The Microbiome
Think of your microbiome as a vibrant community of microbes living in and on your body (the term microbiome technically means the collection of genes that all of these microbes comprise). Each of our bodies is a living ecosystem with different environments and unique compositions of bacteria. For example, the microbes that inhabit your skin could not survive or flourish in your gut mostly due to "abiotic" (non-living) factors such as temperature, pH, and moisture. One of the most potent abiotic factors contributing to our gut flora is food. Food can change the composition of our gut microbiome for better or for worse!
Your Gut
The gut and its bacteria have been a rich, new frontier for medical research. Our gut functions more broadly than bringing in food & fluids and absorbing nutrients - its processes are involved in hormonal metabolism, central nervous system function, and immunity1, to name a few! Even though bacteria get a bad rap for being "harmful," our health relies heavily on bacteria. And good bacteria can be so beneficial for obtaining metabolic and hormonal balance. From very early in our lives, our body is colonized with millions of bacteria. That includes our life as a fetus: one study showed colonization of the amniotic fluid with intact membranes (meaning, an environment that was once thought to be sterile isn't)2. And because I'm a budding ObGyn, of course I'll share another study that showed a connection between gut flora and the metabolic hormones found in early pregnancy in overweight and obese women (found here) which showed a relationship between different bacterial strains and the hormone levels that were expressed that ultimately affect the metabolic health of the mother & the infant and predict the risk for insulin resistance and abnormal fat metabolism later in life This is a huge deal. Our gut flora, at all points of our lives, is a dynamic, living thing whose wellbeing has real effects on our own health. Treated well, our gut flora can help us process foods & calories more efficiently, improve health, and prevent disease.
Love Your Gut ❤
In our developed world it has become increasingly harder to maintain a vibrant, healthy microbiome. It's really important to he a steward of your own gut health and its something I'm serious about because of the vast positive implications it can have when cared for. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that promote gut health. Prebiotics are plant fiber / plant carbohydrates that are not digestible by humans but serve as food for probiotics and helps keep them alive in the intestines. Consuming foods that are high in fiber and absent/low in sugar make wonderful prebiotics. However, you can have an overgrowth of harmful bateria as well and this happens when we eat lots of processed sugar and simple carbs. Think of your gut as a garden, you want healthy, beautiful bacteria to grow and flourish while fighting off the weeds that can take over (i.e. harmful bacteria).
I have teamed up with Silver Fern Brand because of how passionate I am about gut health. I was able to try out their Wai Drink Mixes (which are delicious by the way), their cookie mix and their Ultimate Probiotic Supplement. As a breastfeeding mama and someone looking to get back to feeling more balanced physically after pregnancy probiotics & prebiotics are a staple in my diet. In my opinion, the potential benefits of maintaining good gut health are so worth making the extra effort to find foods that do just that, for example:
- Cultured yogurt (I like the fat free plain chobani greek yogurt with a little bit of honey, yummm)
- Kombucha
- Kim chee (and any fermented foods!)
- Apple cider vinegar (my favorite morning prebiotic)
I hope you enjoyed this post. I know I had fun learning more about Silver Fern Brand and delving into the awesome world of microbiome research.
References:
1. Ursell, Luke K, et al. “Defining the Human Microbiome.” 70.Suppl 1 (n.d.): n.pag. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
2. Hitti J, Riley DE, Krohn MA, et al. Broad-spectrum bacterial rDNA polymerase chain reaction assay for detecting amniotic fluid infection among women in premature labor. Clin Infect Dis. 1997;24:1228–32.
3. https://www.acnp.org/asset.axd
4. Connections Between the Gut Microbiome and Metabolic Hormones in Early Pregnancy in Overweight and Obese Women, , , , , ,
2. Hitti J, Riley DE, Krohn MA, et al. Broad-spectrum bacterial rDNA polymerase chain reaction assay for detecting amniotic fluid infection among women in premature labor. Clin Infect Dis. 1997;24:1228–32.
3. https://www.acnp.org/asset.axd
4. Connections Between the Gut Microbiome and Metabolic Hormones in Early Pregnancy in Overweight and Obese Women, , , , , ,
