By Daniel Ng
DISCLAIMER: THE ARTICLE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
Introduction:
A microbiome is a collection of microorganisms, or microbes, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The gut microbiome is essentially a complex ecosystem of microscopic living things residing in our digestive tracts. There is a common misconception that bacteria are only associated with disease, but it would be impetuous to distinctly classify them as “good” or “bad” as they are also essential for maintaining a healthy heart, weight, immune system, and many other organs and processes. The role of these microbes, the linkage between the gut microbiome and particular health conditions, and the emerging research for potential treatments and implementations will be explored below.
Stanford University of Medicine professor and renowned neuroscientist Dr. Andrew D. Huberman succinctly states: “Gut health is immensely important for all aspects of our well-being at the level of our brain and at the level of our body, and there are simple, actionable things that we can all do in order to optimize our gut health.” This is why learning about the gut microbiome and its mechanisms as well as the protocols in which one can take to optimize gut health may prove extremely beneficial.
Fun fact: Humans have more bacterial cells than human cells.
Immune System
The gut microbiome and immune system are closely tied. The gut microbiome plays a vital role in regulating our immune system, such that it oversees the body’s reaction to infections or pathogenic viruses and communicates with immune cells on how to fight them off, training them so that they could maintain immune homeostasis. Microbial diversity within the gut microbiome is a crucial part of aiding the immune system and detecting and distinguishing harmful pathogens and harmless bacteria, as well as soothing or triggering inflammatory responses. An imbalance of microbial species, or dysbiosis, can lead to many harmful effects. For instance, despite an absence of antigens or injury to the body, healthy organs and tissues can be attacked due to false triggering of bodily response. This is known as chronic inflammation, which can potentially lead to diabetes, cancer, disease, stroke, or other health issues. This shows the importance of maintaining a healthy and rich gut microbiome. Although genetics plays a vital role in determining the dynamic of a microbiome, exogenous factors such as drinking, smoking, poor nutrition, and many other externalities can endanger the immune system. Luckily, its susceptibility can also be used to our advantage as we can alter the composition of a microbiome through diet and lifestyle decisions.
Protocol
“Your microbiome is what you eat.” (Carver-Carter, 2022) An ecosystem with a wide variety of species has a higher probability of survival after a calamity than one with a narrow range. Likewise, too much diversity is also harmful. Certain habits and supplementation to avoid include a diet lacking fiber, a sedentary lifestyle, immoderate antibiotics, and stress. Microbiota dysbiosis can be procured via the typical Western diet consisting of highly processed foods with elevated levels of sugar, saturated and trans fats. The dangers of such an eating regime have been linked to cognitive impairment, emotional disorders, diabetes, coronary disease, etc. In contrast, numerous studies indicate that a Mediterranean diet that emphasizes healthy fats, water as a primary beverage, and daily physical exercise is associated with increased lifespan, healthy aging, weight loss, and prevention of cardiovascular diseases, etc. Learn more about approaches from immunologist Dr. Jenna Macciochi.
Mental/Emotional Health
A healthy gut is imperative for normal central nervous system (CNS) functioning. This is because the gut has a bidirectional relationship with the CNS as well as other major body systems, meaning they are capable of influencing each other. Just as a troubled intestine can distress the brain, the brain can signal the gut. Essential bodily functions such as the commerce of neurotransmitters, hormones, and immunological factors are all known to communicate with the brain through the autonomic nervous system or directly. Recent research on the existence of the gut-brain axis has shown that conditions in the gut microbiome may affect CNS disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, etc. This indicates that the prescription of probiotics and clinical therapy may potentially serve as a treatment for certain mental disorders. An example where the deregulation of neurochemical functions by depressive disorders or stress can impact healthy gut function is through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Pro-inflammatory cytokines are partly responsible for stimulating the HPA, and where chronic or elevated stress levels may cause the release of corticotropin through the hypothalamus. This then stimulates the release of adreno-corticotrophic hormone (ACTH) which in turn increases cortisol (stress hormone) levels. Dysregulation of the HPA axis is one of the many signal transduction pathways that can overall contribute to depression and anxiety.
Protocol
It is evident from accumulating research that the gut microbiome can have a major effect on mental/emotional health. Antecedent treatment of individuals exhibiting depressive symptoms is often prescribed with therapy or antidepressants. The latter has undergone a comparison of the efficacy of probiotics in regulating cortisol levels, HPA axis, and anxiety symptoms. It was discovered that not only do they share similar positive effects, but probiotics might also be superior in their ability to alleviate ailing mental health conditions with fewer side effects. They are also lower in cost and higher in availability. However, probiotics aren’t regulated by the FDA and require more research before consideration for implementation in psychiatry. Though more precaution is necessary for synthetic supplements, there are many natural probiotics that are much safer and available such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, etc. These fermented foods are packed with yeast and bacteria and along with a rainbow of vegetables can be experimented with through gradual implementation to increase the biodiversity of microbes in your gut. Besides diet, sufficient sleep and exercise can also help. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests 150 minutes of exercise per week, meanwhile, the National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours of sleep per night for adults.
Conclusion
There are endless pathways in our body that through combined effort and synergy regulate and sustain bodily functions. The discovery of these pathways is crucial in increasing our understanding and awareness of how the human body works, as well as formulating ways to optimize and adjust conditions that best suit our individual needs and wants. The purpose of this article is to equip you with a basic understanding of the importance and potential of the gut microbiome.
References
Robertson, R. (2017, June 27). Why the Gut Microbiome Is Crucial for Your Health. Healthline; Healthline Media. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gut-microbiome-and-health
Huberman, A. (2022, February 28). How to Enhance Your Gut Microbiome for Brain & Overall Health. Huberman Lab. https://hubermanlab.com/how-to-enhance-your-gut-microbiome-for-brain-and-overall-health/
Christovich, A., & Luo, X. M. (2022). Gut Microbiota, Leaky Gut, and Autoimmune Diseases. Frontiers in Immunology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.946248
Carver-Carter, R. (2022, March 25). The Link Between Your Gut Microbiome And Immune Health. Atlas Biomed Blog | Take Control of Your Health with No-Nonsense News on Lifestyle, Gut Microbes and Genetics; Atlas Biomed blog | Take control of your health with no-nonsense news on lifestyle, gut microbes, and genetics. https://atlasbiomed.com/blog/the-microbiota-immune-axis/#immune-system
Diet Review: Mediterranean Diet. (2018, January 16). The Nutrition Source. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/mediterranean-diet/
Clapp, M., Aurora, N., Herrera, L., Bhatia, M., Wilen, E., & Wakefield, S. (2017). Gut Microbiota’s Effect on Mental Health: The Gut-Brain Axis. Clinics and Practice, 7(4), 987. https://doi.org/10.4081/cp.2017.987
Comments