The Gut Microbiome
TL:DR
Look, I know what it’s like to scroll through seemingly countless pages of a foodie blogger’s life story when all you want is the recipe. (And yet, I continue to write paragraphs. Frankly, I just can't help it. Bless y'all for telling me you read these.) Anyway, here’s the short of it:
For a happy gut and brain, prioritize foods rich in probiotics, prebiotics, healthy fats, and lean, unprocessed sources of meat.
Easily digestible (pun intended) sources of information are: here, here and here.
And now, the whole shebang:
What is the Gut Microbiome?
Your large intestine is home to a collection of microbiota. Not just a collection, an army - estimated at 3.8 x 10^13, you have slightly more bacteria than total cells in your body! These bacterial buddies consist of both helpful and harmful varieties (symbiotic and pathogenic). In a healthy body, the mix lives harmoniously until a disturbance in the balance (catalyzed by infectious illness, dietary changes, a round of antibiotics, etc.) puts normal interactions at risk, resulting in greater susceptibility to disease.
While your small intestine easily absorbs simple sugars like glucose and lactose, complex carbohydrates (starches and fibers) travel down to the large intestine, where billions of bacteria go to work digesting them, and preventing pathogenic organisms that enter the body through eating and drinking. [Read more here.]
Your microbiome plays an enormously important role in your digestive system, obviously - but less evident is the incredible role it has in healthy immune, neural and endocrine function. It helps break down potentially harmful food compounds, and synthesizes vitamins, amino acids and neurotransmitters (think dopamine, serotonin, noradrenalin).
Tellingly, patients with psychiatric disorders have shown notable distinctions in the composition of their gut microbiome, and both psychiatric patients and healthy study participants have demonstrated improvements in mood and decreases in anxiety as a result of addressing the gut microbiome with probiotics, prebiotics and dietary changes.
When it comes down to it - as amazing as it is that bacteria in your gut can hold so much power - none of this should be surprising. We’ve all had butterflies in our stomach paired with a hint of digestive distress before athletic competitions, public speaking gigs, final exams, anxiety-inducing situations, whatever the event - we knew from a young age about the gut-brain-axis, before we knew it by name.
Alright, I get it. It's cool. It's powerful. It does a lot of stuff. Our next Marvel superhero should definitely be Microbiota Man.
Okay, you didn't say that last part, because your brain comes up with jokes that are actually funny. But you *are* wondering:
What does this have to do with eating?
Well, what you eat directly affects the nature, composition and function of your microbiome. And as we just established, your microbiome affects everything from your ability to digest certain foods to your mental health to immune function to neurotransmission.You probably already knew this, but regular dietary incorporation of probiotics, prebiotics and certain foods and spices can have a wonderfully positive influence on your tiny intestinal superheroes!
Probiotics are living bacteria, and we’re familiar with the fermented sources - yogurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut, etc. Fermented foods have been shown to increase microbiome diversity and stave off inflammatory proteins.
Prebiotics - mostly fibrous, indigestible carbohydrates - are the substrates that selectively enhance bacterial growth. You can think of eating prebiotics as feeding your gut microbiota! Garlic, leeks, legumes, soybeans, whole grains - a variety of fruits and vegetables all fall into this category.
It is important to keep in mind that certain foods do have the potential to harm your microbiome. Processed meats, hydrogenated oils, fried foods, refined carbohydrates - no bueno. Excessive use of artificial sweeteners, caffeine and sugar alcohols can also have deleterious effects. Leaner cuts of meat - chicken and fish - are easier to digest than red meat, and ginger, hemp, flax and chia are RD recommended for happy guts!
Okay friends, that’s it for this week - go ferment some veggies or tea, and enjoy your week!
