A Healthier You: What You Need to Know about Diet and the Microbiome with Christopher Gardner

Christopher Gardner is the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine and director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center. Professor Gardner’s research is focused on investigating the potential health benefits of various dietary components or food patterns, and what to choose to eat or avoid for optimal health, including garlic, soy, fish oil, weight loss diets, vegan, Mediterranean, and Ketogenic diets. He has conducted and published the findings of more than 20 human nutrition intervention studies with more than 2,000 participants over the last 25 years, working with a diverse set of collaborators, from microbiologists to chefs. Watch his engaging presentation offered with a unique blend of humor and evidence-based science, and an emphasis on unapologetic deliciousness.

[@warrenmclaughlin9554]

I am always amazed at how many arm chair experts come out of the woodwork trying to discredit someone who actually does actual peer reviewed science. You rock Chris.

[@lokiuk]

I have changed my diet at the age of 37. Let's see what difference it will bring? But I have full faith in Dr. Christopher Garder.

[@boxshreeg1079]

Have fun losing all your muscle

[@ScoutGrey]

Thank you Stanford Alumni

[@Starcraftghost]

I consume a variety of fermented foods, including the infamous natto. Natto is sooo nutritious that I can ignore the gooey texture. I douse it with kimchi to mask the flavor. Among the fermented foods I consume (natto, kimchi, yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir, miso), natto is the one that I felt an improvement in what I feel. My husband had an undiagnosed illness that has symptoms similar to CFS. His symptoms had improved after eating natto. He is not 100% but it is noticeable from what he used to be to now. I have periodontal disease and my dental health has improved after consuming natto. My periodontist considers me as their star patient.

[@slimvictor]

I love natto + kimchi for the nutrition and also the taste! One of my favorite combos.

[@dianaalexdaniel]

Awesome, Video, very knowledgeable information, thank you for sharing, sincerely, Diana Lipski ❤️

[@XX-qi5eu]

Home-made: Sauerkraut, Kombucha and kefir--is easy. I make lemon-ginger kombucha, non-fat milk kefir; using the whey to make a low-salt sauerkraut (purple/green cabbage, carrots and garlic). Per the talk, the 4-6 servings come to about 300 calories. I eat fermented food before other foods. Kefir Whey reduces TMAO. If you must eat meat, eat small condiment amounts on occasion and eat kefir-whey before eating meat.

[@felixfelix6499]

I like him. I liked to see Dr. Gardener at the Palo Alto farmers market to see what he bought (......walnuts!). My major was Food, Nutrition and Dietetics at UC Berkeley in the 70s (brand new program requiring we do premed program to elevate respect for dietitians). As an undergrad, I felt guilty about using the mice to demonstrate amino acid deficiency effects on weight (knowledge we already had in books)... I made sure my mouse got the whole protein diet (HA!) and visited him/her during its short life to make it a little better. They were killed at the end. All we did was weigh them and chart that. I felt that the Ph.D. candidate's experiment I participated in around 1978 taking data on N balance in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy was not good for the young women involved. The subjects were poor, disadvantaged, mainly unwed mothers. In exchange for a small amount of money, they were fed a powdered RDA diet for several weeks and kind of tortured. (They were sequestered in "The Penthouse" and not allowed to leave.) They ate a powdered diet for all their meals, wore uncomfortable suits to collect sluffed cells and hair....rendered tooth brushings, blood, urine, exercise data from masks used to collect expiration... All poop was collcted, checked for N output). These were young women who did it in exchange for a few dollars they needed. Back then things that Dr. Gardner is talking were not considered. I knew there were things they had not discovered yet which were left out of the pregnant girls' diet for the experiment. Was this an example of the privileged exploiting the disadvantaged? That certainly entered my mind and still stays with me. Some of the girls could not take it alone living in that unnatural, invasive environment in the mental and physical state they were in. They left. PS Natto (YUCK!)... an acquired taste, so my Japanese girlfriend who likes it says.

[@ummahzait]

What about sprouting these legumes /seeds / nuts before consumption?

[@samieramohamed2467]

The problem with fermented foods should be taken in small portions as they contain histamine and this may cause allergies as it stimulate immune system. My personal experience as a medical doctor applying healthy lifestyle.

[@wendylpa]

Exactly! I had to introduce fermented foods VERY slowly since I had a severe histamine reaction when I originally incorporated them into my diet.

[@dianasthings729]

But isn't it also true that Asians have the highest rate of stomach cancer in the world because they eat the most fermented foods? Especially Koreans who eat kimchi with fermented fish in it?

[@peterdroubay4652]

one possible problem in those eating high fiber: if they had a lot of American hybridized wheat: this causes inflammation and zonulin formation; you needed to exclude wheat;

[@BartBVanBockstaele]

I happen to love natto. I see it as one of the most delicious foods known to exist. Kimchi is great too, but since most kimchi we can buy in Toronto contains sugar, I don't often buy it because sugar gives food a "dirty" taste (I find no better word to describe it).

[@abhishekthakare1862]

How long you have been consuming Natto? Have u noticed any any health benefits?

