Gut Health

Do you have a healthy gut? Seems like a simple question right? However, our gut contains trillions of micro-organisms forming our gut microbiota – so there’s trillions of reasons why it’s not so simple (1). Most of these little microbes are bacteria which often people associate with ill-health and disease, but not all bacteria are bad you know! In fact, we couldn’t survive without our gut microbiome – also referred to as the second brain! So, it’s safe to say our gut is kind of a big deal! Unsurprisingly, achieving and maintain a careful balance of bacteria in our gut is vital for our health (2). This balance is impacted by various environmental and genetic factors such as dietary habits, sleep patterns, drug treatments (anti-biotics), stress and birth method (e.g., C-section) (3).

Why do we need a healthy gut? Our gut microbiota balance or composition cannot only affect our digestive health, but it can also impact our immune system, metabolism, hormone production and mental wellbeing (1). The gut has been linked with various mental health and neurological conditions such as anxiety and depression, eating disorders, autism, ADHD as well as neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s (4). Interestingly, 95% of our serotonin (our happy hormone) is stored in the gut lining – so it’s not so unbelievable that our gut impacts our mood and mental health (5). Thus, having a healthy gut can profoundly impact our overall health a wellbeing.

How do I get a healthy gut? Well, there is often lots of talk about probiotics and prebiotics and there is some truth to these discussions, however, I know it can get quite confusing! So, first things first, what are probiotics and prebiotics and what do they do? Probiotics are beneficial live bacteria; they aid digestion and support the gut and its role in health. They can be found in some supplements and foods such as kimichi, saurkraut, pickled foods and yoghurt, to name a few. Whereas prebiotics act as a food source for the beneficial bacteria in your gut and they are found in fibre. Fibre is found in fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain carbohydrates (6). Thus, without prebiotics probiotics cannot thrive, so making sure you consume balanced quantities of both is key in achieving optimal health benefits! In addition, just as our gut can impact our mood, inversely our mood can impact our gut. Increased stress levels have been associated decreased levels of beneficial probiotics bacteria in the gut (7). As well as this, studies have found a link between increased activity levels and increased gut microbiota diversity (8) – so let’s keep moving people!

Key points for a healthy gut:

Consume plenty of prebiotics (fibre) and probiotics – in balanced quantities!
Try to manage stress levels – why not try out yoga, pilates or mindfulness?
Exercise more… Even a short walk every day is a great improvement!

Reference

1. Valdes, A.M., Walter, J., Segal, E. and Spector, T.D. (2018) Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health, Bmj, 361, pp. 2179.
2. Gentile, C.L. and Weir, T.L. (2018) The gut microbiota at the intersection of diet and human health. Science, 362(6416), pp.776-780.
3. Cani, P.D. (2018) Human gut microbiome: hopes, threats and promises, Gut, 67(9), pp.1716-1725.
4. Bäumler, A.J. and Sperandio, V. (2016) Interactions between the microbiota and pathogenic bacteria in the gut, Nature, 535(7610), pp. 85-93.
5. Mayer, E.A., Tillisch, K. and Gupta, A. (2015) Gut/brain axis and the microbiota, The Journal of clinical investigation, 125(3), pp. 926-938.
6. Pandey, K.R., Naik, S.R. and Vakil, B.V. (2015) Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics-a review, Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(12), p. 7577.
7. Li, Y., Hao, Y., Fan, F. and Zhang, B. (2018) The role of microbiome in insomnia, circadian disturbance and depression. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, p.669.
8. Clarke, S.F., Murphy, E.F., O’Sullivan, O., Lucey, A.J., Humphreys, M., Hogan, A., Hayes, P., O’Reilly, M., Jeffery, I.B., Wood-Martin, R. and Kerins, D.M. (2014) Exercise and associated dietary extremes impact on gut microbial diversity. Gut, 63(12), pp.1913-1920.

