Could our gut bacteria play a major role in the prevention, and treatment of disease? Dr. Christine Bishara has been studying diseases for over 20 years.
Dr. Bishara is Board certified in Internal Medicine by the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons and is certified in Integrative Medical Weight Loss by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. She has previously served as Assistant Professor and Clinical Preceptor at New York Medical College. Her professional experience has spanned academically and clinically in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
She is the founder of “From Within Medical”, a medical wellness practice in New York City, that places emphasis on the mind-body and gut-brain axis to prevent and manage disease. Dr. Bishara discovered that the connection between these systems plays a significant role in disease prevention and management but it has not been adequately addressed.
COVID-19 and Children
Dr. Bishara recently published an article on the role of gut and probiotics on immunity and COVID-19. She shared that through research her team discovered that children have healthier guts than adults. This is due to the level of gut bacteria called Bifidobacterium. This type of bacteria decreases as we age. Dr. Bishara believes the reason children were less affected by COVID-19 is because of the levels of Bifidobacterium in their guts.
Although Bifidobacterium levels decline with age, in one particular study she cited, Bifidobacterium levels were found to be higher in Italian and Japanese centenarians than in the younger elderly population. Upon further research and study of centenarians in other countries, it was found that their diet and lifestyle played a major role. They were mostly vegetarians and for exercise they would walk over 30 minutes per day on a regular basis.
Dr. Bishara went on to say that the importance of our guts to prevent disease is nothing new. According to the Greek Physician and father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, “all diseases begin in the gut”. He made this statement over 2400 years ago.
Dr. Bishara believes that the Standard American Diet (“SAD”), is what’s destroying our immune system. In a recently published article on the CNN website titled “Poor diets threaten US national security — and it’s serious”, it stated that “46% of adults have poor quality diet and 56% of children and these numbers are highest in the minority, rural and low-income communities.” The article went on to say that “diet-related illnesses are harming the readiness of the US military and the budgets of the US Department of Defense and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Seventy-one percent of people between the ages of 17 and 24 do not qualify for military service, with obesity being the leading medical disqualifier,” citing numbers from a 2018 report.
Why isn’t there more focus on the Immune System
Dr. Bishara doesn’t know why the media or society as a whole isn’t shining a light on our immune system. She believes that the focus should be on prevention rather than treatment. She also believes that people want a quick fix and that we should go back to the basics, which is our food.
She also believes that a good place to start boosting your immune system is by taking a probiotic. Probiotics are live microorganisms that provide health benefits when consumed, generally by improving or restoring the gut flora. You can find large amounts of Bifidobacterium in probiotics.
Dr. Bishara went on to say that while she recommends we take a probiotic, there is nothing better than prebiotics, which is when we consume more fruits and vegetables, cut back on the high processed foods and eat more organic foods. If we did all these things, we wouldn’t need a probiotic.
The role of Vitamin D to support the immune system
I recently interviewed Dr. Joel Gould on my show. Dr. Gould suffered from Sleep Apnea and Crohn’s Disease. Through his research, he discovered patients with Sleep Apnea usually have low levels of Vitamin D, so he increased his Vitamin D intake and not only did his Sleep Apnea go away but so did his Crohn’s Disease. He also stated that 96% of the people who died from COVID-19, had low levels of Vitamin D in their bodies (20% or lower).
Dr. Bishara agrees with Dr. Joel Gould on the importance of Vitamin D to our immune system and how it plays a major role in our intestinal health.
During the early stages of the pandemic, New York City was considered the epicenter. During that time, Dr. Bishara noticed that the majority of COVID-19 patients had a BMI over 30%, which is considered obese. Dr. Bishara believes that COVID-19 is a disease that attacks our immune system.
Dr. Bishara’s advice to parents is to “invest in your health and invest in prevention versus treatment.” Dr. Bishara’s practice is located in the flatiron District of New York City. You can contact Dr. Bishara on Instagram and on Facebook @drchristineb or on her website at http://www.fromwithinmedical.com.
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