microbiome Archives - Page 3 of 3

29Oct2017

avisha Food & Nutrition October 29, 2017 0 Comments

Omega 3’s Increase Diversity of Gut Microbiome

A study published in the journal Scientific Reports has found that women who had higher levels of serum Omega 3s had a more diverse gut microbiome correlating to better overall health. This includes lowering the risk of diabetes, obesity and inflammatory gut diseases like colitis and Crohn’s. Interestingly enough, these results were independent of whether or not the women in the study had a diet that was rich in fiber.

Biodiversity of our gut microbiome is necessary for good health. Among other things, a healthy gut microbiome promotes good digestion, a strong immune system, aids in detoxification and in reducing inflammation.

In trying to understand the association between Omega 3s and gut biodiversity, the researchers found that:

“high levels of omega-3 in blood are correlated with high levels of a compound called N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) in the gut. This compound has been shown in animals to reduce oxidative stress in the gut. We believe that some of the good effects of omega-3 in the gut may be due to the fact that omega 3 induces bacteria to produce this substance.”

Omega 3s are essential fatty acids. They are fats that are essential for our good health but they must be consumed through our diet and/or supplementation to get the amounts that are needed on a daily basis. There are three different types of omega-3s: ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). Although often supplemented for, it is preferable to get our Omegas through diet. Some very good food sources of Omega 3s include wild caught salmon, flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts and spinach.

Cultivating a healthy gut is vital for our good health. This study, demonstrating the apparent role that Omegas can play in establishing the diversity of our gut microbiome, offers us yet another tool in our diet arsenal to help us achieve our health goals.

9Sep2017

avisha Blog, Food & Nutrition, Lifestyle September 9, 2017 0 Comments

Sleep and Your Gut Bacteria

Circadian rhythms are patterns of brainwave activity, hormones, cell regeneration and biological activities that occur on a daily basis. And sleeping well at the right time each day is essential to keeping the circadian rhythms functioning properly so we function properly too.

The fact that our microbes are actually the regulators of this function and that our sleep patterns are an issue for our microbes should not surprise us. They need us to rest so they can do their thing while we sleep and keep their balance as it should be.

There is also more news you might be interested in. Not having the right microbes may be lowering your metabolic rate while you sleep and this can lead to weight gain. This is based on a mouse study at UI Carver College of Medicine which found that mice given a drug that lowers beneficial bacteria, had a lower metabolic rate both when resting and when asleep, causing them to gain weight.

So what should you do? Should you work on sleeping better to help the microbes or should you work on your gut health to help you sleep better? The answer is to do both. There are number of strategies that can help.

To help reset your circadian rhythm:

Go to bed at a set time and get up at the same time as much as possible
Avoid bright lights near bedtime
Avoid eating or exercising close to bedtime
Sleep in a dark space as light tricks the body into thinking it is time to be awake
Develop a relaxing routine before bed whether it is taking a bed, deep breathing exercises or having a nice cup of herbal tea such as chamomile or valerian.

For those who have irregular work hours and therefore sleep schedules, consider talking to a practitioner about taking melatonin.

Diet also plays a role. In another mouse study, both high fat and low fat diets played a negative role in the function of circadian rhythms and they also altered the microbiome. Short-chain fatty acid production was lower, especially butyrate which is essential for circadian rhythm function. Butyrate is produced by beneficial colon bacteria from resistant starch found in complex carbohydrates such as potatoes, wheat, rice, legumes and sweet potatoes. To improve gut health:

Eat prebiotic foods, especially those with resistant starch
Take probiotics which can help melatonin levels and in turn, help restore circadian rhythms
Butyrate supplements are available if you are unsure as to how well you are producing it

Sleep is one more example of the potential problems caused by dysbiosis and why we should be focused on improving our gut health.

12Aug2017

avisha Food & Nutrition, Lifestyle August 12, 2017 0 Comments

“Live Dirty, Eat Clean!”

“Live Dirty, Eat Clean! is the mantra of Dr. Robynne Chutkan. Dr. Chutkan is an Integrative gastroenterologist, microbiome expert and author of the book Gutbliss. Her mission is to bring to all of us the understanding that what we feed our microbiome determines our health. More specifically, what we eat determines that bacteria we grow and in turn these bacteria turn on and off specific genes that guide our health down one pathway or another.

I found it very interesting to listen to what she had to say in this brief talk especially in light of the fact that many people are turning towards high fat as the underpinning of their daily diet. In my opinion perhaps one of the most overlooked and undervalued components of a healthy diet is adequate fibre intake. Fibre is the indigestible part of plants that passes pretty much unchanged as it goes through the digestive system. The more common understanding of the value of fibre is it importance for a healthy digestive tract. A lesser know reason for the importance of fibre however is it’s function for maintaining a healthy microbiome. As explained by Dr. Chutkan the microbiome is:

“all microbes that live on or in the human body… and all their genes…making you more microbe than human…(they are an) essential part of our ecosystem and they’re vitally important for keeping us healthy”

As we become more and more aware of just how many aspects of our health are affected by our microbiome, it becomes imperative that we understand how to propagate its health. And the first place to start is with a plant-based diet.

I’ve included the link to her talk below. Do take a few minutes to listen to it. It’s both interesting and informative.