Build a healthy Microbiome

We now have extensive scientific studies and evidence to prove that the body’s microbiome and its key micro-bacteria plays a huge role in not only regulating digestion but also in balancing emotions, boosting energy, supporting mineral absorption, encouraging excess estrogen clearance, hormonal balance, weight loss, immunity, anxiety and mood health, DNA support and nearly every physical and emotional reaction that occurs in the human body. 

This living and breathing environment consists of over 100 trillion bacteria that are not only found in our digestive system, but also in our gums, nose and on our skin.  We call this living, breathing orchestra our ‘microbiota’ and they reside in the body’s gut or microbiome – a 9 metre long tunnel from the mouth to the anus. Some of these organisms are ‘friendly’ and some are not ‘so friendly’, but as long as they coexist in a harmonious balance they can maintain ideal health and happiness. The majority of these bacteria take up residence within the gut, and because of their intelligence they are often nicknamed our ‘second brain’. Here these clever organisms regulate our physical and emotional health via their own neural network, known as the enteric nervous system. This system is quite complex as it contains 100 million nerves found in the gut lining.  These nerves along with the smart microbiome are uniquely connected via a complex symphony of neurons that transfer information between each other. This allows the upper brain, the nervous system, the immune and the digestive system to communicate between each other to keep a harmonious balance, just like a perfect symphony. The gut and brain represent a BIOLOGICAL CIRCUIT – where different stations located in between these areas communicate backwards and forwards between each other.  Neurons are located along the entirety of the digestive tract and they communicate to the brain what you think, what you feel and what you do!  This is known as our gut-brain axis!  

When we refer to the digestive system (aka the GUT) we are talking about the entire structure that runs from the mouth right through to the anus. Along this are sphincters that separate different chambers from each other and in each of these chambers there is a great variation in the acidity or the PH.  This variation is to ensure different microbiota species can exist in different environments for specific purposes. If you can imagine it – the gut is a series of chambers where different micro-environments of bacteria thrive. Certain experiences, our emotions and the foods we eat can have an impact on whether these bacteria thrive or suffer.

The microbiome is established the moment we are conceived and it is influenced by what our mother eats and thinks and whether we were born vaginally or by caesarean.  It is also influenced by the people who touch us, how much touch we receive (the more the better), whether we were allowed to play in the dirt (this is actually a good thing) or brought up in a super sterile environment and whether we had pets or not.  Animals and pets are actually one of the best ways for a child to build a strong and healthy microbiome and so is playing in the dirt and with other children!!! 

The body’s bacteria in the gut alone weighs around 2 to 3 kg – the weight of a kidney. These micro-organisms outnumber human cells by 10:1. These clever little bacteria can stimulate immunity (in fact 70% of our immunity is housed within the gut), synthesize certain amino acids and vitamins like B vitamins and Vitamin K and are responsible for the manufacture of Vitamin B12 – needed for energy, gene making and repair, brain function, hormone regulation and so much more.  

The microbiome and the microbiota has the greatest influence on digestion. Many of the genes these bacteria make influence the fermentation of foods. The foods you eat can change the enzymes that microbiota are able to make. Microbiota can change the way that your brain functions by facilitating the metabolism of neurotransmitters like dopamine, GABA and serotonin. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that can reduce anxiety, panic attacks and epilepsy. The microbiota have the intelligence to make these chemicals influencing the way your brain functions and how you feel on a daily basis. Therefore these clever bacteria in your gut have one of the largest influences on brain function, immunity and digestion. 

If you are having trouble losing weight, then maybe the answer lies in your body’s microbiome. Animal and human studies have discovered that the human microbiome when out of balance is the biggest driver towards obesity and metabolic syndrome. The imbalance of two important species known as firmicutes and bacteroides alone can lead to sugar cravings, insulin imbalance and poor fat burning. Modulation of the body’s microbiome through prebiotics, eating certain foods and other gut enhancement methods has shown a positive impact on shifting insulin resistance and stubborn weight problems. If you would love to find out if this is your issue, ask one of our beautiful naturopaths to organise a comprehensive gut microbiome test for you to get you to find out the best way to positively influence your microbiome – we would love to help you find the key to fixing your metabolism. 

