Episode #166: Martha Carlin: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Microbiome
Imagine a world where you could restore balance to your body, combat chronic diseases, and improve health trajectories through a deep understanding of your microbiome. That's exactly what we're exploring today with businesswoman-turned-research-scientist Martha Carlin, who embarked on this incredible journey after her husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's at a young age. Her captivating research has led to groundbreaking connections between the microbiome and the onset of chronic diseases such as Parkinson's, and she believes that restoring the microbiome could make a substantial difference in our overall health.
We're diving into the complex world of microbial peptides, toxins, and pathogens, particularly their influence on the body's immune system. We also discuss the potential links between copper, iron, and neurological diseases, and how copper's role in iron regulation could have far-reaching implications. Martha's fascinating insights also shed light on the connection between glyphosate, food contamination, and how it could be affecting our health.
Martha Carlin is a Citizen Scientist, systems thinker, wife of Parkinson’s warrior, John Carlin, and founder of The BioCollective, a microbiome company expanding the reach of science. Since John’s diagnosis in 2002, Martha began learning the science of agriculture, nutrition, environment, infectious disease, Parkinson’s pathology and much more. In 2014, when the first research was published showing a connection between the gut bacteria and the two phenotypes of Parkinson’s, Martha quit her former career as a business turnaround expert and founded The BioCollective to accelerate the discovery of the impact of gut health on all human health, including Parkinson’s.
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What we discuss:
(0:00:04) - Parkinson's and the microbiome link
(0:08:59) - Sleep disruption in neurodegenerative diseases
(0:13:29) - Toxins, pathogens, and the Parkinson's microbiome
(0:24:35) - Copper's role in iron regulation
(0:42:49) - Glyphosate contamination and organic farming
(0:47:59) - Parkinson's symptoms improvement through diet
(0:54:30) - Red light therapy and microbiome health
(1:04:33) - Improving health and restoring balance
Key Takeaways:
In some ways, the process of consuming food can be seen as a way of receiving information from the food itself. When we eat, our bodies extract various nutrients and compounds from the food, which contain valuable information that gets transmitted to our system. The gut plays a crucial role in this process, serving as the interface or channel for communication between the food and our cells.
Heat Shock Protein (HSP) 65 is produced by certain pathogens or microbes, and it is not beneficial to us. On the other hand, HSP 60 and Alpha-b Crystallin play important roles in maintaining our health. However, the presence of the nefarious alpha crystalline and HSP 65 confuses our body, causing it to mistakenly attack our own beneficial proteins.
Higher iron levels may increase the likelihood of hosting more pathogens, and the immune system responds by attempting to sequester the iron and prevent pathogen access. However, this defensive strategy often involves storing iron in the body's tissues, which subsequently leads to inflammation.