Jallan

THE GUT MICROBIOME AND ITS IMPACT ON
OVERALL HEALTH
We all very much concerned about the bacteria, right? Once we think about bacteria, the
one and only thing comes to your mind is infections. Am I right? But I hope after reading this
article you are in search for our friendly bacteria and start to love them…What is a gut
microbiome and how it affects our health? The bonding story between our body and bacteria
begin here.
The association of human health with the intestine has been long acknowledged as
Hippocrates said, “Death sits in the bowls” in 400 B.C. Your “gut” roughly refers to
your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The human gut possesses approximately more than one
thousand microbial species that form a complex ecological community called gut microbiota.
The human gut microbiota is carrying about 150 times more genes compared to the entire
human genome. Many studies have supported the concept that gut microbiota plays a key role
in modulating immunity, weight gain or loss, energy homeostasis, and obesity-related
disorders. Likewise, gut microbiota and their metabolites are associated with various non-
alcoholic fatty liver diseases, inflammatory bowels diseases, hepatocellular carcinoma,
cardiovascular diseases, alcoholic liver disease
What does your gut microbiome do?
Digestive system-Bacteria in your gut help break down certain complex carbohydrates and
dietary fibers that you can’t break down on your own. They also provide the enzymes
necessary to synthesize certain vitamins, including B1, B9, B12 and K. Gut bacteria also help
to metabolize bile in your intestines.
Immune system- Beneficial microbes in your gut help to train your immune system to tell
them apart from the unhelpful, pathogenic types. Short-chain fatty acids, the byproducts of
helpful gut bacteria, have important benefits for your immune system. They help maintain
your gut barrier, keeping the bacteria and bacterial toxins inside from escaping into your
bloodstream. They also have anti-inflammatory properties for your gut.
Nervous system- Gut microbes can affect your nervous system through the gut-brain axis —
the network of nerves, neurons and neurotransmitters that runs through your GI tract. Certain
bacteria actually produce or stimulate the production of neurotransmitters (like serotonin) that
send chemical signals to your brain. Researchers continue to investigate how your gut
microbiome might be involved in various neurological, behavioral, nerve pain and mood
disorders.
Endocrine system-Gut microbes and their products also interact with endocrine cells in your
gut lining. These cells (enteroendocrine cells) make your gut the largest endocrine
system organ in your body. They secrete hormones that regulate aspects of your metabolism,
including blood sugar, hunger Researchers continue to explore how your gut microbiome
might be involved in metabolic syndrome (obesity, insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes)
and excess fat storage in your liver.
What environmental factors affect your gut microbiome?
Just like a garden, your gut microbiome is affected by the nutrients and pollutants, pests and
weeds it’s exposed to. The diversity of plants and their different seasons or life cycles also
affect it. In your gut, this means your diet, chemical exposures, disease-causing organisms
and bowel movement regularity. A diet high in sugar and saturated fats tends to favour the
less helpful types of microorganisms. Processed foods not only lack fiber and micronutrients
(vitamins and minerals) but also tend to come with many additives and preservatives, which
can be harmful to your microbiome. Chemicals that may poison your microbiome include
environmental toxins like alcohol, tobacco smoke and pollutants. Additionally, pesticides like
antibiotics can wipe out the good bacteria along with the bad. Other medications, like acid
blockers, can affect your microbiome by changing the pH inside. Your motility is the regular
movement of your bowels. The movement of food and waste through your GI tract helps to
distribute different microbes into different places along the way.
What is dysbiosis? - Conditions and disorders
Healthcare providers use the term “dysbiosis” to refer to an unbalanced or unhealthy gut
microbiome. Dysbiosis means: A loss or deficit of beneficial bacteria/Overgrowth of
potentially pathogenic (bad) bacteria/Loss of overall bacterial diversity. Conditions directly
related to gut dysbiosis include: Infections- Invasive pathogens (disease-causing organisms)
can cause temporary or chronic infections in your gut. They can cause diarrhea, inflammation
(colitis) and toxic damage to your gut lining. SIBO-Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is
dysbiosis in your small intestine. It means certain types of bacteria there are overgrown, using
too many resources and producing too many byproducts. Inflammatory bowel
disease- IBD is a collection of autoimmune conditions in your gut that includes ulcerative
colitis, microscopic colitis and Crohn’s disease. Other conditions that may be indirectly
related to gut dysbiosis include: Allergies, Anxiety, Asthma, Autism, Chronic fatigue
syndrome (CFS),Colon cancer., Diabetes, Depression, Fatty liver disease, Irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS),Liver cancer, Multiple sclerosis (MS),Obesity, Pancreatic cancer,
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
What can I do to take care of my gut microbiome?- yes Improve your gut health
naturally with a diverse and plant-rich diet. Aim for a variety of whole foods like whole
grains, vegetables and fruits. These offer plenty of dietary fiber for your gut microbes as well
as micronutrients for you. These foods also reduce inflammation in your gut, which affects
the environment inside. Try probiotics and prebiotics. You can get probiotics and prebiotics in
supplement form, or from foods. Probiotics are helpful microbes that you can ingest, through
supplements or fermented foods, that’ll take up residence in your colon. Use antibiotics with
care. There are times when you need to take antibiotics, but other times when you really
don’t. Overuse of antibiotics in the general population leads to antibiotic resistance. In the
individual, it can kill your good bacteria along with the bad.
Hippocrates apparently claimed that 'All disease begins in the gut' and, more than 2000
years later, this idea has captured the meaning. So let’s start to love our gut microbiome
References
AboNahas, H. et al. (2022). “Trust Your Gut: The Human Gut Microbiome in Health and
Disease,” in Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis, eds R. Z. Sayyed and M. Khan (Singapore:
Springer), 53–96.
Prepared by
Miss; Jallandhiya, Lecturer. Athena Institute of nursing, Bengaluru

Jallan

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Jallan

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Jallan

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

THE GUT MICROBIOME AND ITS IMPACT ON

You might also like