Your virtual road map to good gut health.
The world went virtual a long time ago – so is it really a surprise that parts of us are following suit?
If you haven’t heard of the gut microbiome you’ve likely been hiding under a rock (or are deliciously isolated in nature in which case we are envious), because this has been a hot topic for a long time and the science is exploding in this area. In short, the gut microbiome is the unique combination of microbes each of us house in our gut – including trillions of bacteria, fungi and viruses. Our microbial cells outnumber our human cells by 10 to 1.
The gut microbiota is now being described as a ‘virtual organ” – quite simply because it acts as an entire organ despite it not actually being one. Technically it fits the description of an organ because it performs a number of specialised functions, and both influences and is influenced by, other organs and systems. The role it plays in determining our health and wellbeing, cannot be overstated. In short, the gut microbiome:
- Helps our immune system to function. Our gut bacteria educate our immune system on how to behave, and with 70-80% of the immune system located in the gut, we really want to make sure we have the right level of bacterial diversity and abundance to ensure the right response is activated and our immune system is robust.
- Plays an enormous role in regulating our digestive system. It controls the production of our vitamins and amino acids, the absorption of our nutrients and the utilization of our fats and carbohydrates. Additionally, our gut bacteria break down a lot of what we eat, and in doing so not only feed themselves but produce substrates (such as butyrate) that then feed the cells of our gut wall helping to keep it healthy.
- Plays a critical role in determining our mood and our cravings. This is simply because our gut bacteria help build our hormones and produce our neurotransmitters (our body’s chemical messengers). This includes GABA (helps keep us calm), serotonin (known as the happy hormone), norepinephrine (affecting focus and how we react to stress) and dopamine (motivation and pleasure). Gut microbes communicate directly with the brain via the vagus nerve, which has been described as a “highway” running between the two organs.
The primary difference between a normal organ and this ‘virtual’ organ is that unlike say a heart, lung or kidney which plays the same role and acts the same way in all individuals, the gut microbiota displays a lot of variation between individuals. The reason for this variation is because there are many factors that shape our gut microbiome. The mode of delivery at birth, genetics, diet, antibiotic use, geographical location, and illness and injury all impact the microbiome and will lead your health in a certain direction.
Imagine you are at a virtual cross road and in front of you the sign to the right reads “Dysbiosis”. Expect this road to be bumpy, uphill, and full of potholes before you arrive at your location. Somewhere along this road, either because of choices you have made or things you had little control over, your microbiome has deviated from a ‘healthy’ state and is now in a state of imbalance (dysbiosis). Being in this state has been implicated in a range of diseases such as cancer and “autoimmune” conditions such as inflammatory bowel conditions, type 2 diabetes and obesity. This is not the preferred road to take. So, you look left and notice the sign pointing this way says “great gut health”. You take this road and are grateful for the beautiful scenic, gently winding road in front of you. Along the way you see markers that indicate you will get to your destination by ensuring you do what is written on them. The markers read:
- Include prebiotic and probiotic foods in your diet – everyday.
- Take it easy on medications, antibiotics and sanitisers - we don’t want to lose any good gut bacteria.
- Go organic where you can, to avoid the impact of pesticides especially glyphosate. (you could read our blog "Choose Organic without it breaking the bank" here)
- Get great nutrition.
- Don’t be afraid to get dirty – there are so many beneficial microbes in healthy soil.
You take notes and end up at the most beautiful place you have ever seen or been. You feel alive, vibrant, energetic and are so grateful to be here. You just wish it hadn’t taken you this long to arrive.
Nurturing the microbiome and setting up great gut health underlies everything we teach in our signature course A Super Solid Start – flourishing through childhood. The benefit of getting it right from the very beginning, means that you don’t ever have to experience the pain, discomfort or unfortunate diagnosis of ending up on the wrong (right) road.
References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5414803/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3602250/
3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/66840#1
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6520976/
