“More and more studies are revealing that the gut microbiome can affect brain and behavior” assures Dr. Elaine Hsiao who is interested in all things microbial, neural, and immune.

Her presentation in the Optimizing Metabolic Health Symposium at MHS 2022 discussed the interactions between the ketogenic diet and the gut microbiome. The gut microbiome is the ecosystem of microorganisms of bacteria, viruses and fungi that work together to digest food and modulate overall health of the host - aka you!

Over just a few days, the microbiome shifts in a predictable way depending on the diet of an individual. One of Dr. Hsiao’s recent projects has been investigating the role of the ketogenic diet in treating refractory epilepsy. She found that the microbiome is necessary for the anti-seizure effects of the ketogenic diet in her model system. Further, there are at least two specific strains of bacteria that can protect against seizures, even if the test animal is not on the ketogenic diet. The caveat here is that in order for the bacteria to play a protective role against epilepsy, the bacteria must be alive. Importantly, OTC probiotics do not always supply a significant amount of live, bioavailable bacteria.

Dr. Hsiao’s team has found that these two key bacterial strains are crucial for regulating a subset of amino acids that are considered ‘ketogenic amino acids’ and have a modification called gamma-glutamination.

Watch Dr. Hsiao’s full talk to let her explain all of the ins-and-outs of the microbiome on our virtual platform along with more than 40 other lectures, in-depth panels, and special interest forums from#MHS2022, at www.metabolichealthsummit.com!

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