ReversABLE

What happens when the foundational microbes responsible for helping establish the infant gut microbiome begin disappearing?
In this episode of ReversABLE, Josh Dech sits down with microbiome researcher Stephanie Culler to explore one of the most overlooked factors in lifelong health: what happens to the gut microbiome during the earliest stages of life.
Stephanie shares findings from the My Baby Biome study, described as the largest U.S. study of the infant gut microbiome, including the striking observation that 25% of babies in the study had no detectable Bifidobacterium at all. Even more concerning, the team found that approximately 76% of babies had low levels of these foundational bacteria, with low or absent levels by age two associated with substantially higher risk of conditions such as food allergies, eczema, and asthma.
The conversation breaks down why Bifidobacterium—particularly Bifidobacterium infantis—matters, how human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) act as specialized prebiotics, and how microbial metabolites can influence immune-system development and inflammation. Stephanie explains how antibiotics, C-sections, feeding practices, ultra-processed foods, low-fiber diets, and broader modernization may be reshaping the infant microbiome across generations.
Josh and Stephanie also explore whether the microbiome can be "rewilded," why some bacterial strains may be better adapted to the modern gut than older commercial strains, and the potential implications for adult gut health and inflammatory disease. They discuss research into microbiome restoration using targeted combinations of Bifidobacterium strains and HMOs.
The episode also tackles a surprisingly nuanced question: is there one ideal diet for the microbiome? Stephanie explains why different microbiome configurations may respond differently to fiber-rich, mixed, or carnivore-style diets—and why personalized nutrition may ultimately depend on the microbial ecosystem already present in an individual's gut.
For parents, prospective parents, and anyone interested in gut health, inflammation, the microbiome, immune function, and root-cause approaches to chronic disease, this conversation offers a provocative look at how early microbial exposure may influence health for decades to come.
 
TOPICS DISCUSSED:
The Infant Microbiome And Loss Of Foundational Bifidobacterium
Bifidobacterium Infantis, HMOs, Immune Development, And Inflammation
Modernization, Antibiotics, C-Sections, Formula, And Ultra-Processed Foods
Whether The Microbiome Can Be Restored Or "Rewilded"
Stephanie's My Baby Biome Research And Microbiome Mapping
Implications For Adult Gut Health, Crohn's, Colitis, Cancer, And Inflammatory Disease
Microbiome-Adapted Bacterial Strains And The Persephone Product
Diet, Fiber, Fermented Foods, Plants, And The Carnivore Debate
Pregnancy, Maternal Microbiome, And Transmission To The Infant
Microbiome Conservation, Extinction, And Banking Lost Species
 
More from Stephanie Culler:
Website: persephone.bio Instagram: @persephone.bio
TikTok: persephone.bio
 
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If you're bloated after eating, reacting to seemingly "healthy" foods, struggling with constipation or diarrhea, or living on an increasingly restrictive diet, the problem may be more complicated—and more fixable—than simply identifying the foods you're "sensitive" to.
In this episode of ReversABLE, Josh Dech sits down with gut-health practitioner Hannah Aylward for a deep conversation about food sensitivities, elimination diets, the microbiome, digestion, inflammation, and the search for root cause.
Hannah explains why she doesn't recommend relying on IgG food sensitivity testing and how these tests can potentially create unnecessary food fear, particularly when gut-barrier function is compromised. Instead of continually eliminating foods, the conversation explores what may be happening upstream: impaired digestion, low stomach acid, digestive enzyme and bile issues, microbial imbalance, gut-barrier dysfunction, and the gut-brain connection.
One of the most important themes is that there may not be a single "root cause." Hannah describes a layered approach in which several dysfunctions can interact, meaning the food someone reacts to may be a clue rather than the fundamental problem.
The episode also explores why some people struggle to tolerate fiber-rich foods, why traditionally "gut-healthy" foods such as bone broth, collagen, sauerkraut, garlic, onions, and vegetables aren't necessarily right for everyone at every stage, and why a resilient microbiome should ultimately allow someone to tolerate a wider variety of foods.
Hannah shares her own experience of spending nearly a decade on an elimination diet, dealing with severe bloating and food fear, and eventually discovering that there were deeper factors affecting her gut health—including digestion, microbial balance, environmental exposures, and the nervous system.
Finally, Josh and Hannah discuss stress and the gut-brain connection, including why "it's just stress" can be an incomplete explanation. Stress can influence digestion, stomach acid, bile, motility, and gut-barrier function—meaning psychological and physiological health cannot always be separated.
If you've tried elimination diets, probiotics, supplements, or "clean eating" and still don't understand why your gut isn't improving, this episode offers a different way to think about the problem: stop asking only what you're reacting to, and start asking why.
 
