Has anyone read or have comments about Joel Greene’s book the Immunity Code? I listen to a podcast that @Ben_Greenfield did with him. Some interesting views on how aging, weight and general health all seems to be governed by the immune system.
Please post the podcast you listened to so we can all check it out!
1 Like
Sorry, I had meant to post it!
1 Like
I bought the Infinity Code when it first appeared. I even got it as a pdf from him.
While I find Greene’s assertions a bit overstated (especially his added comments around COVID) and his organization of material often confusing, he tunes into some important things and even some things that he doesn’t fully appreciate.
To make sense of the book, I made extensive notes (almost a condensed version of the book). See attached.
Think of this as a preview.
I’ve long thought the gut microbiome and especially a leaky gut affected a wide range on auto immune disorders (for me, allergies and psoriasis) as well as inflammation, which can affect weight, insulin regulation, and much else.
Greene provides tools, approaches, protocols (many of them using food) that can help repair the gut and mitigate accumulated damage from things like antibiotic use.
As example, Greene discusses Akkermansia Mucinilpha:
There is one very specific bacteria most responsible for the health of your gut lining. It is called Akkermansia Mucinilpha. It is very difficult to feed directly, meaning, to provide what it needs to thrive. Apple skins are one of the only ways to feed Akkermansia. This is the first of several moves that will allow you to hack into real health via controlling specific immune cells.
He combines the use of apple skins with Human Milk Oligosaccharides.
STEERING MACROPHAGES 101
Begin Restoring the Gut Lining by Restoring Akkermansia Mucinilpha
Add this on to what you learned at the end of the last chapter. This is the first major step in learning to control immunity by steering populations of macrophages.
YOU NEED:
Some baby formula with HMO on the label (Human Milk Oligosaccharides) or you can order pure HMO on our website. You can get these in single serving canisters or if you have the powdered stuff it will work fine. The key is it says “HMO” on the label.
WHAT THEY ARE
HMO’s are specialized carbohydrates. They are the main carbohydrate in mother’s milk. Bifidobacterium longum and other key strains of Bifiodobacteria.
THE
Day 6-8: Skins of 4 apples + 1 scoop HMO powder
Day 9-12: Skins of 4 apples + 2 scoops HMO powder.When to take: mornings.
WHAT IT DOES:
The carbohydrate present in HMO helps steer immunity in the gut by driving macrophage types. We are steering macrophages in the most important tissue where they get compromised by restoring the gut lining…
The availability of Apple Skin Powder makes this even easier to implement.
For the most part, one can implement Greene’s interventions pretty easily.
I don’t see significant contraindications.
And they just might work.
5 Likes
Thank you for your thoughts @Alpha I am about half way through the book and agree with everything you have said! I like concepts outside of our traditional approach. I am not sure if Joel Greene meets the standard of “evidence based”, but appreciate someone willing to give an alternative to what seems at best to be perplexing to most. Also, I appreciate you passing on your notes on actionable items he suggests. I am trying the gut repair process with apple skins and HMO.
1 Like
I took a slightly more involved approach to resetting my gut microbiome:
- Bowel prep (as one would do to prepare for a colonoscopy).
- Greene’s “Daisy Cutter” protocol for a week.
- Apple skins and HMO.
- Maintenance with resistant starch (prebiotics)
& probiotics (I want to source enteric-coated probiotics).
This set of protocols vastly improved my allergies and psoriasis.
5 Likes