Who is in Your Gut? Adventures in the Microbiome

There are more bugs in your body than there are human cells. We are only 43% human by cell count! We are each host to 100 trillion bacteria, living in our guts. And it doesn’t end there either. Fungi and viruses, as well as other microscopic party-goers, are hanging out alongside the over-1,000 different species of bacteria.

The total weight of the microbiota in our gut is the same as the weight of the human brain, and given what we now know, that’s no coincidence. The gut-brain axis is increasingly being recognized as the second brain. These microbes are not just along for the free ride, inactive stowaways living off our undigested crumbs. The microbiome is increasingly seen as a hidden and chemically diverse endocrine organ, helping to manage many more body processes than ever considered.

When the microbiome is out of balance, when normally dominant species are underrepresented, it leaves space for harmful bacteria, normally contained, to increase in numbers. This is called dysbiosis and has been associated with infection and decreased general immunity, as well as insulin resistance, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, decreased immune response, fatigue, anxiety, and depression.

Modern science is well aware of the role of the microbiome above and beyond keeping a person regular and producing important compounds like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and vitamin K. The big news is how much involvement the gut has in blood sugar management. An out-of-whack gut can contribute to insulin resistance and a balanced microbiome can help manage blood sugar.

Diversity in the microbiome can be supported by following an eating plan heavy in plants, and one that contains fermented foods such as sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, or the above-mentioned kombucha. The plants represent food for the microbes and are called both prebiotics and postbiotics. The fermented foods, containing probiotics, provide microbial backup to support the established ecosystem.

A balanced microbiome starts from the moment of birth. Actually, it begins on the path out of the birth canal. Happy colonization of the intestines continues with breast milk, exposure to environmental bacteria, and the introduction of food. The benefits of a balanced intestinal atmosphere result not only in the physical benefits of comfortable digestion, appropriate insulin sensitivity, and general increased immunity, but extend to the emotional realm as well. 

There is a noted relationship between the intestinal population and stress, anxiety, and depression. This impact is bidirectional; the microbes change to help cope with stress while at the same time, the population number and diversity change in response to stress. Changes to the microbiome can happen quickly, which can be bad news after a bout of food poisoning. It’s also great news if your goal is improved health. 

It is also important to know that by ingesting an adequate amount of probiotics, a person can help to increase the number of other beneficial bacteria already comfortably living within the digestive tract. Much like the military sends reinforcements in order to strengthen the troops already on the ground, when a person consumes probiotic foods or a probiotic supplement, they may be taking ten to twelve species, but the ultimate effect is an increase in the thousand species and strains already hard at work. 

When pursuing improved health, remember that physical health isn’t more important than mental health and that the goal is not to trade one type of pain for another. The only effective pursuit of health takes into account a holistic concept of the human condition and its various and unique needs. Focus on including beneficial foods, rather than excluding groups of food. Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, miso, tempeh, kefir, and traditionally fermented pickles support the healthy population of the microbiome. Foods high in insoluble fiber, resistant starch, inulin, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), and galactooligosaccharides (GOS) help to feed and maintain the intestinal population.