How Does Digestion Work?

As soon as you catch a whiff of that delicious chocolate, your mouth begins to salivate with anticipation.  The saliva which is rich in microbiota and enzymes works to soften the food to begin the process of digestion. Glutamic acid, pepsin and betaine is released into the stomach (and with the help of zinc it creates a hydrochloric acid like mix) and a swirling motion breaks the big food particles into smaller ones. This is the beginning of how proteins and minerals are drawn from foods.  Food can stay here for 45 minutes or 3 hours depending on what was eaten and how healthy your digestive system is.  Just like a concrete mixer it is swirled into a liquid called ‘chyme’.  When the mixture is ready, it is passed into a long tunnel known as the small intestine. Chyme puts its breaks on and takes a leisurely stroll through here passing into the duodenum to absorb minerals, into the jejenum to absorb water-soluble vitamins, carbohydrates and protein and then into the ileum to absorb fat soluble vitamins, cholesterol and bile.  The small intestine secretes lots of digestive and protective substances with the help of its friends - the pancreas, liver and gallbladder.  

A majority of the ‘microbiome’ live within the chambers of the small intestines so they can help with absorption, elimination and the making of neurotransmitters. The walls of these tunnels or tubes are known as a LUMEN.  The walls are not necessarily smooth – there are many bumps and grooves that are made up of other tissue like mucosal linings and small hairs called microvilli that  can push things along the digestive tract.  The microbiota reside everywhere along the LUMEN of the digestive tract, within the microvilli and in the bumps and grooves of the tract. Some micro-bacteria remain stationary within the tract, others hang out on microvilli or live in the little crevices whereas others are always on the move. This all depends on their particular role is in the body. They are constantly being born and constantly dying off. 

After most of the good stuff is extracted, the leftovers pass into the large intestines where more water and electrolytes are absorbed.  Here more microbial fermentation of fibre, starch and undigested carbohydrates occurs. This is also where short chain fatty acids like butyrate, propionate, valerate and acetate come to life. These clever little hydrogen-bonded molecules balance the microbiome and in doing so they can reduce inflammation, boost immunity and make energy. The large intestines (colon) after extracting what it needs takes on a bouncer role and escorts the waste to be eliminated.  Sixty per cent of your stool is made up of dead and live microbacteria – you are constantly making and excreting these organisms.  The types you make and the types that are excreted depends on the chemistry of your gut and on what you do and don’t eat.

When the body’s digestive system is working at peak performance and the body’s microbiome and its bacterial species are diverse and in balance, digestion and metabolic functions remain optimal.  However, lots of problems like low HCL or enzymes, eating the wrong foods, nutrient deficiencies, an imbalance of the body’s good and bad bacteria or gallbladder, pancreas or liver problems can pose a danger to this. Even if food is broken down perfectly, it still needs to be carried to body tissues. The intestinal walls and tubes can become easily damaged from eating processed foods, alcohol, stimulants, drugs or medications, from chemotherapy or radiation treatment, constipation, parasite and bacterial overgrowth and long-term stress. Stress is one of the biggest culprits towards ‘destroying digestion’.  When we are stressed blood is shunted away from digestive organs in the need to fight, and this weakens digestion. So obviously a poor diet is not the only reason for destroying a healthy microbiome. 

What Can Improve and Disrupt the Body’s Microbiome

When our gut is overloaded with lots of harmful bacteria and not enough of the friendly species exist, an imbalance known as dysbiosis can occur. Dysbiosis and a drop in normal gut flora diversity has been linked to many modern day diseases like insulin resistance, weight gain, inflammation, obesity, inflammatory bowel problems, colorectal cancer and more. It is very important to keep your gut diversity abundant and as super friendly as possible. How do you do this to keep your microbiome in the best health possible and therefore your entire body? 

• EAT a DIVERSE RANGE of FOODS

The higher the diversity of your gut bacteria, the healthier your metabolic functions and brain health will be. A diet that is rich in lots of organic whole foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains can build up a more diverse range of bacteria. Certain foods provide nutrients that help healthy bacteria to thrive and grow. Unfortunately 75% of todays world food supply and westernized diet comes from only 12 plants and 5 animal species reducing the diversity of chemicals that can produce micro-bacteria.