Do you have a healthy gut? Seems like a simple question right? However, our gut contains trillions of micro-organisms forming our gut microbiota – so there’s trillions of reasons why it’s not so simple (1). Most of these little microbes are bacteria which often people associate with ill-health and disease, but not all bacteria are bad you know! In fact, we couldn’t survive without our gut microbiome – also referred to as the second brain! So, it’s safe to say our gut is kind of a big deal! Unsurprisingly, achieving and maintain a careful balance of bacteria in our gut is vital for our health (2). This balance is impacted by various environmental and genetic factors such as dietary habits, sleep patterns, drug treatments (anti-biotics), stress and birth method (e.g., C-section) (3).

Why do we need a healthy gut? Our gut microbiota balance or composition cannot only affect our digestive health, but it can also impact our immune system, metabolism, hormone production and mental wellbeing (1). The gut has been linked with various mental health and neurological conditions such as anxiety and depression, eating disorders, autism, ADHD as well as neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s (4). Interestingly, 95% of our serotonin (our happy hormone) is stored in the gut lining – so it’s not so unbelievable that our gut impacts our mood and mental health (5). Thus, having a healthy gut can profoundly impact our overall health a wellbeing.

How do I get a healthy gut? Well, there is often lots of talk about probiotics and prebiotics and there is some truth to these discussions, however, I know it can get quite confusing! So, first things first, what are probiotics and prebiotics and what do they do? Probiotics are beneficial live bacteria; they aid digestion and support the gut and its role in health. They can be found in some supplements and foods such as kimichi, saurkraut, pickled foods and yoghurt, to name a few. Whereas prebiotics act as a food source for the beneficial bacteria in your gut and they are found in fibre. Fibre is found in fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain carbohydrates (6). Thus, without prebiotics probiotics cannot thrive, so making sure you consume balanced quantities of both is key in achieving optimal health benefits! In addition, just as our gut can impact our mood, inversely our mood can impact our gut. Increased stress levels have been associated decreased levels of beneficial probiotics bacteria in the gut (7). As well as this, studies have found a link between increased activity levels and increased gut microbiota diversity (8) – so let’s keep moving people!

Key points for a healthy gut:

Consume plenty of prebiotics (fibre) and probiotics – in balanced quantities!
Try to manage stress levels – why not try out yoga, pilates or mindfulness?
Exercise more… Even a short walk every day is a great improvement!

Reference

1. Valdes, A.M., Walter, J., Segal, E. and Spector, T.D. (2018) Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health, Bmj, 361, pp. 2179.
2. Gentile, C.L. and Weir, T.L. (2018) The gut microbiota at the intersection of diet and human health. Science, 362(6416), pp.776-780.
3. Cani, P.D. (2018) Human gut microbiome: hopes, threats and promises, Gut, 67(9), pp.1716-1725.
4. Bäumler, A.J. and Sperandio, V. (2016) Interactions between the microbiota and pathogenic bacteria in the gut, Nature, 535(7610), pp. 85-93.
5. Mayer, E.A., Tillisch, K. and Gupta, A. (2015) Gut/brain axis and the microbiota, The Journal of clinical investigation, 125(3), pp. 926-938.
6. Pandey, K.R., Naik, S.R. and Vakil, B.V. (2015) Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics-a review, Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(12), p. 7577.
7. Li, Y., Hao, Y., Fan, F. and Zhang, B. (2018) The role of microbiome in insomnia, circadian disturbance and depression. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, p.669.
8. Clarke, S.F., Murphy, E.F., O’Sullivan, O., Lucey, A.J., Humphreys, M., Hogan, A., Hayes, P., O’Reilly, M., Jeffery, I.B., Wood-Martin, R. and Kerins, D.M. (2014) Exercise and associated dietary extremes impact on gut microbial diversity. Gut, 63(12), pp.1913-1920.

Do you have a healthy gut? Seems like a simple question right? However, our gut contains trillions of micro-organisms forming our gut microbiota – so there’s trillions of reasons why it’s not so simple (1). Most of these little microbes are bacteria which often people associate with ill-health and disease, but not all bacteria are bad you know! In fact, we couldn’t survive without our gut microbiome – also referred to as the second brain! So, it’s safe to say our gut is kind of a big deal! Unsurprisingly, achieving and maintain a careful balance of bacteria in our gut is vital for our health (2). This balance is impacted by various environmental and genetic factors such as dietary habits, sleep patterns, drug treatments (anti-biotics), stress and birth method (e.g., C-section) (3).

