Gut Health: How Managing your Microbiome can Enhance your Health
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, it seems like we are told every other month that there is some new terrifying threat to our health… and a great deal of the time, it’s just a gimmick to get us to buy useless supplements. Yes, the secret is out… not all health threats are all that threatening. However, there is one area of health that we have recently become hyper-aware of as a society, and it happens to be one that holds a great deal of validity: gut health. Gut health has swept the health and wellness world by storm- for good reason! Gut health plays a massive role in our lives, whether we like it or not, and it’s our job to make sure our digestive health is on the right track.
What exactly is gut health?
Plainly speaking, gut health involves the many microorganisms that live in your digestive tract and ensure it runs smoothly. The main focus of optimal gut health is to ensure that there is a healthy balance of the bacteria, yeast, and viruses that live there. This collective of microorganisms is referred to as a microbiome, and about 100 trillion microorganisms live and thrive in our gut microbiome, most of them bacteria. That might sound a little gross, but these bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa play integral roles in our overall health and keep us feeling our best. It’s been found that, while our genetics can play a role in our gut microbiome, environmental factors such as nutrition and drug use play the largest role in determining the livelihood of our gut health. To really understand the vast effect of the microorganisms that live in our gut, you have to understand how complicated they are; the human genome, or the DNA sequence that makes humans what they are- is made up of about 2,300 genes, whereas the microbiome encodes over three million genes. That means there are over three million genes in your gut that have one sole purpose: keeping you healthy!
What all does our gut health impact?
While it might just seem like our gut microbiome affects just our digestion, the truth is far, far more complicated. Gut health can affect multiple aspects of physical and mental health, many of which might surprise you!
Body Weight Maintenance
For one, gut health and obesity seem to have a clear relationship; it’s been found in multiple studies that low microbiota diversity correlates with long-term weight gain. Even more studies have discovered that there is a correlation between excess body fat and a microbiota imbalance, also known as dysbiosis. A study performed recently in the UK showed that the bacteria genus Christensenella is rare in the microbiome of those with excessive body fat, and when this particular genus was given to mice, the mice experienced lower amounts of weight gain. It’s been noted that seemingly random weight fluctuations may be a direct impact of poor gut health.
Sleep
It’s no surprise that sleep plays an important part in many aspects of health, and gut health is certainly no exception. Poor gut health can contribute to sleep disturbances, worsen insomnia, and even lead to chronic fatigue. The neurotransmitter serotonin, which plays a large role in sleep regulation and mood, is produced in the gut, so when gut health is poor, your sleep may suffer, as well. Even more concerning is the potential for poor sleep habits to contribute to the development of fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by musculoskeletal pain all over the body.
Immunity
One of the most important aspects of health that our gut microbiota is influenced by would be our immune system functioning. Gut health plays a tremendous part in our immune system, and as such, as our gut health controls our body’s reaction to injury and sickness. In a recent interview, the assistant professor of pathology at John Hopkins, Dan Peterson, noted that, “A huge proportion of your immune system is actually in your GI tract.” It’s been found that gut bacteria can play a role in the development of a number of diseases and conditions, such as cancer; a link has been found between the development of colon cancer and the gut microbiome, the immune system, and the epithelial cells that line the colon. In addition, lowered gut diversity has been linked to many diseases and conditions, such as both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, atopic eczema, and psoriatic arthritis. Disruptions of gut microbiota have also been linked to systemic inflammation and improper immune functioning; it’s amazing to consider the diverse affects your gut can have on the rest of your health!
Mental Health
Gut health and mental health are tied together in a number of ways. As mentioned previously, serotonin is largely produced in the gut, and due to its tremendous impact on mood, an unbalanced gut can lead to dramatic mood alterations. Dysbiosis (a microbiota imbalance) and gut inflammation also has been shown to be factors of causation for several mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression.
Digestive Functioning
And of course, gut health can have a clear impact on digestive functioning. An imbalanced gut microbiome may cause constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, gas, and bloating, due to an inability to absorb nutrients and eliminate waste.
How do I improve my gut microbiome?
There are plenty of ways to improve your gut health, and many of these changes will help more than just your gut! To help your gut (and your body in general) function in tip-top shape, try…
Keeping hydrated.
Water can help promote a healthy balance of gut bacteria, and generally speaking, hydration plays an important role in all aspects of physical health.
Taking a pre/probiotic.
These supplements can help improve gut health, but not all created equal- try talking to your healthcare provider to see if pre/probiotics are right for you. There is recent evidence suggesting that probiotics can promote mental health as well as gut health due to the close link between the two!
Reducing sugar/processed food intake.
Added sugars have been shown to decrease the number of good bacteria in your gut, as have highly processed foods. While sugar can be wonderful in moderation, one might want to avoid excessive amounts of sugar if they are concerned about the balance of their gut microbiome.
Slowing down when you’re eating
Slowing down your food intake can help ensure that you’re absorbing all the nutrients your food provides and promotes gut health. You want to make sure all of the microorganisms in your gut are getting the nutrients you need.
Eat more fiber.
Fibrous foods have been demonstrated to have a beneficial effect on gut health and promote the nourishment of good gut bacteria.
·Eat more fermented foods such as sauerkraut, yogurt, and kimchi.
Fermented foods are an excellent source of probiotics and have been repeatedly shown to improve gut health. Kombucha, a fermented tea drink, has been shown to have an excellent effect on the gut microbiome.
Making sure you’re getting enough sleep!
Not getting enough sleep can have a number of serious impacts on your health, especially your gut health. Try to ensure you’re getting at least 7 hours of restful sleep a night in order to see the benefits restful sleep can offer.
Don’t forget to focus on gut health!
It can feel incredibly overwhelming to know what to focus on to improve your health and wellness, but improving your gut health is a wonderful place to start. Seeing as your gut health plays a role in not only digestive function, but also body weight maintenance, sleep habits, immunity, and mental health, it’s an excellent idea to check on your gut health and ensure you’re doing your best to keep a healthy balance of gut microorganisms. Simple changes in dietary and lifestyle habits can completely alter your bodily functioning for the better. Remember, a healthy, happy life starts with a healthy, happy gut!
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5641835/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3448089/
https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k2179