Summary
Overview
Colleen Cutcliffe, microbiome scientist and founder of Pendulum, joins the podcast to discuss the fascinating world of gut bacteria and its impact on health. The conversation explores how microbes influence everything from metabolism and obesity to mental health and food sensitivities, while addressing the challenges and opportunities in making probiotics that actually work. Cutcliffe shares insights from her research on specific strains like Akkermansia muciniphila and their role in maintaining gut health, along with personal stories about building her company and partnering with Halle Berry.
The Microbiome Revolution and Early Seeding
Cutcliffe explains how babies acquire their initial microbiome through vaginal birth and breastfeeding, with crucial implications for lifelong health. She discusses how early antibiotic exposure in infants can lead to increased risks of obesity, diabetes, allergies, and other chronic conditions. The conversation reveals how we've only been studying the microbiome seriously for about 25 years, since DNA sequencing technology enabled us to identify these bacteria. The hosts and Cutcliffe explore the controversial topic of fecal transplants and their remarkable success in treating C. diff infections.
- Babies get their first microbes through vaginal birth, primarily fecal matter, followed by breast milk which provides prebiotics
- Babies on antibiotics before 6 months are more prone to obesity, diabetes, allergies, depression, ADHD, Crohn's, and celiac disease
- Microbiome science is only about 25 years old, enabled by DNA sequencing technology
- Fecal microbiome transplants have a 97% success rate for C. diff infections versus virtually no success with antibiotics
- Akkermansia muciniphila is only found in mother's breast milk in nature
" 88% is the stat that was given to me of people are metabolically unhealthy. Right. So if we're talking specifically about metabolic health, first of all, we don't need anybody to tell us like obesity and diabetes. This is a massive global problem that is not actually getting better, even though we have lots of products out there. "
" The shame. And then also we had a customer, I got a chance to talk to him and it was an awesome story. So he's basically like, look, I have always had an addiction to sugar. I have always had a sweet tooth. That's just me. That's just my weakness. So then he started taking Pendulum Glucose Control. He said, I just want to tell you, I just went through Christmas and I could sit at a table with a plate full of cookies and I didn't eat a single one. He broke down. He's like that wasn't me that was my microbes sending signals to my brain that I should eat sugar. "
Building Pendulum and Partnering with Halle Berry
Cutcliffe shares the origin story of Pendulum, sparked by reading a paper about antibiotics and childhood obesity while her premature daughter had food sensitivities. The conversation covers the challenges of building a probiotics company with real science, including the difficulty of getting beneficial bacteria past stomach acid to the colon. She describes her unexpected partnership with Halle Berry, who was managing her own diabetes and became an investor and communications officer after experiencing results. The discussion reveals the importance of packaging and branding in getting people to try scientifically validated products.
- Cutcliffe started the company after reading that babies on antibiotics early in life are prone to obesity and diabetes
- Her premature daughter had been on antibiotics and developed food sensitivities
- The Mayo Clinic has invested in Pendulum, and the product is recommended by over 30,000 healthcare practitioners
- Halle Berry discovered the product through Cleveland Clinic and her A1C dropped by two points
- Berry helped redesign packaging after initial version was difficult for men with large hands to open
" I had a preemie, two months premature, and she had been on antibiotics and all this stuff in the hospital before I took her home. And she was in elementary school at that time. And she had these food sensitivities that nobody else had. And I was like, this is the march towards diabetes. "
" She basically said, look, I love this product and what you've built and it's helped me. And I know it could help a ton of other people, but you don't know anything about building a brand. And I know I'm kind of like good at that. And so I'd love to help you. How can I help you build the brand, this company and build awareness around it? "
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