Gut health - brand new Q&A with Dr Michael Mosley

I had a questionaire a few weeks ago about something like this from the "Million Women" study.

I'm interested in the issue raised by Aitch - the vagus nerve

It's hardly ever talked about - could you say something about it, please? Particularly its role in digestion?

Thank you, thank you, thank you! And for all the TV programmes - fascinating.

My daughter and I have started Slimming World and, as you know, it is fruit and vegetable based for maximum weight loss. She has IBS and struggles with the diet as she is so bloated now. We both have a lot of flatulence, no problem for me but she is suffering. She has been tested for gluten intolerance. She isn't intolerant and there is very little wheat in this diet. Is this the best diet for her I wonder?

I take omeprazole for reflux. I often feel the need to eat something to get rid of the burning feeling in my gullet. How could I get rid of this feeling as it would help with weight loss. Although I never feel hungry I can eat substantial amounts at any time of the day/night.

Last year on Trust me I'm a Doctor a member of the team went to Israel to have her gut analysed. From memory she was told that each gut is unique and a diet that would work well for one person would be useless for another. Is this still the case, and if so how can we work out what to eat, other than perhaps the obvious things such as prebiotics?

I have me/cfs.Hashimotoes and 5 other autoimmune diseases for the last 23 years.As where i live in the north of england drs no nothing and the help ive recieved as been abismal.So abt 4 years ago i decided to take responseabilty fir my own health .Ive always kept up with all research.
I dumped all but 2 of the meds the drs had me on .Inc statins .Which i was very ill on.I gave up Wheat , grains diary , except goats.I find im intolant to pulses and some green veg.None of my self help made an once of differsnce In fact i becsme worse.I still drink wine not red.I also have candida albicans .So i bake a healthy loaf without wheat or yeast.I have tried killing tge yeasts off with wormwood Pacd.auco ets I take pre and pro botics and have done for years .i cook every thing from scarch and have dumped all processed foods .Help

My problem is alternate constipation, lasting two or three days, followed by having to go four or five times a day, no stomach cramps, just loose stools. Saw GP and referred for colonoscopy where polyps were found and removed. Biopsy is clear and hospital suggest symptoms could be due ti IBS.
My question is this, could these symptoms be caused by Gaviscon, prescribed along with Lansoprozil (?) for reflux. Incidentally my only symptom of reflux was a croaky voice and a feeling of phlegm in my upper chest. The bowel symptoms started at about the time I started this medication. My GP says unlikely.

I've not seen my GP about my possible IBS. I have only had problems in the past 3-4 yrs. I have been diagnosed T2 diabetic (7 yrs) and take Metformin and insulin plus statins etc.
I take a precautionary dose of loperamide H if I am going to be away from the house for more than a couple of hours. I can go 3-4 days with no problems then I pass a normal motion sometimes followed 10-15 mins later by an urgent need or a loose motion later in the day, . (never any blood) I have discomfort sometimes even on a good day.
I know a side effect of Metformin can be gut problems. Do you think I should see my GP ?
Thanks

I have been taking Omniprozale for a while now for acid reflux but due to problems with bloating stomach cramps and keep having to go to the toilet the doctor has changed the Omniprozale to a different ppi pantoprazole, my question is i also take 75mg of thyroxine daily does taking ppi's affect the use of thyroxine or any other medication and should you take ppi tablets indefinitely

After having been diagnosed as having Osteopaenia (sp), several years ago, I was prescribed AdCal, twice a day, and Alendronic Acid once a week. I stopped the Alendronic Acid, a couple of years ago now, after not liking what I read about it, but now take just one AdCal every day. Then after a heart attack in 2012, I am now on Bisoprolol 5mg, Candestartan 8mg, and Soluble Aspirin 75mg, every day. I was prescribed Simvastatin 40mg, which I have stopped as they caused lots of muscle ache. Omeprazole was given to prevent heart burn, but recently stopped that regularly, and have a Zantac if necessary. Am I doing more harm than good? I get incredibly tired if I overdo things.

