Everyone’s been talking about their gut bacteria lately and scientists are learning more and more about the importance of the colony inhabiting your insides. But how do these microbes get there and are they the same in everyone? Can probiotics really improve my
Everyone’s been talking about their gut bacteria lately and scientists are learning more and more about the importance of the colony inhabiting your insides. But how do these microbes get there and are they the same in everyone? Can probiotics really improve my health?
Building your gut microbiome begins as soon as you’re born. From the milk you drank to the toys you stuck in your mouth, these friendly microbes came from all over. Some immunity even came from your mom through skin contact or breast feeding. It’s actually the reason why toddlers can’t digest certain foods well; they are still building their colony. Without the good bacteria in your gut to break down food, we wouldn’t be able to eat many of our favorite foods, either!
What is a “microbiome?”
Essentially, your microbiome (aka gut flora) is all the “good” microbes present in your gut that help you break down food and provide immunity. Over 1,000 species of bacteria have been identified in the average human and your body is full of trillions of microbes! Remember, not all bacteria are bad.
The Technical Definition
“The human microbiome is composed of bacteria, archaea, viruses and eukaryotic microbes that reside in and on our bodies. These microbes have tremendous potential to impact our physiology, both in health and in disease. They contribute metabolic functions, protect against pathogens, educate the immune system, and, through these basic functions, affect directly or indirectly most of our physiologic functions.”Shreiner et. al (2015) Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School
Building your colony
Take a look at this video from TedEd to learn a little more.
So, now we know we need to have a large variety of gut bacteria available to help us digest all different kinds of food. If we only eat certain types of food, such as those with simple sugars, we eventually become over- colonized with those types of bacteria, because they are the most used. The other bacteria that can digest more complex foods are eventually kicked out; bad news for your gut. You are what you eat!
You also build immunity through exposure from the environment. Did you know bacteria are ubiquitous in nature? They are literally everywhere! They’re in the dirt, water, air, dust, surfaces, your skin, and anywhere you can think of. Exposure to different types of bacteria helps train your immune system.
Unfortunately, it is also easy to throw this balance of bacteria out of whack. Stress, poor diet, and antibiotics all disrupt your gut.
The Hygiene Hypothesis
Despite the scary thought of a world overrun with bacteria, some scientists are actually beginning to think we are “too clean.” Consider this: the food safety standards today as compared to one hundred years ago are very different and fewer and fewer people are working outdoors.
Kids are no longer playing in the dirt. Hand sanitizer is everywhere and people are more aware than ever of dangerous microbes. What this translates to is cleaner hands and a perceived “safer” environment.
However, similar to a vaccine, immunity is built through exposure. If you’ve never been exposed to any invaders, your immune system can’t build resistance and doesn’t know how to respond to the appropriate invaders. It then overreacts to everything it does come up against.
It’s believed the hygiene hypothesis may play a role in the development of allergies, asthma, and autoimmune diseases in children. This is because they are still in the process of building their gut flora and training their immune system.
Antibiotics and your gut
Have you ever stopped to think about how antibiotics work? Well, they kill bacteria, right? That’s right, but they don’t just kill the bad bacteria. Most are “broad spectrum” antibiotics that take out a large portion of your good bacteria, along with the bad. This is a problem because when it comes to bacteria and health, it’s often a numbers game. You need to have a large colony of good bacteria available to outnumber and out-compete the bad bacteria. This helps you stay healthy.
You probably know it’s important to take the full dose of antibiotics. And that’s because it takes time to rid the body of all the bad bacteria. If you don’t take the full dose, you run the risk of a few bacteria surviving and then creating more bacteria. Or worse, becoming antibiotic resistant.
Are probiotics the answer?
Probiotics are live microorganisms added to foods that offer potential health benefits to the host when consumed in adequate amounts (WHO). They have been shown to improve the health of your gut and assist in digestion. Traditionally, most probiotics have been incorporated into yogurt or dairy products, but more and more applications are being developed, including nutritional bars and juices.
Recent studies have found that probiotics 