Fix The Microbiome: FASTEST Way To Repair Gut Health (Without Probiotics)

The Perils of Modern Diets and the Carnivore Gut [0:00]

• Modern foods, particularly those high in carbohydrates, are addictive and lead to a metabolic disaster.
• The human gut evolved to be near sterile, similar to a carnivore's gut, and modern diets overwhelm this natural state.
• Eating typical Western diets with bread, toast, cereals, and orange juice almost invariably results in abnormal gut function.
• Fruit, while considered healthy, can be problematic due to high sugar content and natural yeasts that cause fermentation and alcohol production in the gut.
• Orange juice, for example, concentrates the sugar from many oranges into a single serving, leading to an overload.
• Fermentation in the gut can lead to an "auto-brewery syndrome," producing alcohol.
• This fermentation, abnormal microbiome, and potential allergies all contribute to widespread gut problems.

"Modern foods are a disaster because they are high in carbohydrates. They are very addictive. We eat them in an addictive way. That is metabolic disaster."

The Concept of an "Upper Fermenting Gut" [08:51]

• The gut is a 30-foot tube; the first 25 feet should be near sterile, designed for digesting meat and fat.
• The last five feet house the microbiome, which ferments fiber from vegetables and provides numerous benefits like programming the immune system, producing ketones, and synthesizing vitamins.
• An "upper fermenting gut" occurs when the first 25 feet become colonized by bacteria, yeast, and other microbes.
• These microbes cause inflammation, leading to a "leaky gut," where toxins can enter the bloodstream.
• Foods are then used to nourish these microbes, which ferment and produce toxins like ethyl alcohol, propionic alcohol, ammoniacal compounds, and hydrogen sulfide.
• These toxins drain energy as the liver works to detoxify them, contributing to chronic fatigue and brain fog.
• Microbes can also consume essential vitamins and minerals, rendering nutritional supplements less effective.
• Microbes produce toxins to kill off other microbes, and they can translocate into the bloodstream, causing inflammation and pain in various parts of the body, from muscles and joints to the brain and lungs.

"The first 25 foot of that gut should be near sterile. It should be near sterile for the business of um digesting meat and fat and yes absorbing some carbohydrates."

Gut Health's Impact on Weight Management and Thyroid Function [15:58]

• Impaired gut function and damaged gut hormones can prevent weight loss, even with calorie restriction, as ultrarocessed foods don't signal satiety effectively.
• An underactive thyroid is extremely common and a major contributor to difficulty losing weight.
• Causes of an underactive thyroid include excessive alcohol consumption, iodine deficiency, and viral infections like COVID-19.
• The paleo ketogenic diet (low carbohydrate, high fat) is recommended to fuel the body with fats, which requires thyroid hormones.
• Symptoms of an underactive thyroid can make it difficult to lose weight, even with dietary changes.

"The difficulty losing weight is often a symptom of of of gut health, but in my experience, it's more commonly due to an underactive thyroid issue."

Visible Symptoms of Gut Problems and Detoxification Strategies [18:59]

• A prominent symptom of an upper fermenting gut is an apple-shaped stomach, indicating fat accumulation around the abdomen due to inflammation and leaky gut.
• Other common symptoms include fatigue, brain fog, heartburn, indigestion, bloating, constipation, and gut pain.
• Dr. Myill emphasizes that most Western pathology originates in the gut and treating the gut is the primary step for many conditions.
• Toxins are not just from food but also from skincare products like parabens and phthalates, which can disrupt hormones and cause disease.
• For detoxification, heating regimes (saunas, exercise, sunbathing) can help mobilize toxins from fat stores to the skin's surface for washing off.
• Heavy metals, however, require chelating agents to be removed as they become lodged in tissues.
• MSM is suggested as a potentially effective agent for pulling out various toxic metals, including aluminum.

"So, if you are apples-shaped, if you've got a big tummy that's, you know, big, then, uh, that's a very powerful clue that you've got an upper fermenting gut."