[@1timbarrett]

Good on you for training your palate to taste sugar! 👏

[@BartBVanBockstaele]

@@abhishekthakare1862 For about 25 years now. It is beyond delicious. I call it the Époisses of the soy world. I have had to wean myself off for a while because I like it so much I overate it. I have never made it myself, but I am planning on doing that. Just looking for a space to do it in. I have never noticed any health benefits, but that is also not why I started eating it, so I never paid any attention and it is too late now. I am a natto head ^_^

[@BartBVanBockstaele]

@@1timbarrett Thanks, but it is undeserved. I just find most non-sweet foods that that contain sugar disgusting. I do like certain desserts though, so there seems to be some sort of a threshold effect.

[@MariaRodriguez-gc9jk]

The Hadzas don’t sit in front of the computer all day and on the couch for the rest of their day/ night, so they can eat tons of carbs!

[@samanthab5006]

I'm currently 16 weeks pregnant but in Pennsylvania. It would have been cool to participate. My husband and I eat a mostly whole foods plant based vegan diet so I'm already getting 50-70 g/day of fiber on average. The only fermented food that's been appetizing recently is siggi dairy free yogurt and sour kraut. Tempeh and miso are other fermented soy products that we occasionally eat but need to be careful not to heat them too much if you want the bacteria. I'm currently sitting at about 1 serving of fermented food per day... May try to increase that now that the nausea has lifted.

[@longjohnny]

Try urine therapy.

[@jackschitt6235]

Do they know what caused the pregnancy?

[@hikedayley9309]

So....in other words....eat six servings of fermented foods daily. A couple spoons of sauerkraut during the day, a drink of kefir, a little plain yogurt, a bottle of kombucha, some Kim chi and you are good to go.

[@powerpopaholic876]

Or…just have more. Than you are right now

[@user-lg2lt3io8s]

Hunter gathers eat with their hands. Trade microbiome with each other

[@cicciobellomio50]

I think you have to comment on the lifespan of the hunter gatherers versus the SAD group. I realize there are other factors, but how does this sync with longevity?

[@1timbarrett]

So MR G is saying we all need to eat more fiber? 😮

[@joecaner]

Broccoli is food. Beyond Meat is product, not food.

[@HS-dh2me]

He has a belly (so much carbs?)

[@yangtse55]

Maybe you need glasses ?

[@1timbarrett]

I noticed that too. Poor guy deserves to look better, as do we all! 😢

[@cord11ful]

Yes, he looks 'skinny fat'; maybe just bloat? Not how hunter gatherers look. I'm not that familiar with him, but thought he was keen on the Mediterranean diet, which I love. But HIS pyramid has no animal foods at all, which goes against that. I suspect he's idealogically-driven. If you're vegetarian you prob need all this fermented stuff, but it's not necessary with a healthy amount of healthy animal foods. I'm suspicious of any researcher who is clear about the microbiome - there is no clarity on it at all, just theories at this stage, it is so complex. We have decades of questioning to go yet before we can confidently pronounce anything about it; but then, that doesn't sell books I guess.

[@Caladcholg]

Looks like classic NAFLD, so yeah, it's probably the sugar (all carbs, except fiber).

[@hiker-uy1bi]

Lots of fermented foods are high in sodium. Be careful. I usually just stick to unsweetened Greek yogurt.

[@andreasrydstrom9112]

Just a thought on that: sodium might not be so bad if it arrives with lots of microorganisms. The Japanese have a high sodium consumption, but has one of the lowest numbers of heart disease cases per capita of all developed countries. A big part of the reason is likely because they have low rates of obesity. But it maybe also has to do with the fact that a lot of the sodium comes from fermented foods like miso, soy sauce, fermented vegetables and so on. It would be interesting to see a study taking people first on low sodium and then bring the sodium back up only with different types of fermented foods to compare the effects...

[@smilebot484]

@@andreasrydstrom9112 actually the japanese have a lot of problems because of high sodium

[@smilebot484]

@@andreasrydstrom9112 that's why i focus in fermented foods without sodium

[@normalaming3943]

Water kefir has no added sodium.

[@Fluff-gl6yr]

@@andreasrydstrom9112 Interestingly, there’s some research that suggests that a relatively high sodium intake might be relatively harmless if coupled with sufficient potassium intake (generally from fruits and veggies)

[@juhnustin1]

Why did he take money from beyond meat?

[@veneta72]

6 servings is crazy. No one’s going to do that

[@cord11ful]

Exactly. Does he even mention the Masai? Not much fibre there. He seems to selectively conflate a very high-fibre version of 'hunter-gatherer' diet, whereas in reality there was tremendous variety in different hunter-gatherer populations. Geez, it's HUNTER-gatherer after all.

[@pynn1000]

@@cord11fulMaasai women's life expectancy at 44 is higher than men's. Horus study of mummified bodies, published about 10 years ago, showed diseases considered "modern" such as atherosclerosis in several hunter-gatherer groups, life expectancy similar to modern Maasai.

[@marlonhans7122]

his voice sounds younger than him😅

[@jimstone6570]

His gut shows poor health from visceral fat around the organs. Poor diet and its affects on metabolism causes this. Research visceral fat and health.

