A Good Gut: How Bacteria within May Boost Your Mood, Mind & Immunity
Tuesday, June 19, 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Did you know you have more bacteria within your digestive tract than cells in your entire body? What’s more, these bacteria, both good bugs and bad, influence far more than our digestive health alone. In fact, 90% of the feel good chemical, serotonin is made in your gut! No wonder there is such a powerful link between gut health, depression and anxiety. The microbiome (a fancy name for all of those gut bugs) also impacts the metabolism, immunity and disease risk. Growing research indicates that gut health starts even before we are born, meaning both lifestyle and food choices will forever be helping or harming the good bugs to win the war within. Join registered dietitian Jessica Corwin, MPH and learn more about what you can do to improve your gut health.

A Good Gut: How Bacteria within May Boost Your Mood, Mind & Immunity
Tuesday, June 19, 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Did you know you have more bacteria within your digestive tract than cells in your entire body? What’s more, these bacteria, both good bugs and bad, influence far more than our digestive health alone.

In fact, 90% of the feel good chemical, serotonin is made in your gut! No wonder there is such a powerful link between gut health, depression and anxiety. The microbiome (a fancy name for all of those gut bugs) also impacts the metabolism, immunity and disease risk.

Growing research indicates that gut health starts even before we are born, meaning both lifestyle and food choices will forever be helping or harming the good bugs to win the war within.

Join registered dietitian Jessica Corwin, MPH and learn more about what you can do to improve your gut health.

Each of us has an internal complex ecosystem of bacteria located within our bodies that we call the microbiome. The microbiome is defined as as “community of microbes.” The vast majority of the bacterial species that make up our microbiome live in our digestive systems.

According to the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of Colorado, “the human microbiota consists of the 10–100 trillion symbiotic microbial cells harbored by each person, primarily bacteria in the gut. The human ‘microbiome’ consists of the genes these cells harbor.” (1)

Our individual microbiomes are sometimes called our “genetic footprints” since they help determine our unique DNA, hereditary factors, predisposition to diseases, body type or body “set point weight,” and much more. The bacteria that make up our microbiomes can be found everywhere, even outside our own bodies, on nearly every surface we touch and every part of the environment we come into contact with. (2)

The microbiome can be confusing because it’s different than other organs in that it’s not just located in one location and is not very large in size, plus it has very far-reaching roles that are tied to so many different bodily functions. Even the word “microbiome” tells you a lot about how it works and the importance of its roles, since “micro” means small and “biome” means a habitat of living things.

It’s been said by some researchers that up to 90 percent of all diseases can be traced in some way back to the gut and health of the microbiome. Believe it or not, your microbiome is home to trillions of microbes, diverse organisms that help govern nearly every function of the human body in some way. The importance of our gut microbiome cannot be overstated: Poor gut health can contribute to leaky gut syndrome and autoimmune diseases and disorders like arthritis, dementia, heart disease, and cancer, while our health, fertility and longevity are also highly reliant on the balance of critters living within our guts.

Throughout our lives, we help shape our own microbiomes — plus they adapt to changes in our environment. For example, the foods you eat, how you sleep, the amount of bacteria you’re exposed to on a daily basis and the level of stress you live with all help establish the state of your microbiota.

Before birth infants guts are believed to be sterile. As a baby travels through the birth canal, is will pick up bacteria from mom for it’s first introduction to bacteria. If the baby is directly placed on mom, it picks up mom’s bacterial skin cells. If the baby breast feeds, you guessed it, more bacteria, all straight from mom. But we know there are different birth stories.

_______

Many factors have been linked to the development of the gut microbiome throughout a person’s lifecycle. Primary influencing factors include a person’s age, their dietary patterns, neonatal nutrition, frequency and dosing of medication- especially antibiotics, genetics, physiology, environment and hygiene. One of the most profound influences on the development of the gut microbiome is the way in which a child is born. Infants are thought to be born with a sterile gut, though there is some debate surrounding whether or not this is the case. A subset researchers believe that there are some microbes present in the gut prior to going through the birth canal. However, the majority of an infant’s microbiota develops and is influenced by the type of delivery and subsequent feeding practices.

