How the Microbiome Works With Our Body Systems
The microbiome not only lives in the gut, it affects the function of digestion. The microbiome allows the gut wall to absorb nutrients, or keep out toxins and partially digested food. It plays a profound role in allowing and orchestrating the right nutrients into the body so the brain gets the appropriate nutrients it needs. It has a powerful effect on the neurons, and inflammatory cells (astrocytes and glial cells) in the brain. And the microbiome plays a vast role in how the immune system is functioning in both the gut and the brain to reduce inflammation.
The microbiome also affects the heart, the immune system, the endocrine system, the nervous system, and the stress system. It affects every part of us. And it is interacting with all these systems simultaneously. I liken the microbiome in the gut to a conductor in an orchestra, telling each system how to function and coordinating everything in our body. It even knows our genes, telling them how and when to turn on and off.
These microbes are in every cell in our body. Many of the little organelles in the nuclei of every cell are actually bacterial symbiotes (organisms that work in symbiosis with each other), the most important one being the mitochondria, which are little energy factories that help us turn food into energy for metabolism.
“Your greatest ally is your Microbiome. It is ancient. It is primordial…and it’s part of you.” Dr. Kellman believed the microbiome is considered a collection of primordial bacteria that have been there from the beginning of our existence as humans and they are the master key to our health.
Food is information for your Microbiome. What you eat today has an effect on your Microbiome tomorrow.
You can feed and support your microbiome with the foods you eat. Your microbiome will thank you and reward you with good health.
Microbiome Diet Basics
Here are some of the basic principles of eating for the overall health of your microbiome. I will share examples of each, and my favourite recipes in my next post:
- Start by eating cultured vegetables and fermented foods.
- Load up on plant foods that heal your gut and support the microbiome.
- Avoid foods that are inflammatory and trigger imbalances in the gut microbiome.
- Consume foods loaded with natural probiotics, which replenish the microbiome.
- Consume foods containing prebiotic fibers to nourish healing bacteria.
- Certain herbs, spices, and compounds are beneficial and can improve the overall health of both your intestine and bacteria
Facts to Remember About Your Microbiome
According to Dr. Kellman, here are a few facts to remember about your microbiome:
1) As much as 90% of the cells in your body are actually bacterial, not human!
2) The vast majority of species are helpful and necessary for both life and health, including those that may become pathogenic when overgrown. In the right balance, most strains contribute to the health of the whole. (So let’s maintain balance!)
3) The microbiome produces Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) which are used as a fuel source by cells of the intestine, promote the growth of healthful strains of bacteria, decrease inflammation, improve the immune system, boost brain function, balance mood, and even alleviate anxiety.
4) Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers transmitting information through the brain and body, influencing the way we think and feel… and they’re made by bacteria!
5) The microbiome produces natural antibiotics and vitamins to protect and nourish us.
6) Microbes regulate metabolism.
7) The immune system and microbiome live together in the intestine and are inextricably intertwined. The health of one depends on the health of the other.
Many of us have a lot of damage to repair…damage from antibiotics, drugs, alcohol stress, and environmental triggers. The good news is you can restore your microbiome, and a good place to start is by healing the house it lives in, and feeding it gut- and microbiome-healing foods. Begin with my nourishing Green Tea Collagen Latte recipe!
