Dr. Anna Toker

Your microbiome controls hormone processing through the estrobolome - bacteria that help your body balance estrogen and progesterone

Dr. Anna Toker, colorectal surgeon with 30+ years experience, explains that dysfunctional microbiome leads to estrogen dominance, which is what polycystic ovarian disease is - too much estrogen converts to testosterone disrupting fertility

80% of people are gluten sensitive, and gluten causes inflammation through zonulin which creates leaky gut

Dr. Toker observed in her practice that patients with IBS and belly discomfort had associations with bread intake, leading her to discover published literature showing 80% gluten sensitivity rates

Stress directly impacts the microbiome, and the most sensitive aspect affected is estrogen metabolism

Dr. Toker explains that the same thing causing anxiety in fertility patients is also affecting their fertility - the gut-fertility axis means stressed microbiome can't properly process hormones

Going completely gluten-free for 3-6 months is required - you can't intermittently cheat and have it work

Dr. Toker compares it to addiction recovery - you can't be sober if you drink a beer from time to time. The microbiome needs 3-6 months to heal from inflammation, similar to surgical wound healing timelines

Modern wheat is more inflammatory due to high fertilizer use and chemical drying versus traditional sun-drying

Dr. Toker explains that fertilizer increases gluten content in wheat kernels, and chemical spray-drying preserves maximum inflammatory compounds, while European sun-dried wheat breaks down much of the gluten naturally

Your microbiome becomes your child's microbiome - it's the first thing you can do for your child's health

Dr. Toker explains that the maternal microbiome is passed to the baby, not the father's contribution, making gut health critical for both 40 weeks of healthy pregnancy and the child's future health

Food cravings come from your microbiome, not mental weakness - bacteria send signals for dopamine in exchange for processed foods

Dr. Toker explains that when you crave a donut, your microbiome is sending signals to your brain promising dopamine release in exchange for the high sugar, fat, and seed oil content that feeds certain bacterial populations

You can cure anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and autism by correcting the microbiome through fecal transplantation

Dr. Toker states that in Europe they are doing fecal transplantation for these conditions, and you can cure schizophrenia with fecal transplant, but in America they prefer selling SSRIs instead

Cow dairy is inflammatory, but sheep and goat dairy is fine because their milk composition is nearly identical to human breast milk

Dr. Toker explains that when people say 'no dairy,' they mean cow dairy specifically - sheep and goat milk are easy to digest, so feta and sheep's milk ricotta are acceptable alternatives

Making a conscious decision about how you want to live allows you to have both career and family

Dr. Toker chose colorectal surgery specifically because it allowed regular hours to be home with her children, showing that women don't have to choose between career and family if they make strategic decisions