Health Of Our Microbiome Crucial To Wellness & Weight
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The gut microbiome is evidently the place to look for treatment of dis-eases and more.
I wrote in Reflection of Selection that I hadn’t associated my immune system health with my gut health. What many people didn’t know a couple decades back is that the two are very much related. There’s increasing evidence showing gut bacteria or microbiome as having a central role in the state of our physical health.
The gut microbiome’s influence on chronic dis-eases is becoming clearer. Its role in inflammatory bowel disease, liver cirrhosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 2 diabetes is now known, and its involvement in cardio vascular disease is being investigated.
Gut bacteria have 250-800 times more genes than we have human genes. Bacterial genes generate substances that make their way in the bloodstream affecting our chemistry and health. These alter our metabolism—as the results of research concludes—and play a starring role affecting our weight.
After scientists inserted gut bacteria from obese mice into a specimen without any gut bacteria, it became obese. Whereas, when they inserted gut bacteria from lean mice, the specimen remained lean. Scientists went further with this by taking the gut bacteria from human identical twins—one being obese—and the other twin slim, and the results were the same. The lean germ-free mice responded according to the source of the gut bacteria.
Perhaps we are on the precipice of being able to treat obesity by modifying the gut microbiome of those individuals struggling to lose weight.
Designing living treatments in the form of microbes—also known as genetically modified bacteria—to treat dis-eases is now reality. Although still regarded as risky dealing with such a complex system, gut bacteria engineering is an exciting new direction research is taking.
There are numerous studies showing gut microbes significantly impact immunotherapy and chemotherapy while treating cancer. Certain beneficial bacteria were missing when fecal samples of cancer patients were analyzed. In the near future, gut health will be considered in the development of personalized cancer treatment.
Altered viral communities have been observed in immunodeficiency virus, irritable bowel disease, and have been associated with autoimmune disorders such as Type 1 diabetes.
Probiotic supplements are often suggested to people with digestive issues. These “helpful” bacteria are useful in keeping our guts healthy, especially if we are not eating a wide variety of natural foods. However, all probiotics are not created equal. The go-to choice for most people who have no sensitivity to milk products is yogurt. It’s affordable compared to other more condensed forms, but lacks the diversity of strains needed to repair and replenish good gut microbiome.
The results of a study showed two factors affected the success of probiotics in colonizing the gastrointestinal tracts of participants. First, a person’s indigenous microbiome either resists or accepts the probiotics. Second factor in the guts of those who resisted the probiotics, is a gene signature of an overactive autoimmune response.
Even if billions of colonies forming units (CFUs) seems like a large number of bacteria, let’s keep in mind that actual gut bacteria number over 100 trillion. There are many factors at play affecting this complicated system including our diets, environment, genetics, hygiene, immune system, and our interactions with other people and animals.
Fermented foods can help keep our gut microbiome healthy.
Non-dairy probiotics include:
apple cider vinegar;
kefir water (culture added to fruit or vegetable juice, and coconut water);
kimchi (made with cabbage);
kombucha (tangy effervescent green or black tea);
miso (barley, rice or soybean paste);
pickles;
sauerkraut (made with cabbage);
sourdough bread; and
tempeh (fermented cooked beans or grains).
Helping our good gut bacteria thrive by eating raw and natural foods will go a long way towards keeping us healthy.