Antibiotics Disrupt Gut Ecology, Metabolism

MBombardier · Post by **MBombardier** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 12:31 pm

Ya think?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 214734.htm

However, this is actually encouraging:

[T]he fact that our gut microbes control these important molecules raises the possibility that manipulating these microbes could be used to modulate diseases that have hormonal or metabolic origins (such as inmmunodeficiency, depression, diabetes and others).

Post by **tex** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 1:34 pm

Marliss,

I agree that some of the observations in that article are a little short of being newsworthy,

(yep, antibiotics do seem to affect gut bacteria, and the outcomes of the roles that they play in our health), but the quote that you listed, reminds me of the old saying, "It's not nice to try to fool mother nature". Of course, they're trying to fool mother nature every time they administer an antibiotic, but trying to take that a step or two further, by manipulating bacteria in order to control their roles in our health bothers me a lot, since that's not really very different from the concept of genetically modifying organisms - it accomplishes the same basic goals, by using a different mechanism.

As demonstrated by the promotion of probiotics, (and the resulting erratic, unpredictable, and generally poor response rate), medical science in general doesn't know nearly enough about any of this stuff, to be talking intelligently about it, let alone trying to use it to modify someone's health. Turning those guys loose to fiddle with such things, strikes me as a little like allowing kids to play with dynamite - everything is fine, until something goes wrong.

The problem is, history shows that virtually all breakthrough medical discoveries are made by accident, not intentionally.

Tex

MBombardier · Post by **MBombardier** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:29 pm

So true, Tex. Sometimes this disease makes one want to grasp at straws, KWIM? But straws are brittle and unreliable, and occasionally stick one in the derriere. In fact, I have a scar from a straw that did just that when I was playing hide-and-seek in the hayloft as a kid.

sarkin · Post by **sarkin** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:43 pm

Ah, unintended consequences... great point, Tex. Antibiotics were certainly part of the 'trifecta' of actions with unintended consequences that led me to MC, I'm pretty sure ;) Look at all those potentially affected systems.... WOW.

Love,
Sara

AnnieF · Post by **AnnieF** » Fri May 13, 2011 4:50 pm

It's too bad we don't have a backup or a restart button if things go wrong like you do with a computer. It does sound like one is playing with dynamite when trying to change or manipulate the bacteria in one's gut. My first question would be 'what if things go wrong, is there a way to restore the original bacteria and balance of my system?' I think it sounds promising and it is interesting but I don't want to be the first test subject.

Has anyone ever tried purest colloids like colloidal silver for there colitis?

Post by **tex** » Fri May 13, 2011 7:12 pm

Annie,

If our doctors would take samples of our gut bacteria at birth, and/or a few weeks afterward, and "bank" those samples, in an appropriate medium, we would be able to draw on it at any time later in our life, if we needed to "clean house", and start over with a fresh "inoculation". IMO, such a system would prove extremely valuable, for treating all sorts of GI issues, from IBDs to infections by antibiotic resistant bacteria. Someone will become very wealthy, by developing such a system, one of these days.

Tex

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Fri May 13, 2011 7:17 pm

Terrific idea, Tex! They save umbilical cords; why not our bacteria?

Gloria

ant · Post by **ant** » Sun May 15, 2011 8:59 am

Nobel Prize for Medicine..... The will states "discovery and greatest benefit on mankind".

Best ant