Have you heard of the Gut Microbiome or Gut Microbiota? If not, this is the new, more accurate description of what we use to refer to as the Gut Flora.
What is the gut microbiome?
It’s the microbe population that lives in our intestines. Our intestines contain tens of trillions of these microorganisms. This includes over 1000 known bacteria with more than 3 million genes (150 times more than human genes).[1] This microbiome population can weigh up to 2kg! One-third of the makeup of this microbiome is found in all humans while the remaining two-thirds is specific to each individual, as a personal fingerprint in your intestines.
What’s so important about the balance of the microbiome?
The interconnectedness of the gut, brain, immune and hormone systems is impossible to unwind. Just within the past few years, research has been pouring out information on the microbiome and its influence on genetic expression, immune system, body weight, and composition, mental health, memory and minimizing your risk of several diseases from diabetes to cancer.[2] While research is still in its infancy and there is much we do not understand yet, there are some facts we do know. It is becoming increasingly clear that destroying the balance of the gut microbiome with medications, harsh environmental chemicals, and toxic foods is a primary factor in rising disease rates.[3]
Medicine has recognized that inflammation is the root cause of all disease, but what creates the inflammatory reaction? Where does the inflammation come from? The gut and the imbalance of the microbiome is the starting place of inflammation. It is the gatekeeper for the inflammatory response.[4] One of the biggest variables that can set off this inflammatory response in the gut is food. Food can either harm or benefit the microbiome of the gut. As a result, the best way to optimize gut health is through diet. You want to eat a diet rich in whole, unprocessed, unsweetened foods along with fermented or naturally cultured foods. In order for these powerful foods to fully benefit the gut, you need to drastically minimize grains and sugars, processed, genetically modified and pasteurized foods. Grains are particularly damaging to the gut regardless of if you are sensitive to them or not. Sugars promote the growth of the bad bugs in the gut. Pasteurized foods can harm good bacteria.[5,6]
This is only the beginning of information we will be streaming to you on how to have a healthy gut. Stay tuned for more on optimizing Gut Health and be sure to check out our facebook page for more helpful tips and insight.
References:
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