Our Micobiome and the Word of Wisdom

Let me begin by saying I firmly believe the Word of God is our foundation for all truth. I believe we must hold up everything to the standard of God’s Word. We can confidently accept the Word of God as truth over any wisdom of man, including scientific research. Research can be flawed and lead to skewed or false conclusions. Scientific understanding has and will continue to change dramatically over time, yet the Word of God stands firm and constant.

With that foundation, l would like to introduce you to one of the hottest current topics in scientific and medical research:  our human microbiome.  In recent years, there has been an explosion of new research in this area. Our microbiome is the community of diverse, dynamic, and individualized microorganisms (such as fungi, bacteria and viruses) that exists in and on every part of our bodies, from our skin, to our mouths, to our gastrointestinal tracts. 

When most of us hear the words “yeast, bacteria, and viruses,” we think of bad microbes—the ones that make us sick. But there are also millions of good yeast, bacteria, and viruses that we need for health. We cannot live without them. These good microbes are not invaders, but rather beneficial colonizers in our body.

We now understand there are more microbes in our human bodies than there are cells. It is estimated  there are 38 trillion microbes in our large intestine alone. To put this in perspective, there are 100 billion stars in our galaxy. That means we would need 380 galaxies worth of stars to match the number of microbes just in our large intestine.

Scientists now say that 70 to even 80% of our immune system is in our gut. In other words, those trillions of microbes in your large intestine, along with the ones in your small intestine and stomach, have a huge influence on your immunity to disease.

We are learning that these microorganisms literally influence every aspect of our health and well-being. Besides immune response, our microbiome influence mental health, asthma, obesity, inflammatory diseases (like heart disease and diabetes), cancer, and more.

One recent study looked at dietary fiber in the diets of people with melanoma cancer.1  The patients were divided into high fiber and low fiber diet groups. The cut off for the high fiber group was 20 grams of fiber, which is less than the recommended daily allowance of 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. Seventy-one percent of the people in the study didn’t even hit 20 grams of fiber daily. The 29% in the high fiber group had a greatly improved rate of survival. For every five grams that daily fiber  increased, the survival rate increased by an astounding 30%!

Because of the influence of our gut microbiome on our immune response, it’s not surprising to find a connection between our gut microbiome, fiber, and COVID 19. A study was done with  hospital workers from six countries, looking at dietary patterns and health outcomes.2  The study did not ask exactly what they were eating, but asked them to choose one of the listed categories that they felt described their diets.

Those who said they were eating a whole foods, plant-based, or vegetarian diet were put together in one category. Persons in this category were 73% less likely to have a moderate to severe case of COVID 19! It also appeared this group had less likelihood of getting COVID in the first place, but that part of the study was nonconclusive. This study was done before COVID vaccines were released, so no one was vaccinated. People who fared the worst were those eating low carb and high protein diets. They were 3.8 times more likely to develop moderate to severe COVID. 

Next let’s talk about genetics. Scientists used to believe that our genetic code was set. You were born with a certain code and that was it. Now, they are discovering that our genetic code is more like a series of switches that can be turned on or off, and it appears that our gut microbiome controls the switches. A healthy microbiome can apparently keep dormant  undesirable genetic tendencies toward disease. This is just one more reason we need to be passionately concerned with developing a strong gut microbiome.

Research concludes that when it comes to a healthy microbiome, diversity is the key. There are hundreds to thousands of different varieties of microbes in our bodies. The more different types of good microbes we host, the healthier we are. More diversity equals more health. It is also apparent that the way to have a diverse microbiome is to eat an abundance of fiber.

Many of us think of fiber as a distasteful supplement  one takes to promote good bowel movements. As you can see, we are discovering that fiber does so much more for our bodies and that the best fiber is not consumed as a supplement, but eaten from food. What foods provide this health-giving fiber? Whole grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruits! Fiber is only found in plants.  But there is more:  Not all fiber is created equal. The fiber from whole grains may offer specific health benefits that can’t be replicated with fiber from fruits or vegetables alone.3  This is undoubtedly one reason God told us grain is the staff of life.

It is good news to discover that our microbiome can be manipulated. You are not stuck with the microbiome with which you are born. Have you heard the story about the two wolves inside us? The old Native American story goes like this:  There are two wolves battling inside us. One is good (love, joy, peace) and one is bad (anger, greed, selfishness).  Which one will win? The one you feed.

