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Gut Microbiome: Good guys, bad guys and how do we keep them in balance!
The microbiome is the collective of microbiota that live on us, inside us, and around us. There are roughly 100 trillion microorganisms in our body, with 40 trillion located in our gut, which weighs about 2-5 lbs. Of the 40 trillion in our gut, there are roughly 500-1000 different species of bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses, and protozoa.
The microbiome plays multiple roles within the body, such as breaking down food, producing B vitamins, Vitamin K, regulating hormones (dopamine & serotonin), and regulating our immune system.
What is the microbiome?
Dysbiosis & Causes
Dysbiosis is when there is an imbalance of good vs. bad microorganisms. Any disruption to the microbiota can cause opportunistic microbes to take over. Dysbiosis is caused by many factors like:
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Dietary factors (low fiber intake, high consumption of processed foods, lack of food diversity, overeating, and eating too fast)
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Pesticides from non-organic foods and conventional farming
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Overuse of antibiotics due to infections
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Overconsumption of alcohol
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High levels of stress (disrupts digestion, lowers stomach acid, and weakens the immune system)
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Regular use of over-the-counter medications: NSAIDs, antacids, and other pharmaceuticals
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Environmental toxic exposure (mold, household cleaners, etc.)
Health outcomes from dysbiosis
When it comes to dysbiosis, there are many signs and symptoms that can occur, especially gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, GERD/reflux, and food sensitivities. When left untreated, your gut lining can become damaged, known as leaky gut.
Leaky gut causes undigested food particles, microorganisms, microbe DNA, toxins, and more to enter the bloodstream. This causes inflammation and triggers the immune system, leading to other systemic symptoms like autoimmunity, joint pain, brain fog, skin conditions, etc.
Bring back balance to the microbiome
Before we can repair our gut microbiome, we have to remove the contributing factors causing the problem and introduce lifestyle habits to reduce stress, improve digestion, and boost our immune system.
By optimizing our digestive system, we set ourselves up for success and provide the right environment for the microbiota, preventing the risk of opportunistic pathogenic microbes taking over. This can be done by chewing thoroughly, avoiding liquids with meals, using digestive bitters, increasing stomach acid, using digestive enzymes, supporting bile flow, and ensuring we are pooping 1-3 times daily.
Lastly dietary support:
Fermented Foods (Non-Pasteurized): Fermented foods are made using a process involving lacto-fermentation. These include sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, miso, yogurt, kefir, and kombucha.
Prebiotic Foods: What are prebiotic foods? Prebiotic foods are high in fiber, either soluble or insoluble. Fiber is only found in plants. Fiber is what the good bacteria feed on. Without fiber in our diet, the good guys will perish.
Diversity of Plants: We know that bacteria feed off plants, but they are similar to us in that they are picky eaters! So we need to eat a diversity of plants, otherwise, some bacteria may perish due to not getting the food they need to survive.
Probiotics: Probiotics are living organisms that can benefit health when consumed.
Biome Medic: A combination of prebiotic, probiotic, spore biotic, humic & fulvic acid, which helps remove glyphosate (a pesticide that acts as an antibiotic) from the body. Click here
Spore Biotics: Spore-based probiotics are soil-based microorganisms formed from spores and found in dirt and vegetation. Spores remain dormant in harsh environments like stomach acid until they reach more favorable environments like the human gastrointestinal tract. Once inside the large intestine, these dormant spores can change into their active, vegetative forms and begin colonizing in the gut. Click here for my recommendation.