Recent comments in /f/IAmA

cucciaman OP t1_itw1yxz wrote

Reply to comment by cucciaman in We're a group of people with gut health issues, microbiome researchers, and physicians here to answer your questions on the gut microbiome and digestive health (IBS, IBD, and more). Ask us anything! by cucciaman

To add on to Ryan's comment...

Here's a great list of foods from the Cleveland clinic that are thought to trigger headaches!

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9648-headaches-and-food

LC

1

cucciaman OP t1_itw16f1 wrote

Reply to comment by PeanutSalsa in We're a group of people with gut health issues, microbiome researchers, and physicians here to answer your questions on the gut microbiome and digestive health (IBS, IBD, and more). Ask us anything! by cucciaman

Thanks for the question!There's a saying that the gut is your second brain, and it is a good way to start thinking about the gut-brain axis. The gut-brain axis refers to the bidirectional communication, meaning the activity and functioning of one can affect the other, between these regions of our bodies.

An unhealthy, or “dysbiotic” as it is referred to in the field, gut microbiome can lead to changes in the communication occurring along the gut-brain axis. A person can develop a dysbiotic microbiome from an unhealthy diet, the development of some diseases, or high amounts of stress, to name a few. One way an unhealthy gut microbiome can lead to the development of headaches and migraines is through increased inflammation. The unhealthy gut microbiome can lead to an increased production of pro-inflammatory compounds in the gut and an increased permeability of the gut lining. The compounds are then able to affect other parts of the body, such as the brain. Many of the pro-inflammatory compounds released have also been implicated in the development of migraines.

To help reduce migraines, you can implement lifestyle changes that are associated with a healthier microbiome state. We gave some suggestions to improve your gut microbiome in another question.

-RM

2

PaulSnow t1_itvxdnw wrote

Reply to comment by billy_teats in I am the co-author behind ACM’s TechBrief on Election Security: Risk-limiting Audits. Ask me anything about election security! by TheOfficialACM

The kind of exploit you describe (making a call out over the network hidden in a bug fix) is in fact very unlikely. This is pretty easy to find in code that is reviewed and tested as with most Open Source projects.

Especially applications like voting applications that have no networking functions.

1

cucciaman OP t1_itvwlvw wrote

Reply to comment by notme9990 in We're a group of people with gut health issues, microbiome researchers, and physicians here to answer your questions on the gut microbiome and digestive health (IBS, IBD, and more). Ask us anything! by cucciaman

Thanks for the question!There is evidence that radiation therapy leads to changes in the gut microbiome. One study found a decrease in bacterial diversity and a few specific bacteria in cancer patients following radiation therapy. In addition, another study found that patients who developed diarrhea after radiation had a different microbiome composition prior to beginning treatment. This suggests that some the microbiome may be protective against the development of side effects to radiation.

Several randomized clinical trials have been performed to determine if probiotics prior to radiation can provide the microbiome-mediated protective effects to adverse side effects. The results of these trials are inconsistent due to the use of different probiotic mixtures. In the trials that reported a reduced incidence of diarrhea, the probiotics consisted of Lactobacillus acidophilus, VSL#3 (which consists of 8 different probiotic bacteria), or a combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus with Bifidobacterium bifidum (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25040088/).

-RM

1

cucciaman OP t1_itvw6nh wrote

Reply to comment by PeanutSalsa in We're a group of people with gut health issues, microbiome researchers, and physicians here to answer your questions on the gut microbiome and digestive health (IBS, IBD, and more). Ask us anything! by cucciaman

Great question u/PeanutSalsa !

In short, heavy foods can include many hidden ingredients that can make us feel uncomfortable after eating.

For example, many places you might order takeout from probably use cheap oils to cook their food. Commonly soybean oil, sesame oil, and canola oil. These oils are filled with linoleic acid — a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid  — which can cause inflammation in the body.

Additionally, heavy foods normally mean fatty foods. Fat in general requires several steps before it can be broken down in the digestive tract, such as enzymes in saliva, acid in the stomach, and bile. Additionally, different types of fat can impact the speed of contractions occurring along the digestive tract leading to both diarrhea and constipation depending on whether or not contractions are sped up (diarrhea) or slowed down (constipation, bloating…).

Hope this helps!