[@1timbarrett]

Perfectly normal Grandpa Gut, BUT…. Is this engaging speaker a grandfather…? 🤔

[@Caladcholg]

​@@1timbarrettnot of you avoid sugar! Never get the 'dad bod' or 'beer gut' precursors.

[@WFPBFORLIFE]

everybody poops. 😂🤣😂

[@carlyndolphin]

Beautiful women don’t poop

[@1timbarrett]

That Taro Gomi book makes a gr8 gift for toddlers! 😊

[@cattleprods911]

He was doing good until he said lab meat is better

[@yangtse55]

Only slightly better. Whole plants are best.

[@steveherridge8965]

Seems a nice guy, but some veggies are for sure fermenting in that belly

[@powerpopaholic876]

Source?

[@steveherridge8965]

My eyes. Look at when he turns to the side. That's a veggie belly...cause he doesn't eat meat etc. @@powerpopaholic876

[@1timbarrett]

He does seem a sympathetic human. I hope his health journey is a good one.

[@Caladcholg]

​@@1timbarrettI know, the issue when you can't see the damage you're doing because you're doing it out of a genuine want to do good. His steadfast anti-meat message (for human nutritional purposes) in light of new science is hurting a lot of people with Metabolic Syndrome.

[@rebeccabriggs2982]

I had a gut that looked like his, until I quit 5 years vegan and eat 50-70% meat, eggs etc. And the rest is selected lower oxalate, lower anti nutrient fruit and veges. No bloating, no gas, no odour. Healthy poop. Also my grey hair is vanishing. Chronic pain, brain fog etc all gone.

[@wfpbwfpb]

Hahahaha. Doubt that very much. Your belief is what is driving your misunderstanding. I have a brother who says the same BS and he’s lying too.

[@Caladcholg]

​@@wfpbwfpbyour username is literally wfpbwfpb. If there is one person likely to be lying, I think a sixth grader could discern who.

[@server1ok]

Sometimes. Hippies grow old ..

[@felixfelix6499]

HAHA! Yes we do.

[@robertsimpson2177]

Vegan with a gut… also he did a study comparing low carb to vegan…. The low carb had better outcomes

[@greengraybear7925]

I guess you missed the rest of it... Or it went over your head. Or only heard what you wanted to hear.

[@rebeccabriggs2982]

Yeah he looks bloated.

[@Caladcholg]

​@@greengraybear7925the rest of what? You mean the part where the fermented food arm had better inflammatory results and an increase in microbial diversity? Or the part where the fiber arm didn't do those things and was instead all over the map, even increasing inflammation in some cases. Or are you also talking about his NAFLD-looking gut?

[@garetcrossman6626]

The speaker has extra weight in the worse place, ie. telltale gut issues, whats been called a wheat belly. I would leave out wheat and all or most other grains, and go easy on the fruit. Also, reduce the eating window. The worst thing would be to follow the advice in these comments and start eating meat. Meat shortens lifespan and healthspan.

[@1timbarrett]

Poor guy.😢

[@samieramohamed2467]

Healthy people don’t need to take probiotics and only little fermented foods I made at home.

[@testeraccount42testing45]

LOL at TMAO argument. 🤣 Come on Christopher, the TMAO scare tactics are now considered outdated. Fish raises TMAO way higher than meat does, and fish always rates among the highest in nutritional outcomes. You can do better than this.

[@greengraybear7925]

You can also do better than that. It feels like a gaggle of angry keto trolls have found this comments section.

[@Caladcholg]

I know, the grasping at straws to get this anti-meat agenda out to a public suffering from hyperinsulinemia needs to stop. Once it was found that fish had something like thirty times the Trimethylamine, most of the hubbub quietly faded away, except true believers like this guy.

[@Caladcholg]

​@greengraybear7925 we are angry for a very good, scientifically sound reason.

[@opetelkaaluemaan]

lost me at "beyond meat"...

[@kencarey3477]

Hard to take advice on diet from a guy that has a spare tire around his waist

[@HazardousHumorHQ]

True but at the same time, there are many top-level human nutrition researchers, clinicians, and scientists who lack a physique that would demonstrate their knowledge-base (in some cases because they spend so much sedentary time reading, researching, etc.!) But your point is a valid and common concern. Ideally what you commented on, should factor in, as to probabilistic reliability of ostensibly 'expert' sources. Thomas Delauer is a notable nutrition influencer (primarily on this platform, i.e. YT-based) who IS ('outwardly') physically fit, but that doesn't mean that he is more deeply, thoroughly knowledgeable about (for instance) metabolism mechanics and fundamental concepts, compared to, say, Robert Lustig. I know you weren't implying that but, just playing opposing perspective. We can learn from many, including those who's appearance is ironic considering the subject matter they specialize in ('don't judge [knowledge-wise] a book by its cover')

[@1timbarrett]

Good points here. And I gotta agree, some of my fav keto influencers are still battling their body fat. No names mentioned but they will know who they are. 😢

[@boxshreeg1079]

This guy is 100% a vegan propagandist