What Your Gut is Trying to Tell You

What do stress, inadequate sleep, poor diet, and lifestyle habits have in common with antibiotics?

Simple: they all mess with your gut by favoring the growth of harmful bacteria at the expense of beneficial ones!

As you are about to discover, probiotics are seriously underrated, and their health benefits extend well beyond digestion. You’ll also learn about an easy way to support your delicate microbial ecology if you want to enjoy an overall healthy life.

Your gut health matters… A LOT

Although we may not be ‘outnumbered by microbes’ – new research shows that there are approximately the same number of bacterial cells as human cells in our body [1] – the role of bacteria in human health remains very humbling.

For instance, have you ever considered that your gut is your first line of defense against the outside world? And were you aware that your gut produces several substances that are essential for health? Here are a few examples:

• Neurotransmitters such as serotonin – Probiotics such as Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG stimulate endocrine cells called enterochromaffin cells to produce serotonin, the brain chemical that elevates your mood [2].
• Short-chain fatty acids – Some of these fatty acids provide energy for gut cells and repair the intestinal wall thus helping to improve immune health [3]. Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG can even help increase the production of the fatty acid butyrate, the preferred source of energy for gut cells [4].
• B-complex vitamins – Lactobacillus bacteria can synthesize a form of folate that is easily used by your body [5]. These bacteria also supply us with biotin, cobalamin, niacin, pantothenate, pyridoxine, riboflavin, and thiamine [6, 7]. These vitamins help ensure that we are able to deal more effectively with stress, all the while ensuring we maintain optimal energy levels.

• Vitamin K2 – This vitamin (which many of us are deficient in) can help reduce risks of osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and may even enhance brain function and dental health [8].

• Arginine and glutamine – These amino acids are key nutrients for the intestine and can help heal the gut [9].
• Bacteriocins – Produced by probiotics, these proteins can kill harmful bacteria or prevent them from colonizing the gut [10]. Probiotics also help keep the colon acidic resulting in an environment that is less hospitable to pathogenic bacteria. This, in turn, can reduce yeast infection occurrences.
• Beta-glucoronidase – Probiotics produce this enzyme which the body then uses to reabsorb excess estrogen [11].

Moreover, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG and other microbes are involved in nutrient digestion.

Do you know what would happen if your gut microbes were unable to do their jobs? Keep reading to find out.

‘Gut talk’ – Understanding your gut

Any of the following symptoms could be your gut’s way of telling you it needs help [12, 13]:

• Bloating, gas, belching
• Reflux, heartburn
• Constipation
• Bad breath
• Diarrhea

Possible signs of a seriously damaged gut

• Depression, irritability
• Inflammation, joint pain
• Multiple food sensitivities
• Weight gain especially around the waist
• Low estrogen levels and associated symptoms
• High cholesterol levels despite eating an anti-inflammatory diet
• Autoimmune diseases such as lupus, fibromyalgia, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and diabetes

So, does your gut need some love?

To adequately address these conditions, you must rebuild your gut flora. And restore the integrity of your intestinal barrier. Probiotics like Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG could be the TLC your gut needs to restore optimal ‘teamwork’ between your microbes and cells.

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References

1. Sender, R., Fuchs, S., & Milo, R. (2016). Revised estimates for the number of human and bacteria cells in the body. PLoS biology, 14(8), e1002533.

2. Yano, J. M., et al. (2015). Indigenous bacteria from the gut microbiota regulate host serotonin biosynthesis. Cell, 161(2), 264-276.

3. Sender, R., Fuchs, S., & Milo, R. (2016). Revised estimates for the number of human and bacteria cells in the body. PLoS biology, 14(8), e1002533.

4. Yano, J. M., (2015). Indigenous bacteria from the gut microbiota regulate host serotonin biosynthesis. Cell, 161(2), 264-276.

5. Galland, L. (2014). The gut microbiome and the brain. Journal of medicinal food, 17(12), 1261-1272.

6. Patterson, E., et al. (2014). Gut microbiota, the pharmabiotics they produce and host health. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 73(4), 477-489.

7. Rossi, M., Amaretti, A., & Raimondi, S. (2011). Folate production by probiotic bacteria. Nutrients, 3(1), 118-134.

8. Magnúsdóttir, S., et al. (2015). Systematic genome assessment of B-vitamin biosynthesis suggests co-operation among gut microbes. Frontiers in genetics, 6, 148.

9. LeBlanc, J. G., et al. (2011). B‐Group vitamin production by lactic acid bacteria–current knowledge and potential applications. Journal of applied microbiology, 111(6), 1297-1309.

10. Walther, B., & Chollet, M. (2017). Menaquinones, bacteria, and foods: Vitamin K2 in the diet. In Vitamin K2-Vital for Health and Wellbeing. InTech.

11. Kim, M. H., & Kim, H. (2017). The Roles of Glutamine in the Intestine and Its Implication in Intestinal Diseases. International journal of molecular sciences, 18(5), 1051.

12. Rea, M. C., et al. (2010). Thuricin CD, a posttranslationally modified bacteriocin with a narrow spectrum of activity against Clostridium difficile. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(20), 9352-9357.

13. Jandhyala, S. M., et al. (2015). Role of the normal gut microbiota. World journal of gastroenterology: WJG, 21(29), 8787.

14. Campbell, A. W. (2014). Autoimmunity and the gut. Autoimmune diseases, 2014.

15. 15.Quigley, E. M. (2013). Gut bacteria in health and disease. Gastroenterology & hepatology, 9(9), 560.