• LACK of PREBIOTICS in the DIET

Prebiotics are a type of fibre that passes through the body undigested, yet it is the perfect fuel supply for microbiota. Many foods, including fruits, vegetables and wholegrains contain prebiotic fibre. The best of these are asparagus, lentils, chickpea, beans, bananas, garlic, leeks Jerusalem artichokes, kiwifruit,  Try adding a prebiotic supplement to help promote the production of these and short chain fatty acids.

• A HIGH INTAKE of ALCOHOL 

Alcohol can be extremely toxic and is a strong driver towards dysbiosis – it wipes out healthy bacterial species and drives up the pathogenic species. 

• ANTIBIOTIC and MEDICATION USE

Antibiotics affect good and bad bacteria. Even a single antibiotic dose can lead to harmful changes in the composition and diversity of your gut flora. They can reduce bifidobacteria and lactobacilli and increase bad bacteria like clostridium. Two to three doses of antibiotics can take 2 years to rebuild your natural flora levels again. 

• PHYSICAL EXERCISE

Walking, swimming, surfing, cycling and other activities has proven to have a beneficial effect on gut bacteria and gut health. People who regularly exercise are known to have higher butyrate levels, a fatty acid that is extremely important for gut health and micro-bacteria diversity. Athletes have higher levels of akkermansia, a bacteria that plays an important role in gut lining health, metabolic health and obesity. 

• CIGARETTE SMOKING

Tobacco smoke is made up of thousands of chemicals, 70 of which are known to cause cancer. It is a big driver towards inflammatory bowel disease and damaging microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract. I believe vaping is causing the same issues today.

• SLEEP

Disrupting your body clock through a lack of sleep, shift work and eating late at night may have detrimental effects on your gut flora. Even two nights of sleep deprivation (4 hours in total) can cause subtle changes in gut flora and increase the abundance of bacteria linked to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes and fat metabolism. 

• STRESS

Stress is one of the worst disruptors of the body’s digestive system and microbiome. It reduces blood flow, increases sensitivity and negatively affects gut flora and diversity. High stress can drive up harmful bacterial species and drop beneficial species like lactobacillus. 

• BREATHING, KISSING and SKIN CONTACT

Our microbiome is also made up by micro-bacteria accessed via our mouth through breathing, through kissing and through skin contact. One of the major determinants of our microbiome is who we interact with. Whomever we come into contact with has an impact on our own body’s living and breathing microbiome. 

QUICK TIPS to BOOST FRIENDLY MICROBIOTA

Eat more prebiotic foods

Consume the right balanced probiotics – be careful to not overload a species you already have high amounts of 

Make time for quality sleep

Make time for regular exercise

Reduce stress – incorporate regular meditation and breathing exercises

Eat foods rich in polyphneols like berries, dark chocolate, green tea and red wine

Add an amazing pre and probiotic superfood into your diet daily 

Microbiome Repair DIET

When you want to build a natural microbiome to improve your digestion and health, consider adding:

• Organic foods
• Whole foods
• Fermented foods
• Anti-inflammatory foods
• Prebiotic fibre rich foods
• Rainbow coloured fruits and vegetables

Add 1 teaspoon of raw ‘apple cider vinegar’ made from the mother to a glass of room temperature, filtered water and drink ten minutes before meals.  Even though it isn’t a prebiotic, it contains pectin to build up your butyrate levels and enhance absorption.

Choose a wide diversity of different fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, pulses, legumes, nuts and seeds. The greater the diversity of natural foods rich in chemicals the greater the diversity of your gut microbiota.  Choose a rainbow of different coloured vegetables daily.

Essential Fatty Acids are essential to good health and great digestion.  By adding lots of organic omega oils to your diet you can reduce inflammation and heal your intestinal lining. If you are a vegetarian opt for flaxseed, hemp, chia, borage, sacha inchi or macadamia oil and if you eat meat, choose a small catch, metal free EPA rich fish oil liquid from clean waters. 

Add 1 tablespoon of fermented foods into your diet daily. The best of these are acidophilus yoghurt, kombucha, kefir, kim chee, natto, tempeh, miso and pickled and fermented vegetables to build up a healthy microbiome. If you are sensitive to dairy, use sheep, camel or goat’s yoghurt rich in probiotics. 

