“Knowing what I know now and how important the gut is, I would have done things differently.” -Martha Carlin
Martha Carlin is a microbiome researcher and founder of BiotiQuest Probiotics and The BioCollective. Her journey into microbiome science began after her husband, John, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at just 44 years old.
Martha had a background in business turnarounds and systems analysis, so she did what came naturally. She started investigating.
That search for answers has now spanned 24 years and led her deep into the science of the microbiome, gut health, environmental exposures, inflammation, Parkinson’s, and chronic disease. Her work has led to collaborations with leading researchers, publications in medical journals, a TEDxBoulder talk, and an invitation to speak at the White House Microbiome Initiative.
Martha’s new book, CONNECTED: Love, Loss, and the Unseen Forces Behind Chronic Disease, tells the story of how her husband’s diagnosis and her relentless search for answers transformed her understanding of chronic disease.
This conversation hits close to home for me because my dad had many of the classic signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s later in life. I’m thankful for Martha’s passion and expertise in gut and brain health. Enjoy!
Watch our interview below, or listen to it on the Chris Beat Cancer podcast on iTunes or Spotify.
Show Notes
-Martha’s husband’s Parkinson’s diagnosis [2:38]
-An early warning sign of Parkinson’s [5:16]
-Getting to the root cause of chronic disease [6:50]
– How commercially grown food affects the gut microbiome [10:12]
-The connection between gut bacteria and Parkinson’s [11:48]
-How endurance exercise may affect gut health [14:41]
-Marathon running and colorectal cancer risk [16:43]
-How fiber and resistant starch feed good gut bacteria [17:25]
-Martha’s concerns about keto and low-carb diets [18:36]
-Alcohol and the gut microbiome [20:08]
-My dad’s neurodegenerative decline [20:49]
-What Martha would do differently today [23:38]
-Constipation as an early warning sign [26:10]
-A nutrition and lifestyle approach [29:18]
-Dairy, diet, and restoring a healthy microbiome [33:41]
-Antimicrobial properties of anticancer foods [35:01]
-How diet and fermented foods help support beneficial gut bacteria [40:08]
-The importance of clean water [45:25]
-Exercise, cycling, and movement for people with Parkinson’s [47:04]
-Singing, humming, and the vagus nerve [48:28]
-Oral health and the gut microbiome [49:14]
-Are microbiome stool tests worth doing? [51:40]
Connect with Martha:
Website: www.biotiquest.com
New Book: CONNECTED: Love, Loss, and the Unseen Forces Behind Chronic Disease
Substack: www.marthasquest.substack.com
The BioCollective
Instagram: @biotiquest
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I created a coaching program and a private online support community to help you survive and thrive through cancer. The SQUARE ONE Program contains the step-by-step strategies used by myself and many others who have healed cancer with a holistic approach using evidence-based nutrition and natural non-toxic therapies.
