Tim Spector @timspector

Dept of Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology

Kings College London

www.twinsuk.ac.uk

Sugar, Microbes and Health

Genetics of over or under-eating

Heritability of environmental Traits

Physical activity

Alcohol intake

Smoking persistence

Junk food preferences

Garlic and spicy food eating

Vegetarianism

Sweet vs savoury

Blood lead levels

Voting conservative/Le Pen

Voting BREXIT

Personality

Religious belief

Sense of humour

H2 = 30-60%

What is the microbiome?

• 100 trillion bacteria and archaea • 500 trillion viruses (phages) • Plus fungi and protists

)

Amercian/British gut (2016) Xu Z, Knight R.Br J Nutr. 2015 Jan;113 Suppl:S1-5

Plant diversity = Microbial diversity

• Obesity • Diabetes • IBS • allergy • Colitis • RA • Parkinson's • Depression • Autism

Diversity matters

Schnorr SL; Nature Comms 2014 Diversity of gut microbes in H-G 40% higher

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/Health/article1554313.ece

Fat and sugar

Fibre

Diversity

0

20

40

60

80

100

Pre-binge Post-binge

%

Ba

cte

ria

l

Div

ers

ity

40% Decrease in diversity

1,200 Types of Bacteria lost

ASBs

Frankenfeld CL Ann epidemiol 2015 Oct;25(10):736-742.e4. (humans)

Bian X Plos One 2017 june (mice)

Suez J .Nature. 2014 Oct 9;514(7521):181-6.mice and humans

Payne AN Obes Review 2012 – Xylitol

Chassaing B,Nature. 2015 Mar 5;519(7541):92-6. emulsifiers

Artificial Sweeteners, emulsifiers and preservatives- Friend or Foe? Stevia ? Sugar alcohols?

Functional effects of sweeteners on gut microbes Suez et al 2014

High Polyphenol Foods

• Numerous observational studies show that regular intake of high PP foods associated with good health outcomes

• Some contain natural sugars

• Few Human RCTs • Polyphenols act as

energy source for microbes

Polyphenols

Akkermansia

High Fat

Diet Reduced Weight Gain

Li S-H et al meta-analysis of grape polyphenols and BP Plos one 2015 Roopchand et al. 2015. Diabetes 64(8): 2827 – 2858, Anhê et al. Gut 2015;64:6 872-883

Koenig JE Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Mar 15;108 Suppl 1:4578-85.

Ley RE. Nature. 2015 Feb 26;518(7540):S7

Goodrich J et al; Cell 2014

Beaumont M Genome Biology 2016

TwinsUK Study- 3000 twins followed for 20 years

• Lean individuals have more anti-fat bacteria (Christensenella)

• Christensenella is able to reduce weight gain in mice transplanted with an obese microbiota.

• Our new data also shows Akkermansia protects against obesity

Goodrich JK et al. Cell. 2014 Nov 6;159(4):789-99

Beaumont M. Et al;Genome Med 2016.

Christensenella • Anti-fat bacteria

• Reduced weight gain

after transplantation

into mice

Akkermansia

Microbial Metabolites: Novel Markers e.g Yogurt Intake and visceral fat

Using Mass spec platform of ~1000 metabolites the MMS

database can show what other methods have failed to show

in humans

Faecal metabolites

Personalising diets using microbes

Zeevi et al Cell 2015

Personalised microbe nutrition

From Suez et al NatMicRev 2017

Treat Foods as chemicals

Test all new foods and additives against gut microbes

We have Unique Soil

Regular Natural Fertilizer

(Fibre Prebiotics)

Regular Seeds (Probiotics)

Vary and Experiment with Natural Nutrients

Avoid Heavily Processed foods, antibiotics &

pesticides

Stop demonising food groups and Encourage Diversity!