Gut Help: Where our microbiome went

First, let’s take a look at what happened to our gut health.Our microbiome consists of all the bacteria and other microorganisms in our body that help us produce vitamins, breakdown food and make energy, and balance the good and bad bacteria. It is essential to good health, but where has it gone? 

“We need to rebuild the very microbial core of our health to achieve freedom from disease and to regain youthfulness and overall quality of life” (2).

Disease of lifestyle and poor nutrition have triggered the proliferation of food science and research. Science is booming, and the current trend of healthy eating and food awareness can be attributed to that. Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard something about the human gut microbiome. Probiotics, yogurt, kombucha, kefir, and kimchi have been all the rage on social media. Here are a few signs (not a complete list or diagnostic) that you might have an unhealthy gut microbiome: upset stomach, fatigue, trouble sleeping, unintentional weight loss or gain, food intolerances, skin irritations, mood changes, and autoimmune problems. Some “bad” gut bacteria may even trigger autoimmune conditions like thyroid issues, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes.

The gut microbiome of industrialized populations is less diverse and contains different bacterial species than that of people from rural, less developed populations. The communities who still live as hunter-gatherers provide insight into what our microbiomes used to look like when humans weren’t disease-ridden and full of symptoms. These communities must forge for their food, drink from natural water sources, and spend all of their time outside. Diet plays a large role. Also, a modern shift away from natural environments with little exposure to soil, animals, and other environmental microbes seems to be impacting the gut microbiome in detrimental ways.

Food exists specifically to energize, uplift, and heal us. Every bite we take is a powerful opportunity to promote health or create disease. What are you eating and how is it helping or hurting you and your gut microbiome?

Resources if you care:

1. Brunst KJ, Wright RO, Digioia K, et al. Racial/ethnic and sociodemographic factors associated with micronutrient intakes and inadequacies among pregnant women in an urban US population. Public Health Nutr. 2013;13:1–11.

2. Davis, William. Super Gut: A Four-Week Plan to Reprogram Your Microbiome, Restore Health, and Lose Weight. Hachette Go, 2023. 

3. Gibson, G. R., and M. B. Roberfroid. "Dietary modulation of the human colonic microbiota-Introducing the concept of prebiotics. 1995." J. Nutr: 1401-1412.

4. Gordo, I (2019) Evolutionary change in the human gut microbiome: From a static to a dynamic view. PLoS Biol 17(2): e3000126. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000126 

5. Harry J Flint, The impact of nutrition on the human microbiome, Nutrition Reviews, Volume 70, Issue suppl_1, 1 August 2012, Pages S10–S13, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2012.00499.x

6. Parvez, S. and others, Probiotics and their fermented food products are beneficial for health, Journal of Applied Microbiology, Volume 100, Issue 6, 1 June 2006, Pages 1171–1185, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2006.02963.x

7. Sharifi-Rad, Mehdi et al. “Lifestyle, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidants: Back and Forth in the Pathophysiology of Chronic Diseases.” Frontiers in physiology vol. 11 694. 2 Jul. 2020, doi:10.3389/fphys.2020.00694

8. Schnorr, S., Candela, M., Rampelli, S. et al. Gut microbiome of the Hadza hunter-gatherers. Nat Commun 5, 3654 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4654

This blog is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease of the body. Please consult a healthcare practitioner if you would like to incorporate this information into your lifestyle.