The gutmicrobiomerefers to all the microorganisms living in the digestive system.
The microbiome is individual to each person and is important todigestive healthas well as to overall health.
People may be able to affect their microbiome with diet and other lifestyle factors.
SeventyFour / Getty Images
SeventyFour / Getty Images
Whats Considered a Healthy Microbiome?
What is healthy in thegut microbiomeis not yet well understood.
What is known is that the composition and diversity in the gut microbiome do have an effect on health.
Composition takes into consideration which microbes are in the gut and in what numbers.
Diversity refers to the idea of having many different types of species of microbes.
Dysbiosisrefers to a shift in the microbiome to less diverse or less favorable to overall health.
Many things can lead to dysbiosis, including receiving antibiotics, having an infection, and dietary changes.
The gut microbiome protects the body in various ways.
Its not yet known exactly how the makeup of one persons microbiome may affect their health.
Ways to Support Your Microbiome
Your microbiome is developed in the first years of life.
The most common way to have an effect on the microbiome is by making adjustments to diet.
One 2021 study showed that gut microbiome diversity was increased in people who ate certain foods.
Not every possible food was included in the results of the study, however.
Further, theres not enough evidence to tell everyone exactly what they should eat to support their microbiome.
Any broad dietary advice needs to be viewed as being just thatnot specific to any one person.
That doesnt mean it might not be helpful, but it may not provide all the information needed.
Probiotics
Probiotics are live bacteria.
Theyre found in foods and are also available in supplements.
Its thought that eating probiotics may help in diversifying and strengthening the gut microbiome.
Its important to read food labels carefully to understand the full picture of a food.
Manage Stress
You may not think of stress as something that can affect the gut microbiome.
The research has mostly been done on animals (such as mice).
This is called preclinical data because it has not yet been tested in many well-executed studies in humans.
The gut microbiome can be shifted, but it is also fairly elastic.
It tends to go back to what it was before the disruption.
Chronic stress, however, may change the microbiome long enough to lose some of that stability.
Chronic stressmay also trigger the immune system.
This could lead to dysbiosis, although what it means for overall health isnt yet well understood.
For that reason, managing stress may help keep the gut microbiome in balance.
“Stress reduction” is a broad term.
There are many ways to reduce stress, and what is helpful will differ from person to person.
Stress Reduction
Everyone experiences stress in one form or another.
Techniquesto relieve stressinclude mindfulness, meditation, breathwork, aromatherapy, yoga, or art therapy.
Its important to think of stress management as a process rather than a goal.
Trying different options can help find the ones that help make a difference.
The Importance of Gut Health
The study of the gut microbiome is still in the early stages.
Much of the research is on animals or computer models rather than humans.
That doesnt mean nothing has been learned, but rather that it is not proven.
The gut microbiome (with its trillions of organisms) is intimately involved in health.
Diet, psychological stress, and environmental exposures can all affect the gut microbiome.
They can shift it into helpful or unhelpful directions.
However, it is known that the makeup of the gut microbiome may affect many disease processes.
Therefore, its important to be mindful of your gut microbiome.
This layer can be weakened by dysbiosis or by other disease processes.
The immune system might react in a way that clears the things that may do harm.
Or it may overreact, doing too much, such as mounting anallergic reactionto a food or other substance.
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