Discover the Impact of the Microbiome on Your Health with the Documentary *Hack Your Health* on Netflix
Can you imagine that your medicine could be someone else’s feces?
Re-poop-ulating your gut
The Netflix documentary Hack Your Health: The Secret of Your Gut presents in a graphic and educational way a topic we’ve been studying since the founding of NutriWhite and one you’ll always hear about on our social media and in NutriWhite Consultations: how the microbiome directly influences your health.
For that reason, we highly recommend this documentary!
The documentary also highlights the functions of the microbiome (Gavin A. Kuziel, Seth Rakoff-Nahoum, 2022):
- Digestion of fiber from fruits and vegetables
- Modulation of the immune system
- Modulation of appetite
All of this is connected to 21st-century chronic diseases, body weight and eating behavior, cancer, neurological disorders… among others.
The microbiome also produces neurotransmitters, vitamins, and short-chain fatty acids—all substances that influence not only intestinal transit but also your mood and immune system (Zheng, D., Liwinski, T. & Elinav, E., 2020).
This entire community of microorganisms living in your gut, when imbalanced, can become a major factor in the development of chronic diseases—the most common across the Americas, as cited in the documentary itself.
For example, in the current U.S. population:
- 42% have obesity
- 11% have diabetes
- 47% have high blood pressure
- 11% have food allergies
One of the hypotheses discussed in the documentary is that we have lost many species of gut microbes due to the inflammatory diet—they’ve gone extinct.
60% of the standard American diet is ultra-processed; this affects the microbiome, the immune system, and in turn, the brain.
The documentary presents 4 case studies that aim to show how the microbiome influences health.
What we liked about what the documentary says about the microbiome:
1 – It presents several cases showing how the microbiome influences each individual:
Case A) A patient with eating disorders, who initially had anorexia nervosa and now struggles with orthorexia. She works as a chef and has even earned a Michelin star. She reflects: “I restricted my microbiome for so long that I’ll probably always have issues with food.” This highlights that just as she restricted energy and nutrients for herself, she also deprived her friendly gut microbes of what they needed.
Case B) A patient who binge-eats hot dogs: “I’m Japanese, but I eat like an American, and that damaged my body.”
This patient participates in eating competitions and mentions that he no longer feels hunger or fullness. His diet is also extremely low in fiber. The documentary shows that if you don’t consume fiber, your microbiome begins to consume you—specifically your intestinal lining—leading to gut dysbiosis.
Changes in your microbiome result in changes in appetite regulation (Smitka K, 2021).
Case C) A patient with obesity: This patient also studies her microbiome, and the documentary emphasizes how essential it is to understand that it’s not as simple as having just one type of bacteria increased or decreased—because they don’t act alone. They are a large ecosystem working together.
The documentary even highlights the functions of some specific species:
- Prevotella copri being reduced makes it harder to lose weight
- Eubacterium biforme is associated with the production of an intestinal hormone that contributes to satiety
That’s why at NutriWhite, we use tests that not only evaluate pathogenic microbiota but also the full spectrum of species that may be present in your gut—allowing us to personalize the type of probiotic to replenish and determine the right moment to do so.
Case D) A patient with constipation: This patient is the central focus of the documentary, showing how the gut microbiome can directly influence an individual's health.
She underwent a fecal transplant to alter her microbiota by introducing that of her donors. Her first donor was her brother, who has acne—his sample helped improve her constipation, but it caused her to develop acne as well.
Later, she tried using a sample from her partner, who has depression. After the transplant, she began to experience symptoms of depression herself and ultimately chose to return to her brother’s sample.
What we didn’t like about the Netflix documentary:
1 – They emphasize fiber, but not which source is right for each person:
Before introducing fiber, you need to know whether your gut is ready for it. In the 3R Immunonutrition Protocol, for example, we emphasize fiber from friendly, easy-to-digest foods: whole fruits and vegetables. Depending on your gut’s condition, we may initially recommend consuming them cooked to improve digestibility and reduce bloating, and then gradually introducing them raw based on your tolerance—always paired with good hydration, such as marine plasma, and the supplements your NutriWhite Ambassador may specifically recommend to support you through this process.
2 – There’s an inconsistency in the case of the Japanese patient:
This patient eats hot dogs and, despite not feeling hunger or fullness, it's reported that his microbiome doesn’t seem to change—despite a diet lacking fiber from fruits and vegetables.
3 – The concept of “microdosing” food doesn’t work for everyone:
Even in small amounts, if a food is harmful to your gut—causing food sensitivity or negatively impacting your microbiome—we wouldn’t recommend including it until your gut has healed.
Do you know your food sensitivities?
4 – The “homemade” way fecal transplants are shown:
This is a medical procedure and should not be performed in a kitchen. The donor’s microbiome must first be studied, and samples should be prepared in controlled conditions, since you can actually experience the donor’s symptoms. Additionally, the transplanted microbiota needs to be nourished with gut-friendly foods.
“An apple is not the same for everyone. It’s not about the food—it’s about the person eating it.”
In conclusion, we do recommend the documentary!
But we also encourage you to take a detailed look at your symptoms and aim not just for a temporary fix but for a lifestyle change. Most importantly, evaluate each recommendation carefully with the support of specialists in your NutriWhite Consultation. We can help you!
REFERENCIAS:
- The gut microbiome Gavin A. Kuziel, Seth Rakoff-Nahoum, 2022
- Smitka K, Prochazkova P, Roubalova R, Dvorak J, Papezova H, Hill M, Pokorny J, Kittnar O, Bilej M, Tlaskalova-Hogenova H. Current Aspects of the Role of Autoantibodies Directed Against Appetite-Regulating Hormones and the Gut Microbiome in Eating Disorders. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021 Apr 19;12:613983. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2021.613983. PMID: 33953692; PMCID: PMC8092392
- Zheng, D., Liwinski, T. & Elinav, E. Interaction between microbiota and immunity in health and disease. Cell Res 30, 492–506 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-020-0332-7
- Han H, Yi B, Zhong R, Wang M, Zhang S, Ma J, Yin Y, Yin J, Chen L, Zhang H. From gut microbiota to host appetite: gut microbiota-derived metabolites as key regulators. Microbiome. 2021 Jul 20;9(1):162. doi: 10.1186/s40168-021-01093-y. PMID: 34284827; PMCID: PMC8293578.
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