TOPICS DISCUSSED:
Food Sensitivities, Intolerances & Allergies
IgG Food Sensitivity Testing And Why Hannah Doesn't Recommend It
Root Causes Behind Food Reactions
Elimination Diets, Food Restriction & Restoring Food Tolerance
Gut Microbiome, Microbial Diversity & Fiber Tolerance
Hannah's Personal Journey With Chronic Digestive Issues And Restrictive Eating
Low Stomach Acid, Digestion, Enzymes, Bile & SIBO
Carnivore Vs. Plant/Fiber Approaches And Individualized Nutrition
Gut-Brain Connection, Stress & Nervous-System Regulation
Mold Exposure, Environmental Factors & Broader Systemic Contributors
 
More from Hannah Aylward:
Website: hannahaylward.com Instagram: @hannahaylwardhhc
TikTok: HAN | Functional Gut Health
Facebook: HAN - Hannah Aylward Nutrition
Listen To Hannah's Podcast: The NUTRIENT DENSE Podcast
Take The Gut Health Root Cause Quiz For Free: Root Cause Quiz
Book A Strategy Call With Hannah: HAN Free Strategy Session
 
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In this provocative episode of ReversABLE, Josh Dech sits down with physician Dr. Tom Cowan for a wide-ranging conversation about disease, scientific reasoning, the heart, viruses, bacteria, environmental exposures, hormones, and the assumptions underlying conventional medicine.
Cowan describes his unusual path into medicine, including 37 years in family practice, and explains the philosophy that drives much of his work: rather than immediately trying to determine what is true, first investigate whether the original claim has actually been demonstrated.
That framework takes the conversation into controversial territory.
Cowan challenges conventional explanations surrounding viruses and germ theory, using examples involving polio, measles, SARS-CoV-2, bacteria, antibodies, and laboratory procedures. He argues that some commonly accepted demonstrations of causation do not establish what they are claimed to establish. These are among the most contentious claims in the episode and are presented as Cowan's perspective rather than settled medical consensus.
The discussion then shifts into physiology, where Cowan challenges the conventional description of the heart as a pressure-propulsion pump. He presents his theory of the heart as part of a vortex-based circulatory system and connects that concept to blood flow, pressure differentials, tissue-level physiology, and electrically charged water.
Josh and Tom also explore mold, parasites, bacteria, environmental toxins, EMFs, inflammation, and the question of whether the presence of a microorganism necessarily establishes it as the root cause of illness.
One of the most compelling themes throughout the conversation is critical thinking: separating observation from interpretation, correlation from causation, and established evidence from assumptions.
For anyone interested in gut health, chronic illness, inflammation, the microbiome, immune system, root-cause health, functional medicine, or simply questioning how medical conclusions are reached, this episode offers a conversation designed to challenge your assumptions—and encourage you to investigate the claims for yourself.
 
TOPICS DISCUSSED:
Viruses, Virology & Germ Theory
Scientific Methodology, Claims, Causation & Critical Thinking
The Heart As A Pump Vs. Vortex-Based Circulation
Polio, Measles & Changing Disease Definitions
Bacteria, Mold, Fungi & Parasites As Alleged Disease Causes
Water, Electrical Charge & "Fourth-Phase"/Gel-Like Water
Environmental Toxins, Pesticides, Arsenic & Chemical Exposure
Antibodies, Autoimmune Disease & Immune-System Assumptions
Hormones, Testosterone, Insulin & How Biological Substances Are Identified
 
More from Dr. Tom Cowan:
Website: drtomcowan.com Instagram: @talkinturkeywithtom_
Facebook: Dr. Tom Cowan
Youtube: Talkin' Turkey with Tom
X: @drtomcowan
Dr. Tom's Foods: drcowansgarden.com
Dr. Tom's Medicine: drtomcowan.com
Dr. Tom's Clinic: newbiologyclinic.com
 
