistance: Focus on a diet rich in whole foods, minimizing processed sugars and carbohydrates.
  2. Reduce Toxin Exposure: Limit exposure to alcohol, household toxins, and air pollution. Monitor local air quality and advocate for cleaner environments.
  3. Get Regular Testing: Keep track of liver health through routine lab tests, including liver enzymes and blood sugar levels.
  4. Support Your Liver: Consider supplements that promote liver detoxification, such as milk thistle and curcumin.

Take Control of Your Health

While modern lifestyles contribute to MAFLD, many risk factors are within our control. Building healthier habits and being mindful of environmental toxins can significantly impact liver health and overall well-being. By addressing these issues, individuals can work towards aging without the burden of chronic disease.

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What are Prebiotics: Benefits and Foods for Optimal Gut Health

Prebiotics – The What, Why And How Probiotics often take center stage when it comes to gut health. Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that populate the

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Prebiotics – The What, Why And How 
Probiotics often take center stage when it comes to gut health.
Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that populate the microbiome. They are naturally found in fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi, and are increasingly taken as a daily supplement. 
There is a large body of evidence linking the health of the microbiome to improvements in metabolism, weight, skin disorders, autoimmune disease,s and more.
When the microbiome is balanced and robust, the host (you!) benefits immensely. 
While probiotics are an important piece to microbiome health, prebiotics are equally, or perhaps even more important. Yet, we often don’t hear as much about what prebiotics are, why we need them and how to use them in our lives. That’s exactly what we are going to dive into today. 
This article will answer the following questions on  prebiotics: 

What are prebiotics?
Why do we need prebiotics?
How do we get the most out of prebiotics?

What Are Prebiotics?
The official definition of a prebiotic is “a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit.” In other words, it is a substance that feeds probiotics or other beneficial microorganisms producing a positive effect on health. 
You can remember it this way: The probiotic is the seed and the prebiotic is the feed. 
Most prebiotics are special types of fiber, but the category of prebiotics also includes polyphenols. Polyphenols are antioxidant compounds found in foods like berries, chocolate, and green tea. 
Not all fiber is prebiotic, but most prebiotics are fiber. Fiber is simply a carbohydrate (molecules made of sugars and starches) that we can’t digest, but bacteria can.
As the probiotics ferment fiber, they form beneficial compounds.
One such category of compounds are short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) including butyrate, which provides energy to the cells that line the colon.
In fact, these cells prefer using butyrate over any other fuel source, which is just one example of how our health is dependent upon the health of the microbiome.  
Prebiotic fuel also allows beneficial bacteria to proliferate, which keeps pathogens in-check and keeps digestion regular.
When fed prebiotics, probiotics also produce certain nutrients for you such as vitamin B12 and vitamin K2 that are then absorbed into the body. 
Types of prebiotics include:

Inulin – fiber
Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) – fiber 
Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) – fiber found in human milk
Lactulose – a non-absorbable sugar
Resistant starch – a type of non-digestible starch found in cooked and cooled potato and rice
Polyphenols – plant antioxidant compounds

Food Sources Of Prebiotics
Since prebiotics are fiber and plant compounds, they are easily obtained in the diet.
Here are some common Paleo prebiotic food sources:

Artichokes
Asparagus
Apples
Berries
Burdock root
Cacao
Chicory root
Dandelion greens 
Leeks
Green bananas or plantains
Garlic
Onions
Jicama
Potato starch
Sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes)
Yacon root

Why Do We Need Prebiotics? – Health Benefits
Ninety-five percent of Americans don’t consume enough daily fiber. That staggering number suggests that we really aren’t eating enough vegetables, fruits, seeds and other whole plant foods.
This pattern is common in the Standard American Diet (SAD) where the majority of calories come from processed foods and convenience items instead of meals made with high quality, whole ingredients. 
Low fiber diets like the Standard American Diet depletes probiotics, promotes imbalances in the microbiome and leads to chronic disease.
Meeting fiber needs correlates with a lower risk of heart disease, improved gut health and maintaining a healthy weight. 
What we eat – including fiber and prebiotic foods – modulates the microbiome.
Each of us has the power to rapidly change the composition of the microbiome, simply by choosing more whole plant foods, and especially prebiotic foods.
Positive microbiome changes have been documented in as little as 24 hours!
This is exactly why plant foods are such an important part of the Paleo diet. 
Let’s take a look at some of the important benefits of prebiotics themselves.

Immune Health – Prebiotics influence immune messengers called cytokines to reduce inflammation. In addition, prebiotics may help change the way a person’s immune system responds to an allergen, effectively decreasing allergies. 

