The Gut Doctor: This Is What's Silently Killing Your Brain — And How to Stop It
Functional medicine doctor Mark Hyman talks with Caltech microbiologist Sarkis Mazmanian about how gut microbes signal to the brain, with animal research linking the microbiome to autism and Parkinson's and advice on protecting gut health early.
The gist
-
Mazmanian says a gut molecule called 4-ethylphenol sulfate was 40 fold higher in mice with autism-like behaviors, and raising it caused anxiety and social changes.
-
Mazmanian found the gut bacterium Bacteroides fragilis improved autism-like behaviors in mice, likely by resealing a leaky gut rather than calming inflammation.
-
Mazmanian explains the body first idea of Parkinson's, where constipation can appear years or decades before movement symptoms as clumping proteins travel from gut to brain.
-
Hyman describes treating an autistic child with gut inflammation using rifaximin, an antifungal and probiotics, and says his symptoms and inflammation markers improved.
-
Mazmanian doubts commercial stool tests and most dairy-derived probiotics, favoring diet, sleep, exercise, stress control and human milk oligosaccharides, while Hyman suggests 30 plants a week.
Mark Hyman, MD uses it
"And so we normalized his microbiome by giving... I think we had to give him rifaximin and an antifungal, fluconazole, to kind of reset the bugs, and probiotics. Those are sort of non-absorbed antibiotics and antifungals and probiotics. He got better and those numbers came down."
▶ Play at 31:08"In terms of actual, let's just call them interventions, I think using human milk oligosaccharides is another way to feed your bacteria things that they like."
▶ Play at 1:04:01
Mark Hyman, MD recommends it
"Do eat a wide variety of plants like this. Somebody says 30 plants a week to actually get a diverse level of microbiome support from fiber and polyphenols."
▶ Play at 1:11:43What they recommend · 3 picks
"In terms of actual, let's just call them interventions, I think using human milk oligosaccharides is another way to feed your bacteria things that they like."
"Do eat a wide variety of plants like this. Somebody says 30 plants a week to actually get a diverse level of microbiome support from fiber and polyphenols."
"And so we normalized his microbiome by giving... I think we had to give him rifaximin and an antifungal, fluconazole, to kind of reset the bugs, and probiotics. Those are sort o..."
Mark, Joe, Andrew and Rhonda agree on 42 things
See what they all use, in their own words. Paid ads are left out.
See what they all swear by Or pick your own peopleMark Hyman, MD
2 picks · host
"Do eat a wide variety of plants like this. Somebody says 30 plants a week to actually get a diverse level of microbiome support from fiber and polyphenols."
"And so we normalized his microbiome by giving... I think we had to give him rifaximin and an antifungal, fluconazole, to kind of reset the bugs, and probiotics. Those are sort o..."
Sarkis Mazmanian
1 pick · guest
"In terms of actual, let's just call them interventions, I think using human milk oligosaccharides is another way to feed your bacteria things that they like."
Also mentioned
Ads in this episode
Sunlighten, Perfect Aminos. They're paid, so we keep them out of the picks above.
See what Mark Hyman, MD recommends without being paid →Related episodes
Episodes covering similar topics
More from Mark Hyman, MD