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Your Microbiome

How can so many functions of the body depend on one part – our intestines? The collection of bacteria living in and on our body has been dubbed the ‘microbiome’ and consists of about 100 trillion bacterial cells, the highest concentration of which is in your gut. In scientific circles, having a wide diversity of these bugs is being increasingly understood as essential to many aspects of health and it’s probiotics along with prebiotics that help you get these healthy bacteria.

Through multiple studies researchers have concluded ‘The composition of the microbiome and its activities are involved in most, if not all, of the biological processes that constitute human health and disease.’ They linked gut bacteria to digestion, immunity, memory, weight, skin health, Irritable Bowel Disease (IBS) and even autism.

The vast majority of us have a depleted microbiome to begin with because of the Western diet (high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, processed foods, unhealthy fats, chemicals and artificial ingredients), stress, poor sleep and antibiotics. Combined these conspire to wipe out a large swath of our beneficial bacteria (also known as probiotics). In fact, just one course of antibiotics can leave your gut bacteria weaker for up to four years. What does that mean for weight? If our microbiome doesn’t contain enough friendly species of bacteria we may extract more calories from the foods we do eat, leading to weight gain, whatever our diet. Moreover, bacteria interact with hormones in our guts that regulate appetite, such as leptin and ghrelin.

An optimal bacteria balance is also fundamental to the functioning of the enteric nervous system – also known as the second brain – which is located in the gut. This is responsible for producing chemicals that affect our mood (hence ‘gut feelings’) such as serotonin – 95 per cent of which is produced in the bowels. Research is now linking prebiotics and probiotics to positive mental health.

Balance

Of the 100 trillion bacteria living in our gut, the ideal balance is 85 per cent good (probiotics) to 15 per cent bad (pathogens). But this balance can be upset by caffeine, processed foods, artificial ingredients, stress, antibiotics and medications. Plus as we age, the natural decrease in our stomach acid (essential for the growth of good bacteria) enables bad bacteria to take hold and thrive. The main culprit however is too much sugar. Bad bacteria feed off refined carbohydrates and sugar, which is why so many people’s guts are currently such a mess. Symptoms of overgrowth of bad bacteria include anything from food intolerances to chronic fatigue, auto-immune diseases and even skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis. When we start to repopulate the gut with good bacteria WE often see symptoms alleviated.

Prebiotics and probiotics have been consumed for thousands of years for good health. When taken daily in sufficient quantities they have a positive health benefit hence the terms you hear in the health press such as ‘good’ and ‘beneficial’ bacteria.