Gut Pilot January 25, 2024

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"Learn continually- there's always one more thing to learn" Steve Jobs​​

The circadian rhythm discussion made Jeopardy the other night in a reference that I should have included last week- "jet lag".

"The clue asked about melatonin disruption’s role in time zone desynchronization. (The answer was What is Jet Lag?) This was low-hanging fruit in the discussion that I missed.

It's safe to say nearly everyone has experienced jet lag at some point. Fatigue, lethargy, even interrupted bowel habits while traveling are all results of the circadian rhythm being thrown out of whack.

Thank you, Ken Jennings, for the roundabout assist in the gut health discussion!

Gut health is vitally important. I often think about the best way to relay this message to others.

When I share my story about one of the worst outcomes from poor gut health, cancer, it can be sobering but does it really resonate with a large group of people?

Not really.

Cancer is scary, but it's too easy to rationalize it away- "it always happens to someone else."

OK, I get that.

Well, how about diabetes or other diseases that can be a direct result from poor gut health?

Now we're expanding the audience a bit. The number of people with diabetes and pre-diabetes is off the charts these days. Maybe you're still not in this camp. You might just be in the "I'll just watch how many Snicker bars I house and watch my weight" camp. Not a horrible place to be.

Wait...what was that about weight?

Ahhh now we're getting somewhere. With a show of hands (send me a reply email that just says "hand is up") and I'll send the percentages back on Gut Pilot readers that have ever or could stand to shed a pound or two.

Our gut has the ability to do some pretty amazing things. Have you ever wondered how your body knows when to stop eating and how to use the food you eat for energy?

This is an important tool in weight loss and weight management. The "colonic brake" has a lot to do with this. The health of your gut determines how well this process works.

Let me explain.

Your gut produces special hormones called incretins that help regulate your blood sugar, your appetite, and your metabolism. The two main incretins are GLP-1 and GIP, and they are released by the cells in your gut when you eat something. (Let's just use these acronyms for our discussion and resist the temptation to get lost in the weeds.)

But that’s not all. In this space, we know that your gut is also home to trillions of bacteria, called the gut microbiome. These bacteria help shape the incretin hormone system. They do this by transforming the parts of food that you can’t digest, like fiber and plant compounds, into molecules that stimulate the incretin hormones.

There it is again- FIBER. That's right, fiber is not just for helping relieve constipation like most of the world still believes. We now know this otherwise indigestible stuff called fiber is the holy grail nourishment for gut bacteria to help do way more important stuff for the human body. (not that relief from constipation isn't important) I digress.

These incretin hormones (GLP-1 and GIP) then act on different organs in your body, namely the pancreas, the brain, the stomach, and the intestines, to control how much insulin you produce, how hungry you feel, how fast your stomach empties, and how slow your food moves along your gut. This last effect is called the colonic brake, and it helps you digest your food better and feel full.

That's it for the science class. You can put your books away.

Unfortunately, the incretin hormone system is not working as well as it should in many people today. (my hand is waving back and forth right now...I'll elaborate in a second)

This incretin system failure is partly because of the modern processed foods that we eat, which are stripped of the fiber and plant compounds that the gut bacteria need to make the molecules that stimulate the incretin hormones.

Without these molecules, the incretin hormone system becomes weaker and less responsive, leading to higher blood sugar, increased appetite, faster stomach emptying, and faster food movement along the gut.

This can result in obesity and diabetes, which are major health problems around the world.

Around the world?

Try again. It was and is a major problem in my own house.

Indulge me for a second.

My recollection is foggy on the exact date and time, but it was roughly 15-17 years ago that I had a wicked reaction to poison ivy. When the wind blows near poison ivy, I get it.

Off to the Doctor I go to get some steroid relief. My doctor said he wanted to draw some blood to see if anything jumped out at him that might explain such a severe reaction. (My eyes were damn near swollen shut!)

But his severe reaction was "dude, your blood sugar is high and you have diabetes". Mid to late 30's and I have Type 2 Diabetes, thanks Dad. So when it comes to the incretin hormone problem, I'm not just talking about this stuff, I am this stuff.

To fix this problem, some people use drugs that act like the incretin hormones or prevent them from being broken down by an enzyme called DPP-4. (stay out of the weeds Jeff!) These drugs, such as Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro, can help lower blood sugar, reduce appetite, slow stomach emptying, and activate the colonic brake.

So, the next time you turn on your TV and see a dreaded commercial advertisement for "O-O-O-Ozempic!", you have a little better understanding of how this drug actually works.

These drugs are not a magic bullet, and they may have some side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and low blood sugar. Personally, I have never experienced any of these effects and I've been on Ozempic for quite a while.

I will tell you they are wonderful for controlling blood sugar. For many people, they are lifesavers. But I will also tell you, for me, they instilled a bit of "licensing".

Licensing is a term used to describe the phenomenon known as giving yourself license to do "x" because of "y". In my case, this drug managed my blood sugar so well, it allowed me to rationalize eating and drinking as if I weren't a diabetic. Pretty cool eh?

Not exactly.

A much better way to support the incretin hormone system and the gut microbiome is to eat more natural foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fermented foods. These foods are also rich in fiber and plant compounds that feed the gut bacteria and help them produce the molecules that stimulate the incretin hormones.

In my case, my diet has supercharged the effects of the diabetic medications to the point where I'm entering a blood sugar level where the medications may soon go away.

Think of it like this, if you like to smoke meats, brisket specifically, there is a point in the smoking / temperature process where you encounter a "stall" in the rise in temperature. And the meat and father time decide when you break the stall to get to the desired, finished meat temperature.

It was the same for me with a stalled blood sugar level. Medication and my lifestyle had me at what I believed to be a satisfactory level. Not much raised it, but not much lowered it either.

It was only after I revamped my gut health by changing my diet and lifestyle that I broke the stall to the tune of 70 pounds lost (and holding), 3% points lowered on my A1C blood sugar reading, lipid panel numbers greatly improved, stellar blood pressure, and a better place mentally than I've ever been.

If any of these issues need to be improved in your life, improving your gut health and improving the efficiency of your colonic brake will pay dividends!

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Next Week- Heartburn, acid reflux- the how's and why's improving gut health can help you control this and reduce the need for medicine.

P.S. Don't forget to email me if you've ever needed or still need to shed some pounds! My research depends on it!

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Thanks for reading!

Jeff