PH level and microbiome balance & changes in inflammation in Long-Covid/ME?
Image generated with Midjourney by D. Troy Roach (28-02-2023)
PH level and microbiome balance & changes in inflammation in Long-Covid?
I am only at the beginning of this rabbit hole. I am still determining where it is going. All the things I am looking at might just be basic science that is boring for a microbiologist.
I might also be wrong on many levels! However, even if it is wrong, it might lead to a glimmer of insight somewhere in the search for answers? A piece of the puzzle?
Right now I just have a bunch of random points that seem connected but might not be...
Therefore, I will just list the points to see if anyone can help me make any connections:
1. My confusion over the presence of "Silent" Reflux (GERD) among many people with Long-Covid led me to this webpage which talks about LPR (https://www.refluxgate.com/pepsin).
2. In LPR the "bad" guy is pepsin, not stomach acid per se.
3. PPIs are not an effective long-term solution for LPR.
4. Pepsin is calmed down at a PH higher than 6.5.
5. The easiest way is alkaline water with Baking Soda (PH8).
6. However, it is good for the stomach to be acidic (PH2)... so it is not as easy as just adding Baking Soda to water.
7. Gargaling Baking Soda might help the mouth and upper respiratory (above the Larynx), but that will not help from the larynx down to the top of the stomach (esophagus).
8. Some Japanese ENT is using Zinc scrubbing to reduce inflammation in the nasal cavity and throat of ME and LC patients, but that does not help the esophagus either. Seems to have some benefit, but painful and requires lots of visits... and my Spanish ENT thought it was interesting, but "odd" since she sees easier benefits with meds.
9. Some indirect benefits of fasting and IF might be the "rest time" that the biggest system gets to relax and repair itself and adjust PH levels in the different regions.
10. PH levels of the various regions of the Digestive System (DS) sections are very different.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10421978/
11. Both antibiotics and fasting seem to benefit people with ME and LC. The wonderful researchers from the @remissionbiome project are going to get lots of data that will help improve our understanding of the antibiotic side... while letting us watch them do the research in real-time!
12. My first doubt: Are antibiotics beneficial to these diseases because they actively kill off "bad" microbes? Or might it have more to do with PH adjustment and regulation? BTW, Antibiotics do more, but that is not the point of this rabbit-hole rant😉.
13. Might Fasting, especially long fasts, arrive at similar results as antibiotics without the downsides?
14. My benefits (20% improvement) came from a 9-day fast while taking two antibiotics for Diverticulitis. What really helped me? The fast? The antibiotics? The fact that the digestive system could rest? The adjustment to the PH in my esophagus and intestines? A break from food that let the sphincter muscles of the Digestive System heal and work better at regulating PH? Maybe the reason is that a different PH helped the Vagus Nerve heal and to reduce the inflammatory/sympathetic signals from the brain?
15. Reading the experiments with Baking Soda lotions during the @remissionbiome project and the possible benefits to vagal tone seemed to be connected to this stream of thought, but I don't know how! A change in PH in any part of the Nervous System -- whether it be throught the skin or through the intestines -- is beneficial for improving vagal tone.
16. Looking at which foods are alkaline (high PH) vs acidic seems to correlate with most "healthy diet" recommendations for people with LC. Check out this list and graphic of food PH. Maybe these foods help keep the intestines (and the throat) alkaline, thus favoring a good microbiome?
17. This article gives an overview of how the PH changes through the digestive tract. It is interesting that my body seems to crave some peanut butter after eating. PB has a PH of about 6.5 and coats the mouth and throat on the way down. The mouth and throat have a PH of 6.8. Could the craving have something to do with the body balancing PH?
18. This website has articles on why PH is so important. It seems to be a wellness trend that people take too far towards alkaline by making the stomach too alkaline. It looks like they will be selling supplements, so we have to take what they say with a grain of salt! The key is to look for a natural balance. The stomach needs to be acidic and the intestines more alkaline. AND, anxiety (dysautonomia caused by Long Covid) can affect this balance! It is a two-way street in the gut-brain axis.
19. (added 24-03) When thinking of the microbiome people mostly think of the intestines. However, the mouth and bladder also have their own microbiome.
The Bladder:
1. He started to get an influx of patients with urinary issues.
Maybe this "texture" issue is the cause of so many gut problems? My acute Diverticulitis?
LC is a complex issue that needs a holistic approach.
Consultant Radiologist (Dr. Graham Lloyd-Jones @DrGrahamLJ) is working on advancing the theory that the Mouth is a key player in Covid. Follow him on Twitter for details on how to take care of your oral microbiome!
Is there a correlation between disease severity and the PH levels in one area of the body? Maybe in the back of the throat or in one or more sections of the intestines?
Maybe a pill that directs sodium bicarbonate to an area of the intestines without stopping at the stomach would be as beneficial as antibiotics or fasting in some cases?
And, it might also be important to look at PH levels in the mouth, esophagus, upper airways, bladder, etc while looking for the best way to correct the PH to optimal levels.
Or maybe the "Double Antibiotic" therapy is beneficial because the "rough/damaged" surface needs an extra strong cleaning?
My rant for today is done! Any input or correction is welcome! Also...feel free to ignore me! 😂😂😂
"Take care of yourself, and if you can, take care of someone else too." Stephen Dubner