Why do we need a healthy gut? Our gut microbiota balance or composition cannot only affect our digestive health, but it can also impact our immune system, metabolism, hormone production and mental wellbeing (1). The gut has been linked with various mental health and neurological conditions such as anxiety and depression, eating disorders, autism, ADHD as well as neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s (4). Interestingly, 95% of our serotonin (our happy hormone) is stored in the gut lining – so it’s not so unbelievable that our gut impacts our mood and mental health (5). Thus, having a healthy gut can profoundly impact our overall health a wellbeing.

How do I get a healthy gut? Well, there is often lots of talk about probiotics and prebiotics and there is some truth to these discussions, however, I know it can get quite confusing! So, first things first, what are probiotics and prebiotics and what do they do? Probiotics are beneficial live bacteria; they aid digestion and support the gut and its role in health. They can be found in some supplements and foods such as kimichi, saurkraut, pickled foods and yoghurt, to name a few. Whereas prebiotics act as a food source for the beneficial bacteria in your gut and they are found in fibre. Fibre is found in fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain carbohydrates (6). Thus, without prebiotics probiotics cannot thrive, so making sure you consume balanced quantities of both is key in achieving optimal health benefits! In addition, just as our gut can impact our mood, inversely our mood can impact our gut. Increased stress levels have been associated decreased levels of beneficial probiotics bacteria in the gut (7). As well as this, studies have found a link between increased activity levels and increased gut microbiota diversity (8) – so let’s keep moving people!

Key points for a healthy gut:

Consume plenty of prebiotics (fibre) and probiotics – in balanced quantities!
Try to manage stress levels – why not try out yoga, pilates or mindfulness?
Exercise more… Even a short walk every day is a great improvement!

Reference

1. Valdes, A.M., Walter, J., Segal, E. and Spector, T.D. (2018) Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health, Bmj, 361, pp. 2179.
2. Gentile, C.L. and Weir, T.L. (2018) The gut microbiota at the intersection of diet and human health. Science, 362(6416), pp.776-780.
3. Cani, P.D. (2018) Human gut microbiome: hopes, threats and promises, Gut, 67(9), pp.1716-1725.
4. Bäumler, A.J. and Sperandio, V. (2016) Interactions between the microbiota and pathogenic bacteria in the gut, Nature, 535(7610), pp. 85-93.
5. Mayer, E.A., Tillisch, K. and Gupta, A. (2015) Gut/brain axis and the microbiota, The Journal of clinical investigation, 125(3), pp. 926-938.
6. Pandey, K.R., Naik, S.R. and Vakil, B.V. (2015) Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics-a review, Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(12), p. 7577.
7. Li, Y., Hao, Y., Fan, F. and Zhang, B. (2018) The role of microbiome in insomnia, circadian disturbance and depression. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, p.669.
8. Clarke, S.F., Murphy, E.F., O’Sullivan, O., Lucey, A.J., Humphreys, M., Hogan, A., Hayes, P., O’Reilly, M., Jeffery, I.B., Wood-Martin, R. and Kerins, D.M. (2014) Exercise and associated dietary extremes impact on gut microbial diversity. Gut, 63(12), pp.1913-1920.

Do you have a healthy gut? Seems like a simple question right? However, our gut contains trillions of micro-organisms forming our gut microbiota – so there’s trillions of reasons why it’s not so simple (1). Most of these little microbes are bacteria which often people associate with ill-health and disease, but not all bacteria are bad you know! In fact, we couldn’t survive without our gut microbiome – also referred to as the second brain! So, it’s safe to say our gut is kind of a big deal! Unsurprisingly, achieving and maintain a careful balance of bacteria in our gut is vital for our health (2). This balance is impacted by various environmental and genetic factors such as dietary habits, sleep patterns, drug treatments (anti-biotics), stress and birth method (e.g., C-section) (3).