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In this episode of ReversABLE, Josh Dech sits down with board-certified clinical nutritionist Inna Topiler, who has spent nearly two decades working in the thyroid and Hashimoto's space. Together, they explore the deeper connection between gut health, inflammation, the microbiome, immune-system regulation, and thyroid function.
The conversation begins with an important distinction: Hashimoto's is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the thyroid. Inna explains why she believes addressing thyroid hormone alone may not tell the whole story and why identifying potential immune triggers can be an important part of a root-cause investigation.
Josh and Inna then explore the gut–thyroid connection, including digestive symptoms, chronic infections, microbial imbalances, intestinal permeability, nutrient absorption, liver and gallbladder function, and thyroid hormone conversion. Inna describes four broad categories of potential triggers she looks at with clients: food, infection, toxins, and stress.
The episode also gets into why someone can have thyroid-related problems without obvious digestive symptoms, why Inna says the vast majority of her thyroid clients have some form of gut issue when investigated more deeply, and why she believes different "thyroid types" may require different approaches.
You'll also hear a practical discussion about diet, food sensitivities, comprehensive stool testing, nutrient status, water filtration, stress management, nervous-system regulation, and the dangers of randomly experimenting with supplements.
If you're dealing with Hashimoto's, hypothyroidism, chronic gut issues, inflammation, fatigue, brain fog, or autoimmune concerns, this conversation offers a systems-based perspective on why the gut and thyroid may need to be considered together.
 
TOPICS DISCUSSED:
The Gut–Thyroid–Immune-System Chicken-And-Egg Relationship
Hashimoto's Triggers: Food, Infection, Toxins And Stress
The Thyroid's Role Throughout The Body And Its Connection To Gut, Liver, Gallbladder And Metabolism
Thyroid Types And Thyroid Hormone Conversion
Diet, Stool Testing, Gut Infections And Functional Investigation
Stress, Nervous-System Regulation And Reframing
Testing For Hashimoto's And Looking Beyond TSH
Water, Plastics And Environmental Exposures
Nutrients And Supplement Strategy
 
More from Inna Topiler:
Website: innatopiler.com Instagram: @innatopiler
Facebook: Inna Topiler
Listen To Inna's Podcast: Thyroid Mystery Solved Podcast
 
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Chronic bloating is one of the most frustrating gut health symptoms—especially when you've already eliminated gluten, dairy, sugar, processed foods, or other suspected triggers and still feel swollen after meals.
In this episode of ReversABLE, Josh Dech explores the potential contributors to persistent bloating and why simply removing more foods may not always address the root cause. The conversation examines five food categories discussed in the episode: gluten and refined carbohydrates, dairy, sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners, ultra-processed "health foods," and highly fermentable foods such as legumes and cruciferous vegetables.
The discussion then moves beyond diet into the mechanisms that may contribute to chronic digestive symptoms. These include stomach acid and digestion, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), gut motility, the gut-brain connection, stress, and the relationship between the nervous system and digestive function.
A central theme is the idea of looking beyond individual foods toward the broader gut health "terrain"—including the microbiome, digestive function, nutritional status, inflammation, and other factors that may influence how someone responds to food.
The episode is particularly relevant for people dealing with ongoing bloating alongside IBS or other chronic digestive complaints who feel as though they've already tried every elimination diet available.
Josh also discusses why some foods commonly promoted as healthy can be difficult to tolerate during periods of digestive distress, and why personalized assessment can be more useful than endlessly restricting the diet.
Importantly, several physiological and treatment-related claims made in the episode should be interpreted in the context of current medical evidence rather than as universal explanations for bloating.
TOPICS DISCUSSED:
Five Major Food Categories Associated With Bloating
Why Bloating Can Persist After Eliminating Trigger Foods
Stomach Acid, Digestion, And Acid-Blocking Medications
SIBO And Bacterial Fermentation In The Small Intestine
Stress, Vagus Nerve Function, And Gut Motility
 
If you have Crohn's, Colitis or Diverticulitis, be sure to check out my second podcast: Reversing Crohn's and Colitis Naturally.
 
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