Gut Feeling: Are you Taking Care of your Bacteria
The human gastrointestinal tract is lined with trillions of bacteria. These bacteria and all of their genes are collectively known as the human microbiome. They live in every portion from the mouth all the way to the other end. These bacteria are essential for proper function of multiple systems of the body from immune to brain and even hormone health. Because these little organisms are so important to our well being, the question has to be asked, how do we take care of them to optimize our health? We decided to break down some of the literature and give some actionable steps on how to take care of your gut health.
#1: Sleep
While it seems like an easy answer, sleep is actually vital to the health of our microbiome. Our microbiome is sensitive to the amount of stress we are under and managing that stress with proper rest helps revitalize our bacteria.
#2 Prebiotics and Probiotics
Prebiotics are foods that feed our microbiome while probiotics are actual live bacteria that can help colonize the GI tract. Increasing both pre and probiotics can have massively positive effects on the GI tract and subsequent overall health. Prebiotics are in most fruits and vegetables so consuming as many plants in your diet is always helpful. Some foods that are denser with prebiotics are dandelion greens, garlic, chicory root, onions and bananas. One must be careful with probiotics though since high doses of probiotics have been linked to the induction of brain fog. Since supplements in the US are not regulated by any governing body, make sure you trust the brand you purchase your supplements from.
#3 Eat Fermented Foods
Fermented foods are foods that have undergone controlled microbial growth. These foods are rich in bacteria, as well as prebiotics, and can have a massively positive impact on the gut microbiome as well as full body health. They can even decrease full body inflammation. It is important to note that eating fermented foods more often is better than eating massive amounts every so often. An approximate size of a serving of fermented food is 6 ounces. This means that your massive bottle of kombucha is best split over multiple settings so you have it more often. Examples of fermented foods are things like sauerkraut, plain yogurt, kimchi, kombucha, natto, or kefir. An easy way to know if you have a good fermented food is if you have to buy it in the refrigerated section in the store. Any fermented food that is shelf stable does not have live, active cultures in it and will not have the desired effects. An approximate size of a serving of fermented food is 6 ounces. This means that your massive bottle of kombucha is best split over multiple settings so you have it more often.
Rao, Satish S. C. MD, PhD, FRCP (LON)1; Rehman, Abdul MD1; Yu, Siegfried MD1; de Andino, Nicole Martinez ARNP1. Brain fogginess, gas and bloating: a link between SIBO, probiotics and metabolic acidosis. Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology: June 2018 - Volume 9 - Issue 6 - p e162 doi: 10.1038/s41424-018-0030-7
Wastyk, Hannah C., et al. “Gut-Microbiota-Targeted Diets Modulate Human Immune Status.” Cell, vol. 184, no. 16, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.019.
