Having a healthy gut is the key to a good immune system. Many fitness icons such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and now neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman have raved about the benefits of cultivating a good gut microbiome. But how does one go about doing it? The neuroscientist had some tricks up his sleeve.
In a recent podcast, Dr. Huberman talked about how the gut microbiome rules various functions of the body. Unlike popular belief, gut microbes are not only present in the intestines but also throughout the digestive tract. Therefore, to ensure its proper functioning, one needs to cultivate certain best practices.
The go-to solution to improve gut health is fermented foods. Yogurt, kimchi, kombucha, and more have the desired bacterial culture that aids digestion and gut health. Dr. Huberman specifically recommends fermented foods that are low in added sugars.
However, the neuroscientist talked about an odd practice that he swore by for good gut health. This ritual could mimic something coming from traditional medicinal practice but is easy and doable. Although one might find it potentially repulsive.
“I have to warn you, this one might make a few of you cringe a little bit…you take a sip of that water when you wake up in the morning and you swish it around in your mouth and then you swallow it.”
Dr. Huberman acknowledged that while the practice might sound odd, he points out why it makes sense. Even in the most primitive form, the protocol aids oral bacteria to interact with the gut microbiome. And it doesn’t cost a dime to practice it regularly.
“It might seem gross to you but throughout the night when you’re sleeping…the environment within your mouth is such that you’re breeding a lot of bacteria…that potentially can inhabit your digestive tract.”
The idea so far is to increase the intake of fermented foods while noting down practices that encourage interaction between oral and gut bacteria. However, something that has remained common across every podcast episode, has been Dr. Huberman’s take on sugar. Previously, he spoke about how sugar intake can negatively impact many aspects of the body’s functioning.
Andrew Huberman teamed up with a popular endocrinologist against sugar
The neuroscientist sat down with Dr. Robert Lustig to talk about the dangers surrounding different kinds of sugars and their ready availability in the market. Added sugars like fructose can cause more harm than good. And Dr. Lustig had some advice to combat the consumption.
View this post on Instagram
Sternly banning the consumption of anything with high amounts of added sugars, Dr. Lustig elaborated on how these sugars shoot up insulin levels. This leads to a chain reaction of problems. The solution is not only to avoid such foods but also to keep up some level of zone 2 cardio workouts to stay mobile and healthy.
