Dr. Uday Jani to present Trust Your Gut health talk May 24

Dr. Uday Jani will present Trust Your Gut: An Inside View of the Microbiome-Immune System-Brain Health Connection from 4 to 6 p.m., Wednesday, May 24, at St. Peter’s Church parish hall, 211 Mulberry St., Lewes.

The talk is free and open to the community

Jani said 90% of all disease can be traced back in some way to gut health. The gut is home to trillions of microorganisms collectively known as the microbiome, which affect virtually every system in the body.

Jani will discuss the latest research findings in this field with the potential to positively change the way disease is addressed and prevented. His highly informative talk centers on how to encourage the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut, helping to regulate immune function, support digestion and synthesis of vitamins, preserve cognition, and protect against bacteria that cause disease. He’ll also share a collection of prebiotic- and probiotic-inspired recipes for attendees to take home, as well as healthy probiotic snacks to try at the presentation.

“We’ve discovered so much about the pivotal role of the microbiome in overall wellness in just the last few years. The microbiome project has uncovered up to 20 million microbial genes, compared to 20,000 human genes,” said Jani. “Important to note is how greatly individuals differ from each other — up to 90% — in terms of microbiome.”

He cites an additional, significant movement underway to study how microbial communities in buildings, cars, planes and hospitals impact people’s health directly or indirectly. “The knowledge we’re gaining may ultimately allow us to develop solutions to the world’s most pressing health and environmental concerns,” said Jani.

“New evidence suggests that keeping ourselves too clean can lead to immunological problems, as immune systems unchallenged by the bacterial and viral pathogens that humans co-evolved with may get restless,” he said. “Our updated hypothesis says encountering good microbes via dirt and contact with healthy, diverse people and animals may actually be good preventive medicine.”

Virtually every system in the body is affected by the microbiome. Encouraging the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut not only helps with digestion and absorption of nutrients in the foods people eat, but also regulates immune function and protects against other bacteria that cause disease, according to Jani.

“We know that personalized nutritional interventions and dietary modifications aimed at restoring gut microbiota are becoming an essential part of holistically managing and preventing disease,” said Jani.

These strategies include incorporating probiotics (live microorganisms that can be beneficial to health) and prebiotics (fibers that can stimulate growth of beneficial microorganisms in the colon) into the diet via foods or dietary supplements.

Probiotics are contained in dairy products such as buttermilk, aged cheese, cottage cheese, plain yogurt and sour cream as well as fermented meats and vegetables such as sauerkraut and kimchi.

Rich sources of prebiotics include apples with skin, bananas, blueberries, onions, Scottish oatmeal, dandelion greens, leeks, garlic, sunchokes, jicama and asparagus.

“We are at an exciting point as our knowledge of the microbiome continues to expand, enabling us to apply the findings to enhance our health and wellness in real time,” said Jani. “I encourage everyone to learn more at my upcoming talk on May 24, graciously hosted by the Parish Nursing Group at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. All are welcome. We’ll have ample time for questions afterward.”

Utilizing an evidence-based integrative approach at his Milton-based concierge practice, Shore View Personalized Medical Care, Jani believes in treating the whole person, not just the disease. For more information, go to udayjanimd.com.