This is also the story of our gut microbiome.  The different kinds of microbia in our gut have different “dietary needs.” Good food choices will feed the beneficial kinds of microbia, and they will flourish and increase. Conversely, poor food choices will feed the bad microbia in our digestive system, and they will gain ground in our gut, causing havoc.  If we don’t give the bad microbia what they need to live, they will die out. Just like the story about the wolves, the microbia we feed will flourish. 

Interestingly, it appears that the flourishing, dominant microbes in your gut can cause cravings for more of what they need. Most of us have felt this. When we eliminate junk food from our diet, at first we have cravings for those foods. The bad microbes that thrive on these foods want to be fed!  If you don’t eat the junk food for a while, the cravings subside as the bad microbes die off. 

You can actually change your taste buds over time by beginning to eat small amounts of good foods that you don’t currently like. The good foods you don’t like can begin to taste delicious to you over time as your gut microbia change. You can start to love and even crave new healthy foods when the good bacteria fed by those good foods begin to rule in your gut.

When a healthy balance of the microbes in the gut is disrupted, it leads to the development of various chronic diseases with an underlying inflammatory condition. The typical American diet—high in sugar and other processed refined carbohydrates, high in meat, and low in fiber—results in dysfunctions and disruptions in our gut microbiome. This in turn contributes to the increase in the development of chronic inflammatory diseases such as intestinal bowel disease, colorectal cancer, allergies, autoimmune diseases, and obesity with its associated health problems. These diseases can, at least in part, be prevented by adequate dietary fiber.

Are you beginning to see how these new discoveries about our gut microbiome relate to the Word of Wisdom found in Section 86 of the Doctrine and Covenants? In the Word of Wisdom, God clearly tells us the following dietary information: Grains are the staff of life and wheat particularly for man. We are to eat meat sparingly. God has made all wholesome herbs (vegetables) and fruits for our use with prudence and thanksgiving, to be used in season. Not surprisingly, it turns out that this is the perfect recipe for a healthy, diverse gut microbiome!

Diets high in animal protein (meats) have been associated with an increased growth of inflammatory (bad) microbes in our guts, while diets high in whole grain, fruits, and vegetables (including legumes) have been shown to promote the growth and diversity of good microbes in our guts.

“But wait,” you say. “What about carbs and gluten being inflammatory?” Carbohydrates (carbs) have gotten an evil reputation in recent years. People think they need to avoid them to be healthy and to lose weight.  Low carb diets are dangerous because they are low fiber diets. As a matter of fact, low carb diets—which are high in animal protein—have consistently been associated with increased growth of bad inflammatory microbes.  If you follow the Word of Wisdom, you will not be eating a low carb diet.

It is true that we need to avoid REFINED carbs: sugar, refined grain products, high fructose corn syrup, etc. These are gut disrupting foods. Complex carbo-hydrates, on the other hand, are the foundation of a healthy diet. 

Doctor Will Bulsiewicz, MD, (a board-certified, award-winning gastroenterologist) says in his research-based book Fiber Fueled, “If you want a healthy microbiota, whole grains are the foundation of building a healthy gut.” But you don’t have to take Dr. Bulsiewicz’s word for it. It’s what God says in the Word of Wisdom: Grain is the staff of life, and wheat for man. We need to believe this! Whole grains are a healthy complex carbohydrate and an excellent source of prebiotic fiber which feeds the good microbes in our guts. We need to stop being afraid to eat generous amounts of whole grains! 

Scientific research backs this up. A meta-analysis combining results from studies conducted in the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Scandinavian countries (which included health information from over 786,000 individuals), found that people who ate 70 grams per day of whole grains—compared with those who ate little or no whole grains—had a 22% lower risk of total mortality, a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, and a 20% lower risk of cancer mortality.4 

An analysis of six studies including nearly 250,000 people showed that those who were eating the most whole grains had a 14% lower risk of stroke from those who were eating the fewest whole grains.5

One study showed a 20% reduction of the risk of colorectal cancer for every three servings of whole grains eaten per day. The risk was reduced even more in those eating more than three servings of whole grains per day.6

In a large study of nearly 200,000 U.S. adults, those eating whole grains most frequently had a 29% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes across the approximately 30-year study period than those who rarely or never eat whole grains, even after adjusting for other lifestyle factors.7
Eating three servings of whole grains each day is linked to lower body mass and less belly fat.8  (So don’t believe that book about a wheat belly.)

