Photo: Collective-evolution.com
If we told you that there are 100 trillion bacteria viruses, archaea, and fungi living inside you, would you be grossed out? Well, that’s exactly the amount of microbiota that make up your body’s microbiome and account for 90 percent of all your cells. And while these buggers may be little, they have a big role to play in your overall health and wellbeing.
In his forthcoming book The Human Superorganism, Dr. Rodney Dietert theorizes that our lifestyle has harmed the microbiome and as a result, has led to the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases, which are now responsible for 63 percent of deaths. On his website, Dietert writes that “without enough or the right kinds of these microbes, our bodies are dysfunctional and likely to be burdened with one or more chronic diseases.”
Tiny organisms not only help regulate our immune system but also act as a protective filter between us and the outside world. Mircrobes on our skin and in our gut process food, environmental elements like pollen and chemicals, and attempt to get rid of whatever is harmful before it seeps into our cells. The microbiome also helps manage hormones (many of which are secreted in the gut by the adrenal glands and other sites), inflammation and energy production. The trouble is, the heavy metals, artificial food additives and toxins that we’re exposed to compromise the health of the microbiome, restricting its ability to keep us well.
Here are five ways that you can improve gut health and increase the diversity in your microbiome:
Think Twice Before Popping Those Pills
When you’re sick, how many times have you begged your doctor for an antibiotic? Beyond this self-prescribing, likely annoying the heck out of your physician, it might also be harming, rather than helping, your health. One study found that taking antibiotics for a week can disrupt the gut microbiome for up to a year, as the drugs destroyed some “good” bacteria as well as the bad stuff causing the illness. The researchers also discovered that their subjects’ bodies had created more medication-resistant genes, making future antibiotic treatments less effective.
Eat a Wide Range of Fruits and Vegetables
Italian researchers found that study participants who ate the most vegetables had improved levels of certain “healthy” gut bacteria. Dr. Raphael Kellman, author of The Microbiome Diet, highlights a broad range of vegetables as being particularly good for your gut, including Asparagus, carrots, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, jicama, leeks, onions, and radishes.
Kick Your Hand Sanitizer to the Curb
In recent years, we’ve become obsessed with cleanliness and killing germs. While such sterilization is a necessary part of preventing infections behind the “clean barrier” of hospital operating rooms, we’ve taken it to the Nth degree in our daily lives. And our microbiome is pissed. Limiting exposure to bacteria compromises our immune system and limits our ability to fight off infection – so much for being “clean”. So throw that nasty smelling sanitizer in the trash and slam the lid!
Embrace Probiotics
While you should probably avoid highly sugared yogurts, low-sugar Greek varieties are not only a solid protein source but also provide a dose of probiotics, which are key to gut health. You can also eat sauerkraut, kimchi and fermented vegetables to get a probiotic hit. If you’re concerned that these aren’t hitting the target, try a daily supplement. Your microbiome will thank you.
Favor a Whole, Unprocessed Diet
When you eat whole, unprocessed foods, the gut has an easier time processing them and turning them into fuel, without dealing with the threat of added chemicals. But when you eat junk food chock full of artificial ingredients, your body goes into defense mode. The individual substances themselves can also damage the microbiome. Emulsifiers, for example, have been linked to inflammatory bowel diseases, while research reports a smoking gun tie between artificial sweeteners and immune disorders. Eat organic when possible to avoid pesticides, steroids, and hormones, and cast a wary eye over foods with strange-sounding chemicals before putting them back on the supermarket shelf and backing away.
