Gut health

ALL DISEASE

BEGINS IN THE GUT

By Dr. Eloise Elphinstone

The Greek philosopher and father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, claimed “all disease begins in the gut”. Although it may not be completely true, more recent evidence has shown how important gut health is in multiple different systems in the body.

The gut is made up of trillions of microorganisms, mostly bacteria, but also fungi, viruses and other life forms. These are collectively known as the gut microbiome. Many things can affect your gut microbiome right from the moment you are born. For instance, your genes, whether you were born vaginally or by caesarean section and whether you were breast or bottle-fed can all impact your gut microbiome. Your gut microbiome continues to change throughout your life and is affected by your diet and lifestyle as well as changes in hormones.

Why is it important to have good gut health?

The gut microbiome plays an important role in our health and produces hormones and vitamins which are vital to survival. Research has found a link between the gut and the brain, the gut and the kidneys and the gut and the heart. This means that gut health can be be a factor in mental health, heart health and kidney health.

How can the gut be affected by menopause?

Recently, research has also found a link between the gut and oestrogen. There are specific bacteria in the gut (known as estrobolomes) that are thought to be linked with oestrogen metabolism. The gut microbiome and oestrogen are thought to have interconnecting roles, with the gut microbiome being affected by oestrogen whilst also controlling oestrogen levels. Therefore having a healthy gut can help optimise the oestrogen in the body which in turn can help menopausal symptoms and health.

How do you maintain a healthy gut?

Although we can’t change our genetics or birth, we can control our diet and lifestyle to try to keep our gut as healthy as possible.

•DIET - A plant-based diet is recommended.

Variety is key, including different colours and types of fruit and vegetables. Ideally, you should aimfor aim for 30 different types of plant-based foods a week (including nuts, seeds, wholegrain pasta/rice, pulses).

Microbes love fibre, so increasing the fibre in your diet can help keep a healthy gut and reduce disease. Fibre is found in wholegrain pasta/bread, pulses, chickpeas, beans, bran, fruit and vegetables.

A Mediterranean diet is also thought to be good for gut health and microbiomes. This includes olive oil, fruit and vegetables of different colours, fish and less meat. • Keep alcohol to a minimum as it can disrupt the gut microbiome. • Avoid smoking. • Avoid processed foods and those high in fat and sugar. • Only use antibiotics if needed as these are well known to affect the gut microbiome. • Around menopause there is some research suggesting phytoestrogens (plant-based natural oestrogens) can be beneficial. Foods that contain phytoestrogens include soy (tofu, miso, soybeans, soy milk), grains (oats, rice, barley, quinoa, rye, wheat germ), seeds and nuts (linseed, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, almonds) and legumes (chickpeas, lentils, red kidney beans, mung beans). • Prebiotics – these are sources of foods for your gut microbiome. They are mostly carbohydrates that your body can’t digest but the microorganisms can. They include legumes, oats, bananas, berries, asparagus, garlic, leeks and onions. • Probiotics – these are beneficial bacteria that are found in live yoghurts and fermented products such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and buttermilk. These may help balance the bacteria in your gut after illness or taking antibiotics. They may also help maintain a healthy community of microorganisms and even influence immune response, but more research is needed.

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