HEALTHY FOOD · OCTOBER 2018
IS REALLY TRUE THAT OUR
HEALTH STARTS IN OUR
MOUTH?
WHAT FACTORS
ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR
GUT MICROBIOTA?
Well, this is partly true. Our
mouth is at the beginning
of our digestive system
and after the process
of chewing, food starts
moving through the
digestive tract in order
to be digested and
absorbed in our gut.
Diet has been shown to
significantly determine the
composition of our gut
microbial community. This
means that the food we
eat may harmfully and
dynamically affect our
gut microbes in a matter
of days.
This process, when
properly functioning,
guarantees us to receive
crucial nutrients needed
for optimal function of our
body and consequently good
health.
However, based on scientific
research, our health begins in our gut
or, more specifically, in our gut microbiota,
or intestinal flora. Therefore, our health
depends on how homeostatic, or balanced,
our gut microbiome is. In order to have a
balanced intestinal microbiota with plenty
of beneficial bacteria, a few essential factors
are needed, such as an anti-inflammatory and
nutrient-dense diet, a balanced lifestyle, and
stress management.
Because good health depends on how
balanced our gut microbiome is, let's better
understand this mechanism.
WHAT IS A MICROBIOME
OR INTESTINAL FLORA?
Gut microbiome, gut flora, or gut bacteria
(all the same), refers to the community of
microorganisms that are living in our gut.
Actually, there are more than 100 trillion
microorganisms that are quite diverse with
more than 1000 different species.
That literally means that we have ten times
more microbes in our bodies than we have
human cells, and they are mainly composed
of bacteria, but also include viruses, fungi,
protozoa, and archaea that are residing in
and on our bodies; literally sharing our body
space with us.
In addition, diet is
highly relevant in
changing for the better
the diversity of gut flora.
Thus, macronutrients, fat,
carbohydrates, and proteins
play an important role in shaping
the composition and activity of this
complex microbe’s population.
WHY DOES OUR GUT
MICROBIOME MATTER?
Our microbiome is so important that
scientists are considering it a hidden
virtual organ. Also, they say that having a
homeostatic gut environment, or a healthy
and balanced gut microbiota, is necessary
for a healthy life. This is due to the fact that
most of our gut microbes are harmless and
beneficial to us when they are in balance.
This community of microbes offers us many
benefits, such as regulating metabolism,
and are essential for normal digestion and
nutrition. Some of these microbes digest
dietary fibers, while others synthesize
essential nutrients. Also, they protect us
against infections and pathogenic bacteria.
In addition, our intestinal microbiota is the
residence of most of our immune cells.
(Between 70 to 80 percent of which are in
our gut.)
In this way, our intestinal microbiota,
depending on its state, can influence a
normal physiology (when in equilibrium)
or create susceptibilities to diseases (when
unbalanced, with a disordered growth of
bacteria).
40 HEALTHY MAGAZINE
There are also a few other factors that may
dynamically influence the composition of our
gut microbiome, such as:
ɭ ɭ Lifestyle
ɭ ɭ Chronic stress (bowel-brain
communication)
ɭ ɭ Chronic inflammation
ɭ ɭ Intestinal infection
ɭ ɭ Antibiotics and medication use
ɭ ɭ Physical inactivity
ɭ ɭ Genetic predisposition
This is a profound topic that has many
important details, so this article is divided
into two parts, and in part two you will read
about how the composition of the intestinal
flora varies among individuals, what chronic
health conditions are associated with an
unbalanced or disrupted gut microbiota, and
more.
Most important, I want you to be aware
that small changes in diet and lifestyle are
powerful and free tools we all have in our
favor and the best ways to prevent chronic
illnesses.
By Elianni Gaio, CHC