The Amazing Link Between Overall Health and the Gut Microbiome

It’s in our daily sayings, from butterflies in our stomach to a gut feeling, we think about our body’s microbiota a lot. However, did you know there’s an unexpected link between mental health, physical health, and the gut microbiome?

Learn everything you need to know about gut health today, from what foods to eat to increase your microbiota health to what to avoid and more. Discover the amazing link between mental health, physical health, and the gut microbiome today!

What is the Gut Microbiota

The gut microbiota, also called the gut microbiome or gut flora, are small microorganisms that live in the digestive tract of our body. The location for most of the human microbiota is the gut, with the colon containing most of the microbial community.

There are between 300 and 1,000 different species of microorganisms in our gut, with thousands of millions of microorganisms colonizing at any given time. 

Purpose

We have a close relationship with the microorganisms in our gut. We house them and supply them with food while they offer benefits in return. Some microorganisms in the gut help us to convert fibers and other foods into important nutrients that we need such as acetic acid which is then absorbed by the body. Other bacteria in the gut help us synthesize important vitamins such as vitamin K and many of the B vitamins. Extra purposes for gut bacteria include making important hormones, assisting in immune response, and monitoring inflammation.

Link Between Mental Health, Physical Health, and the Gut Microbiome

Aside from some basic purposes of making important hormones, acids, and nutrients, the gut microbiome is also responsible for things that influence both our mental and physical health. This means that when the gut microbiome is not healthy, we may start to notice changes in our mind and body. Here is how the unexpected link between mental health, physical health, and gut microbiome works.

Mental Health

So, how does the gut microbiome in our body relate to our mental health? There exists what scientists call a gut-brain axis. The gut is home to millions of neurons, creating its very own neural network. Neurons are commonly known as the units that make up the brain. This gut-brain axis is also known as your second brain. It is how the nervous system in the gut connects to the main brain.

The gut can function without direction from the brain unlike other organs in our body like the heart and lungs. Our intestines are able to make their own decisions. The brain receives information about the state of our body from the gut. They talk all the time. It’s a form of communication. This information includes the quality of nutrients, information about immune cells, levels of hormones, and more.

In addition to the information the gut sends to the brain, there is also a link with our gut, our emotions, and our thoughts. About 90 to 95% of serotonin and about 50% of dopamine our body creates comes from our gut. These are happiness hormones, related to joy, mood, and wellbeing. This means that many mental illnesses can be at the very least associated with imbalances that are found in the microorganisms in our gut. Anything from depression to sleep disorders may be due to an unhealthy gut.

Physical Health

A growing number of studies and research have also linked different illnesses to disorders in our gut microbiome. This includes Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and sleep disorders. 

Furthermore, if you’re trying to start or progress on a fitness journey and you notice you are having difficulty training or gaining muscle, this may be linked to issues in your gut microbiome. An imbalance in the gut can reduce your body’s ability to repair itself and gain muscle. A healthy gut can help fuel the production of immune cells which then go to muscle injury sites and repair that tissue. This is why it’s so important to do anything that helps boost the health of the gut microbiome.

How to Boost Gut Microbiota Health

So, I think by now we can all agree that the gut microbiome is super important. It relates to your immune health, your mood, your hormone production, your vitamin production, your muscles, and your ability to digest food. It might be easier to find an aspect of our body where the gut microbiome isn’t an influence. With how important the gut microbiota is, what are some things we can do to boost itself?

What to Eat

We need to eat both probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics are foods that contain a live culture of beneficial microorganisms that can colonize your gut. This includes fermented foods such as sauerkraut, Greek yogurt, kimchi, and kombucha. Some people have appraised probiotic pills for their benefits, though more research needs to be done so the jury is still in session.

Prebiotics are the food that fuels the probiotics that are already in your gut. This includes dietary fiber. These foods, while nondigestible, serve as food for your microorganisms. This can help promote their growth and activity. Some prebiotics include resistant starch such as those found in potatoes, oats, beans, and rice. Inulin is another fiber that can help your gut a lot. They are found in asparagus, garlic, onions, soybeans, yams, and leeks. Pectin is another example of a prebiotic. This one can be found in carrots, raspberries, tomatoes, peaches, and apples.

At the end of the day, the simplest thing you can do is eat a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy sources of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. Eat the rainbow, and try new things. 

What to Avoid Eating 

Try to use whole foods as much as possible as well. These are foods that have not been ultra-processed or changed too much. Things you can find in cans or the freezer section as premade meals are convenient but they sometimes harm your gut microbiome.

Ultra-processed foods tend to contain a lot of added chemicals, preservatives, and sugar which can lead to inflammation or detrimental changes to the gut microbiome. Other things to avoid when possible include alcohol, excessive antibiotics, and red meat.

There’s no need to go to extremes and cut out things you enjoy completely. You can drink with friends or to celebrate and eating red meat now and again will not harm you. Everything should be done in moderation. And my antibiotics should be consumed if they’re prescribed by your doctor and they should be taken completely as directed. However, make sure you are offsetting any habits that reduce gut health with habits that increase gut health!

The Takeaway

Our gut is more than just where we digest food, it houses millions of microorganisms that make up our gut microbiome. The unexpected link between mental health, physical health, and gut microbiome is crucial to understanding ourselves. The gut and brain communicate, with the gut sending information about our nutrition, immune system, and hormones to the brain. 

Remember that health comes from within. Eat nutritious food, exercise when you can, and take care of your mental health. The small daily habits you cultivate become the basis for overall wellness. Don’t forget about microbiota health too! Gut microbiota affects the entire body, from the skin to muscles, to immune and mental health. Get all the resources you need about microbiota health for free here.