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Natural Awakenings South Central Pennsylvania

We Are What Our Microbiome Eats

Jul 01, 2020 05:56PM ● By Ashlyn Zikmund
Perhaps the phrase, “You are what you eat,” rings a bell; however, the phrase, “You are what your microbiome eats,” is more accurate. This is because the foods we eat are metabolized by the estimated 100 trillion bacteria that inhabit the average human intestinal tract. Because different conditions are linked to microbiome resilience, establishing and maintaining a diverse and robust ecosystem is an essential component for optimal health.

 

Conditions commonly identified in children such as like asthma and eczema are related to microbial imbalances that alter immune function in the gut. Conditions such as diabetes, depression and irritable bowel syndrome are also associated with microbial and immune dysfunctions. This relationship exists because the gut harbors a huge portion of the immune system, and is tasked with the job of surveilling and killing any “bad” material coming in its jurisdiction. Anyone desiring optimized immune function need look no further than enhancing gut health. Simply start feeding it what it loves.

 

There is currently a large fiber gap in the United States—90 percent of adults and children are not getting the recommended amount needed to feed gut microbes which metabolize it, creating byproducts called postbiotic metabolites. These include short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which optimize the gut’s acid-base balance to ward off potential pathogens and fuel enterocyte (absorptive) cells in the digestive tract.

 

This allows a potentially bad cell in the gut to be replaced by a new and healthy cell. The diversity of fiber-rich foods is also important, and leads to a diverse microbiome. That allows the “good guys” to get more available parking spaces compared to the “bad guys” coming in and trying to steal a spot to which they are not welcome.

 

Quality probiotic supplements and supplements containing postbiotic metabolites can be beneficial complements to health. They can be used for general wellness or to target a specific condition, but improving dietary factors should be a first-line step in any gut healing protocol.

 

Dr. Ashlyn Zikmund is a naturopathic doctor at Natural Paths to Wellness, located at 1524 Cedar Cliff Dr., in Camp Hill. She has a special interest in gut health, women’s health and metabolic syndrome. For more information, call 717-494-4500 or visit NaturalPathsToWellness.com.