Bacteria have lived on our planet longer than any other being by billions of years. They have evolved during this time to live in some of the most inhospitable environments imaginable and continue to evolve as the planet changes. They are to be equally admired and feared, and they will ultimately outlive all other living beings. Throughout history bacteria have claimed more lives than all of the world wars combined and simultaneously (an often in an unrecognized manner) facilitated better health for most humans on the planet. Think about it, how many deadly ailments are bacterial in nature? Leprosy, tuberculosis, malaria, cholera, meningococcal disease, typhoid fever, tetanus, botulisim, listeriosis, bubonic plague, necrotizing fasciitis, Legionnaires' disease, scarlet fever, dysentry, bacterial pneumonia...the list goes on. It's no surprise that during the 1950s and 1960s tremendous effort was invested in the development of antibiotics. This 'antibiotic era' is responsible for some of our best defenses against harmful bacteria which include glycopeptides (ex. vancomycin), tetracyclines (ex. sumycin), macrolides (ex. erythromycin), polymyxins (ex. neosporin), β-lactams (ex. methicillin), etc. yet bacteria continue to evolve and adapt. On the heels of the antibiotic era was the era of antibiotic resistance - we currently battle some of the most evolved pathogenic beings including MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus), VRSA (vancomycin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) and even instances of chlostridium difficile infections for which no known antibiotic is effective.
So is it all doom and gloom when it comes to bacteria? Far from it - these little guys are also responsible for helping us live happy and healthy lives, and you are covered in them! In fact, the average human has ten times as many bacterial cells in and around their body than human cells which make up the body. The largest concentration of bacteria in the human body is found in the digestive track, second only to the skin. The past decade has brought about an increased appreciation for the microbes within us as study after study links our gut microbiota with a variety of ailments. Huge movements to eat more bacteria in an effort to increase our microbiome diversity has brought foods like kimchi, sauerkraut and kombucha (all having been used for hundreds of years by a variety of cultures for their digestive health benefits) from the 'oriental' isle at the grocery store to the main display. And, of course, if you put the phrase 'improves gut health' onto almost any product you can expect customers to pay at least two to three times its actual worth. Go look in any drug store - you will be overwhelmed by the number of supplements containing a zillion strains of utterly unpronounceable bacteria all claiming to provide some benefit. However, the question remains: how much do we (this is a collective we, including scientists) truely understand about the precise role of bacteria in the pathophysiology of disease?
This is one of the questions frequently brought up when discussing whether or not the FDA should play a role in the marketing and administration of probiotic supplements. A recent policy piece in Science summarized the state of affairs with respect to the role the FDA could play in the probiotic supplement industry, and it really boils down to how you define 'probiotic supplement.' Is it a food or is it a drug? Is it sold with the intention of supporting gut health or influencing a disease state? It is certainly a challenging question to answer, and most likely one which will not be answered anytime soon. Research into this area is still in the 'information gathering' phase. So what do we know so far and how can we make positive changes to promote our gut health with this limited information?
1. We need both probiotics and prebiotics to support our gut microbiome. The probiotics are the 'good' bacteria - we need a variety of bacterial strains in a variety of ratios for optimum gut health. Everybody and everybody will have a different probiotic profile which fits them the best, and this profile likely changes over the course of life. For optimum support of your own personal microbiome, you need to feed these little guys! This is where prebiotics come into play. Prebiotics are food sources on which the probiotics feed and YOU are responsible for feeding them the right sorts of foods. Examples of prebiotics include garlic, oats, onions, asparagus, leeks, flaxseeds, bananas, cocoa, etc.
2. Consistency is KEY! The most significant time for microbiome development is during birth, when an otherwise sterile and undisturbed environment is introduced to the world and its microbes. After this event, especially as significant spans of time pass, the established microbiome becomes much more challenging to shift. There is not a 'one-size-fits-all' microbiome fix in a pill which can be taken daily to fix a gut-related problem. To truely influence your gut microbiome, diet and lifestyle modifications are a must! A plant-based diet (not necessarily excluding meat!) supplemented with lots of probiotic rich foods (think greek yogurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, tempeh...) adopted consistently as part of a reduced-stress and moderately active lifestyle is the best thing you can do for your gut!
3. This process takes time - don't expect to immediately feel like your younger, care-free self in 24 hours. Explore new foods, keep a food and feeling diary, go outside and play, incorporate relaxation techniques and indulge in treats every once in awhile! Look back after a few months and then compare how you generally feel. This is an inside job.
4. To further get to know your gut microbiome, pick up a copy of I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong. Your multitudes will thank you!
This is one of the questions frequently brought up when discussing whether or not the FDA should play a role in the marketing and administration of probiotic supplements. A recent policy piece in Science summarized the state of affairs with respect to the role the FDA could play in the probiotic supplement industry, and it really boils down to how you define 'probiotic supplement.' Is it a food or is it a drug? Is it sold with the intention of supporting gut health or influencing a disease state? It is certainly a challenging question to answer, and most likely one which will not be answered anytime soon. Research into this area is still in the 'information gathering' phase. So what do we know so far and how can we make positive changes to promote our gut health with this limited information?
1. We need both probiotics and prebiotics to support our gut microbiome. The probiotics are the 'good' bacteria - we need a variety of bacterial strains in a variety of ratios for optimum gut health. Everybody and everybody will have a different probiotic profile which fits them the best, and this profile likely changes over the course of life. For optimum support of your own personal microbiome, you need to feed these little guys! This is where prebiotics come into play. Prebiotics are food sources on which the probiotics feed and YOU are responsible for feeding them the right sorts of foods. Examples of prebiotics include garlic, oats, onions, asparagus, leeks, flaxseeds, bananas, cocoa, etc.
2. Consistency is KEY! The most significant time for microbiome development is during birth, when an otherwise sterile and undisturbed environment is introduced to the world and its microbes. After this event, especially as significant spans of time pass, the established microbiome becomes much more challenging to shift. There is not a 'one-size-fits-all' microbiome fix in a pill which can be taken daily to fix a gut-related problem. To truely influence your gut microbiome, diet and lifestyle modifications are a must! A plant-based diet (not necessarily excluding meat!) supplemented with lots of probiotic rich foods (think greek yogurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, tempeh...) adopted consistently as part of a reduced-stress and moderately active lifestyle is the best thing you can do for your gut!
3. This process takes time - don't expect to immediately feel like your younger, care-free self in 24 hours. Explore new foods, keep a food and feeling diary, go outside and play, incorporate relaxation techniques and indulge in treats every once in awhile! Look back after a few months and then compare how you generally feel. This is an inside job.
4. To further get to know your gut microbiome, pick up a copy of I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong. Your multitudes will thank you!
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