Microbiota

The Microbial Ecosystem of Your Gut

The human gut harbors a huge microbial ecosystem, which is equipped to perform a variety of functions such as digestion of food, metabolism of drugs, detoxification of toxic compounds, production of essential vitamins, prevention of attachment of pathogenic bacteria to the gut wall, and maintenance of stable environment in the gastrointestinal tract. The composition and activity of the human gut microbiota affect gastrointestinal and the ability of the body to maintain a stable internal environment.

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Your gut microbiome is unique and so should your IBS-D treatment

The human gut microbiome is composed of 100 trillion microorganisms. These microbes have distinct characteristics that are unique to every individual. The microbes reside and diversify in our gut for the first few years after birth, stabilizing our microbiota later. IBS-D is a gastrointestinal disorder that causes an imbalance in your gut microbiota, causing pain, discomfort, bloating, and so forth. Just like the gut microbiome that is unique to us, the treatment approach for any microbial imbalance should also be unique. There are no standard treatment approaches for IBS-D that work for everyone. Therefore, it’s important to talk to your doctor to discuss a tailored treatment that works best for you.

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Composition of Your Gut Microbiota

The newborns' microbiota gradually increases in size and diversity up to the first few years of their life; by that time, the gut microbiota has come to resemble that of the adult and remains relatively stable thereafter. The composition of the gut microbiota varies according to age, sex, diet, geographical origin of the individual and is also influenced by certain environmental factors, making the gut microbiota unique to each individual. Any imbalance in the normal gut microbiota leads to dysbiosis.

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What is the Function of Healthy Gut Microbiota?

Gut microbiota contains tens of trillions of microorganisms in your intestine. While each of us has a unique gut microbiota, the physiological functions are the same, with a direct impact on our health. The functions of gut microbiota include digestion of certain foods that the stomach and small intestine cannot digest, and the production of vitamins B and K. It also plays an important role in the immune system, performing the barrier effect. Healthy and balanced gut microbiota is key to ensuring proper digestive functioning. Healthy gut microbiota is filled with good microbial communities that work together to maintain your health, both physical and mental. When one of these colonies falls out of balance, it can lead to what is called dysbiosis.

We each have a unique gut microbiota that has a direct impact on our health.  The functions of gut microbiota include:

• Helps the body digest certain foods that the stomach and small intestine cannot digest

• Production of some vitamins (B and K).

• Plays an important role in the immune system, performing the barrier effect

A healthy and balanced gut microbiota is key to ensuring proper digestive functioning.

Diet plays an important role in determining the composition of the gut microbiota

Studies have shown that artificial sweeteners alter the gut microbiota and gut-brain function. Learn more about positive lifestyles changes for IBS at https://cdhf.ca/digestive-disorders/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs/living-positively/

Is your gut microbiome the key to health and happiness?

Recent findings suggest that the commensal gut microbiota are involved in producing up to 50% of the dopamine found in our body and up to 90% of the serotonin. These two neurotransmitter molecules influence our mood, happiness, pleasure and joy.

To learn more about how the gut influences mental health, visit https://badgut.org/information-centre/a-z-digestive-topics/gut-bacterias-far-reaching-effects/

Although phrases such as “gut feeling”, “gut-wrenching”,” gut instinct”, and “butterflies in your stomach” have long been part of our vernacular

– only now are we coming to a fuller appreciation of the complex communication network that exists between the gut and the brain. The gut microbiota exerts a substantial physiological impact on our stress responsiveness, emotions, motivation, mood, behaviour, attention and thinking.

To learn more about how the gut affects mental health, visit: https://cdhf.ca/fr/health-lifestyle/wait-my-gut-affects-my-mental-health/

Did you Know?

Often referred to as the “the last undiscovered human organ,” our gut microbial community plays a quintessential role in preventing invasion of foreign microbes by not only competing with pathogenic bacteria but also releasing toxins to prevent pathogen colonization!

To find out more about which lifestyles and practices may deplete beneficial microbial communities visit https://cdhf.ca/fr/health-lifestyle/a-trillion-pieces-the-microbiome-puzzle/

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Food for thought!

Were you aware that the gut-brain axis evolved in the early stages of human evolution, when we were still trying to figure out what foods were healthy and required to stay alive? Given that fatty foods were rich in energy, the gut microbiome learned to send signals our brains, telling it to release dopamine — the pleasure hormone. This in effect ensured that early hominin diets consisted of high-fat foods and helping them stay alive!