The Mind-Gut Conversation

In this special episode of the Mind-Gut Conversation podcast, I discuss my personal opinions on topics related to Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) & Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Some key questions and topics I discuss are:  ·    The issue with diagnosing SIBO ·     How to treat SIBO, without antibiotics ·     Why the low FODMAP diet is not a practical solution ·     IBS is not a gut-disorder ·     How to manage IBS symptoms My name is Emeran Mayer, and I have been a gastroenterologist and neuroscientist for the last 40+ years. I have written over 450 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and have published two best-selling books, The Mind-Gut Connection & The Mind-Gut Immune Connection. Some of the unpopular opinions I explain in detail during this episode are the following: 1) SIBO is not a valid diagnosis and is not an important cause of some of the most common digestive symptoms. Treating it with antibiotics is not only bad for your gut microbes, but also for your overall health. This treatment’s main benefit is for the pharmaceutical industry.  2) Even though the low FODMAP diet improves gut symptoms in the short-term, it is bad for your gut microbiome and your overall health in the long-term. 3) IBS is not a gut disorder, but a disorder of altered interactions between the brain, gut and its microbiome. This is the reason that therapies solely targeted at the gut are generally not effective IBS therapies. I hope you enjoy the episode! Learn more at www.emeranmayer.com

Dr. Annie Fenn is the founder of the Brain Health Kitchen, the only cooking school of its kind focused exclusively on brain health and helping people prevent cognitive decline and chronic brain disorders through food and lifestyle. She is a board-certified OB-GYN, who after 20 years of treating patients, traded in her stethoscope for an apron to pursue her passion for the culinary arts. Dr. Fenn published The Brain Health Kitchen cookbook in 2023, with the subtitle Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease Through Food. This book is the most detailed and informative diet book, containing 100 brain healthy recipes, for anybody trying to prevent early cognitive decline and optimize brain health. In this episode of the Mind Gut Conversation podcast, I sit down with Dr. Fenn, to discuss the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle. We talk about a wide range of topics, including the following questions and topics: 1) There is scientific evidence that the variety of food is at least as important as the type of food consumed. How is this reflected in the Mediterranean diet? 2) I have had some patients with intolerance for gluten-containing foods in the US, but who could eat any amount of pizza, pasta and bread when living in Italy. What is the reason for this? 3) There is a much higher genetic variety of grains in Italy. Are products made from these different species of grains different in terms of their health benefits? 4) Are fermented foods an essential part of the Mediterranean diet? Which ones are the best? We hope you enjoy the episode!

Welcome back to another episode of the Mind Gut Conversation. Today’s guest is Andrew H. Miller, MD. Dr. Miller is an internationally recognized expert in interactions between the brain and immune system as they relate to depression and has conducted the first clinical trial examining the efficacy of an immunotherapy for the treatment of depression. He is the William P. Timmie Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to publishing over 300 scientific papers, Dr. Miller has won numerous research, teaching and mentoring awards, and has been nominated as a "Top Doctor" in Psychiatry for the past 3 years. In this episode of the Mind Gut Conversation, I sit down with Dr. Miller, to discuss the role of inflammation in mental disorders, and the therapeutic consequences that come from this novel understanding of depression. During the episode, we talk about a wide range of topics, addressing the following questions and topics: • Is depression an inflammatory disorder of the brain? • Role of the gut-associated immune system • Effectiveness of anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of depression • Psychedelics in psychiatry We hope you enjoy the episode! Learn more at www.emeranmayer.com

In this episode of the Mind Gut Conversation, I sit down in person with Norbert Niederkofler, an internationally renowned leader in local sustainable gourmet cuisine, as he explains his unconventional career decisions and his philosophy of letting nature and his local ecosystem determine his selection of dishes. Despite the fact that Norbert has already earned 3 Michelin stars with his previous gourmet restaurant at St. Hubertus Hotel in the Dolomite Mountains, he made the radical decision in 2008 to ban imported luxuries, not to mention Italian staples such as olive oil, tomatoes and lemons from his cuisine. It was the start of his dedication to extreme locavore cuisine, which he calls Cook the Mountain, that he’s followed ever since.  In July 2024, this legend of high-mountain cooking brought his destination dining down from the slopes, launching a new flagship restaurant, Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler, in the town of Brunico. Being one of the most renowned Italian chefs, and having been awarded 3 Michelin stars, including a Green Star Recognition, guests are coming from all over the world to his restaurant, often several times a year.  During this episode, we talk about a wide range of topics, including modern trends in dietary preferences and keys to nutrition that are healthy for the consumer and the environment. Some key questions and topics we discuss are: 1) How does Norbert create the best dishes in his restaurant? Exploration of his previous statement: “…it depends on the nature because we are not deciding the dishes. Nature decides then for us because nature gives us the products when they are ready.” 2) What is the secret to Norbert’s success in the culinary field?  3) What are the core components of his philosophy about food and gourmet cuisine?  We hope you enjoy the episode!