Eating whole grains even appears to help our mental health! An analysis of twenty-three studies shows that people who eat more whole grains are more likely to have better mood, less depression, and less anxiety.9

Studies consistently show that whole grains are not inflammatory, but in fact are anti-inflammatory and that swapping out refined grains for whole grains greatly improves our overall health, (at least in part by improving our gut microbiome).

What about gluten? If you have celiac disease, by all means, avoid gluten carefully. But if not, gluten is not the villain it has been portrayed to be. If gluten was inflammatory and caused gut issues that should be shown in research studies of the gut—but it is not. Quite the opposite has been found. After healthy subjects spent a month on a gluten-free diet, researchers found lower levels of healthy gut bacteria and higher counts of E. coli and other unhealthy gut bacteria.10 Other studies have confirmed these findings. Eating whole wheat improved intestinal integrity and reduced intestinal permeability (leaky gut).

Research debunks the idea that gluten causes “brain fog” also. In a study of 13,494 women without celiac disease, there was absolutely no relationship between gluten and cognitive function.11
Food intolerances, including gluten intolerance, are a deeper subject than there is room to address in this article, but training your gut microbiome is the basis for healing in this area also.

What does it look like to make grain the staff of life within a plant-based diet? The American Heart Association says we should eat at least six servings of whole grains every day. I think this is a great goal.  If we do this, I believe we can say we are using grain as our staff of life. To eat six or more servings, you need to eat whole grains at every meal and for snacks, too.

Six servings of whole grains mixed into a plant-based diet might look like this:
Breakfast— ½ cup of cooked oatmeal, with blueberries and walnuts. I like to add flax and chia to my oatmeal as well.  (1 serving)
Lunch—An almond butter sandwich on two slices of (homemade) whole wheat bread, plus veggies with hummus. (2 servings)
Snack—A whole wheat homemade muffin,  plus an apple. (1 serving)
Dinner—Chili with a small amount of meat and plenty of beans, plus added whole barley, with  homemade whole grain cornbread, and a green salad sprinkled with cooked millet. (2 to 2.5 servings)
This is just one menu example. The variations are endless!   

Finally, remember the best way to change to a healthier diet is slowly.  Increasing fiber in your diet slowly will give your gut microbiome time to adjust. Also be sure you are drinking enough water to help your body use that extra fiber.

I find it exciting to learn more about fiber and our gut microbiome, because it adds a deeper and fuller  understanding to why God has given us the principles of the Word of Wisdom and why it is SO important that we apply them to our lives. 

Pray for a deeper understanding of the Word of Wisdom as part of God’s Word. Pray over the changes you want to make to your diet. God will help us. He will give us guidance and strength to keep the Word of Wisdom. 







References

1) Dietary fiber and probiotics influence the gut microbiome and melanoma immunotherapy response
Science; Vol. 374, No. 6575, pp. 1632-1640
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34941392/

2) Nutrition for Hospital Workers During a Crisis: Effect of a Plant-Based Dietary Intervention on Cardiometabolic Outcomes and Quality of Life in Healthcare Employees During the COVID-19 Pandemic. 
Am J Lifestyle Med. 2022 May-Jun; 16(3): 399–407
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9184832/

3) Whole Grain Fiber Linked with Lower Inflammation. JAMA Network Open. 2022 Mar 1;5(3):e225012.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35357453/

4) Whole Grain Intake and Mortality From All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer:  
A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies 
Circulation. 2016 Jun 14;133(24):2370-80.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27297341/

5) Association between whole grain intake and stroke risk: evidence from a meta-analysis 
Int J Clin Exp Med
2015 Sep 15;8(9):16978-83.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26629253/

6) Dietary fibre, whole grains, and risk of colorectal
cancer: systematic review and dose-response
meta-analysis of prospective studies
BMJ 2011;343:d6617
Published 10 November 2011
https://wholegrainscouncil.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/2011_BMJ_Aune.pdf

7) Intake of whole grain foods and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective cohort studies 
BMJ  2020 Jul 8;370:m2206.
 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32641435/

8) Whole- and Refined-Grain Consumption and Longitudinal Changes in Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in the Framingham Offspring Cohort 
J Nutr.  2021 Sep 4;151(9):2790-2799.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34255848/

See also
Whole-grain intake as a marker of healthy body weight and adiposity 
Public Health Nutr  2008 Jun;11(6):554-63.
Epub 2007 Nov 16.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18005489/

9) The relationship between whole-grain intake and measures of cognitive decline, mood, and anxiety -a systematic review
Adv Nutr. 2023 Apr 19; S2161-8313(23)00288-0.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37085091/

10) Effects of a gluten-free diet on gut microbiota and immune function in healthy adult human subjects
Br J Nutr. 2009 Oct;102(8):1154-60.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19445821/

11) Long-term Intake of Gluten and Cognitive Function Among US Women 
JAMA Netw Open. 2021 May 3;4(5):e2113020.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34019084/




    

    
                        

 

Remove the Clouds: Let the Light Pour In!

