More than 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates—the father of modern medicine—suggested that all disease begins in the gut. While he was not completely right, scientists and medical professionals have recently linked a huge number of diseases to the makeup of our gut microbiome.
What is it? Within our intestines, we carry hundreds of trillions of bacteria, viruses, yeasts, and other organisms. These microbes make up our gut microbiome. The average gut microbiome weighs about 4 pounds and is now being considered a separate “organ” with distinct metabolic and immune activity. It has evolved alongside humans to get to where we are today, living in a mutually beneficial relationship. The diversity of the microbiome varies from person to person
What does it do? Gut bacteria are incredibly important to the optimal functioning of your body and your overall health. They manufacture enzymes, vitamins, hormones, proteins. They produce neurotransmitters such as serotonin that are important for behaviors, mood, thoughts, and other cognitive abilities. They are involved in harvesting energy from food.
We also have small amounts of opportunistic microbes, which have the ability to make us sick if they aren’t controlled by the rest of our microbiome.
Implications for health There are a huge number of chronic diseases now linked to the health and makeup of our gut microbiome. These range from digestive disorders such as IBS, IBD, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis to metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
As well, and surprisingly, scientists are now linking many unlikely conditions such as depression, anxiety and mental health disorders, some cancers and a host of auto-immune conditions ranging from asthma, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis—and even autism—with an unhealthy makeup of bacteria and microbes in our gut microbiome.
Maintain a healthy gut microbiome The healthiest gut microbiome is diverse. It is influenced by antibiotics, aging, and diet.
Antibiotics kill good and bad microbes indiscriminately. It can take a long time—up to two years—for the gut microbiome to recover from a round of strong antibiotics. So be conservative in their use. Consider that antibiotics are routinely fed to livestock—chicken and beef—to increase growth and weight gain. That amount impacts humans who consume those meats.
Aging is associated with decreased microbial diversity, which results in poorer nutritional status, increased inflammation, and frailty. The good news: a healthy and varied plant-based diet can reverse these effects. Can you aim for 30 different fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains per week?
Hippocrates also said, “Let food be thy medicine.”
And there he was right. Diet seems to be the most powerful determiner of the gut microbiome. The more diverse, the healthier. Specifically, here are five ways to increase the good bacteria in your gut microbiome:
1. Fill up on fiber. High-fiber foods feed the healthy bacteria that improve immune function, reduce inflammation and chronic disease, and even help regulate mood. Fiber is the key nutrient for promoting fermentation and ensuring diversity. Only plants have fiber.
2. Pick prebiotic-rich foods. Prebiotics feed healthy bacteria. Good sources of prebiotics include leeks, onions, garlic, asparagus, whole wheat, spinach, beans, bananas, oats, and soybeans.
3. Try probiotic foods. Probiotics are live bacteria or yeasts found in fermented foods that, when consumed, take up residence in the gut and improve health. Healthy sources include sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, kimchi, and water kefir.
4. Avoid animal products. Red meat, high-fat dairy products, and fried foods all reduce the growth of healthy bacteria and enhance the growth of “bad” bacteria linked to chronic disease.
5. Limit fats. Avoid fried foods, sauté with cooking spray or broth instead of oil, and use low-fat salad dressings, especially if you have diabetes or prediabetes. Most plant foods are naturally low in fat.
This recipe for Miso Ramen soup is a quick and gut-friendly recipe. Everything cooks in a few minutes.