In this episode of The Mind Gut Conversation, I sit down with Patrick Flynn, DC as he shares his bold belief that the human body was not designed for illness and, when properly cared for, has the innate ability to heal itself-a perspective that challenges conventional medical norms. Dr. Flynn is a trained chiropractor, nationally renowned leader in wellness and the visionary founder of The Wellness Way, a revolutionary network of 80 health restoration clinics across the United States. Beyond his clinical successes, he is the author of two influential books: I Disagree: How These Two Words Are the Secret to Thinking Differently, Taking Control of Your Health (2019) and the follow-up I Still Disagree (2024). Dr. Flynn is also a Fellow in the American Psychological Association and the American Educational Research Association, with experience serving on editorial boards and federal grant review panels. Throughout this episode, we explore a range of fascinating topics, including: 1) How the philosophy and practice of The Wellness Way differ from both conventional and functional medicine. 2) How Dr. Flynn's approach goes beyond the typical chiropractic focus on spinal realignment to embrace holistic health restoration. 3) The essential elements of his medical philosophy, including the role of medications, supplements, and traditional treatments. What I found most compelling about our conversation is how, despite holding some differing political viewpoints, we were able to engage in a thought-provoking discussion. Together, we highlight the importance of shifting from a reactive "disease model" to one that empowers patients to proactively improve their health and prevent illness. We hope you enjoy this episode!

In this episode of the Mind Gut Conversation podcast, I sit down with Dr. Tim Spector, an internationally renowned expert in microbiome science and personalized nutrition, as well as an acclaimed author. He is a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London and honorary consultant physician at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ National Health System Foundation Trust. He founded TwinsUK in 1992, one of the richest collections of clinical data in the world. He is the lead researcher behind the world’s biggest citizen science health project – the Covid Symptom Study app, and is the scientific co-founder of the company ZOE. Throughout his career, Dr. Spector has received many awards and prizes, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and the Academy of Medical Sciences. He has published over 900 scientific papers and is ranked by Google as being in the top 100 most cited scientists in the world. In addition to his scientific publications, he has published four popular books, including the best-selling Diet Myth, Spoon-Fed, and more recently Food for Life – a Sunday Times bestseller. During this episode, we talk about a wide range of topics, including precision nutrition, gut health and longevity. Some key questions & topics we discuss are: • What is precision nutrition, and why do we need it? • Gut microbes and metabolic health • Does gut health play a causative role in longevity? • What is ZOE, and what can ZOE do for me? We hope you enjoy the episode! To learn more, check out the ZOE Science & Nutrition podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/zoe-science-nutrition/id1611216298

In this episode of the Mind Gut Conversation podcast, I speak with Dr. Eric Verdin, one of the world’s experts on healthy aging and longevity. Dr. Verdin is president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research of Aging, the world’s only research institution singularly focused on the biology of aging. During this episode, we talk about a number of fascinating topics, including: 1) Besides lifestyle modifications, what are the most promising strategies to increase the health span in humans? 2) What is the reason for the progressive increase in centenarians in different parts of the world? 3) What role do genes play in longevity? Enjoying our podcast? Please leave us a review and any feedback to improve our show!

In this engaging discussion, Dr. Gerd Gigerenzer, a leading expert in intuition and decision-making, shares his insights from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. He dives into the differences between rational and intuitive decisions and questions whether women have a natural advantage in intuitive reasoning. The conversation explores how context influences these types of decisions and how AI measures up against human intuition. Gigerenzer emphasizes the importance of simple heuristics and the potential pitfalls of over-relying on complex analytics.

In this episode of the MGC podcast, I speak with Dr. Laurie Keefer, a Health Psychologist and Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Dr Keefer’s scientific contributions include the development and implementation of self-management and behavioral intervention tools, known as brain-gut behavior therapies for conditions such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, IBS and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Dr. Keefer is Founder and Chair of the Rome Foundation’s international GastroPsych organization and serves on the Board of Directors of the Rome Foundation. She has more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and is a sought-after speaker, mentor and collaborator. Among several other topics, we talk about: 1) The importance of brain gut behavior therapies in inflammatory and functional GI disorders. 2) The long term resistance of the medical community to accept such non pharmacological therapies. 3) How she decides which behavioral approach to chose for individual patients.

In this episode of the Mind Gut Conversation podcast, I talk to Dr. Barney Schlinger, a passionate naturalist, incredible scientist and author of the recently published book, The Wingsnapppers: Lessons from an exuberant tropical bird. Dr. Schlinger is a Professor in the Departments of Integrative Biology and Physiology, in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior and holds several prestigious positions at UCLA. He has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation for over 30 years and is the author of nearly 190 peer reviewed scientific articles in high impact journals. During this episode, we talk about the fascinating story behind the unique courtship of tropical birds, including the unexpected roles of: diet, sex hormones, the digestive system and the brain, that lead to this fascinating behavior.