Managing the Microbiome: Making Your Body Work for You

What is the microbiome?

A microbiome is the collection of all the microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and viruses) and their interaction with the cells that exist in their environment. When we mention the microbiome, we are referring to the microorganisms that exist within the digestive tract of humans. The human microbiome is gigantic, consisting of tens of trillions of microbial cells!

By digesting the foods that we cannot, these microbes work synergistically with our body, providing us with a host of powerful nutrient byproducts. These nutrients have benefits ranging from improving metabolism, to reducing risk of disease, and even improving mental health! When there is an imbalance in our microbiome (dysbiosis) the human host suffers along with the microbiome.

Like a jungle where the animals vary from herbivores, to omnivores, to carnivores, the microbes in our guts also have varied diets. New research is beginning to show that you may have the ability to alter your own microbiome, either positively or negatively, through exercise, diet, and lifestyle choices!

Fitness and Our Microbiome

It seems odd to think that our GI health and fitness level could be related at all, but they are actually closely tied! The two actually have a symbiotic relationship. Improving your fitness can improve your microbiome and improving your microbiome can improve your fitness. Research shows that regular exercise might not only increase the microbe diversity in our gut (increasing the range of benefits), but also improve the ratios of good to bad bacteria. Having a healthy microbiome may also have the following perks to increase your workout capacity:

1. Reduced Inflammation and Increased Recovery
2. Increased Energy Levels
3. Improved Body Composition
4. Strengthening Bones
5. Nutrient Absorption and Utilization
6. Improved Hydration
7. Reduced Physical Fatigue and Tissue Damage

Nutrition and Our Microbiome

Beyond exercise, it is important to have a varied diet (especially filled with fruits, vegetables, and probiotics) so that our microbes can survive and thrive. Every food that we eat will be fuel for a unique combination of microbes in our gut, thus, eating a large variety of food ensures that all our microscopic friends stay happy and healthy. However, some foods are better than others. Some foods that play a special role in gut health are:

Fiber

Fiber is a special type of carbohydrate found in all whole fruits, vegetables, and grains. Humans have a harder time digesting fiber and need help from their friendly gut microbiota. Fiber is the main fuel source of a healthy gut microbiome!

Resistant Starch

Resistant starch is a special type of fiber found in legumes and in starchy vegetables that have been cooked and chilled. Resistant starch is an especially powerful superfood for our microbiome. When our microbiome processes resistant starch, it releases a powerful short chain fatty acid called butyrate. Butyrate may have the ability to stabilize blood sugar levels, fight obesity, and protect against disease from cancer to alzheimers.

Healthy Fats High Quality Proteins

Just like people, bacteria need healthy fats and proteins to survive and thrive. Healthy fats include those from fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, and coconuts. Make sure also to include plenty of your favorite lean protein sources to keep your gut strong!

Probiotic Foods

Probiotic foods are those that are fermented or otherwise have good bacteria inside of them. Some such foods include: kombucha, sauerkraut, greek yogurt, kimchi, soft cheese, or kefir.

Harmful foods

On the other hand, some foods can also be toxic to our microbiome or otherwise promote an unhealthy gut. These foods include heavily processed foods, junk foods high in refined carbohydrates, and artificial sweeteners.

In Conclusion

It isn’t something we think about often, but our gut is closely tied with our overall health! If you’re looking for a way to improve your health and fitness, please reach out to us. We’ll help you look out for the little guys in your gut by exercising often and watching what you eat!

While the new research in this area is promising, the information in this blog should not be used to treat any medical condition. If you have a serious medical condition, please consult your doctor for treatment.

Citations:

1. Viome.com. 2022. 9 Ways Gut Health Impacts Athletic Performance. [online] Available at: <https://www.viome.com/blog/no-guts-no-glory-9-ways-gut-microbiome-impacts-athletic-performance> [Accessed 28 January 2022].
2. TEDxTalks. (2016, June 27). Microbiome: Gut bugs and you | Warren Peters | tedxlasierrauniversity. YouTube. Retrieved January 28, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDqMB6C1uys
3. Your Gut Microbiome: The Most Important Organ You’ve Never Heard Of | Erika Ebbel Angle | TEDxFargo. (2019, December 12). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9RruLkAUm8
4. Suez, J., Korem, T., Zeevi, D., Zilberman-Schapira, G., Thaiss, C., Maza, O., Israeli, D., Zmora, N., Gilad, S., Weinberger, A., Kuperman, Y., Harmelin, A., Kolodkin-Gal, I., Shapiro, H., Halpern, Z., Segal, E. and Elinav, E., 2022. Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota.
5. Suez, J., Korem, T., Zeevi, D., Zilberman-Schapira, G., Thaiss, C., Maza, O., Israeli, D., Zmora, N., Gilad, S., Weinberger, A., Kuperman, Y., Harmelin, A., Kolodkin-Gal, I., Shapiro, H., Halpern, Z., Segal, E. and Elinav, E., 2022. Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota.
6. Silva, Y., Bernardi, A. and Frozza, R., 2022. The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication.
7. Caricilli, A. and Saad, M., 2022. The Role of Gut Microbiota on Insulin Resistance.
8. Wang, J., Chen, W. and Wang, Y., 2022. The Relationship Between Gut Microbiota and Inflammatory Diseases: The Role of Macrophages.
9. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210914135522.htm> [Accessed 28 January 2022].
10. Viome.com. 2022. 9 Ways Gut Health Impacts Athletic Performance. [online] Available at: <https://www.viome.com/blog/no-guts-no-glory-9-ways-gut-microbiome-impacts-athletic-performance> [Accessed 28 January 2022].

Image Credit: www.epictop10.com