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Sep 28, 2020

EFR 385: The Critical Role of Bacteria and Fungi in Gut Health with Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum and Afif Ghannoum

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More than 70% of our immune system exists in our gut, so if we want to truly focus on our wellness and increase our body's ability to fight off disease and illness we must put more of a focus on improving our gut health. Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum is the scientist who is now known as the leading microbiome researcher in the world and leading fungal community scientist. In fact, he named the mycobiome! In this episode, Dr. Ghannoum and his son, Afif, a corporate lawyer specializing in the biotechnology industry, discuss exactly why the gut is critical for our total wellness, cutting edge new research on gut bacteria and how to improve the microbiome and so much more!

 

Follow Dr. Ghannoum and Afif @biohmhealth

Follow Chase @chase_chewning

 Ever Forward Radio is made possible by our proud partners! Shop using the link/code below to save you money and to further support the show - THANK YOU! 

Save 10% on FOUR SIGMATIC ground mushroom coffee with lion's mane and chaga exclusively at www.foursigmatic.com/everforward

Ground Coffee with Lion’s Mane and Chaga - Get your brain going without leaving your body behind. Lion’s Mane and Chaga keeps the caffeine under control to support clean, focused energy. Great for your gut health and improving your immue system, too!

  • Nut milk, natural sweeteners, and coconut oil are optional additions if you have a sweet tooth. You can even foam the milk if you know how to do that. 

  • Made with organic, Fair-Trade, single origin Arabica coffee beans, ground and ready to brew in whatever method makes you happy.

  • Brews dark and nutty. You’ll completely forget the word “mushroom” is on the bag while you’re drinking it. You’ll remember when you notice you haven’t crashed around mid-day.

Get yours here and save up to 39% on lion's mane coffee bundles!  

More about BIOHM and Dr. Ghannoum:

Over 40 years ago, a lone scientist began exploring this critical, but neglected, inhabitant of the human body. Born and raised in Lebanon, Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum is Director of the Center for Medical Mycology at Case Western Reserve University, one of the top 25 medical research universities in the United States (according to US News & World Report).

He began his scientific journey in England, studying Candida, a species of fungi that, when allowed to grow uncontrolled, can cause Candidiasis, an infection that afflicts millions of people worldwide.

This provoked his curiosity about the whole area of fungal microorganisms in the human body. Through the next four decades of research, he discovered that while there was a massive rise in studies of bacteria, fungus was largely ignored.  One reason is that fungal organisms tend to be highly unstable, making them extremely difficult to study.

For the longest time, Dr. Ghannoum’s work was known only to a minority within the scientific community. While many have heard of Candida, few people have any idea of the critical role that fungus plays in human health.

Through his research, Dr. Ghannoum established that fungal organisms constitute an essential part of the microbiome. In fact, in 2010, Dr. Ghannoum was the first scientist to identify over 100 native species of fungi in the oral cavity.

Like with bacteria, there are good fungi as well as bad fungi. And just as it was startling to discover that we need positive bacteria in our guts, most people today are shocked to learn that their health depends on flourishing colonies of helpful fungi.In fact, good fungi and good bacteria work in synergy to sustain a healthy microbiome. Unfortunately, the villains of the story also collaborate!

In 2016, Dr. Ghannoum discovered that harmful fungi and bacteria join forces to create digestive biofilm. This thin, gooey lining forms throughout our intestines, and very much like dental plaque, it serves to protect bad germs hiding beneath the biofilm’s protective shield.

This is why taking care of your whole microbiome—fungi and bacteria—is so critical.

Recognition of Dr. Ghannoum’s work came slowly—but it did come. Today, he is acclaimed as the international authority on fungus within the human body.

Afif, his son and coroporaet biotech lawyer, suggested that the two of them should join forces, combining their different talents to launch a company. BIOHM was the result, a company founded to bring Dr. Ghannoum’s science to the world creating products based on new understandings of the microbiome.

“Our mission is to help people,” Dr. Ghannoum explains.   “I just felt that we had to take my father’s expertise out of the ivory tower, and turn it into products that could really help people.”