Why do we need a healthy gut? Our gut microbiota balance or composition cannot only affect our digestive health, but it can also impact our immune system, metabolism, hormone production and mental wellbeing (1). The gut has been linked with various mental health and neurological conditions such as anxiety and depression, eating disorders, autism, ADHD as well as neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s (4). Interestingly, 95% of our serotonin (our happy hormone) is stored in the gut lining – so it’s not so unbelievable that our gut impacts our mood and mental health (5). Thus, having a healthy gut can profoundly impact our overall health a wellbeing.

How do I get a healthy gut? Well, there is often lots of talk about probiotics and prebiotics and there is some truth to these discussions, however, I know it can get quite confusing! So, first things first, what are probiotics and prebiotics and what do they do? Probiotics are beneficial live bacteria; they aid digestion and support the gut and its role in health. They can be found in some supplements and foods such as kimichi, saurkraut, pickled foods and yoghurt, to name a few. Whereas prebiotics act as a food source for the beneficial bacteria in your gut and they are found in fibre. Fibre is found in fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain carbohydrates (6). Thus, without prebiotics probiotics cannot thrive, so making sure you consume balanced quantities of both is key in achieving optimal health benefits! In addition, just as our gut can impact our mood, inversely our mood can impact our gut. Increased stress levels have been associated decreased levels of beneficial probiotics bacteria in the gut (7). As well as this, studies have found a link between increased activity levels and increased gut microbiota diversity (8) – so let’s keep moving people!

Key points for a healthy gut:

Consume plenty of prebiotics (fibre) and probiotics – in balanced quantities!
Try to manage stress levels – why not try out yoga, pilates or mindfulness?
Exercise more… Even a short walk every day is a great improvement!

Reference

1. Valdes, A.M., Walter, J., Segal, E. and Spector, T.D. (2018) Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health, Bmj, 361, pp. 2179.
2. Gentile, C.L. and Weir, T.L. (2018) The gut microbiota at the intersection of diet and human health. Science, 362(6416), pp.776-780.
3. Cani, P.D. (2018) Human gut microbiome: hopes, threats and promises, Gut, 67(9), pp.1716-1725.
4. Bäumler, A.J. and Sperandio, V. (2016) Interactions between the microbiota and pathogenic bacteria in the gut, Nature, 535(7610), pp. 85-93.
5. Mayer, E.A., Tillisch, K. and Gupta, A. (2015) Gut/brain axis and the microbiota, The Journal of clinical investigation, 125(3), pp. 926-938.
6. Pandey, K.R., Naik, S.R. and Vakil, B.V. (2015) Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics-a review, Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(12), p. 7577.
7. Li, Y., Hao, Y., Fan, F. and Zhang, B. (2018) The role of microbiome in insomnia, circadian disturbance and depression. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, p.669.
8. Clarke, S.F., Murphy, E.F., O’Sullivan, O., Lucey, A.J., Humphreys, M., Hogan, A., Hayes, P., O’Reilly, M., Jeffery, I.B., Wood-Martin, R. and Kerins, D.M. (2014) Exercise and associated dietary extremes impact on gut microbial diversity. Gut, 63(12), pp.1913-1920.

Do you have a healthy gut? Seems like a simple question right? However, our gut contains trillions of micro-organisms forming our gut microbiota – so there’s trillions of reasons why it’s not so simple (1). Most of these little microbes are bacteria which often people associate with ill-health and disease, but not all bacteria are bad you know! In fact, we couldn’t survive without our gut microbiome – also referred to as the second brain! So, it’s safe to say our gut is kind of a big deal! Unsurprisingly, achieving and maintain a careful balance of bacteria in our gut is vital for our health (2). This balance is impacted by various environmental and genetic factors such as dietary habits, sleep patterns, drug treatments (anti-biotics), stress and birth method (e.g., C-section) (3).

Why do we need a healthy gut? Our gut microbiota balance or composition cannot only affect our digestive health, but it can also impact our immune system, metabolism, hormone production and mental wellbeing (1). The gut has been linked with various mental health and neurological conditions such as anxiety and depression, eating disorders, autism, ADHD as well as neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s (4). Interestingly, 95% of our serotonin (our happy hormone) is stored in the gut lining – so it’s not so unbelievable that our gut impacts our mood and mental health (5). Thus, having a healthy gut can profoundly impact our overall health a wellbeing.