Bone Health – Prebiotics have a positive effect on calcium and mineral metabolism. Prebiotics have been shown to increase calcium absorption and may help to improve bone mineral density through the gut-bone axis. 

Skin Health – Often, improving skin health begins in the gut. Balancing the microbiome affects the gut-skin axis. Both probiotics and prebiotics modulate the immune system and have a beneficial effect on the skin. In addition, there is evidence to support their topical use to directly affect the skin microbiome. 

Digestive Health – It’s easy to see how prebiotics positively affect the digestive system itself. We already mentioned the production of butyrate. Prebiotics have been studied in various GI disorders including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), dyspepsia (indigestion) and others. 

We are learning more about the microbiome all of the time and will likely uncover more benefits of prebiotics for feeding certain bacteria and addressing various health concerns. 
How To Get The Benefits Of Prebiotics
Increasing prebiotics may be an important part of a gut healing protocol for prevention or addressing a specific health concern.
We find probiotics in both foods and supplements.
Here are some tips for incorporating more prebiotics into your routine and reaping the health benefits:
1. Increase overall fiber. Most adults will need 35 to 38 grams per day minimum of fiber intake for optimal health. Of note, some of our hunter-gatherer ancestors would eat over 100 grams per day from wild plant foods. Since the average intake is much lower, increasing fiber may take a little attention.
Here are some tips for increasing fiber:

Fill half your plate with veggies.
Choose starchy vegetables such as winter squash and plantains to add to meals or eat before and after exercise. 
Snack on fruits such as berries and apples.
Add ground flax seeds or hemp seeds to salads and smoothies. 
Add in particularly high fiber foods such as avocados and artichokes. 
Bake with high-fiber flour such as coconut flour or almond flour. 

2. Use food as medicine. With a Functional Medicine approach, it’s possible to take a look at your microbiome (through testing such as GI MAP) and then tailor a dietary approach to feed specific bacteria.
For example, Akkermansia muciniphila is a probiotic bacteria that is important for a healthy mucosal lining of the gut and metabolic health. If yours is low on a stool test, you can help them grow by consuming specific polyphenols.
Try adding some of this delicious and nutrient dense polyphenol rich Exceed Greens + Reds into your next smoothie!
3. Increase prebiotic foods. By increasing fiber and plant foods, you’ll naturally be getting more prebiotics. Yet, some of the specific foods listed earlier in this article may be unfamiliar and more challenging to get into the diet. Here are some ideas: 

Make a Paleo hummus with artichokes as the base. (Choose artichoke hearts in a jar vs. can to limit exposure to BPA).
Try baking with green banana flour.
Add dandelion greens to salads or a stir-fry. 
Use a high quality cacao powder in smoothies or brownies. 
Try a chicory root coffee replacement.
Slice raw jicama and dip in guacamole.
Add berries to salsa.

4. Consider a prebiotic supplement. Many options exist that use specific prebiotics such as inulin, FOS, potato starch and others. The key here is to go low and slow. Those with microbiome imbalances who may need prebiotics the most may actually tolerate them the least at first. Side effects of taking too high of a dose include abdominal pain, bloating, gas and changes in bowel movements. Start with a quarter (or less) of the recommended dose and slowly work your way up to a higher dose. 
5. Don’t forget hydration! As you increase fiber and prebiotics, you’ll likely need to drink more water to maintain regularity. Not drinking enough water, along with a high-fiber diet or using prebiotic supplements, may lead to constipation for some. 
6. Try Exceed Greens + Reds Organic Grain-Free Superfood Powder. This is not your typical greens powder! It includes red foods, which are often potent sources of prebiotic polyphenols, prebiotic fibers including inulin, probiotics, antioxidants and digestive enzymes.
Exceed Greens + Reds falls into the category of a symbiotic because it contains both probiotics and prebiotics for a symbiotic effect. This is truly a functional food or a food-as-medicine approach to microbiome health and total body wellness. 
While probiotics get all the attention, as you can see, prebiotics are necessary for the probiotics to do their job properly. 
You don’t want to be paying a lot of money for probiotics if you don’t have the prebiotics to fuel them!
Once you know about prebiotics, and where to easily add them into your routine, you’ll provide microbiome support at a whole new level.
As you get consistent with these changes you’ll affect health throughout the body, easily, deliciously and safely. 
References

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24912386/ 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705355/ 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6124841/ 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5390821/ 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27704207/ 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6722770/ 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5851694/ 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24583611/ 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27048897/ 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7035106/

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