A clean, toxin free bowel is the key to maintaining microbial balance. Foods that keep the bowels shiny and clean include fibre rich foods like apples with peel, pears, prunes, dates, figs, whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables and flaxseeds (especially soaked)

Miso is a powerful condiment made from fermented soybeans, salt and a fungus known as asperigillus oryzae and made with grains like rice, quinoa and others. It helps with absorption and fuels the microbacteria within the colon. 

Drink 8 to 10 glasses of purified, alkaline water throughout the day – stay super hydrated. 

Lentils contain both soluble and insoluble fibre. One works to build up gut bacteria and the other works to cleanse the bowels of impurities.

Add bone broth to your diet daily – I often add a little collagen or gelatin to improve absorption and microbial balance further. Miso is also great for this. 

Digestive-Destroying Nasties:

Overeating heavy animal protein like dairy products and meats uses up valuable microbiota for digestion, causing more of these beneficial bacteria to be excreted in stools. For easy to break down protein high in minerals consider eating wild clean, deep water ocean fish including salmon, mackerel, sardines, cod, halibut OR if you are a vegetarian, add phytoplankton, seaweeds, soaked legumes and beans, activated nuts and seeds, organic tempeh and natto. 

Limit or avoid coffee, caffeine, soft drinks, cordials and alcohol – these drinks strip the microbiome, minerals and deplete microbiota production. 

Avoid sugar and artificial sugar in all forms as this is the quickest way to destroy a healthy microbiome. 

Avoid fried foods, trans and saturated fats, processed foods and gluten in all forms.   

Super Supplements to Rebuild your Microbiota 

Probiotics 

Probiotics or friendly bacteria are a microbiomes best friend. Nature provides the gastrointestinal tract with a healthy balance of different types of bacteria, both good and bad.  Although bad bacteria can over-grow because of overuse of medications, antibiotics, stress, processed foods, the oral contraceptive pill and too many cooked foods, if we keep our good bacteria levels flourishing, digestion can be improved and all health factors maintained.  Although there are trillions of bacteria, here are some of my all time fav microbial friends:

Lactobacillus Acidophillus is the work horse– he is one of the most abundant and effective friendly bacteria in the small intestine.  This healthy working microbe protects against the entrance and growth of "bad" organisms that cause disease.  I love lactobacillus acidophilus – he is a true superstar! 

Lactobacillus Rhamnosus is a resilient player in the digestive microcosm.  It is found in the mouth, gut, vaginal area and urinary system. It is a worthy contender in the microbiome army as it helps to boost immunity, reduces the incidence of vaginal and urinary tract infections, food poisoning, colitis, bad breath and even eczema.

Saccharomyces boulardii can withstand the low PH in the stomach allowing it to travel to the intestines where it is resistant to antibiotics. It prevents antibiotic induced diarrhea as well as travellers diarrhea, tummy bugs, irritable bowel and inflammatory bowel conditions. So if you are thinking about eating from street stalls in India, Indonesia or Thailand do not forget to take a bottle of SB probiotic with you.  It may stop you from spending your holiday on the toilet. 

Lactobacillus Casei is a L.Acidophilus’s cousin, however it plays a far greater role in activating white blood cells to secrete a substance known as peptidoglycan to boost immunity.  Here it defends against H.Pylori infections and other associated immune problems.  

Lactobacillus Bulgaricus lives in the intestinal tract playing a supportive role in the gut.  It helps to ferment yoghurt and ameliorates the environment for acidophillus and bifidobacterial thereby cleaning up the intestines. 

Bifidobacterium Bifidum and Longum are among the most abundant lactic acid bacteria in the intestinal tract.  B Bifidum produces lactic acid and acetic acid lowering the intestinal PH and keeping pathogens at bay. B Longum reduces the frequency of gut disorders like diarrhea and nausea. 

There are many other clever bacteria each with a different roles that are being discovered every day – I have only listed a small amount of these above. 

Prebiotics

A dietary prebiotic is a fermented ingredient in a food that results in specific changes in the composition and activity of the gut’s microbiota. 