C-section birth eliminates the vaginal bacteria, usually a C-section baby’s first human contact is with the nurses and doctor in the room. These babies are given their first bacteria not from mom, but by the medical staff in the room. If the baby is whisked off to the NICU in the case of my newborn twins, they miss the skin to skin and potentially the breast milk for a few days or weeks. The bacteria gained by these infants are again not from mom, but by medical staff. Maybe some of you know babies that are born and for one reason or a another need antibiotics before leaving the hospital. This is a big disruption to their very early and tender microbiome. A startling yet not so shocking statistic is that most children in the US by 2 y/o have had 3 rounds of antibiotics!!!

Research is showing that the use of antibiotics and/or c-section birth correlates with increased risk of obesity possibly due to the altered microbiome. This same trend is true for breast fed vs. bottle fed babies.

38 million pounds of antibiotics used a year in the US
Most children in the US by 2 y/o have had 3 rounds of antibiotics
One study found that after Cipro tx there was a 25-50% of bacteria in the gut wiped out. None of the participants had GI symptoms.

19,000 tons of antibiotics used a year in the US
Most children in the US by 2 y/o have had 3 rounds of antibiotics

As these babies grow into toddlers, they increase their microbiome diversity in multiple ways including playing in dirt, playing with other kids, owning a pet, putting things in their mouth… all this increases biodiversity. However, as we age that diversity levels off or decreases due to our Western lifestyle and general aging (FYI, aging microbiome does happen due to slower gastric mobility, changes in diet to softer foods and more time in hospitals…increased gas is often a complaint of those getting older) . This effects several areas of our body including our mood, our weight, and our immune system. Let’s dig in.

Large families and farming families have less allergies than those with clean, dirt free households.

The importance of our gut microbiome cannot be overstated: Poor gut health can contribute to leaky gut syndrome and autoimmune diseases and disorders like arthritis, dementia, heart disease, and cancer, while our health, fertility and longevity are also highly reliant on the balance of critters living within our guts.

Throughout our lives, we help shape our own microbiomes — plus they adapt to changes in our environment. For example, the foods you eat, how you sleep, the amount of bacteria you’re exposed to on a daily basis and the level of stress you live with all help establish the state of your microbiota.

The bacteria does not starve! They are resourceful and will start to consume the protective mucus layer in the colon. This leads to an assortment of other issues, but the good news is that add fiber and the mucus comes back. Remember when we talked about immunity and how we are seeing such an increase in autoimmune issues in our culture?

Think about the way we eat and how many people have a microbiome that is eating the mucus. This leads to leaking gut where the bacteria are not staying where they need to and the immune system is triggered and is hyper. The body starts attacking itself. It is early yet, more research needs to be done, but there is no doubt that the link between diet and immunity is huge!

The Best Fermented Foods
When it comes to fermented foods, your options aren’t limited to sauerkraut or fermented soy. There are other fantastic options that are considered “fermented,” including tea, yogurt, and various vegetables. Here are 9 fermented foods you should include in your gut.

1. Yogurt
Yogurt has many benefits, mostly due to its rich probiotic content. Brands of yogurt that contain billions of live active cultures may support digestion, and some research indicates it could even benefit the skin.[1] Raw, unpasteurized yogurt is ideal if you can handle dairy. Personally, I tend to skip dairy altogether, but you can find dairy-free yogurt options at many stores these days, some of which are made from coconut and almond milk. Be sure you’re choosing yogurt that contains live active cultures, and try to choose plain, full-fat versions in order to avoid sugar. Yogurt that contains sugar can be counterproductive, as sugars feed pathogenic bacteria and contribute to sugar overload.


