What Is The Microbiome?
The microbiome is the collection of all the microbes that live on and inside our bodies, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. These strains of bacteria can be beneficial or harmful to our health.
The gut microbiome, specifically, refers to the bacteria that live in our digestive tracts. When the levels of good and bad bacteria are out of balance, it can affect our physical health. Symptoms may manifest in the gut such as bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, pain etc or they can show in other areas, such as a poorly functioning immune system, candida, skin rashes or skin conditions (e.g. eczema & psoriasis).
Our microbiome is influenced by our environment, stress levels, and exposure to antibiotics. Diet also plays a big role in shaping our gut microbiome, so it's important to eat a variety of healthy foods to keep these beneficial bacteria happy and healthy.
Can we make dietary changes to support our Microbiome?
Yes! Making small changes to our diet can help to feed good bacteria and starve off potentially harmful bacteria that we don't want to flourish in our guts!
We can support our microbiome with prebiotics, a type of fibre that acts as food for probiotics, and probiotics themselves, which are live bacteria that help keep our gut healthy.
Prebiotics can be sourced from foods such as whole grains, green leafy vegetables, onions, nuts and seeds. Probiotics are found in fermented foods like yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut.
You can also help to support a healthy gut by reducing your intake of a few foods. Try to reduce the amount of simple sugars, such as those in soda, sweets, and many snacks and instead opt for more complex sugars like the ones found in fruit. Reducing alcohol intake can also benefit gut bacteria, as the alcohol-sugars can disrupt the microbiome and lead to bloating.
The Gut-Brain Axis
You’ve probably heard of the gut-brain connection, but what exactly is it?
The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication system between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system...
In other words, your gut health can impact your mental health, and vice versa. Research has shown that there is an undeniable link between the gut and both our physical and mental health and it suggests that the gut-brain axis is a major factor in mood disorders like anxiety and depression.
Are there ways to support the microbiome with supplements?
We can support our microbiome with prebiotics and probiotics, which can both be taken as a supplement if it's challenging to get enough from diet alone.
Probiotics can help to introduce or re-populate the gut with strains of good bacteria. Our practitioner team have made a few suggestions for probiotics that could help to support your gut and mental health. For a probiotic tailored to mental health, give Mind + Mood a go. If you have trouble with gut permeability issues or 'Leaky Gut' try Bio.Me and for IBS checkout Bio.Me IB+.
Prebiotics help to feed the bacteria in the gut, and support their growth. Layer Origin's Apple Peel Powder is a fantastic prebiotic that helps to feed Akkermansia Municiphila, an important strain that can be much lower for some.