Prebiotic Fibre is a resistant carbohydrate that is found in the cell wall of plants. These components cannot be digested within our gut, but simply pass through until they reach the intestines. Here, the gut bacteria make use of these by feeding off them influencing their growth and activity.  Additionally, short chain fatty acids can be formed from the degradation of these prebiotics, which can then travel into the blood stream and positively affect organs outside of the gut. Sources of fibre include oats, wholegrains, fruits and vegetables. 

Soluble fibre attracts water and forms a gel in the digestive tract. This slows digestion and lowers the rate of sugar and starch absorption from the stomach and intestine, thereby reducing cholesterol and improving weight loss via satiety.  Intake of soluble fibre improves glucose tolerance in people with diabetes and improves stool consistency in inflammatory bowel diseases. Psyllium husk, pectin, and the soft parts of fruits and dried beans and peas are examples of soluble fibre.

My FAV PREBIOTICS

Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum (PHGG) is a water soluble fibre that is made from guar beans. The main prebiotic starch found in this food is glucoamannon. Glucomannon is fermented in by the bacteria in your small intestines into short chain fatty acids (SCFA’s) like butyrate, propionate and acetate. PHGG can help with constipation, IBS induced diarrhea, IBS symptoms and can help to eradicate bad bacteria, parasites and other nasties. We have our own amazing PHGG in our range called METABURN FIBRE. 

Inulin is a type of oligosaccharide found in lots of different foods but particularly high in chicory root, leeks, bananas, onions, artichokes and asparagus. Inulin helps to stimulate the production of Bifidobacterium. It can also help to reduce food cravings, may help with heart health, calcium absorption and the prevention of colorectal cancer. 

Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) are short and medium chain sugar molecules that your body cannot digest, yet the yeast in the feed on this. FOS can encourage the growth of good bacteria and improves constipation and overall digestive health.  This is found in garlic, leeks, artichokes, onion and chicory root. 

Galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS)

These are small chain polysaccharides made from repeating units of galactose and glucose. The bonds that hold these together are indigestible by human digestive enzymes, so they are a great source of food for microbes in the colon. They build high levels of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species. 

Beta-GOS is manufactured from lactose in cow’s milk to mimic human milk oliogosaccharides (HMO’s). HMO’s are found in colostrum and breast milk. They are an important prebiotic for breastfeeding as they encourage Bifidobacterium and lactobacillus growth in the gut, which helps to form the baby’s gut barrier. 

Alpha-GOS is abundant in pulses and legumes, especially soybeans and peas. It is not suitable for a low FODMAP diet, because of its inclusion of fructose in its structure. 

Polyphenols

Polyphenols are a powerful chemical found in plant foods and are responsible for helping to build beneficial bacteria like bacteroides in the gut. Good sources of these are found in berries (blueberries, raspberries, cherries, elderberry, strawberry), tempeh, tofu, soybeans, black beans, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices, green tea, cacao, curcumin, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, red cabbage, pomegranate and others. This super chemical not only builds an incredibly healthy microbiota, it also reduces the incidence of ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, IBS and benefits brain function. 

B complex 

B vitamins help to nourish the digestive system and improve microflora production.  The general muscle tone of the gastrointestinal tract is controlled by the body’s level of B vitamins.  Many B vitamins can wee out of the body, so it is important to take liposomal or activated B vitamins.  If you are strapped with finances, buy some brewers or torula yeast and add this to your food daily for an extra boost to your B vitamins. 

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is needed to maintain the health of the digestive system and to improve the removal of heavy metals and toxins from the colon preventing constipation and protecting against all types of cancer. I use Lipo Super C – our own powerful form of Vitamin C. 

Zinc is one of the most important minerals for great digestion.  It activates enzymes to help convert pepsin to pepsinogen for healthy absorption of minerals and protein in the stomach.  It is also a key to restoring mucosal membrane lining function and health – especially zinc carnosine (this is found in our tummy tonic). 

After thirty years clinical experience, I have created the ultimate gut healing pack to help every individual get started on their path towards building a healthy microbiome and healthy gut.  This super pack includes:

I hope this information provides you with more tools to improve your microbial health and diversity and in doing so your happiness, health and wellbeing.

In Love, Health, Harmony and Microbial Balance,