2. Natto
Natto is prepared with soybeans and is fermented so it forms the beneficial bacteria Bacillus. It’s an excellent source of calcium, iron, dietary fiber, and vitamin K2. You may not have heard a lot about it, but K2 is essential for heart health as it keeps calcium out of your arteries and gets it to your bones where it’s needed. Natto also contains nattokinase, a powerful anti-clotting agent that protects your heart and brain and lowers your blood pressure.

3. Kefir
Kefir is a bit like yogurt, except that it’s more of a drinkable consistency. Researchers report kefir may reduce irritation in the intestines, preventing toxins and other pathogens from getting into the blood.[2] If you’re choosing to drink dairy kefir, make sure it’s organic and isn’t loaded with refined sugar. There are options for making your own dairy-free water kefir, and many health food companies online sell kefir grains specifically for this purpose. You can also check out our recipe for making coconut milk kefir.

4. Kombucha
Made from tea, clean water, sugar, yeast, and bacteria, kombucha has become popular recently for its probiotic qualities. Its fizzy bite is also popular among those used to drinking soda. Research finds this fermented tea fights off E. coli and Staph bacteria in the digestive tract, possibly protecting against illness and aiding digestion.[3]

5. Sauerkraut
Traditional sauerkraut preparation uses water, salt, and cabbage, and very little heat is applied to the final product in order to prevent killing off beneficial microbes. The sour taste comes from lacto-fermentation, or the breakdown of lactose by the probiotic bacteria native to the cabbage. A serving gives you a powerful dose of healthy probiotics that aid digestion, and research has found raw sauerkraut prevents cancer cells from forming.[4] Be sure to purchase raw sauerkraut, or better yet, make it yourself with organic cabbage and Himalayan salt.

6. Kimchi
This spicy Asian fermented cabbage, similar to sauerkraut, provides you with loads of probiotics. Extensive research indicates it contributes to colon health, lower cholesterol, better thinking, a stronger immune system, healthy skin, and weight loss. Additional research also shows it has anti-oxidative, anti-aging, and immune-supporting properties.[5]


7. Tempeh
This Indonesian ‘cake’ has a nutty flavor and chewy texture, and because of this, it is often used as a replacement for meat in many vegan recipes. Traditionally made from soybeans and a yeast starter, it undergoes controlled fermentation that makes it a great source of probiotic bacteria. Tempeh is also a great source of calcium, iron, and magnesium.

8. Pickles
Raw pickles, much like sauerkraut, are a great introduction to fermented foods. Pickles made by lacto-fermentation are a delicious snack that aid digestion and support a strong immune system.

9. Lassi
Yogurt and fermented dairy play an important role in Indian cuisine. Lassi is made by combining yogurt and milk (or water) and sometimes fruit and spices to create a great probiotic-rich drink. It digests quickly, helps restore friendly gut bacteria, and soothes irritation in the colon. Again, I don’t recommend consuming conventional dairy, especially from cows. If you are going to drink lassi, it’s best to find a product using grass-fed, free-range goat milk. Goat milk tends to digest more easily. If you’re vegan, try finding or making lassi with organic coconut or almond milk yogurt.

We have known for a while now that those who drink diet soda are just as heavy as regular soda drinkers, and theories abounded as to why. Now we have evidence of a potential clue. Those that drink diet soda have a different microbiome, one that shows a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
A very recent study showed that those who drink pop two times a day, even diet, have double the chance of getting diabetes.

Other research has found a higher amount of antiobiotic resistant strains in those with more meat, less plant diversity. Perhaps due to consuming animals taking antibiotics?? https://newatlas.com/largest-microbiome-gut-bacteria-study/54632/

Think about the quality of the foods most Americans eat. Just walk through the isles of a grocery store and it won’t take long before you see that our food supply is highly processed. This is also a problem because the diversity of what we eat and the microbes we would ingest are pretty minimal. Our processed foods are designed to taste the same every time you eat it and no matter where in the US you try it. Now think about the food supply of the less/no processed foods. The tastes change depending on the weather that year (think produce). Also, we would get more diversity if the animal meat we are eating are eating grass in a field or the same feed day after day. On top of that we don’t like getting dirty, we clean with bacteria killing cleaners, and sanitize all day long. You can see how are microbiome diversity has drastically been declining. Why does that matter? Less diversity = more obesity and other dz.

