Skip to content
  • Home Home Home, current page.
  • Moments Moments Moments, current page.

Saved searches

  • Remove
  • In this conversation
    Verified accountProtected Tweets @
Suggested users
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Language: English
    • Bahasa Indonesia
    • Bahasa Melayu
    • Català
    • Čeština
    • Dansk
    • Deutsch
    • English UK
    • Español
    • Filipino
    • Français
    • Hrvatski
    • Italiano
    • Magyar
    • Nederlands
    • Norsk
    • Polski
    • Português
    • Română
    • Slovenčina
    • Suomi
    • Svenska
    • Tiếng Việt
    • Türkçe
    • Ελληνικά
    • Български език
    • Русский
    • Српски
    • Українська мова
    • עִבְרִית
    • العربية
    • فارسی
    • मराठी
    • हिन्दी
    • বাংলা
    • ગુજરાતી
    • தமிழ்
    • ಕನ್ನಡ
    • ภาษาไทย
    • 한국어
    • 日本語
    • 简体中文
    • 繁體中文
  • Have an account? Log in
    Have an account?
    · Forgot password?

    New to Twitter?
    Sign up
MicrobiomDigest's profile
Elisabeth Bik
Elisabeth Bik
Elisabeth Bik
Verified account
@MicrobiomDigest

Tweets

Elisabeth BikVerified account

@MicrobiomDigest

Science consultant, PhD. Microbiome, science integrity, image forensics. Scientific discussions should not be held in the courtroom. She/Goat 🐢💻🔬😼🇳🇱🇺🇸

San Francisco, CA
scienceintegritydigest.com/about/
Joined October 2013

Tweets

  • © 2021 Twitter
  • About
  • Help Center
  • Terms
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies
  • Ads info
Dismiss
Previous
Next

Go to a person's profile

Saved searches

  • Remove
  • In this conversation
    Verified accountProtected Tweets @
Suggested users
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @

Promote this Tweet

Block

  • Tweet with a location

    You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more

    Your lists

    Create a new list


    Under 100 characters, optional

    Privacy

    Copy link to Tweet

    Embed this Tweet

    Embed this Video

    Add this Tweet to your website by copying the code below. Learn more

    Add this video to your website by copying the code below. Learn more

    Hmm, there was a problem reaching the server.

    By embedding Twitter content in your website or app, you are agreeing to the Twitter Developer Agreement and Developer Policy.

    Preview

    Why you're seeing this ad

    Log in to Twitter

    · Forgot password?
    Don't have an account? Sign up »

    Sign up for Twitter

    Not on Twitter? Sign up, tune into the things you care about, and get updates as they happen.

    Sign up
    Have an account? Log in »

    Two-way (sending and receiving) short codes:

    Country Code For customers of
    United States 40404 (any)
    Canada 21212 (any)
    United Kingdom 86444 Vodafone, Orange, 3, O2
    Brazil 40404 Nextel, TIM
    Haiti 40404 Digicel, Voila
    Ireland 51210 Vodafone, O2
    India 53000 Bharti Airtel, Videocon, Reliance
    Indonesia 89887 AXIS, 3, Telkomsel, Indosat, XL Axiata
    Italy 4880804 Wind
    3424486444 Vodafone
    » See SMS short codes for other countries

    Confirmation

     

    Welcome home!

    This timeline is where you’ll spend most of your time, getting instant updates about what matters to you.

    Tweets not working for you?

    Hover over the profile pic and click the Following button to unfollow any account.

    Say a lot with a little

    When you see a Tweet you love, tap the heart — it lets the person who wrote it know you shared the love.

    Spread the word

    The fastest way to share someone else’s Tweet with your followers is with a Retweet. Tap the icon to send it instantly.

    Join the conversation

    Add your thoughts about any Tweet with a Reply. Find a topic you’re passionate about, and jump right in.

    Learn the latest

    Get instant insight into what people are talking about now.

    Get more of what you love

    Follow more accounts to get instant updates about topics you care about.

    Find what's happening

    See the latest conversations about any topic instantly.

    Never miss a Moment

    Catch up instantly on the best stories happening as they unfold.

    Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

    I am watching the #Interconnected documentary, episode 1, and - as expected - it is a mix of truth, extrapolated errors, and complete bullshit. The problem is that it is almost impossible to tell for the audience what statement belongs into which of these categories. (thread)

    2:33 AM - 28 Nov 2018
    • 56 Retweets
    • 168 Likes
    • Bettine Dr. Kat Milligan-Myhre ❄️ Martine R. RA Cartwright Dr Holly Jenkins Lulu Cthu Nicola Smith Nikos Tsardakas Renhuldt Aedin Culhane
    13 replies 56 retweets 168 likes
      1. New conversation
      2. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        You can find the episode here on YouTube, but it will only be free for 24h. So save it before it is gone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mhe0PmUIGI&feature=youtu.be …

        1 reply 1 retweet 10 likes
        Show this thread
      3. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        The documentary so far consists of a series of interviews with microbiome scientists, MDs, and people with degrees that look like they might have invented themselves. Some patients and writers of self-help books as well.

        1 reply 0 retweets 13 likes
        Show this thread
      4. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        Episode one introduces the microbiome, the communities of bacteria and other microbes that live in and on our bodies. It also tells how we are colonized from the moment we are being born, and how the gut microbiome is associated with many chronic diseases. So far so good.

        1 reply 0 retweets 12 likes
        Show this thread
      5. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        But there are some factual errors. Several "experts" in the documentary tell us that the microbiome members outnumber our cells 10:1. However, this is been debunked over 2 years ago. Current estimates are closer to 1:1. See the Sender paper:https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1002533 …

        1 reply 11 retweets 64 likes
        Show this thread
      6. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        At about 6 min in, we are told that Élie Metchnikoff coined the word "Dysbiosis". Again, incorrect. Although Metchnikoff described the concept of harmful bacteria, he never used that word. See this piece by @KBHooks and O'Malley:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5635691/ …

        2 replies 4 retweets 30 likes
        Show this thread
      7. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        At 36m, we hear that breastmilk is full of fructo-oligosaccharides. Not correct. FOS can be found in infant formula, but human milk does not contain fructose oligomers. See this piece by @Dr_LarsBode:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3406618/ …

        2 replies 3 retweets 39 likes
        Show this thread
      8. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        I am not an expert on sugars and breastmilk, so pinging @Dr_LarsBode or @DavidSela to correct me if I am wrong - does human breastmilk indeed contain fructo-oligosaccharides?

        4 replies 0 retweets 11 likes
        Show this thread
      9. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        The farther we get into episode 1, the more wild the statements are getting. At 53 min we are told that "The heart disease rates we think are normal in the modern United States, in the Modern World, are completely optional."

        1 reply 0 retweets 11 likes
        Show this thread
      10. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        This is overstated. Although the majority of heart diseases are prevented, that number is not 100%. Several forms of heart disease are congenital, or happen in people who live a healthy lifestyle.

        1 reply 0 retweets 19 likes
        Show this thread
      11. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        We are also told that "We know for a fact that 90 percent of cancer cases are caused not by genetics, not by bad luck, but by lifestyle, environment, and food." The correct number is lower, around 40-50%. See e.g.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.21440 …

        1 reply 1 retweet 28 likes
        Show this thread
      12. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        As a side note, I lost my sister 3 years ago to cancer. She did not smoke or drink, and regularly exercised. If someone tells me that all cancers and other chronic diseases are preventable, it makes me cry. It was not her fault.

        6 replies 3 retweets 65 likes
        Show this thread
      13. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        At 54m, there is this: "There are 10 times more bacteria than human cells. For every message from the brain going down to the gut (...) there are 9 messages from the gut going up to the brain, telling it what to do. (...) So who is running the show? It's the microbiome."

        2 replies 2 retweets 9 likes
        Show this thread
      14. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        Two errors here. 1. Ratio bacterial:human cells is now estimated to be 1:1. See above. 2. Ten times more bacteria does not necessarily mean 10x more bacterial messages to the brain. Completely extrapolated BS.

        1 reply 6 retweets 57 likes
        Show this thread
      15. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        This is followed by this pearl: "We are going to get through the next 3 decades - a completely different species is coming out at the other side. Because it can't be our species. Our species is poof! going down, fast. "

        1 reply 0 retweets 16 likes
        Show this thread
      16. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        I have no words here. This doctor, an MD for goodness sake, is claiming that 30 years from now, the human species will have morphed into another species. That is not how evolution works. Not in 30 years.

        2 replies 2 retweets 46 likes
        Show this thread
      17. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        We are now 1 hour in, and the founder of the "Theranos of Microbiome Companies" (coined by @phylogenomics ) is being interviewed. Let's see what he has to say.

        2 replies 0 retweets 18 likes
        Show this thread
      18. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        NJ: "Pancreatic cancer is caused by the gut microbiome. Breast cancer is caused by the microbiome. Research from just 2 weeks ago shows that liver cancer is caused by the gut microbiome."

        1 reply 0 retweets 8 likes
        Show this thread
      19. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        There are some recent studies that show that gut microbiome from pancreatic or liver cancer patients appears to interfere with anti-tumor activities #InMice models of cancers. See e.g. http://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6391/eaan5931 … andhttp://cancerdiscovery.aacrjournals.org/content/8/4/403.long …

        1 reply 0 retweets 10 likes
        Show this thread
      20. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        But it is a big extrapolation to say that the gut microbiome causes those cancers in humans. These mouse models are bred to get cancers at a very high rate, and it is not clear how this is related to the human forms of these cancer types.

        1 reply 0 retweets 27 likes
        Show this thread
      21. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        Oh, here is a new pearl at 1.02. "To find out that the microbial life can intelligently figure out the difference between a cancer cell and a human cell and induce the opposite response with their mitochondria, you start to realize, we're barely human." #facedesk

        2 replies 1 retweet 16 likes
        Show this thread
      22. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        Let's try to break this down into little digestible pieces of BS. 1. microbial life is not intelligent. They do what they do, but they don't really think about it. 2. A human cancer cell is a human cell too. 3. Assuming we talk about gut bacteria - they don't have mitochondria.

        1 reply 1 retweet 30 likes
        Show this thread
      23. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        OMG, this same doctor, an MD, is saying the weirdest things. He is talking with a smirk on this face that is trying to convey that he know his shit. Instead he is talking shit. Let's continue to listen at 1.03 in the video:

        1 reply 0 retweets 14 likes
        Show this thread
      24. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        ZB, MD: "To be human and alive, you have 20-30-40 thousand species of bacteria, 5 million species of fungi, 300 thousand species of parasites, speaking to the mitochondria within your cells, to coordinate constant repair." Wait - what?

        2 replies 0 retweets 14 likes
        Show this thread
      25. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        Maybe this MD is confusing cells with species here? but more correct estimates are that we have 500-1000 bacterial species in our gut, and maybe another 500 in mouth/skin. OTU estimates are often super-inflated if not corrected for sequence errors.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_microbiota …

        1 reply 1 retweet 19 likes
        Show this thread
      26. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        And I have no idea where this MD got his numbers of fungi and parasite species from. We might have 1 or 2 dozen at the most. Are there even 5 million species of fungi in the world? This sounds like an MD who is mainly full of himself.

        3 replies 0 retweets 15 likes
        Show this thread
      27. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        The documentary ends with a slide showing the most egregious puzzle pieces of BS, nicely put together for us all to read. Let's call them the "Puzzle pieces of nonsense". None of the bullet points on this slide appear correct - but please tell me if I am wrong.pic.twitter.com/Z66ejVO1dL

        Puzzle pieces with nonsense
        7 replies 5 retweets 19 likes
        Show this thread
      28. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        The presenter of the documentary concludes this episode at 1.13 stressing how important this information is for you, your family, and loved ones. You can watch it for free. But only for 9 days. Then, he will take it off-line.

        1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes
        Show this thread
      29. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        If the presenter was really doing this to help us, to share information that Big Pharma is not sharing with us, then it does not make much sense to only make it free for 9 days. He is doing it to make money.

        1 reply 1 retweet 14 likes
        Show this thread
      30. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        It's fine to want to make money, but to first claim that people don't want to share information because they want to make money, and then to take your information offline to make money does not make much sense.

        2 replies 0 retweets 10 likes
        Show this thread
      31. Elisabeth Bik‏Verified account @MicrobiomDigest 28 Nov 2018

        Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this reporting - for free! Taking off now, and let's stay .... #Interconnected.

        7 replies 1 retweet 47 likes
        Show this thread
      32. End of conversation

    Loading seems to be taking a while.

    Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.

      Promoted Tweet

      false

      • © 2021 Twitter
      • About
      • Help Center
      • Terms
      • Privacy policy
      • Cookies
      • Ads info