I suffered a sudden and severe gastritis in November 2016 and had all the investigations including endoscopy, ultrasound and blood tests. The diagnosis was gastritis caused by long usage of ibuprofen. I have been on 40mg omeprazole daily and diet restriction avoiding acidic, spicy foods and alcohol.

My lovely GP said to try stopping the omeprazole this month and see what happened. Well I did stop and then had three severe episodes within the next week so back on the omeprazole. He has told me to carry on with it for another six months and then try again without it.

I am comfortable regarding side effects (none so far) and reassured that my gastritis is controlled by the omeprazole. My question is, am I likely to have a chronic problem with the damage to my stomach lining or will it heal eventually?

I have suffered chronic constipation since having children......I am now 64 and the problem continues. I have been taking probiotics for about a year now (Optibac daily) with varied success, but nothing seems to last - my GP prescribed CosmoCol - which I usually take one a day, sometimes up to 3 a day when the constipation gets really chronic. I have just read the Clever Guts Diet and it seems I am doing quite lot of what is in the book already (but confess to being a bit of a sweet addict, still struggling with this). I note you say that any probiotics are probably not worth taking unless they are in excess of 20 billion cultures and of at least 7 strains....I can't find any probiotic capsules with this amount...Optipac quote 5 billion! do you know of any with more? Will they help? I am about to make my first ever batch of Sauerkraut!

Think he is promoting Prebiotics not Probiotics

Oh dear! why is it in green?

Hello Michael,
Could you explain what L. Casei is please? I have seen it is in a Greek yogurt and probiotic drinks.
Thank you.

Hello
I was diagnosed with Gastritis and Esophagitis back in Dec 2016 and was put on Omeprazole and Ranitadine.
I assumed that I would have another Endoscopy soon to see if I am healing ok?? The doctor said that there is no suggestion that I need to have another one. I am concerned as I don't want to take Omeprazole any longer than I need to, due to hearing/reading of the 'bad' side effects of this drug.....

Can you advise on this please?

Thank you

I'm interested in the connection between long-term stress (and high levels of cortisol) and the effect that can have on gut flora.

I'm aware that there are many influences on the diversity of bacteria in the gut, from birth and breast feeding, over-use of antibiotics, life-style, etc..

It would seem there is a link between metabolic disorders and gut health too.

What would you therefore consider to be the biggest influence on poor gut health in the 21st century?

(I haven't read your book yet, perhaps I ought to!)

I am extremely healthy but have suffered from psoriasis for years. Three years ago it was particularly bad so decided to do something about it so followed diet by Dr John Mansfield, an anti-candida diet. This involved taking a medication to reduce colonies of bad bacteria.
His med. of choice is nystatin so off I went to the doctor. He poo pooped the whole thing so I bought some caprilic instead.
The diet is really strict but I persevered and still continue with a lot of the new eating habits that I established. My psoriasis improved enormously and is still pretty good even when battling against ?!
Just coincidence?
Margaret X Tim Specter's book is excellent. Surely fecal implants are safer and cheaper than bariatric surgery??

That will be caprilic acid.

Does the strength or capacity of the gut to function well change as we get older? I have always loved onions (raw and cooked in all ways) but in the recent year or two find they can upset my stomach. I had a friend who ate a little chopped raw onion as a dinner starter every day of his 90 years!!

molewife that can work by getting people to keep their distance and so avoiding their germs.

I had no problems until the menopause but now need Laxido (1 sachet every three days or so). I have a good diet with lots of roughage and drink water but need the Laxido to keep things moving. Several of my friends (post menopausal) have the same problem to some extent. Most menopause advice on constipation advises diet, hydration and exercise as a solution but for many of us that isn't enough. Am I right in blaming the menopause and are there 'natural' solutions which actually work? I've tried flax seeds, yogurt, All Bran etc. etc. but none really worked.

How do we know what dose of probiotics to take? I take low dose prophylactic antibiotics every day and so wonder whether I would benefit or not?

Interestingly part of a programme on TV last night (can't remember which one) showed that the probiotics in natural full fat live yoghurts survived survived the stomach HCl better that other foods.