Our microbiome and health of the gut
Why do I have an upset feeling in my stomach sometimes, get pain and have cravings. What about why my stomach protrudes after I eat?
Here are just a couple of common questions I hear all the time, and sadly something that many consider to now, just be normal.
There are several ways I want to respond to this, and firstly I will say, for those of us that do notice when this happens, it is a trait that you should be proud of. Secondly if you are questioning that this is saying something about your health, I again want to give you kudos. Next, if you are really serious about understanding this, please consider something will have to change, because this is not good wellbeing.
There are many reasons why we have these symptoms and I want to begin to explain that we can get here via several paths and that how your stomach began feeling this way may have been triggered, different to that of your neighbour. But the heart of the matter is you don’t have to continue feeling like this.
What the research has now shown, is living on and in our body are trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms that are dictating more than we could have imagined. These “critters” are found to be essential to the most basic biological mechanisms required for human life such as digestion, energy production, and detoxification. They are literally communicating across our systems and directing the health and wellbeing of our bodies [1]
These microorganisms together are referred to as the Microbiome and consist of good and poor species bacteria, yeasts, fungi, parasites and viruses, that within a healthy person are at an equilibrium. Yes that’s right even pathogen type microorganisms are required by the body to be well. Enough of this wiping absolutely every surface and body part to high disinfectant status. These microorganisms are intelligent specific living organisms that are unique in their make up within us, as our finger print is our identifier. When not in balance for us, they are changing metabolic pathways and symptoms can show up, such as gut and skin concerns and low energy, foggy head and poor thinking.
Directing so much within our body, we now know the microbiome has influence over
- Immune Development
- Synthesising vitamins
- Inhibiting pathogen overgrowth
- Regulating inflammation
- Digestion and energy harvest
- Regulating appetite
- Producing SCFA (short chain fatty acids)
- Modifying drugs
- Neurotransmitter Biosynthesis
- Bile metabolism [2]
Having a diverse and healthy microbiome therefore aids in what is happening inside us based on all the tasks they are involved in. The diversity means there are different microbes doing different jobs and some are particularly good at things whilst others can only be completed by certain strains.
So how are we getting good bacteria into the body and then how are we keeping them well. Unfortunately, we are still in need of some education around this and our food is a big offender. The standard diet is still lacking the diversity we require to eat so our diet can provide for our microbes. Should the diet lack plants, whole foods, fibre, and ferments we are starving our microbes and they are left to feed off mucus and waste materials within the body causing inflammation. Inflammation that is not helpful to the body as when we have cut our self and the body responds to repair. The type of inflammation I mention here has no benefit to the body and more research has shown illness and disease is now linked to a body that is inflamed 3 Not only do particular diets lacking the foods that keep the microbiome well, influence this, but our lifestyle factors are also influencers to the diversity and function of the microbiome.
Another area for consideration to the health of our gut is the integrity of the gut lining which is also affected by the diet we have and can cause it to become impaired. The term many know is leaky gut where the outcome is holes appearing in the gut lining. Undigested and large molecules are then able to escape beyond the gut wall and are carried to other areas of the body not familiar with these particles. The immune function is then called to attention and antibodies fire up to destroy the foreign particles and here the body is seen to attack itself. The Vagus nerve which is a significant player in the communication pathway between the gut and the brain is also lit up, and signals to the brain we are at war. No wonder things become sore!
Having gut symptoms signals that we need to get back the balance and health of the gut. To have optimal bile production, so you are digesting your food, to ensure you have the necessary digestive enzymes to break apart the molecules 4 and having enough hydrochloric acid production to provide nutrients to the body’s bacteria, nourishing you and enabling cell metabolism and mitochondria function.
If you are considering how to manage this, you want to begin with eliminating offending substances and practices you follow that don’t support the microbiome. You want to enable the body to function the way it is supposed to, by eating and applying natural and non-foreign chemicals and artificial ingredients. You may also need to clean up your lifestyle, like sleep, hydration, movement, relaxation and play. Obviously your exercise is needed at this time too and your microbes relish it to so they are able to transfer across the gut terrain.
If you think you are having gut dysbiosis a state of imbalance, its time to do something and get your gut health back to reclaim that fantastic feeling! Going it alone is possible but, getting some help is simple and educational.
I hope you can now see the importance of having a healthy gut and balance of microbiome.
If you decide to go it alone, there are 4 steps to consider:
- Identify and eliminate offending foods and practices
- Replenish digestive enzymes and other lacking digestive factors
- Replace bacteria in the microbiome. Balancing the body is more important than just vitamins and minerals replacement, particularly if you are unable to absorb those nutrients, so re-establishing good gut flora and clearing away the dead and toxic by products is essential.
- Repair through various paths including supplementation
If going solo doesn’t rock your boat, I’d love to help.
[1] How The Microbiome Destroyed the Ego, Vaccine Policy, and Patriarchy, Sayer Ji, 2015
[2]Metagetics Clinic webinar July 2018: The Microbiome – The forgotten Genome in Personalised Medicine
3 “Modulation of inflammation by autophagy: Consequences for human disease, 2015 Jul 29” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26222012
4 Bland J,Costarella L, Levin B,Liska D,Lukaczer D,Schiltz B, Schmidt M, Lerman R 2006 Clinical Nutirion A Functional Approach Washington Pg 198