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Jillian Michaels: The Anti-Viral Gut

Updated: Jan 15


Podcast Release Date:10/24/22

Podcast Duration: 54:43

A summary by Brandon Johnson, DC


5 Key Takeaways

  1. Gut microbiome is the most effective indicator of overall health and most diseases are "forcastable or reducible"

  2. Gut bacteria is linked to more than 100 autoimmune disorders

  3. Humans are 76% more likely to contract an illness if they are sleep deprived

  4. Our body contains more viruses, bacteria and microbes than it does human cells

  5. Microbiome ecosystems have the ability to alter our genetics


Jillian and her guest, Dr. Robynne Chukan start this epsiode by talking about genetic predisposition to diseases. Dr. Chukan believes that we are not stuck with family diseases and we are capable of reducing the onset. She believes that a healthy gut microbiome is the most effective indicator of overall health and that most diseases are "forcastable or reducible."


What is Microbiome?

  1. An internal community of viruses, fungi and bacteria living in and around our body

  2. Our body is filled with more bacteria, viruses and other microbes than actual human cells

  3. Some of these organism promote health while others cultivate disease

  4. The ratio and overall health of these organisms is dictated by the environment we create for them

  5. Gut microbiome is directly linked to autoimmune disease (over 100 different ones)

  6. Eczema

  7. Reynolds

  8. Ulcerative colitis/crohns

  9. Lupus

  10. RA

  11. Diabetes

  12. Psoriasis

  13. Chronic fatigue can be identified just by looking at feces

  14. 25% of Americans have one or more autoimmune diseases

Gut Microbiome and Genetics

  1. There are microbiomes in every organ system not just the stomach

  2. Fixing gut biome affects all others

  3. The gut feeds all of the other organs

  4. When we eat healthy foods the microbes in our body consume those nutrients and release Post-biotics that promote healthy organ function

  5. Microbes modulate our genes

  6. Turn on and off expression

  7. We cannot accurately calculate predisposition of genetic diseases

  8. Epigenetics (genes that have the ability to turn on/off) seem to play the largest role in disease progression

  9. Identical twin studies show penetrence (the extent at which a gene is expressed) 20-30%

  10. 80% of genes expressed had environmental influences

  11. Most impactful influences:

  12. Diet

  13. 30 hours after diet change resulted in different gene expression

  14. Smoking

  15. Exercise

  16. Stress

  17. 30 years since the entire human genome was mapped out

  18. We have cured 0 genetic diseases

After speaking about the gut microbiome and how it is related to genetics, They begin to talk about the link between microbiome and how it applies to infectious diseases such as Covid 19.


Microbiome and Infectious Diseases

  1. In the last 50 years there have been more than 30 new incurable viruses

  2. Duke study says pandemic chance increases 2% each year

  3. Microbiome was able to predict 92% covid symptoms

  4. People with healthier biome had fewer symptoms

  5. Healthiest microbiome makes you more resistant or immune to

  6. Covid

  7. HIV

  8. Venereal disease

  9. People who took stomach acid reducers were more likely to contract Covid and have adverse side effects

  10. This drugs eliminates acid and kills biome

  11. 50,000 people taking anti acids in study

  12. 2x the chance of contracting Covid

  13. If the medication was doubled it led to 4x more likely to contract Covid

  14. High dose probiotics were linked to better outcomes in covid patients in italy

  15. Fewer ventilators and death

  16. Fever occurs to stop viral replication

  17. Polio virus

  18. Replicates 250x faster at normal temp vs fever

How to Bulletproof your Gut

  1. 3 must have foods for gut

  2. Legumes

  3. Contain MAC (microbiota accessible carbohydrates )

  4. help nourish microbes

  5. Dark leafy greens

  6. Fermented foods- saurkrautt, kimchi, cabbage

  7. Introduce new microbes to system

  8. Water improves digestive tract function

  9. The main organ of elimination

  10. Reduces viral load

  11. 3 things not to consume

  12. Soda

  13. Contain chemicals that alter ph in stomach

  14. Artificial sweeteners

  15. Kill healthy microbes

  16. Unknown ingredients

  17. Not found in real food

  18. Cannot be digested by microbes

  19. Human body can assimilate real ingredients

  20. 3 changes to make

  21. Open air factor- get fresh air

  22. 13 percent death rate to infection when soldiers recovered outside

  23. 40 percent death to infection recovering indoors

  24. Sleep

  25. 76% higher risk to get infected if sleep deprived

  26. Every hour of sleep drops that by 12%

  27. College students get sick during finals

  28. Stress

  29. Studies showed that 1 hour of stress could drastically alter biome

  30. Fecal transplants (Inserting another person poop into GI tract) implement recolonization

  31. Have to keep feeding good bacteria



















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