If you’ve been in to see me then you’ve probably heard me geek out about your microbiome. I can’t seem to stop talking about it! From vaginal and urinary tract infections to autoimmune conditions, hormone imbalances and mood/sleep disorders, the balance of your gut microbes directly influences how you feel in your body today.
Cultivating a healthy microbiome often involves an individually tailored protocol based on your specific food preferences, chemical exposures, and overall lifestyle. In my practice I care for each patient with a holistic blend of medical, nutritional, botanical, emotional and lifestyle approaches to help her feel empowered and excited about optimizing her inner ecosystem.
Curious why this is so important? Here are a few of the most amazing facts you may not know about your microbiome:
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Your microbiome refers to the population of organisms, mostly bacteria, that live throughout your body but primarily in your gut. Your microbiome is healthy when it contains plenty of beneficial bacteria, low numbers of harmful bacteria, and a broad diversity of various species. The microbiome is now being considered a separate “organ” with its own metabolism, immune system, and genome.
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The average human gut contains roughly 100 trillion microbes representing as many as 5,000 different species and weighing approximately 3 pounds. How about this visual? There are more bacteria in one teaspoon of stool than there are stars in the known universe. (Insert Bill Nye‘s mind blown GIF here 🤯).
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Microbes trigger our cravings for the foods that they specialize in digesting and suppress those that feed their competitors. They do this by producing toxins like LPS (an inflammatory chemical) that are released into our bloodstream, cross our blood brain barrier, and cause us to feel unease (headaches, agitation, anxiety and melancholy) that cause us to crave the sugar, salt and fats that comfort us in the moment but ultimately perpetuate the inflammatory cycle. They also alter our satiety signals (sense of being full and satisfied after a meal), hijack our vagus nerve functioning (the gut-brain connection), and alter our taste buds . So the next time you look down to discover you’ve gobbled up that entire bag of potato chips, kindly remind yourself that your microbiome made you do it.
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Certain harmful bacteria called Firmicutes absorb up to 30% more calories from the same food as friendlier bacteria like Bacteroidetes. This has borne out in studies when fecal transplants (yes, that’s exactly what it sounds like) are performed between overweight mice and lean mice, causing the lean mice to subsequently become obese despite no change in their exercise and dietary intake. In fact, over half of the antibiotics manufactured in the US are given to livestock animals to enhance growth and promote weight gain for this very reason.
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90% of our serotonin (one of our main happy chemicals) is made in the gut. Friendly bacteria produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) as a byproduct of digesting the carbohydrates that we eat, and these SCFAs stimulate serotonin production. Low counts or low diversity of the good guys means lower serotonin production which can exacerbate anxiety, depression, OCD, mania, PTSD, and memory problems.
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The rise in atopic conditions (asthma, eczema, allergies) and autoimmunity has been linked to the widespread reduction in the diversity of our microbiomes caused by human migration into cities and away from rural and farm settings, increased antibiotic use and sanitization of our homes, and reduced consumption of fermented foods.
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Studies have shown that gut bacteria have their own circadian clock and taking Melatonin at bedtime has been shown to improve symptoms of GERD and IBS, likely by allowing the bacteria to function optimally by synchronizing with the host’s circadian rhythm.
I find these connections fascinating but I realize they may also be daunting. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, let me give you the good news: you can dramatically influence the health of your microbiome through simple consistent daily choices, and I’m here to guide you. Convinced that you want to give your microbiome some love? Here are just a couple of my favorite ways to care for your friendly microbes:
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Eat the rainbow of whole foods. Each beautiful sun-kissed color of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains feeds different strains of beneficial bacteria, and eating a diet that includes all the colors builds the diversity of your microbiome. Aim for five colors a day. Start with strawberries and blueberries with breakfast, a salad with greens, lentils, and red onion for lunch and you’re already there!
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Fermented foods are an excellent way to provide a daily boost to those good guys. Before we had electricity and artificial preservatives to store our food safely for later consumption we fermented our harvests to prolong their shelf life. Not only was this practical, it meant that we regularly introduced friendly bacteria to our microbiome, and many modern diseases can be traced to the loss of this beneficial practice. Sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, and kefir are excellent foods to integrate into your daily meal plan. Look for refrigerated versions that are labeled "probiotic" or "live active cultures." If you’re feeling creative, check out this simple recipe for making your own sauerkraut at home.
Be Well,
Brita
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Citations
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