Being an old millennial with young children, there's not many things that go viral that catch my attention, but the surge of people interested in gut health is definitely one of them. I've definitely talked about the importance of gut health and the microbiome and posted about it multiple times over the past few years, but more and more is known about our gut flora and it's influence on our health that an update is overdue. With media attention and gimmicks out there, now's a good a time as any to arm you with more detailed knowledge for better decision making when it comes to investing in anything gut related.
Here are some fun facts about the microbiome that you may not have known:
Your microbiome is inherited by your parents and your parents' parents. You are also going to pass down your microbiome to your children.
Genes are 10% of our make up. We are 10-20% human cells and 80-90% bacteria!
The microbiome controls 7 major pathways
metabolism
hormone balance
blood sugar
detox capabilities
nutrient absorption
neurotransmitter production
immune system
Your microbiome is very unique and personal to you.
Did any of those surprise you? I was pretty shocked by the first one. I didn't know that my microbiome was inherited and that how I take care of myself will influence those around me. To me that means that my health is not just about me, and I owe it to my family and community to nurture my gut. It sounds like a leap, but there's a now known generational deficit of our microbiomes due to antibiotics in foods and poor food quality from depleted soil that is coined "the Missing Microbe."
Since our microbiomes are as unique to us as our finger prints, it makes sense that our individual needs would be different. in terms of the 7 pathways the microbiome controls, there are certain strains that are necessary for those to work properly. Not only that, but your microbiome needs to be both diverse in its strains, but also evenly populated within those strains. We also want to see absence of the "bad bacteria" like pathogens and yeast like candida. That's why a personalized approach to balancing your gut is necessary. Unfortunately, that means there isn't a single all-in-one solution for everyone.
What do we do then? Simply put, we test! Before we jump into anything, the first thing that needs to be done is to understand the environment and condition that we are in right now. This is the test that I used and recommend: https://elementchiro.wellproz.com/patient/product/68855 It's a super comprehensive at-home test that you can get sent directly to your house. It's pricey, but there are Klarna and After Pay options and for the information that you receive, it's in my opinion worth it.
You will see your diversity and population of your overall gut microbiome, what of the 7 pathway categories you are having difficulty in, if there are inflammatory markers in your gut that are inhibiting your ability to absorb nutrients, what specific probiotic strains you need, and if there are any pathogens present. I previously posted my results (don't judge my gut!) and it's really helped me understand what specific probiotic supplement I need and what steps to help me heal my own gut.
I'll say it even took me a time to find a probiotic that had the strains that I was lacking... I had to search on Fullscript for a solid 3-4 days in order to get it. But not only that, I also found I had inflammatory markers and signs of leaky gut. So I need to take time to heal and seal my gut while I slowly introduce the supplement. To do that, It's a lot of bone broth, eating the rainbow, and avoiding lectin rich foods. I also struggle with drinking enough water, so working on that too.
In the end, there are things that we can do that we know support our overall gut and health, which is to eat for our probiotics. Lots of fiber (prebiotics) over sugars, eating the rainbow in terms of veggies and fruits (polyphenols) while avoiding processed foods and chemical preservatives, and quality meats and collagen rich foods. That being said, our individual starting places are different, and to know is better than to guess when it comes to addressing the "Missing Microbe" factor that we both inherit and pass on.
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