RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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I\u0027ve long been obsessed with the idea that there is an important connection between your gut and your brain, and now there\u0027s science to confirm that nutrition can help treat many diseases.Dr. Trisha Pasricha is a double board-certified internal medicine physician and gastroenterologist. She\u0027s the head of the Gut-Brain Institute and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. And you may know her from The Washington Post, where she\u0027s the "Ask a Doctor" columnist."I think the reframe that really helps is if you stop thinking about your gut as plumbing, you think about it as a brain," Pasricha told me in the newest episode of "Healthful."We covered everything from what to do if you get a cyclospora infection to why eating fewer ultra-processed foods can prevent dementia. Here\u0027s what I learned from our conversation \u00e2\u0080\u0094 watch it on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcasts:\u00a0Constipation and REM sleep disorder could be early signs of Parkinson\u0027sResearchers have made significant progress in finding early symptoms of Parkinson\u0027s disease that could show up decades before motor symptoms. Pasricha explained the "first-gut theory" of Parkinson\u0027s disease, which is that experts believe some cases of Parkinson\u0027s originate in the gut, not the brain.\u00a0A hallmark of Parkinson\u0027s, she explained, is a misfolded protein that destroys dopamine-producing neurons in the brain, leading to the tremors we associate with the disease. Studies have shown that this protein may start misfolding first in the gut before traveling to the brain.\u00a0Pasricha said many of her Parkinson\u0027s patients suffer from "debilitating GI symptoms" from constipation to nausea, which started years or decades before their tremors. She said she hopes that in 10-15 years, we\u0027ll be able to diagnose prodromal Parkinson\u0027s from the gut.Another potential early sign of Parkinson\u0027s: REM sleep disorder, where "your dreams are so vivid that you might start to move."GLP-1s may actually protect your gutIt may sound counterintuitive: You\u0027ve heard about GLP-1 side effects like constipation, nausea and indigestion. But Pasricha says her lab showed that GLP-1 users are less likely to develop ulcers and are less likely to develop colorectal cancer, as well as a dozen other cancers.Pasricha said researchers believe that GLP-1s reduce inflammation in the gut and throughout the body, hence the reduced risk of cancers.\u00a095% of Americans are not meeting their fiber goalsThis number shocked me.Fiber improves your heart health and brain health while reducing inflammation. But Pasricha says 95% of Americans aren\u0027t meeting their fiber goals.Women under 50 should aim for 25 grams of fiber per day, and women over 50 should get 21 grams of fiber per day. Meanwhile, men under 50 should aim for 38 grams and should get 30 grams per day over the age of 50.Pasricha says she advises people not to take away or substitute something on their plate but instead to just add a high-fiber food to your plate. (She feeds her kids berries, nuts and Greek yogurt popsicles for breakfast.) And when you\u0027re traveling, remember to pack a fiber supplement to keep your fiber intake high.
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