How do I get a healthy gut? Well, there is often lots of talk about probiotics and prebiotics and there is some truth to these discussions, however, I know it can get quite confusing! So, first things first, what are probiotics and prebiotics and what do they do? Probiotics are beneficial live bacteria; they aid digestion and support the gut and its role in health. They can be found in some supplements and foods such as kimichi, saurkraut, pickled foods and yoghurt, to name a few. Whereas prebiotics act as a food source for the beneficial bacteria in your gut and they are found in fibre. Fibre is found in fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain carbohydrates (6). Thus, without prebiotics probiotics cannot thrive, so making sure you consume balanced quantities of both is key in achieving optimal health benefits! In addition, just as our gut can impact our mood, inversely our mood can impact our gut. Increased stress levels have been associated decreased levels of beneficial probiotics bacteria in the gut (7). As well as this, studies have found a link between increased activity levels and increased gut microbiota diversity (8) – so let’s keep moving people!

Key points for a healthy gut:

Consume plenty of prebiotics (fibre) and probiotics – in balanced quantities!
Try to manage stress levels – why not try out yoga, pilates or mindfulness?
Exercise more… Even a short walk every day is a great improvement!

Reference

1. Valdes, A.M., Walter, J., Segal, E. and Spector, T.D. (2018) Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health, Bmj, 361, pp. 2179.
2. Gentile, C.L. and Weir, T.L. (2018) The gut microbiota at the intersection of diet and human health. Science, 362(6416), pp.776-780.
3. Cani, P.D. (2018) Human gut microbiome: hopes, threats and promises, Gut, 67(9), pp.1716-1725.
4. Bäumler, A.J. and Sperandio, V. (2016) Interactions between the microbiota and pathogenic bacteria in the gut, Nature, 535(7610), pp. 85-93.
5. Mayer, E.A., Tillisch, K. and Gupta, A. (2015) Gut/brain axis and the microbiota, The Journal of clinical investigation, 125(3), pp. 926-938.
6. Pandey, K.R., Naik, S.R. and Vakil, B.V. (2015) Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics-a review, Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(12), p. 7577.
7. Li, Y., Hao, Y., Fan, F. and Zhang, B. (2018) The role of microbiome in insomnia, circadian disturbance and depression. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, p.669.

2.
3.
Bäumler, A.J. and Sperandio, V. (2016) Interactions between the microbiota and pathogenic bacteria in the gut, Nature, 535(7610), pp. 85-93.
Mayer, E.A., Tillisch, K. and Gupta, A. (2015) Gut/brain axis and the microbiota, The Journal of clinical investigation, 125(3), pp. 926-938.
Pandey, K.R., Naik, S.R. and Vakil, B.V. (2015) Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics-a review, Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(12), p. 7577.
Li, Y., Hao, Y., Fan, F. and Zhang, B. (2018) The role of microbiome in insomnia, circadian disturbance and depression. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, p.669.
Clarke, S.F., Murphy, E.F., O’Sullivan, O., Lucey, A.J., Humphreys, M., Hogan, A., Hayes, P., O’Reilly, M., Jeffery, I.B., Wood-Martin, R. and Kerins, D.M. (2014) Exercise and associated dietary extremes impact on gut microbial diversity. Gut, 63(12), pp.1913-1920.

Do you have a healthy gut? Seems like a simple question right? However, our gut contains trillions of micro-organisms forming our gut microbiota – so there’s trillions of reasons why it’s not so simple (1). Most of these little microbes are bacteria which often people associate with ill-health and disease, but not all bacteria are bad you know! In fact, we couldn’t survive without our gut microbiome – also referred to as the second brain! So, it’s safe to say our gut is kind of a big deal! Unsurprisingly, achieving and maintain a careful balance of bacteria in our gut is vital for our health (2). This balance is impacted by various environmental and genetic factors such as dietary habits, sleep patterns, drug treatments (anti-biotics), stress and birth method (e.g., C-section) (3).

