University of Phoenix Science Discussion

1. REFLECT: Before your start this discussion, do a bit of reflection on the topic. Before you go any further, take a moment to jot down what you know or have heard about the gut microbiome. It may help to do this in a word document so you can use it in a moment.

2. FIND SOME HYPE: Next, I’m going to ask you to do something I normally wouldn’t recommend. Take to Google and find some bad nutrition advice. Try searching for information on diet and the gut microbiome that has the hallmarks of bad nutrition advice / pseudoscience. (Links to an external site.) (Some potential keywords to look at: (Links to an external site.)diet [or nutrition] and gut health, diet [or nutrition] and the microbiome, microbiome testing, restoring the microbiome, supplements to restore gut health)

3. WATCH: AFTER steps 1 and 2, watch the Ted Talk – What do we know about the human microbiome? by Brian Beckhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvau3ChvUzU

WRITE: (250-300 word minimum), address the following points:

• Describe what you knew or had heard about the microbiome before you started
• Briefly discuss the “microbiome hype” you found in your internet search. What kind of promises or claims are being made? Why are skeptical of these promises?
• What did you learn after watching the video? How does this compare to what you had heard/believed before watching? How does this compare to the website your found?
• Brian Beck says to be “curious but cautious”. What does this mean to you? Do you think this is a good approach? Why or why not?