Healthy Gut, Healthy Well Everything Really

February 19, 2021

Humans are the spaceship that 38 trillion bacteria, fungi and viruses use explore the world. In return they play a role is all aspects of health both good and bad. 70% of the immune system, 80% of neurotransmitters, and 99% of the building blocks of life are either made or influenced by the gut microbiome. If we look after the microbiome we look after ourselves. The gut is the part of the body that interacts with our environment the most: Every day a person breathes in around 1 million microorganisms. Touch a sponge and you interact with 120 million bacteria.   Sounds like a lot. In comparison the average person consumes up to 1.3 trillion bacteria. 2 slices of bread contain 300 million bacteria alone (after being cooked). The need to manage these interactions means that the gut contains most of the immune machinery in the body (70-80% depending on how it is measured). This is not a one-way interaction and the microbiome plays an essential role in immune response. The microbiome makes many of the molecules we need to survive: Apart from oxygen in the air and sunlight to help produce vitamin D almost everything that our body needs to thrive comes from our food and is absorbed through the gut. Many of the nutrients the body needs do not come directly from food. The microbes in the body consume the food (fibre, antioxidants etc.) and then produce short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and active molecules that the body then absorbs for optimal health. Optimising the microbiome feeds the body. The microbiome steers our metabolism. Glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitivity and fat metabolism are all influenced by the gut microbiome. A UK study using identical twins has shown that body weight is, in part, determined by the gut microbiome. The researchers looked at the microbiome of identical twins where one was overweight/obese, and one was not. They found that the microbiome in the two was measurably different. The study shows that how we feed our microbiome was more important than our genetics. The microbiome influences our moods: The Gut-Brain axis is now well established. A large part of our nervous system is in the gut, and communication with the brain goes both ways. The microorganisms in our gut produce serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters so that they may modify our eating habits. By modifying the microbiome, we can help drive mental health in a positive direction. The microbiome affects how medicines work: Medicines do not work in isolation. All medicines make use of biochemical pathways that are part of the body’s natural function. As an example, it has been shown that cancer treatment success can be dependent on the gut microbiome. when taking medication, it is important to remember that the machinery used by the medication needs to be working at optimal efficiency to have the optimum result. In summary: An optimised microbiome has a positive impact in 7 key areas: 1.    Help protect from infection and reduce severity disease. 2.    Improve absorption of food. 3.    Provide essential nutrients that optimise metabolism. 4.    Improve moods and mental acuity. 5.    Aid in injury repair. 6.    Aid the benefits of medications. 7.    Reduce the effects of ageing and keep us young. For these reasons, the choice of a high quality, complex, broad spectrum prebiotic that promotes an optimal microbiome is a great way to improve our health and overall wellbeing.

5 signs of an unhealthy gut

January 29, 2021

Your gut affects your overall health more than you think. The gut microbiome- the name for the bacteria in your gut, includes thousands of species of microbes that can both be helpful and potentially harmful. In a healthy body, the microbes reach a healthy balance. If that relationship is disrupted, by infectious illnesses, certain diets, or excessive use of antibiotics for example,- then that balance can be disrupted which may make you more susceptible to disease or result in poor digestion, and inflammation. There are many ways how you can identify an unhealthy gut. Here are 5 common signs: Upset stomach- The first sign of an unhealthy gut is, unsurprisingly, an irritative stomach. Stomach disruptions such as gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and heartburn can all be signs of an unhealthy gut. Cravings for unhealthy foods- Eating too many unhealthy foods, particularly those high in sugar and simple carbohydrates, can lead to an increase in the bad bacteria in the gut. Sugar is what these bad bacteria feed on. The more you feed these bacteria, the more they take over the microbiome and control the signals sent from your gut to your brain. It has been shown these bacteria secrete molecules that make you crave sugar more. Fixing your gut can help you remove these cravings in the long run. Sleep disturbances or constant fatigue - Most people know that serotonin is a hormone that affects mood and sleep. What most people don’t realise is that the majority of serotonin is made and used in the gut. An unhealthy gut can negatively affect your ability to sleep well. Skin irritation- Inflammation in the gut, which is caused by poor diet or food allergies, may cause increased levels of particular proteins that irritate the skin and cause conditions such as eczema. Mood issues- As mentioned above the majority of serotonin is made in the gut. However, the gut brain axis extends beyond serotonin. Therefore, treating your gut imbalances is a critical step for supporting mental health. A major step in improving any, and all of these conditions is to include a broad spectrum prebiotic (such as NutriKane D) in your diet. Using NutriKane D will feed all the different types of good bacteria in the gut. This not only supplies us with essential nutrition, but also increases the types of microbiota in the gut that help us manage the day-to-day stresses of life. NutriKane D also has insoluble fibre that stimulates the full length of the gastrointestinal tract, supporting your ENTIRE gut microbiome.