Author: Chris Damman, MD, MA
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Athletes looking for a competitive edge may find it within their gut microbiome
Christopher Damman, Associate Professor of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of Washington. Editor-in-Chief of Gut Bites MD. When milliseconds can mean the difference between silver and gold, endurance athletes in sports like marathon running, cycling, rowing and swimming optimize every aspect of their physiology for a competitive edge. Many of these efforts result in enhancing the performance of…
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Earth’s Fever: A Doctor’s Microbiome Perspective on Planetary Health
An MD’s diagnostic reflection on what the gut microbiome might teach us about approaches to planetary health.
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Gut Health’s Final Frontier: Voyages Into The Small Intestine Microbiome
Your upper intestine is host to a distinct population of microbes that play a role in digestion, metabolism and immunity.
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How Salty Diets Might Harm Your Microbiome Contributing to Metabolic Disorders & Obesity
Salt has been used as a preservative in fermented foods to keep unwanted bacteria away while allowing other beneficial ones to grow. But salt in processed foods has crossed the tipping point of what’s healthy for our microbiome.
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Too Much or Too Little Salt? Balanced Advice on Sodium to Potassium Ratios
Is salt bad for you? Consider the balance in natural foods and the role of the body’s sodium to potassium pump as a guide for healthy eating.
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Polyphenols Ignite Metabolic Health via Mitochondria & GLP-1
Polyphenols, like fiber are a key part of our diet that are removed with ultra-processing and that may be contributing to the rising rates of obesity and diabetes.
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How Food Stimulates Natural GLP-1 Through Your Gut Microbiome
Christopher Damman, Associate Professor of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of Washington. Editor-in-Chief of Gut Bites MD. Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro are weight loss and diabetes drugs that have made quite a splash in health news. They target regulatory pathways involved in both obesity and diabetes and are widely considered breakthroughs for weight loss and blood sugar control.…
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The Gut Microbiome – A Community Within You Can’t Live Without
Christopher Damman, Associate Professor of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of Washington. Editor-in-Chief of Gut Bites MD. The age-old adage “you are what you eat” holds profound truth. Nearly every molecule in your body is absorbed from what you eat and drink. Your food choices are directly linked to your physical, emotional and social health. And scientists are…
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Fiber is Your Body’s Natural Guide to Weight Management
Rather than cutting carbs out of your diet, eat them in their original fiber packaging instead Christopher Damman, Associate Professor of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of Washington. Editor-in-Chief of Gut Bites MD. Fiber might just be the key to healthy weight management – and nature packages it in perfectly balanced ratios with carbs when you eat them as…
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Hangry bacteria in your gut microbiome are linked to chronic disease
Feeding them what they need could lead to happier cells and a healthier body Christopher Damman, Associate Professor of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of Washington. Editor-in-Chief of Gut Bites MD. Diet-related chronic diseases have reached a critical juncture in the U.S. Nearly half the population has prediabetes or diabetes. Over 40% are overweight or obese. One in nine…
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Happy Tails: A New Children’s Series to Inspire Gut Health
Christopher Damman, Associate Professor of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of Washington. Editor-in-Chief of Gut Bites MD. Books have the extraordinary power to shape our well-being, and when it comes to children’s literature, the potential for impact may be even greater. In the realm of gut health and beyond, the stories we as caregivers tell our children can…
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Kombucha & Shrub: Better than Alcohol & Soda?
Christopher Damman, Associate Professor of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of Washington. Editor-in-Chief of Gut Bites MD. Kombucha, shrub, and other non-alcoholic fermented beverages as alternatives to alcohol and soda are recently all the rage with claims for promoting gut and general health. But do they really help? While there is minimal evidence for any particular fermented beverage…
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Mitochondria Foods: How Nutrition Directs Cellular Energy & Health Through Your Gut Microbiome
With modern diets, our microbiomes & mitochondria are hangry, and so are we. Science and wisdom tradition shed light on making them happy again to reclaim health.
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Spotlight on Gut Health, Let Your Gut Shine
Gut health is core to whole health. Explore how our food, environment and social factors profoundly impact AND directly benefit from the microbial light that shines from within. To focus our energy, here’s a simple 3 letter framework of F’s, M’s, and C’s – it’s the FulCruM of health.
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To Free Fat or Cut Carbs for Optimizing Nutrition?
Public health messaging has gotten it wrong for too long. Now here’s a post to set the record straight. A focus on the right fats and carbs is key.
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Unlocking Health: The Power of the 4 M’s
Boost your health and happiness with these easy to remember M’s: Movement, Molecules, Microbes and Mind! Practical tips with community at the core.
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Microbiome Diet Unlock: Prebiotics & The 4F Foods
Our partner in health, the gut microbiome, has grown weak with ultra-processing of food. Fibers, Phenols, Good Fats, and Ferments can make it strong again.
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Butyrate: The Buzz on Gut Health
Butyrate is gut health’s most unsung hero! Feed your gut fiber and unleash your microbiome’s supper power to regulate metabolism, inflammation, and mood.
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Please Mind the Prebiotic Fiber Gap, Full Stop.
Dietary fiber is the most deficient nutrient in our diet. Only 5% get enough! Increasing fiber can reset metabolism, modulate inflammation, and regulate mood.
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The New Skinny On Weight Loss, Part 2
The science behind blood sugar and how fiber can impact the way energy is stored. More fiber and less sugar is the prescription for metabolic control.