Word of Wisdom Class, Part 1

(Based on a Word of Wisdom class given at Church of Jesus Christ, Oak Grove Restoration Branch, February 5, 2020. The archived Livestream of the class is available here.)

1 John 1:5-7
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 

Clouds can obscure the sun. They can block the light. Clouds can make a day turn dark and dim, even until it is hard to see where we are going, causing us to stumble.

I think about a trail race that I ran in 2019 called the Dizzy Goat.  At this race, we ran a 3-mile loop of trail as many times as we could in the time we signed up for. I signed up for 12 hours.

The morning of the race turned out to be heavily overcast. Rain was predicted and a slight possibility of storms. As we started the race, the clouds grew darker.  We followed the trail into the woods and it became so dark that I had a hard time seeing the trail. I wished that I had a flashlight or my headlamp, but of course, I didn’t bring those for a daytime race.

I could not see the obstacles in the trail, such as rocks or tree roots, so I just stumbled along, picking up my feet and hoping for the best.  Fortunately, I didn’t trip and fall over anything, and soon the cloud cover lightened up, so I was able to see where I was going.

Spiritual clouds can obscure God’s light —the light He wants to shine into our lives so that we can see the right way to go, light that will help us not to stumble, not to trip and fall over obstacles in our path.  Spiritual clouds can obscure the light God wants to pour into our lives so that the Kingdom can come—so that the cause of Zion can be established. 

The difference between the dark, dim day of cloudy weather and the darkness caused by spiritual clouds is that we cannot control the weather, but we CAN control our choices which can bring the dispersal of spiritual clouds and bring more of God’s light flowing into our lives.

In 1971, High Priest Raymond Huggett was given a vison. He was at a reunion, I believe. He had spent the entire previous day fasting and praying in the woods alone with God. The next morning at prayer meeting, he felt a great endowment of the Spirit of God, a great movement of the Spirit among God’s people.

The back of the tabernacle was rolled back and he looked into the bosom of eternity. He said he saw a marvelous ray of light, so bright you could not look up at it directly, and a countless number of people gathering, drawn to this light. 

It was made known to him that this great company of the faithful were those who had already passed from this life, as well as those still in this life, and those yet unborn—and they were united in their purpose preparing for the great culmination of God’s marvelous and mysterious act, the great consummation of Zion.

Brother Huggett said,  “Well, I marveled at this experience and I saw, too, the outline of what I perceived to be the Holy City. And you know, it was shrouded with clouds and I knew it must be a beautiful city, and I felt what a shame to think these dark depressing clouds hang over and occlude most of it out so it's obscure to the vision, and I wondered what it meant. And you know, I was told some things and these clouds seemed like such little things that I was really surprised that we hadn't removed them long ago.”

Brother Huggett was told what these clouds were.  He was told these clouds have to do with keeping the Sabbath day holy.   He saw that we often forget that the Sabbath is a day which commemorates the coming forth of our Lord from the tomb. He said, “It's not our day at all. It's HIS DAY. That our bodies need to be refreshed, replenished. We need to be restored spiritually.”

He was told that these clouds have to do with our stewardship, that we have narrowed it to a mere Mosaic approach to finances instead of the joyous accounting for the totality of life and our full commitment of our lives to his Kingdom's purpose.

He was told that these clouds have to do with the sanctity of marriage and its true purpose, and that marriage in the truest sense is a sacramental relationship where God enters into a covenant between two people. 

He was told that we too often accept the morality of the world and too often compromise and accept things that are not of His Kingdom.

He was told that we have failed to worship God with a full heart, but have held back, which has limited our spiritual insights and the blessings of His Kingdom.

He was told that often we are not good stewards over our physical bodies.

