WGS 2018: Food At The Core Of Future Of Wellbeing

As the world population currently increases to 4.3 births every second, adding economic, environmental and social pressure to our planet, and with an unprecedented occurrence of autoimmune diseases and obesity, addressing health and healthcare issues is becoming increasingly critical. This was the key message put forward by Dr. Robynne Chutkan, a pioneer in the field of integrative gastroenterology and the founder of the Digestive Center for Wellness, on day two of World Government Summit (WGS 2018) in Dubai today.

During her session, entitled ‘The Microbiome: Bidding Farewell to Medication’, Dr. Chutkan explained how, following the huge shift of people from farm to factory, autoimmune diseases have increased drastically. Studies into the sky rocketing rates of asthma and eczema in children show that those from larger families, exposed to higher number of microbes from siblings and increased access to nature, have lower rates of autoimmune diseases, compared to those children from affluent households who live in a more sterile environment.

“We see that countries with more aggressive hygiene practices, with wide spread chlorination of water and antibiotics in food have a far higher rate of autoimmune diseases. We are literally scrubbing away our essential microbes and ruining our own ecosystems, and our ability to prevent and fight diseases,” said Dr. Chutkan.

Dr. Chutkan went on to explain how, while antibiotics have revolutionized the practice of medicine saving millions of lives every day, increased use of antibiotics is strongly linked to the development of autoimmune diseases and obesity. “Just five days of broad spectrum antibiotic use will remove one third of gut bacteria. Those missing microbes never come back in the same robust way as they were there initially. By addressing the overuse of antibiotics, we can reduce the occurrence of autoimmune disease and obesity. And through focusing on our diets, improving our microbiomes and immune systems, we will have less need for antibiotics and will positively influence the likelihood of developing autoimmune diseases and obesity.”