The Peter Attia Drive cover image

The Peter Attia Drive

#283 ‒ Gut health & the microbiome: improving and maintaining the microbiome, probiotics, prebiotics, innovative treatments, and more | Colleen Cutcliffe, Ph.D.

Dec 18, 2023
Colleen Cutcliffe, a molecular biology expert and co-founder of Pendulum Therapeutics, dives into the fascinating world of the microbiome. She explains how our gut health impacts overall well-being and emphasizes the importance of a high-fiber diet. Colleen discusses probiotics, prebiotics, and innovative treatments like fecal microbiota transplants for various health issues. She also sheds light on antibiotic effects on microbiomes and the emerging role of specific strains like Acromantia in managing conditions like diabetes. A must-listen for health enthusiasts!
02:32:41

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Fecal microbiome transplants (FMT) are a highly successful treatment for Clostridium difficile infections, but concerns about safety and regulation need to be addressed.
  • The gut microbiome relies on the metabolism of insoluble fibers, such as butyrate, for gut health, which can be supplemented through diet or capsules.

Deep dives

Fecal Microbiome Transplants and C. Difficile

Fecal microbiome transplants (FMT) have proven to be a highly successful treatment for Clostridium difficile infections. C. difficile is a strain of bacteria that can thrive when other bacteria in the gut are wiped out by antibiotics. FMT involves transplanting feces from a healthy donor into the gut of an infected individual, restoring a healthy balance of bacteria and resolving the infection. While FMT has a success rate of nearly 99%, concerns have been raised about the safety and regulation of the procedure. The source of the donor feces and potential transfer of pathogens or unintended changes to the recipient's metabolism are points of caution that need to be addressed.

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