He said, “Sometimes we've not become true disciples because we've lacked discipline of mind and body, and we've been controlled by physical appetites rather than preserving this temple of God, holy and sacred and committing it to His expression. These things were impressed upon me as well.”
Brother Huggett marveled that we would allow these things, these “clouds,” to obscure the Kingdom.

Read that quote again:  “. . . we've lacked discipline of mind and body, and we've been controlled by physical appetites rather than preserving this temple of God, holy and sacred and committing it to His expression. “

Our bodies are the temples of God.  Are we preserving them holy and sacred by the care we give our bodies? How many times has ministry that one of us could have offered been hindered because we were sick, in pain, or weak from poor physical health?

We need to come out of Babylon and touch not the unclean thing. This applies to what we eat, too. Much of the food available to us has not been manufactured for health, but for profit, designed by the hearts of conspiring men.

I think everyone reading this post would say they want the Kingdom. We want Zion to become a reality. But do we want it enough? Do we want it enough to discipline our minds and bodies and yield to God in obedience?

The author running Mines of Spain 100-mile race.

You know, when people learn I run 100-mile races, they often marvel and say, “I could never do that.” It seems like an impossible thing to do. Just last October, during a 100-mile race in a public park, I encountered a man and his wife who were hiking the trails. They asked me how far along I was in my race. At that point, I had run about 90 miles and had 11 or 12 left. They marveled over that.

The man said, “I could never do that!”

And I told him, “But you could. If wanted it badly enough and you put in the weeks and months and even years of training as I have, you could do it.”

He laughed and said, “I don’t want it bad enough.”

Is this us with the Kingdom, with Zion? We don’t want it badly enough to discipline our lives and put in the “training” it takes?  If we are willing to discipline our lives, day by day, and “train” under the hand of God, yielding to Him, we can do things that seem remarkable, things we thought were impossible!

God has told us how to preserving our bodies—these temples of God—holy and sacred. He has told us how to commit our bodies to God’s expression. He has given us instructions for our temporal salvation, with promises of spiritual blessings as well for those who will give heed to His counsel.  We call it the Word of Wisdom. 

The preface to Section 86 says: “To be sent greeting, not by commandment, or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom; showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all Saints in the last days. Given for a principle, with promise; adapted to the capacity of the weak, and the weakest of all Saints, who are or can be called Saints.”

I have heard people say, “Well, it says it’s not a commandment, so I don’t HAVE to abide by it.” That’s true.  You do not have to abide by it.  You don’t have to abide by the commandments of God, for that matter, because we have our agency.  We can choose, but when we choose, we also are choosing consequences. The choice and the consequence come together in one inseparable package.

We are told that the Word of Wisdom is the WILL of God given to us by REVELATION.  If we do not abide by it, there will be consequences. And I’m pretty sure that no one will like those consequences. This is GOD, the MAKER of our bodies, giving us instructions on how to care for our bodies.  It is plain foolishness to ignore His counsel.

God says in Doctrine and Covenants, Section 58:6c, “for, behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things, for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.”

And Doctrine and Covenants, Section 83:7a: “And now I give unto you a commandment to beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life; for you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.”

Do you still think it doesn’t matter if you ignore the Word of Wisdom?

And here’s the most important part:  The Word of Wisdom is NOT just for our temporal salvation. Brother Huggett was shown that when we do not discipline ourselves to care our bodies, which are the temples of God, in the way God has shown us, this is hindering the coming of Zion.   Not keeping the Word of Wisdom is hindering the Kingdom. It is causing spiritual blessings to be withheld. This is serious!

When we heed God and obey Him, He blesses us! We will receive blessings as we make an effort, as we TRY our best to keep the Word of Wisdom.

God said in Section 86:3c and 3d,  “And all Saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel, and marrow to their bones, and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;

"and shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint; and I, the Lord, give unto them a promise that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.”

Do we want wisdom? Do we want great treasure of knowledge, even hidden treasures? Do we want Zion? Do we want these things badly enough to discipline ourselves to “put in the training”?

I think we do. I think you do. I think most of you are reading this today because you know the Word of Wisdom is important, and you are looking for encouragement and help to move forward in obedience to this part of God’s Word. I think most of us just need some direction and encouragement on how to move forward and “train for the race.”

And the best thing is that if we ask Him, God will help us! God never calls us to do something without making the way for us to accomplish it. He will make a way for us to accomplish His will, if we ASK Him!

So let’s dig in and put together a training plan.

(More to come! Watch for the rest of the class to be posted soon!)