{"podcast":{"title":"Health Optimization Medicine Podcast","slug":"health-optimization-medicine-podcast-5954129","podcast_index_feed_id":5954129,"rss_url":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/454677/rss","website_url":"https://sites.libsyn.com/454677","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/3/0/2/b/302b19774bea706416c3140a3186d450/HOMe_Podcast_-_Libsyn.png","author":"Health Optimization Medicine and Practice","episode_count":185,"summary":"The Health Optimization Medicine Podcast is dedicated to offering one-cent solutions to life's $64,000 questions across health optimization, decision-making, consciousness, performance, and human potential. Produced by Health Optimization Medicine & Practice (HOMeHOPe) and Smarter Not Harder, Inc., the makers of Troscriptions, this podcast bridges rigorous science with real-world clinical application. Each episode features in-depth conversations with leading researchers, clinicians, and original thinkers, including Karl Friston, Donald Hoffman, Anna Lembke, Adam Robinson, and Dominic D'Agostino. Together, they explore how small, precise interventions can create meaningful and lasting impact. Hosted by: + Dr. Ted Achacoso, founding pioneer of HOMeHOPe and Smarter Not Harder, Inc. + Dr. Scott Sherr, COO of HOMeHOPe and Smarter Not Harder, Inc. + Boomer Anderson, CEO of HOMeHOPe and Smarter Not Harder, Inc. + Jodi Duval, principal naturopath, formulator at Revital Health in Perth, Australia, and CEO of HOMeHOPe Australia New episodes every Wednesday. Previously published as the Smarter Not Harder Podcast (SNH Podcast).","last_synced_at":"2026-07-23T06:18:33.154681+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/health-optimization-medicine-podcast-5954129"},"episode":{"title":"The Gut-Brain-Microbiome Axis: Understanding Depression, Serotonin, & Probiotics | HOMe Podcast #019","slug":"the-gut-brain-microbiome-axis-understanding-depression-serotonin-probiotics-home-podcast-019","published_at":"2026-07-22T15:30:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/health-optimization-medicine-podcast-5954129/the-gut-brain-microbiome-axis-understanding-depression-serotonin-probiotics-home-podcast-019","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/health-optimization-medicine-podcast-5954129","url":"https://672d8edf-a640-45ce-ac61-cd5f898a7b27.libsyn.com/the-gut-brain-microbiome-axis-understanding-depression-serotonin-probiotics-home-podcast-019","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/672d8edf-a640-45ce-ac61-cd5f898a7b27/HOMe_Podcast_019.mp3?dest-id=3824325","summary":"In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Dr. Ted Achacoso, Dr. Scott Sherr, Dr. Allen Bookatz, Dr. Jup Kuipers, and Jodi Duval take a deep dive into the gut-brain-microbiota axis. Moving past the simplistic, pathogenic \"pill-for-an-ill\" approach of conventional psychiatry and the mainstream hype around over-the-counter probiotics, the faculty breaks down why establishing enteric safety must always precede biochemical optimization. Join us as we delve into: The Tripartite Axis: How the enteric microbiota, gut barrier, and central nervous system communicate at a molecular and metabolomic level to dictate brain state and mood. Epigenetic Signaling: How gut microbes act as active metabolic factories, fermenting dietary fibers into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate that cross the blood-brain barrier to upregulate BDNF and support synaptic plasticity. The IDO Serotonin Hijack: How gut-driven inflammation activates indolamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), shunting tryptophan down the kynurenine pathway to produce neurotoxic quinolinic acid instead of serotonin and melatonin. The Microglial Fire: How circulating cytokines cross the blood-brain barrier at the circumventricular organs, placing the brain's microglia into an active defense state that triggers cognitive fatigue and brain fog. The 3-Phase Gut-Brain Protocol: Why seeding probiotics into inflamed soil fails, and how to logically sequence clearing overgrowth, rebuilding mucosal integrity with L-glutamine, and seeding validated strains. This episode is for you if: You are running on high-dose over-the-counter probiotics for mood issues but feeling no relief or worsening symptoms. You want to understand the exact cellular and biochemical mechanisms connecting leaky gut to leaky brain and psychiat…","meta_description":"In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Dr. Ted Achacoso, Dr. Scott Sherr, Dr. Allen Bookatz, Dr. Jup Kuipers, and Jodi Duval take a…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1938,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/health-optimization-medicine-podcast-5954129/episodes/the-gut-brain-microbiome-axis-understanding-depression-serotonin-probiotics-home-podcast-019/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/health-optimization-medicine-podcast-5954129/the-gut-brain-microbiome-axis-understanding-depression-serotonin-probiotics-home-podcast-019.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}