Loving your microbiome – it matters!

I see lots talk these days about loving yourself. One part of our selves that often gets neglected is your microbiome.

What is your microbiome?

Your microbiome is the collection of all of the microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses that naturally live on our bodies and inside of us. In our gut alone, we have around 500 strains of bacteria and yeasts, with trillions of individual microorganisms – more than we have cells in our body – and weighing more than any of our individual organs. The word “microbiome” comes from micro – meaning small- and biome, meaning community. These microorganisms function as a community, indeed, each strain with a different contribution to make to the community and its’ host.

Was I born with this microbiome?

Well, we do not yet know if there is a microbiome in the uterus, but we suspect there could be. For the most part, we believe your first contact occurs during birth, as you pass through the birth canal you pick up microbes from your mother. As you are handled by hospital staff, your parents and relatives, you pick up more. Breast milk provides exposure to even more microbes, in addition to your mother’s immune cells. It is thought that as more babies are born by cesarean section and are formula fed, there has been an increase in diseases like asthma, eczema and allergies in kids. We are obsessed with cleanliness, which limits microbe exposure. Some children also get a lot of antibiotics for illnesses like ear infections. This has resulted in more cases of c difficile in children.

What does your microbiome do?

These microorganisms crank out compounds that support the health of the host (that’s YOU!) including:

• Butyrate and other short chain fatty acids, important for lowering colon pH and for muscle function
• Vitamins like B12 and K
• Neurotransmitters including GABA, glutamate  and serotonin
• Antibiotics (yes, they make them to keep you healthy)

In addition, your microbiome also does lots of other helpful things that keep you healthy, such as:

• Creates a barrier to bad bacteria, viruses and yeasts by competing for space and nutrients
• Breaks down toxic material found in foods and created by bad microorganisms
• Influences immune system function by making antibodies and signaling immune cells
• Helps your endocrine system function by producing hormones
• Regulates inflammation
• Supports gut wall integrity by maintaining tight cell junctions

What kinds of things happen when your microbiome is damaged?

Dysbiosis, the condition of having reduced gut flora diversity, is associated with numerous physical conditions, including the following:

• ADHD
• Autism
• Allergies and asthma
•  Mood disorders including depression and anxiety
• Obesity
• Inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome and celiac disease
• Skin disorders such as acne and eczema
• Chronic constipation or diarrhea
• Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
• Diabetes
• New data suggests that tumors may have their own microbiome and those organisms may facilitate metastasis, the spread of cancer to other organs.

That’s a pretty hefty list! David Perlmutter, M.D. discusses these problems in detail along with strategies for nourishing the microbiome in his book “Brain Maker- The power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your brain – for Life” Brain Maker – David Perlmutter M.D. (drperlmutter.com).

What causes dysbiosis?

Healthy people have a diverse microbiome; meaning that there are lots of different strains of bacteria and yeasts. This diversity is key: we know that when you look at people living in different countries, that their diversity can be very different. For example, here in the US our microbiomes are shifted towards a majority of firmicutes. These bacteria are really good at extracting nutrients and are thought to contribute to obesity. In developed countries, we are more likely to use antibiotics, eat processed foods loaded with additives and chemicals such as pesticides, drink chlorinated water, and be exposed to environmental contaminants, like BPA and phthalates. Our commercial meat supply (beef, pork, chicken) is laced with antibiotics, as these promote growth and therefore profits, in livestock production. All of these things take a toll. Add in a couple infections requiring antibiotics, and your microbiome can be decimated. That is what happened to me.

On the other hand, in developing countries, people’s microbiomes show more diversity, with more bacterioides species and less firmicute species than ours. They eat less food overall and less processed food, and take fewer antibiotics. They have far less dementia and Alzheimer’s disease than we do and obesity is much less common.

What can I do to promote the health of my microbiome?

Your gut flora needs to be nourished, so simply feed it good stuff. Soluble fiber, found in fruits, grains and vegetables support your microbiome. As discussed previously Your microbiome buddies – the benefits of taking probiotics – Health, Hope, Healing (healthhopehealing.net) these “pre-biotics” are abundant in a plant-based diet. Stick to organic foods. Organic grains, fruits and vegetables will be free of pesticides and other harmful chemicals. And avoid GMOs: these fruits, vegetables and grains were genetically modified to be grown WITH pesticides and herbicides. Organic meats have not been subjected to antibiotics. Avoid environmental contaminants such as BPA and phthalates. Use glass for food storage, don’t heat food in plastic containers, avoid drinking chlorinated water and ditch plastic drinking bottles (I love my Klean Kanteen! www.kleankanteen.com), opt for healthy indoor ventilation, use HEPA filtration when vacuuming, and keep plenty of houseplants around.

For your education and entertainment, here is a link to a really cool 5-minute video, produced by National Public Radio about your microbiome:

Exploring The Invisible Universe That Lives On Us — And In Us : Shots – Health News : NPR

Enjoy!

Next time, I will be sharing with you how to find reliable health information online.  See you again soon!

Microbiome (nih.gov)

The Microbiome | The Nutrition Source | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health