Now that you have had a bit of a background as to what your Gut Microbiome is all about and why everybody is raving about those microscopic creatures in our gut, lets talk a little bit about what actually factors design our Microbiomes and in the next write-up I will tell you how we can help keep these little critters happy!!
Just to recap for those who haven’t read the preceding introduction to our Gut Microbiomes, here we go!
Lately, a lot of research has been going into getting upfront and personal with the bacteria in our gut and understanding as to what makes them tick!
Now many of you may not know what these Microbiomes are. Well in a nutshell, Microbiomes are the billion microorganisms that are present in our gut and they have a major effect on our overall health and wellbeing. They have already been identified as significant role players in a variety of health conditions, including Gastrointestinal disorders to Cardiovascular Disease to Asthma and Rheumatoid Arthritis amongst many others.
It is not just the Miccrobiomes that need to be kept intact, our gut lining also needs to uphold its integrity to keep inflammation in check. But more about that later…
We are all born with a certain Gut flora depending on many factors, which I shall talk about here. In addition to what can help keep our beloved microorganisms Happy and Healthy!!
So right from the birthing process onwards, our affected by a variety of factors and here they are:
- Mode of delivery – Babies born through C-section have exposure to different strains of bacteria as those born through a normal delivery. During the normal delivery babies are exposed to and swallow a mouthful of bacteria from the mucous lining of the birthing canal, which helps to populate the Microbiomes in their gut.
- Diet during Infancy – It is a well-known fact that babies who are breastfed have way more beneficial bacteria than the ones that are formula fed. However the bacteria from the breast milk also differ widely depending on the mother’s health, medication exposure, antibiotics intake, stress levels and diet.
- Diet as we grow up – Throughout our lives, diet is a critical part of our body’s makeup. However in our developmental stages it is even more important to keep this fact in mind. Diets that are plant based and clean from processed foods are generally very supportive of the beneficial bacteria in the gut.
- Antibiotic use – The way antibiotics work is that they kill off bacteria, Good and Bad. Hence when we take antibiotics we are risking our healthy bacteria being attacked too. It is critical to take probiotics anyways to keep your gut bacteria ticking over, however it is even more important to do so when on a course of those dreaded antibiotics.
- Age – Microbial diversity and growth tend to decrease significantly as we get older. It is therefore a good idea to start working on them well before you hit your 60’s and 70’s. Get working on building up your Microbial Profile now!!
- Genetics – It is a known fact that a lot of our health is somewhat genetic, however many aspects of the Microbiome Profile could be something you have inherited from your parents! You can thank them for it if your Gut is happy or NOT if it’s messed up ever since you remember.
- Stress – Stress on a continuous level can negatively affect our Microbiome profile, leading to inflammation and a lot of the ailments I mentioned right at the beginning. Daily meditation, exercise and other forms of managing stress are critical to your Gut Health.
Now that you are all well on your way to understanding what our Microbiomes are and what affects them, my next write-up will be about what you can do to help your Microbiomes flourish and hence reduce inflammation in your gut and hence throughout your body.
Watch this space people and find out how you can get your Optimum health back!!
Ahlaam Ali
Nutrition& Health Coach
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