LC

2

fitzsimonsdotdev t1_itvuzwx wrote

Reply to We're a group of people with gut health issues, microbiome researchers, and physicians here to answer your questions on the gut microbiome and digestive health (IBS, IBD, and more). Ask us anything! by cucciaman

Do you have any sense of how many people who increase fermented food intake have improved sleep?

My sleep is dramatically improved since I started eating 6 servings of fermented foods each day. Of course, it could be placebo or variance. But I'm curious if a side effect of my new dietary habits is sleep.

1

cucciaman OP t1_itvskyp wrote

Reply to comment by stvbles in We're a group of people with gut health issues, microbiome researchers, and physicians here to answer your questions on the gut microbiome and digestive health (IBS, IBD, and more). Ask us anything! by cucciaman

>I had H Pylori a few years ago and it really went qute bad for me. Ended up needing two blood transfusions etc.
>
>Is there anything I can specifically do myself to mitigate it happening again? It's always a lingering worry at the back of my mind.

Thanks for your question u/stvbles !

Sorry to hear you had such a rough time.

H. Pylori is extremely common with the majority of the world’s population having some in their bodies. In most cases symptoms are rare, but in others ulcers and inflammation can be found.

When it comes to prevention (I had to look this up) there doesn’t seem to be much outside of general hygiene to avoid a recurrent infection. I’ll include some links below from the Mayo and Cleveland Clinics, but the general gist is to make sure you’re using and consuming clean water and washing your hands thoroughly before eating.

I know this probably isn’t the answer you were looking for, but recurring infections tend to be rare; mainly occurring in developing countries and shortly after being ‘cured’ due to incomplete clearance. Due to the fact that you mentioned it has been years since your infection it seems you’re in the clear :)

Hope this helps!

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/h-pylori/symptoms-causes/syc-20356171

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/helicobacter-pylori

LC

2

cucciaman OP t1_itvptn9 wrote

Reply to comment by Masek_Kiel in We're a group of people with gut health issues, microbiome researchers, and physicians here to answer your questions on the gut microbiome and digestive health (IBS, IBD, and more). Ask us anything! by cucciaman

Hey u/Masek_Kiel , thanks for your question!

First and foremost if you’re experiencing chronic digestive problems you should see a medical professional such as your primary care provider or a gastroenterologist.

There are a handful of tests out there that people with digestive problems can take, namely microbiome/stool tests, food intolerance tests, and general blood tests.

Full transparency our startup, Injoy, has a microbiome test we are extremely proud of. We are a group of patients, doctors, and researchers so validation is core to our offering (we have peer reviewed publications and have begun a few clinical studies). Our microbiome test is unique to others because we have you take 3 samples instead of 1 so we can see how your microbiome is changing over time in comparison to your diet and lifestyle (tracked in our app). We also sequence our samples so we can see all the bacteria present as opposed to a few preselected ones which allows us to provide a more personalized report. Here’s a link to one of our example reports.

Other stool tests look for the presence of inflammatory proteins, blood, or parasites.

At-home food intolerance tests are also very common, but commonly leave much to be desired. Mainly due to the fact that they are most applicable to food allergies which mount an IgE response as opposed to food intolerances and sensitivities which do not. In other words, great for detecting a peanut allergy, but less useful for telling you to avoid tomatoes.

General blood panels are the standard type of blood test you do at the doctor’s office and are a great way to understand a wide swath of things such as your hormone levels and lipid levels. This is helpful when it comes to understanding your liver health, cancer risk, and more in addition to how your body is functioning overall.\

Hope this helps!

2

cucciaman OP t1_itvpt33 wrote

Reply to comment by sleepyhead2929 in We're a group of people with gut health issues, microbiome researchers, and physicians here to answer your questions on the gut microbiome and digestive health (IBS, IBD, and more). Ask us anything! by cucciaman

Thanks for the question!There's a saying that the gut is your second brain, and I think that's a fitting way to get into the topic of the link between the brain and gut. The brain-gut axis is a two-way highway of communication between these regions of our bodies. This relationship is bidirectional, meaning the activity and functioning of one can affect the other.

Early childhood trauma can lead to a large stress response in these individuals. The stress response can lead to changes in the gut microbiome through stress hormones and inflammation. The bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain means that these early life changes in the gut also affect the brain at a time period critical to its development. In addition, there is some evidence that these alterations can lead to increased risk of developing stress related disorders later in life.

-RM

6