Why do we need a healthy gut? Our gut microbiota balance or composition cannot only affect our digestive health, but it can also impact our immune system, metabolism, hormone production and mental wellbeing (1). The gut has been linked with various mental health and neurological conditions such as anxiety and depression, eating disorders, autism, ADHD as well as neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s (4). Interestingly, 95% of our serotonin (our happy hormone) is stored in the gut lining – so it’s not so unbelievable that our gut impacts our mood and mental health (5). Thus, having a healthy gut can profoundly impact our overall health a wellbeing.

How do I get a healthy gut? Well, there is often lots of talk about probiotics and prebiotics and there is some truth to these discussions, however, I know it can get quite confusing! So, first things first, what are probiotics and prebiotics and what do they do? Probiotics are beneficial live bacteria; they aid digestion and support the gut and its role in health. They can be found in some supplements and foods such as kimichi, saurkraut, pickled foods and yoghurt, to name a few. Whereas prebiotics act as a food source for the beneficial bacteria in your gut and they are found in fibre. Fibre is found in fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain carbohydrates (6). Thus, without prebiotics probiotics cannot thrive, so making sure you consume balanced quantities of both is key in achieving optimal health benefits! In addition, just as our gut can impact our mood, inversely our mood can impact our gut. Increased stress levels have been associated decreased levels of beneficial probiotics bacteria in the gut (7). As well as this, studies have found a link between increased activity levels and increased gut microbiota diversity (8) – so let’s keep moving people!

Key points for a healthy gut:

Consume plenty of prebiotics (fibre) and probiotics – in balanced quantities!
Try to manage stress levels – why not try out yoga, pilates or mindfulness?
Exercise more… Even a short walk every day is a great improvement!

Reference

1. Valdes, A.M., Walter, J., Segal, E. and Spector, T.D. (2018) Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health, Bmj, 361, pp. 2179.
2. Gentile, C.L. and Weir, T.L. (2018) The gut microbiota at the intersection of diet and human health. Science, 362(6416), pp.776-780.
3. Cani, P.D. (2018) Human gut microbiome: hopes, threats and promises, Gut, 67(9), pp.1716-1725.
4. Bäumler, A.J. and Sperandio, V. (2016) Interactions between the microbiota and pathogenic bacteria in the gut, Nature, 535(7610), pp. 85-93.

2.
3.
Bäumler, A.J. and Sperandio, V. (2016) Interactions between the microbiota and pathogenic bacteria in the gut, Nature, 535(7610), pp. 85-93.
Mayer, E.A., Tillisch, K. and Gupta, A. (2015) Gut/brain axis and the microbiota, The Journal of clinical investigation, 125(3), pp. 926-938.
Pandey, K.R., Naik, S.R. and Vakil, B.V. (2015) Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics-a review, Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(12), p. 7577.
Li, Y., Hao, Y., Fan, F. and Zhang, B. (2018) The role of microbiome in insomnia, circadian disturbance and depression. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, p.669.
Clarke, S.F., Murphy, E.F., O’Sullivan, O., Lucey, A.J., Humphreys, M., Hogan, A., Hayes, P., O’Reilly, M., Jeffery, I.B., Wood-Martin, R. and Kerins, D.M. (2014) Exercise and associated dietary extremes impact on gut microbial diversity. Gut, 63(12), pp.1913-1920.

Do you have a healthy gut? Seems like a simple question right? However, our gut contains trillions of micro-organisms forming our gut microbiota – so there’s trillions of reasons why it’s not so simple (1). Most of these little microbes are bacteria which often people associate with ill-health and disease, but not all bacteria are bad you know! In fact, we couldn’t survive without our gut microbiome – also referred to as the second brain! So, it’s safe to say our gut is kind of a big deal! Unsurprisingly, achieving and maintain a careful balance of bacteria in our gut is vital for our health (2). This balance is impacted by various environmental and genetic factors such as dietary habits, sleep patterns, drug treatments (anti-biotics), stress and birth method (e.g., C-section) (3).