Episode resources:

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EFR 385: The Critical Role of Bacteria and Fungi in Gut Health with Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum and Afif Ghannoum

More than 70% of our immune system exists in our gut, so if we want to truly focus on our wellness and increase our body's ability to fight off disease and illness we must put more of a focus on improving our gut health. Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum is the scientist who is now known as the leading microbiome researcher in the world and leading fungal community scientist. In fact, he named the mycobiome! In this episode, Dr. Ghannoum and his son, Afif, a corporate lawyer specializing in the biotechnology industry, discuss exactly why the gut is critical for our total wellness, cutting edge new research on gut bacteria and how to improve the microbiome and so much more!

 

Follow Dr. Ghannoum and Afif @biohmhealth

Follow Chase @chase_chewning

 Ever Forward Radio is made possible by our proud partners! Shop using the link/code below to save you money and to further support the show - THANK YOU! 

Save 10% on FOUR SIGMATIC ground mushroom coffee with lion's mane and chaga exclusively at www.foursigmatic.com/everforward

Ground Coffee with Lion’s Mane and Chaga - Get your brain going without leaving your body behind. Lion’s Mane and Chaga keeps the caffeine under control to support clean, focused energy. Great for your gut health and improving your immue system, too!

  • Nut milk, natural sweeteners, and coconut oil are optional additions if you have a sweet tooth. You can even foam the milk if you know how to do that. 

  • Made with organic, Fair-Trade, single origin Arabica coffee beans, ground and ready to brew in whatever method makes you happy.

  • Brews dark and nutty. You’ll completely forget the word “mushroom” is on the bag while you’re drinking it. You’ll remember when you notice you haven’t crashed around mid-day.

Get yours here and save up to 39% on lion's mane coffee bundles!  

More about BIOHM and Dr. Ghannoum:

Over 40 years ago, a lone scientist began exploring this critical, but neglected, inhabitant of the human body. Born and raised in Lebanon, Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum is Director of the Center for Medical Mycology at Case Western Reserve University, one of the top 25 medical research universities in the United States (according to US News & World Report).

He began his scientific journey in England, studying Candida, a species of fungi that, when allowed to grow uncontrolled, can cause Candidiasis, an infection that afflicts millions of people worldwide.

This provoked his curiosity about the whole area of fungal microorganisms in the human body. Through the next four decades of research, he discovered that while there was a massive rise in studies of bacteria, fungus was largely ignored.  One reason is that fungal organisms tend to be highly unstable, making them extremely difficult to study.

For the longest time, Dr. Ghannoum’s work was known only to a minority within the scientific community. While many have heard of Candida, few people have any idea of the critical role that fungus plays in human health.

Through his research, Dr. Ghannoum established that fungal organisms constitute an essential part of the microbiome. In fact, in 2010, Dr. Ghannoum was the first scientist to identify over 100 native species of fungi in the oral cavity.

Like with bacteria, there are good fungi as well as bad fungi. And just as it was startling to discover that we need positive bacteria in our guts, most people today are shocked to learn that their health depends on flourishing colonies of helpful fungi.In fact, good fungi and good bacteria work in synergy to sustain a healthy microbiome. Unfortunately, the villains of the story also collaborate!

In 2016, Dr. Ghannoum discovered that harmful fungi and bacteria join forces to create digestive biofilm. This thin, gooey lining forms throughout our intestines, and very much like dental plaque, it serves to protect bad germs hiding beneath the biofilm’s protective shield.

This is why taking care of your whole microbiome—fungi and bacteria—is so critical.

Recognition of Dr. Ghannoum’s work came slowly—but it did come. Today, he is acclaimed as the international authority on fungus within the human body.

Afif, his son and coroporaet biotech lawyer, suggested that the two of them should join forces, combining their different talents to launch a company. BIOHM was the result, a company founded to bring Dr. Ghannoum’s science to the world creating products based on new understandings of the microbiome.

“Our mission is to help people,” Dr. Ghannoum explains.   “I just felt that we had to take my father’s expertise out of the ivory tower, and turn it into products that could really help people.”

Episode resources: