What is the Microbiome and Why is Gut Health so Important?

The terms “healthy gut” and “Microbiome” have become a hot topic in recent years. There has been a lot of research and studies surrounding this part of our body, but what is the microbiome and why is gut health so important for our overall health and wellness?

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The human body is made up of trillions of microbes. Most of them live in our gut, specifically the large and small intestines. We have so many microbes in our makeup as humans; in fact, they outnumber our human cells by about 10:1. (2) There are other areas on the body that microbes live, such as the skin, but experts find that up to 95% of these microbes reside in the gut. With these kinds of numbers, we can almost say that bacteria may be in control.

What Are Microbes

Before we dive deeper, let’s explore what microbes are exactly. Here is a simple explanation. The microbes are tiny living things found all around us and are too small to be seen by the naked eye. They live in water, soil, and the air. They are referred to as microorganisms when they live in the human body. (1) The most common Microbes consist of bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

Each individual’s microbiome is unique to them. A lot of this depends on genetics, early exposure to certain microbes, our environment, and our diet. Right from birth, babies receive certain microbes from their mothers. Interestingly, studies have indicated that babies born vaginally have a lower risk of infection than those born by cesarean. This is partly due to the infant being exposed to microbes in the birth canal, having an early impact on their microbiome. During early development, a diet high in processed foods, as well as sugar and gluten, as opposed to one of the nutrient-dense foods, will have a lasting impact on the development of “gut health” for years to come.

Bacteria and Gut Health

Bacteria play a vital role in maintaining gut health and the microbiome. So let’s take a closer look at these little one-celled organisms. Most bacteria are not harmful to humans. In fact, we need certain bacteria in our gut for proper digestion, metabolism, weight regulation, immunity, and brain function. Basically, your gut interacts with your brain, your immune system, your heart, etc. Yeah, pretty much everything. So when the balance of bacteria and other microbes is off, this will affect an individual systemically, causing mood disorders, fatigue, GI distress, heart conditions, and even autoimmune diseases. (3)

Do I dare say that all chronic illnesses can be circled back to the gut? I can’t because I don’t have the credentials to make that statement, but many other physicians and scientists have. There is plenty of research-based evidence out there pointing in this direction, and it may be time for us to seriously consider that our lifestyles and diets may be responsible for just about everything that’s ailing us.

Balancing the Microbiome For Gut Health

 I know that that you have already heard that foods like fruits and veggies are good for you, but let’s take it a step further and explore why good nutrition really is the center of good health and, in this case, a healthy gut. You probably learned early that we eat food; the food is digested and then turned into fuel for energy, and what we do not need is filtered out as waste. However, more and more research shows that our digestive systems are far more responsible for our overall health and wellbeing than we ever gave it credit for. Our gut produces essential nutrients needed by our bodies, such as vitamin B, for example. Furthermore, you can be eating all of the most nutrient-dense foods known.

Still, if your gut is not healthy and balanced, you may not be absorbing any of those important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants you are trying to feed yourself through your diet.

As I mentioned, much of the microbes in our gut we actually need. Balancing these is crucial to a healthy gut microbiome. Let’s take bacteria, for example. The beneficial bacteria in our body are needed for proper digestion, including the absorption and assimilation of the nutrients that our body needs to function properly. A healthy microbiome is very diverse; however, even with this diversity, it thrives on stability. There are “good” bacteria, and then there are “bad” bacteria. Keeping these in a harmonious balance is crucial. When we alter this balance, it causes dysbiosis. This is basically microbial imbalance and happens when the “bad” bacteria or other microbes outnumber the “good” microbes or bacteria.  

Good vs. Evil

It’s good vs. evil in the gut. Dysbiosis occurs when the “good” become outnumbered. This will cause inflammation and eventually intestinal permeability (how easily substances pass through the intestinal wall). It is also known as leaky gut.

Over time, this imbalance can lead to a hefty list of problems. Some of these include decreased immunity,  anxiety and depression, IBS, leaky gut, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, coeliac disease, obesity, asthma, autoimmune diseases, to name a few. Furthermore, evidence indicates that you have a better chance of developing a chronic illness from an unhealthy gut than genetics.

The good news is, you can easily change your microbiome for better gut health. You can literally begin to experience results in just 24 hours. So, where do you start? First and foremost, we need to look at your diet. When trying to fine-tune what foods to eat, it becomes helpful to find out what foods may be not making you feel so great. Because everybody is different, it varies from person to person. To read more about foods that might be “energy stealers,” check out this post here.

What to Remove from Diet

First and foremost, there are things you may need to eliminate from your diet. This is the quickest way to get your gut back on track and start feeling better.

Processed foods and sugars– Should be the first foods to eliminate.  These foods are wreaking havoc in your gut and throughout your body. The quicker you eliminate these types of foods, the quicker you will see improvement. The longer you don’t consume these products, the less you will want to have them.

Fried Foods– These contain high trans fat content. Buttery and creamy sauces and desserts and fatty cuts of meat fall into this category as well.

Soy- once regarded as healthy food; however, the high processing that soy undergoes has changed how it affects the body.

Dairy– even if you are not lactose intolerant, dairy may be causing unwanted inflammation in the gut, preventing your digestion and overall gut health.

Red meat– can promote the growth of “bad” bacteria and can also negatively impact your health in other ways. The other issue with red meat is the source. If the animal has been pumped with antibiotics (which has many other issues surrounding it) and GMOs, you are then consuming that.

Gluten– again, even if you’re not officially intolerant to gluten, this protein has been found to cause inflammation in the gut, leading to weight gain and insulin resistance.

GMOs– AKA Genetically Modified Organisms. Over the years, these have gotten a bad rap. And, with good reason. The consumption of GMOs can significantly reduce the “good” bacteria population in your gut—the biggest culprits; wheat, soybeans, and corn.

Farmed Fish– while seafood is generally rather good for you, you need to stay away from the farmed variety. The use of antibiotics in raising these fish kills healthy bacteria in the gut.

Nightshades– this is a particular plant family that contains glycoalkaloids, which have been shown to cause intestinal inflammation, which can lead to a syndrome called “leaky gut.”

Artificial Sweeteners- stop using them. These cause negative changes to the gut, glucose intolerance, and higher rates of metabolic disease. They have also been linked to cancer. (5)

Learn more about chemicals in food in this article here. And enroll in my Gut Health and Brain Connections Series by clicking the image below.

Add to your Diet

Fermented foods – add into your diet to help increase those good bacteria, while promoting good digestion, increased immunity, decreased unwanted weight. These include yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, sourdough bread, fermented sausage, pickles, and some beer and wine.

Foods high in fiber – another key component when getting your gut health back on track. This is a healthy carb but increases slowly because if you start eating lots of them all at once, your digestive system may have trouble adjusting, resulting in gas and bloating. Fiber will assist digestion and help move foods through your intestinal tract, promotes blood sugar control, decreases high cholesterol, to name a few. It is also a natural prebiotic. Some foods high in fiber include fruits, whole grains, some veggies, beans, quinoa, oats, almonds, chia seeds, and dark chocolate.  

Fruits– are a great way to start getting your gut back on track. Many are high in antioxidants as well.

Once you’ve eliminated the foods that are not benefiting you and then add fiber, fermented foods, and fruit, it’s time to start introducing foods that will start benefiting and building a healthy gut. These are known as foundational foods. They are nutrient-dense, packed with much-needed vitamins and minerals. Some examples are; broccoli, asparagus, garlic, seaweed, dandelion greens, barley, cacao, chickpeas, and oatmeal. (6) These foods will help balance your microbiome and improve your gut health.

To read more about how to balance your plate for a more healthy way of eating, check out this article here.

Stress and Gut Health

When the central nervous system activates our stress response, our heart rate speeds up, blood pressure increases, respirations become quicker, and hormones are released into our bloodstream; adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol. Blood flow is then routed away from our digestive system and moves to our arms and legs. This was a survival mechanism for humans when needed to run from danger, i.e., a bear. The problem is that our brain does not know the difference between the stress from running from a bear or being overloaded at the office with a deadline to meet. The same response occurs. When we are continuously in stress mode, the system is constantly activated, leading to immune responses and inflammation. Overall, stress has an overall negative effect on our health. There is no way we can be absolutely stress-free in our lives, but the key is to find ways to manage stress properly.

Moving Your Body

Not only does exercise help with proper digestion and stress reduction,  but it also may help to increase beneficial bacteria in your gut. When you exercise, you increase your core temperature in your body. reduces blood flow to the intestines, which could lead to more direct contact between gut microbes and immune cells in the mucus of the gut—and has the potential to shift microbial composition, increasing beneficial microbes. (7)

Probiotics and Prebiotics

So what about probiotics and prebiotics? Sometimes you hear these terms used interchangeably, but in fact, they are very different. However, probiotics and prebiotics make a great pair.

You may have heard of probiotics as being good bacteria, such as lactobacillus. This is true and make up all of the live microorganisms that provide benefit to our bodies. Taking a probiotic creates a better gut environment that supports our gut health and immune systems. Some probiotics are more effective than others. For instance, if you’re relying solely on your diet, and eating things like fermented foods and yogurt, be careful not to choose the pasteurized varieties because this can kill those bacteria. Also, when choosing a probiotic supplement, you must be careful not to choose one with a bunch of fillers in them. This will do nothing for you and might even make matters worse.

I have used Glorious Gut by Truvani in the past, and it’s a great product. It has 15 species of beneficial bacteria to help turn your micropia around. It is soy-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, non-GMO, and Vegan. They also have a Gut Health Bundle that includes the glorious gut, digestive enzymes, and wild-caught marine collagen.

Currently, I am using a bundle by a company called Plexus. They have revolutionized gut health, and their Triplex bundle is a powerful, three-product system that gets your gut get back into balance so you can thrive!

Whatever products you use, be sure to do your research and not take something that is just full of fillers and does nothing, or worse, makes your gut health worse than it already is.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are the nutrients we get from food that the beneficial or “good” bacteria feed on surviving and do their jobs. These are soluble fibers and found in plant-based foods. This list of foods provided by the heart foundation is a good source of prebiotic benefits:  (4)

• asparagus
• garlic
• onions
• wheat
• chicory
• Jerusalem artichokes
• tomato
• barley
• honey
• rye
• milk (human and cow’s milk).

Note that most fruits, vegetables, and legumes contain some prebiotic. When trying to balance your microbiome and get your gut health back on track, you may need to eliminate certain foods, such as dairy and gluten, and reintroduce them later. When introducing them again, be intuitive as to how it makes your body feel. Sometimes a detox when eliminating is your best bet to cleanse your gut completely.

The bottom line is, when we don’t have a happy microbiome, we don’t feel good. It can alter our mood and leave us with no energy. We then experience disrupted sleep. We can’t think and concentrate clearly. When we take care of our microbiome, we can achieve good gut health. We have a happy body, and we are happier individuals.  

If you need help, please reach out to me and book a complimentary discovery call.