5 minute read
Gut Goals: Why the gut is having a moment
You are not alone, trillions of living microbes inside your gut occupy you. The gut microbiome has taken centre stage lately, hailed as the latest trend and all the rage for its profound impact on brain function, mental health, and overall well-being.
These microbes are so influential that some researchers even consider them a separate organ, which shapes our metabolism, susceptibility to allergic and inflammatory diseases, and even responses to medical treatments. Numerous studies are demonstrating that it is the bacteria in the gut that can predict the onset of diabetes, or determine neurodegenerative disorders including autism, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s.
Your bodies house an unbelievable amount of microbes in the large intestine that are constantly communicating with the body's cells, aiding in nutrient digestion and fostering a mutualistic relationship that supports normal bodily functions. If you haven't watched the new Netflix documentary "Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut," it's a must-see. Featuring celebrity gut specialist Giulia Enders, MD, the film delves into the fascinating world of our digestive system and the trillions of bacteria and microorganisms within. Dr. Enders reminds us, "It's completely crazy when you think about it because this is the organ that keeps you alive."
Weight, What?
Have you ever felt “butterflies” in your stomach when you’re excited or nervous? Or perhaps you came to the realisation that you are hungry after seeing an advert for pizza? Well, that’s your gut communicating with your brain. Added to this is the fact that your microbiome gives your body a unique response to food, it determines how much something will elevate your blood sugar level for example, and whether or not that food makes you gain weight.
Proving this point, one groundbreaking experiment at the University of Chicago, transplanted gut microbes into mice. Some of these microbes were from obese and others from lean mice. The outcome: despite eating the same diet, the mice who got obese mice microbes put on weight, while the ones who got lean mice microbes didn’t.
This is offering an explanation why one person is lean while the other is overweight, even if they follow the same eating pattern.
The brain in your tummy
Dubbed the "second brain," the gut produces numerous neurotransmitters, mirroring those generated by the brain, such as serotonin and dopamine, pivotal in mood regulation. Remarkably, approximately 95 percent of serotonin, a crucial chemical messenger that influences our mood, sleep, or digestion is synthesised by gut bacteria.
Gut microbiota also aids in the production of other neurotransmitters and chemicals like dopamine and tryptamine, which play a role in anxiety and depression.
There’s a lot of emerging research on the topic, and it’s leading people to deduce that we have little pharmacies in our guts, where thousands of different drug-like compounds are being produced by our gut microbes and getting absorbed into our bodies. Still, much research is needed to understand how this all works. For example, we now know that people with autism or depression often experience constipation, but researchers are still figuring out how this happens.
Immunity and your gut
Another surprising find is that the gut serves as the command centre for roughly 70 percent of our immune system. While certain bacteria are linked to illness, many are essential for overall health, including immune function, heart health, and weight management.
These beneficial bacteria are crucial in training the immune system to combat harmful organisms and produce vital disease-fighting chemicals that our bodies cannot generate independently.
You are what your microbiome eats
What you consume affects your gut microbiome. Contrary to popular belief, fostering a healthy gut isn't solely about calorie counting or avoiding "bad" foods. It’s so much more about providing diversity and whole foods.
To encourage a variety of microbes to live in your gut, you want to eat a variety of foods and you want to consume foods that digest slowly so that they make it down the digestive tract and provide food for the microbes in your colon. This is why foods that are absorbed into the bloodstream quickly, like sugars or simple carbohydrates are not good, but foods that take a long time to break down, like broccoli, are great.
It’s all about the fibre, the more the food has fibre the better it is for your microbes. This is why it’s better to eat your fruits instead of drinking them in juice.
More pro tips include aiming for 20-30 different fruits and vegetables per week to try to hit that optimal diversity score, as well as to add more fermented foods into your diet - kimchi, kefir, and sauerkraut contain probiotics, live microorganisms that can increase microbiota diversity in the gut.
Why this matters
While genetics once seemed to dictate our health outcomes, we now recognise the pivotal role of the microbiome in conditions ranging from obesity to depression and even allergies. Microbes dominate our bodies, constituting 70 to 90 percent of all cells and accounting for 99 percent of unique genes.
In encouraging news, research has demonstrated that a person's gut responds rapidly to changes in diet and lifestyle. By making a few affirming adjustments, you can transform your sombre gut into a flourishing ecosystem of health.