Helps with protecting immune system…more diversity in the microbiome means there are less resources for pathogens to take and get a strong hold
Helps with weight control- more diverse = lower weight
Helps with aging gut – more diversity = lower inflammation, greater muscle mass, less cognitive decline unsure why.

We have extinct bacteria due to cleanliness and antibiotic use. Our diversity is lower than our ancestors and this is theorized the cause of hyper immunity ie. Auto immune issues like allergies, exema, MS etc. Our immune system works best when it is constantly challenged little by little than when we eradicate bacteria

WHO defines probiotics as "live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host" (FAO/WHO. 2002) - spore-forming or not, stable or unstable freeze dried or encapsulated.

Not all of them, however, share the often mourned lack of shelf-life and susceptibility to breakdown in the acidic milieu of the upper gastroinstestinal tract. This is why chances are that only a very small percentage of your probiotic supplement is (a) viable at the end of its shelf-life and (b) able to transit the ph-barrier of your upper gastrointestinal tract.


Figure 1: Illustration of the process of spore-formation from a presentation by Marthese Azzopardi.
The most commonly available alternative that will guarantee both, i.e. a long shelf-life and successful transit of the intestinal pH barrier is "Bacillus coagulans", a gram-positive, spore-forming, microaerophilic, lactic-acid producing bacillus that is not - by definition - part of the Lactobacillus genus; and that despite the fact that it is still often falsely referred to and even labelled as "Lactibacillus sporogenes"... needless to say: you also have to distinguish coagulans from unfortunately better-known spores such as ahtrax, the 1,300 year old lethal weapon of terror.

Can't these bacilli harm you? Toxicological safety assessments for B. coagulans indicate no mutagenic, clastogenic, or genotoxic effects. Results of an acute and 90-day subchronic oral toxicity study in rats yielded a No Adverse Effects Level (NOEL) greater than 1,000 mg/kg per day (Endres. 2009). As Jurenka et al. point out in their review, Endres et al. used B. coagulans at a concentration equal to 95.2 x 10^11, i.e. almost 100 billion CFU for a 70-kg human - that's 30x more than the typical upper limit you will find in supplements which are usually dosed between 100 million an 3 billion CFUs daily. Furthermore, "in humans, adverse reactions following supplementation have not been reported in the peer-reviewed literature" - and this includes even minor side effects such as bloating. More recently human safety data for another strain has been published (Majeed. 2016c).

The idea behind choosing a spore forming probiotic is because rather than just tossing in a packet of seeds (aka. a typical probiotic supplement of bacterial strains), the spore version goes in weeding out the bad bugs and planting the seeds of good bacteria. It is like the master gardener version.

when it comes to generic probiotics, there is no shortage on the market. Which make this a confusing area to navigate. A couple of simple guidelines.
1) Stick with brands you know and trust. These brands have a reputation to uphold and will maintain strict guidelines. Like all supplements, these are not regulated so it helps to stick with trusted brands.
2) Look closely at the expiration date. Live bacteria do die and will loose potency so pay close attention to these dates on all live bacteria products, food or supplements.
3) You want at least 3-4 Billion bacteria count and usually the more strains the better as it will have a better chance of hitting the issues you may be having.
4) Avoid the candies. Try a product for a week and if you are not noticing improvement or if you are experiencing GI issues, try a different product.

Your microbiome is so specific to you that it is difficult to know which product you may need.

As we talk about diversity, beyond diet what is happening to ours????

Research is showing that children who are kept very clean and away from natural elements such as soil go on to develop inflammatory bowel disease at much higher rates.

Instead try more natural cleaners like vinegar, lemon juice, and essential oils, specialty cloths