The Path to Healing: Starving Microbes and Targeted Supplements [24:46]

• The primary strategy to fix the gut is to "starve the microbes," as they can only run on sugars and carbohydrates, unlike human cells which can use fats.
• A very low-carbohydrate diet, such as the carnivore diet, is the starting point to eliminate food sources for these microbes.
• The carnivore diet is also beneficial because it is low-allergen, avoiding common triggers like gluten, grains, and dairy.
• Microbes have a cystic phase where they can remain dormant for extended periods when food is scarce.
• To actively kill microbes, Dr. Myill recommends three tools: Vitamin C (contact kills microbes, and humans are deficient), iodine (also contact kills microbes and is vital for thyroid and mental health), and MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane), a bioavailable sulfur compound that kills microbes in aerobic environments and acts as a prebiotic in anaerobic ones.
• These supplements are presented as safe and effective alternatives to harsh antibiotics for conditions like Helicobacter pylori infections.

"Stop feeding them. And what makes bacteria and yeast um cells and viruses indeed different from human cells is they can only run on sugars and carbohydrates."

Navigating Ketosis and Understanding Addiction [31:14]

• Keeping carbohydrates as low as possible is crucial for gut health, though sugars have essential roles in the body for DNA, ATP production, and detoxification.
• The body can make its own sugar from protein if necessary, and should primarily run on fat and fiber.
• Staying in ketosis is a key indicator of a healthy gut, as it signifies the absence of sugars and carbohydrates that fuel fermentation.
• Exercise is a powerful way to burn sugar and get into ketosis, and building muscle mass increases the basal metabolic rate for better sugar clearance.
• For endurance athletes, being in ketosis can provide efficient energy, while power athletes might benefit from short-term carbohydrate intake for bursts of energy.
• Addiction, characterized by short-term gain and long-term pain, is common with substances like sugar, carbohydrates, caffeine, and alcohol.
• Understanding personal addiction triggers through tests like differentiating between having one square of 90% chocolate versus an entire bar of milk chocolate can be insightful.

"We are a nation of addicts. In fact, we are a species of addiction. We naturally get addicted to things."

The Power of Organ Meats, Bacon, and Essential Supplements [45:45]

• Inexpensive, nutrient-dense "offal" like liver, kidneys, and heart are excellent superfoods for gut health.
• Paleo bread made from linseed, with very low carbohydrate content (2%), can be a satisfying substitute for traditional bread.
• Canned fish like sardines and mackerel, along with eggs and cheaper cuts of meat, are also recommended for their affordability and nourishment.
• Vegetables and celery can provide a necessary "crunch factor" for those who tolerate them.
• Bacon is deemed safe for gut health, with Vitamin C mitigating concerns about nitrites. Historically, bacon and eggs were staple foods for many.
• Lugol's iodine (15%), taken in drops, is recommended for its microbial-killing properties in the upper gut without harming the lower gut microbiome.
• Vitamin C, at 5 grams daily, is crucial as humans cannot produce it and it aids in killing microbes.
• MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) is a versatile supplement beneficial for connective tissue, detoxification, and even as a prebiotic in the lower gut.

"You know, awful is um is inexpensive, absolutely delicious and very nutritious. Very nutritious."

Detoxifying the Body: From Pesticides to Heavy Metals [55:22]

• We are all exposed to toxins; heating regimes, such as saunas or running, can help mobilize pesticides and volatile organic compounds from fat stores to the skin for removal through showering.
• Heavy metals, however, are different and require chelating agents to be removed from the body.
• There is emerging evidence suggesting that MSM may be effective in pulling out toxic metals, including aluminum, bismuth, and tungsten.
• A citizen science study is being initiated to further investigate MSM's efficacy in heavy metal detoxification.
• Glyphosate, a widely used pesticide, is identified as one of the most dangerous substances for the microbiome, capable of killing a significant percentage of beneficial microbes.
• Choosing organic foods and prioritizing meat consumption can help reduce pesticide and glyphosate exposure.

"We're all poisoned. I have a whole lecture on this but just take my word for it. We're all toxic."