The human body is a complex community of microbes that are referred to as human microbiota or microbiome. It is estimated that the human microbiota number more than 10 ^14 cells, which exceeds the number of human cells in our bodies.
In other words, the homo sapien is a community of smart bugs.
“The human intestinal microbiota (aka gut bacteria) constitutes a complex and metabolically active ecosystem that is now well recognized for its impact on human health and disease.”(1)
The GI microbiota or intestinal microbiota comprises around 400 bacteria species. The good bacteria known as commensal bacteria are necessary for healthy digestion—producing enzymes to absorb nutrients from food. This bacterium also helps the intestinal immune system develop and function properly, tolerating food antigens and attacking pathogens.
It's clear that the gut microbiota co evolves and changes with the host, you. Changes in this population can have beneficial or harmful consequences. Detrimental changes in the microbiota community may lead to a bacterial imbalance in the gut known as dysbiosis.
Why is this important?
Current research shows that dysbiosis is related to IBS, Obesity, Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, Cardiovascular Disease, and IBD. (2)
Other studies find that the gut microbiota and their metabolic products influence “intestinal permeability and immune function, activity in the enteric nervous system , the HPA axis, pain modulation systems and the brain” (3).
Researchers in Sweden list the following factors:
What do the gut bacteria like to eat so that we enhance and support gut microbiota diversity?
Intestinal microbiota is responsive and adaptable to the diet of the host organism. (2)
High dietary fiber can improve microbiome richness or diversity. This is a pivotal point because lower microbiome richness is identified as less healthy and associated with metabolic dysfunction and low-grade inflammation.
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, and brussels sprouts help proliferate certain beneficial bacterial species and have anti-carcinogenic properties including apoptosis. (5)
Bananas that have turned from green to yellow are considered a fantastic food source of prebiotics which the gut microbiome loves to munch on. So is...
Keep these foods in mind and incorporate these into your diet. Start off slow and ramp up if you aren't used to raw foods or cruciferous veggies.
Greens Capsules, Premier. Greens Capules is an organic greens and grasses blend that is air dried at low temperatures for optimal effect. The gut microbiome loves this stuff. It contains organic and gluten free barley grass, organic oat grass, organic wheat grass, organic chlorella, noni, brocolli, cilantro. ZERO fillers, sweeteners, or additives. Add this to your smoothie or mix with water.
Probiotic Caps, Premier. Premier Probiotic Caps are NON-DAIRY full spectrum beneficial flora for GI health. 12 different viable strains are fermented for three years in a process that uses 95 different natural herbs and barks that produce mature flora and bioavailable nutrients. This is an amazing formula that the gut microbiome love.
Here is a powerful quote about probiotics published in Nutrients August 2016:
It has been reported that probiotics can "decrease the number of potentially pathogenic gastrointestinal microorganisms and pathogens, and reduce gastrointestinal discomfort, flatulence and bloating, and improve bowel regularity. Probiotics can also enhance the immune system, improve the skin's function, enhance resistance against cedar pollen allergens, and decrease body pathogens, as well as protecting DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative damage. They can also maintain an individual’s intestinal microbiota in subjects receiving antibiotic treatment [8,9,10,11]. In particular, it has been reported that gut probiotics play a major role in bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain [12,13]. Scientists are increasingly convinced that the vast assemblage of microbiota in our intestines may have a major impact on our state of mind[14]."
Galactan, Premier. Premier Galactan aka arabinogalactan is a clean, live source larch fiber supplement that supports gut health and the immune system integrity. Galactan is food for probiotics and helps support their proliferation.
Arabinogalactan has a “wide range of biological properties and activities documented, such as the protection of gastrointestinal mucosa and large bowel function, the support of digestive health by improving intestinal flora, the improvement of stress- induced gastrointestinal dysfunction, the effect on vascular permeability, the effect in metastatic disease and the enhancement of immune function ,” according to a recent 2016 Nutrition & Metabolism review (4)
Digest, Premier. Premier Digest is a plant source broad spectrum digestive enzyme formula that is derived using a proprietary Japanese fermentation process. It supports key digestive needs such as fat, protein, starch, lactose, sugar, and fiber. Digesting your food completely is key to a healthy gut and body. Premier digest is a one of a kind enzyme formula that really works.
HCL, Premier. Premier HCL aka hydrochloric acid is stomach acid that helps you digest your food. Hydrochloric acid helps not only absorb protein, calcium, vitamin B12, and iron, avoid gas, bloating, and acid reflux (because you are digesting instead of fermenting food), suppress growth of ingested bacteria and candida it also helps avoid brain-gut mood imbalances. Studies show that as you age your body produces smaller amounts of hydrochloric acid every year. This is a big deal because it means that your food is incompletely digested. You want to make sure your levels are sufficient to avoiding rotting food and premature aging.
To purchase all the products mentioned in this article and get my BONUS protocol FREE, click here.
Look out for part 2 of this series to learn more about your gut bacteria and how to keep this community happy and you healthy.
XO
Emily
Probiotics are not a new concept. In the early 20th century Elie Metchnikoff, a Nobel Prize recipient, was very interested in the ageing process and expressed his fascinating view of ‘intestinal auto intoxication’: the large bowel is a source of toxic substances such as ammonia and amines that are absorbed from the gut and circulate in the blood, damaging the nervous and vascular systems...
The brain and the gut are powerfully connected and share a bidirectional communication channel. Understanding this interconnectivity is essential for optimizing brain and gut health.
A few powerful brain-gut interdependence examples...
What does digestion have to do with weight loss? Everything.
If you do not digest your food properly (which most people cannot do well), any chemical toxins present in the food you eat are absorbed from the small intestine through the hepatoportal artery and intoxicate the liver. The liver sends this trash out in adipose tissue aka fat. And the body will keep building out fat as more and more chemical toxins are consumed. The result: weight gain...
Emily Pobratyn
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