WHAT'S BUGGING YOU?

Maybe it’s your microbiome! My what? Yes, you have a microbiome, we all do! It is the community of microorganisms that inhabit our “inner-tube” (intestinal tract). You might know some of them some of their effects on us. If you’ve ever had food poisoning the likely culprits might be pathogenic “bad” (disease causing) microorganisms like E. Coli, Salmonella, Listeria or if you have taken antibiotics (drugs that kill microorganisms), you might have followed up with a group of “good” bacteria commonly called “probiotics” to help restore your gut balance to counter symptoms like diarrhea.

The microbiome world is being extensively researched and scientists are discovering that these organisms are playing a big, previously not understood role in our overall health and even weight.

I was at a lecture some years ago on human microbiota (what we call the inhabitants of the gut) and the presenter said that our personal microbiota makeup is as individual as our fingerprint. I found this absolutely fascinating! The balance of bugs in our gut is unique for each one of us and recent discoveries inform that the composition and balance of our gut has many influences.

​Here are a few interesting things to know about these bugs (bacteria and fungi) that live, not just in our gut, but actually throughout the body and how they affect us:
​

• They influence our immunity
• They influence our overall health
• They play a role in digestion and absorption of nutrients from the foods we eat
• They aid in the production of vitamin K and B vitamins in our body
• There may be a link between the gut microbiome and weight gain
• Links between certain gut bacteria and various cancers (colorectal, lymphoma are 2) have recently been found
• They play a big role in affecting our mental state by producing an array of neurochemicals used by the brain to regulate memory, learning and mood. About 90-95% of the body’s supply of Serotonin is produced by gut bacteria.
• The food we eat, the drugs we take, the environment around us, and our genes influence our microbiota balance.

Here are 3 simple things you can do to create a healthier, balanced microbiome and keep the peace and balance amongst the bugs so they don’t “bug” you:

1. Eat fermented foods like: sauerkraut, miso, yogurt with live cultures, kefir, kimchi, and pickled vegetables to naturally inoculate your gut with these good-for-you probiotic rich foods.
2. Avoid using antacids and proton-pump inhibitors as they encourage the growth of really bad pathogens like Clostridium difficile. If you are having issues with reflux, or excess stomach acid, try working with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist or other qualified health practitioner, expert in gut health restoration, that can help you resolve the root causes of these symptoms, rather than covering up the symptoms with drugs.
3. If you develop and infection that requires use of antibiotics, be sure to get on a course of probiotics once you finish the antibiotics in order to reinoculate your gut with the healthy little bugs again as quickly as possible to avoid developing gut-related problems.

Photos by Hal Gatewood and H E N G S T R E A M on Unsplash