Ologies with Alie Ward Bonus Episode: Nutritional Microbiology (GUT HEALTH & DIET) with Miguel Freitas and Elaine Hsiao
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Dec 15, 2025 Miguel Freitas is a nutritional microbiologist at Danone Institute North America who specializes in the gut microbiome and product development. He clarifies the difference between prebiotics and probiotics, explaining how diet influences gut health and even brain function. Dr. Elaine Hsiao from UCLA joins to discuss gut-brain signaling and serotonin production. They delve into the importance of microbiome diversity, the survivability of probiotics, and the development of personalized nutrition to meet global food needs.
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Microbes Match Us In Number
- The human body hosts similar numbers of human and bacterial cells, roughly 30 trillion human to 38 trillion bacteria.
- Those microbes total about 0.2 kilograms and play essential roles in digestion and health.
Diseases Have Distinct Microbial Signatures
- Different health states associate with distinct gut microbiomes, e.g., obesity, type 2 diabetes, anxiety, and autism.
- Researchers struggle to determine cause versus effect in these microbiome associations.
Gut-Brain Research Focused On Mechanisms
- The field moved from asking whether microbes affect brain and behavior to asking how they signal to the brain.
- Studies now probe specific microbial molecules that activate vagal neurons linking gut to brainstem.
