Did you know that you consist of more bacteria than your own body cells?! That’s right, the bacteria that live in and on us outnumber our own cells 10 to 1! (1) And no, that’s not gross, in fact it’s awesome! You see, the bacteria actually play a very significant role in our overall health by influencing your immune system, making certain nutrients available, producing certain vitamins, and even influencing behaviours and mental health! (2) Our first contact with bacteria is during birth when we adopt our mother’s bacteria as we pass through the vaginal canal. (Fun fact: individuals born via C-section have a completely different profile of bacteria and are more prone to develop allergies.) Breastfeeding is another way that mothers will pass on their microflora on to their babies, again this is a positive thing that will help the child’s immune system. (3) So how do these tiny inhabitants accomplish all these tasks? Well for starters they occupy space and digest the fibers that we eat, and as such provide direct competition to pathogenic microbes. They also serve as a second barrier in our immune defenses and actually interact with our immune system, thus giving them the power to modulate inflammatory responses. They can also metabolize vitamins such as biotin, folate, and vitamin K for us (Isn’t that nice of them?). Studies have found that there is a direct link between the gut flora and the brain. As such the microbiota can actually produce neurotransmitter-like messengers and influence brain activity, such as cravings for certain foods, anxiety and depression. Which means what you eat will directly influence your mood as well as your tendency to continue to eat certain foods.
So, what do I need to do to keep my bacteria happy and healthy? It is definitely in your best interest to maintain a healthy gut flora for the reasons mentioned above. Here are a few simple tips on how to keep your bacteria happy and healthy.
-Get plenty of fiber: This is the main food source of your bacteria, and will also favorize healthy bacteria to grow. So, make sure you get plenty of fruits and vegetables which are high in fiber into your diet. -Avoid excess sugar/carbs: You might think sugar is your best friend, but in reality, it is the best friend of pathogenic bacteria and candida (responsible for yeast infections among other things). So, to avoid the overgrowth of bad bacteria, stear clear from the sugar. -Include probiotic rich foods in your everyday diet: Probiotics are sources of good bacteria to help keep your gut colonized. Foods rich in probiotics include: yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut, and any other lacto-fermented vegetable.
Should I take probiotics? Have you or are you taking antibiotics? Studies have shown that taking probiotics can help re-colonize gut flora that has been depleted by antibiotic therapy, and reduce the incidences to related gastro-intestinal distress. Probiotics can also be an interesting complementary option for boosting immune defenses, improving symptoms of mental disorders and may be beneficial in cases if IBS (4). *
*This blog does in no way replace medical treatment. Always consult your doctor if you think you may have any disorder and discuss a treatment plan.
(1) https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-human-microbiome-project-defines-normal-bacterial-makeup-body (2)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5511848/ (3)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4056765/ (4) Fjeldheim Dale, H., Rasmussen, S.H., Asiller, Ö., Lied, G.A., (2019) Probiotics in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: An Up-to-Date Systematic Review, Nutrients Vol. 11, issue 9