Why do we need a healthy gut? Our gut microbiota balance or composition cannot only affect our digestive health, but it can also impact our immune system, metabolism, hormone production and mental wellbeing (1). The gut has been linked with various mental health and neurological conditions such as anxiety and depression, eating disorders, autism, ADHD as well as neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s (4). Interestingly, 95% of our serotonin (our happy hormone) is stored in the gut lining – so it’s not so unbelievable that our gut impacts our mood and mental health (5). Thus, having a healthy gut can profoundly impact our overall health a wellbeing.

How do I get a healthy gut? Well, there is often lots of talk about probiotics and prebiotics and there is some truth to these discussions, however, I know it can get quite confusing! So, first things first, what are probiotics and prebiotics and what do they do? Probiotics are beneficial live bacteria; they aid digestion and support the gut and its role in health. They can be found in some supplements and foods such as kimichi, saurkraut, pickled foods and yoghurt, to name a few. Whereas prebiotics act as a food source for the beneficial bacteria in your gut and they are found in fibre. Fibre is found in fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain carbohydrates (6). Thus, without prebiotics probiotics cannot thrive, so making sure you consume balanced quantities of both is key in achieving optimal health benefits! In addition, just as our gut can impact our mood, inversely our mood can impact our gut. Increased stress levels have been associated decreased levels of beneficial probiotics bacteria in the gut (7). As well as this, studies have found a link between increased activity levels and increased gut microbiota diversity (8) – so let’s keep moving people!

Key points for a healthy gut:

Consume plenty of prebiotics (fibre) and probiotics – in balanced quantities!
Try to manage stress levels – why not try out yoga, pilates or mindfulness?
Exercise more… Even a short walk every day is a great improvement!

Reference

1. Valdes, A.M., Walter, J., Segal, E. and Spector, T.D. (2018) Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health, Bmj, 361, pp. 2179.

2. Gentile, C.L. and Weir, T.L. (2018) The gut microbiota at the intersection of diet and human health. Science, 362(6416), pp.776-780.
3. Cani, P.D. (2018) Human gut microbiome: hopes, threats and promises, Gut, 67(9), pp.1716-1725.
Bäumler, A.J. and Sperandio, V. (2016) Interactions between the microbiota and pathogenic bacteria in the gut, Nature, 535(7610), pp. 85-93.
Mayer, E.A., Tillisch, K. and Gupta, A. (2015) Gut/brain axis and the microbiota, The Journal of clinical investigation, 125(3), pp. 926-938.
Pandey, K.R., Naik, S.R. and Vakil, B.V. (2015) Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics-a review, Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(12), p. 7577.
Li, Y., Hao, Y., Fan, F. and Zhang, B. (2018) The role of microbiome in insomnia, circadian disturbance and depression. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, p.669.
Clarke, S.F., Murphy, E.F., O’Sullivan, O., Lucey, A.J., Humphreys, M., Hogan, A., Hayes, P., O’Reilly, M., Jeffery, I.B., Wood-Martin, R. and Kerins, D.M. (2014) Exercise and associated dietary extremes impact on gut microbial diversity. Gut, 63(12), pp.1913-1920.

Do you have a healthy gut? Seems like a simple question right? However, our gut contains trillions of micro-organisms forming our gut microbiota – so there’s trillions of reasons why it’s not so simple (1). Most of these little microbes are bacteria which often people associate with ill-health and disease, but not all bacteria are bad you know! In fact, we couldn’t survive without our gut microbiome – also referred to as the second brain! So, it’s safe to say our gut is kind of a big deal! Unsurprisingly, achieving and maintain a careful balance of bacteria in our gut is vital for our health (2). This balance is impacted by various environmental and genetic factors such as dietary habits, sleep patterns, drug treatments (anti-biotics), stress and birth method (e.g., C-section) (3).

Why do we need a healthy gut? Our gut microbiota balance or composition cannot only affect our digestive health, but it can also impact our immune system, metabolism, hormone production and mental wellbeing (1). The gut has been linked with various mental health and neurological conditions such as anxiety and depression, eating disorders, autism, ADHD as well as neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s (4). Interestingly, 95% of our serotonin (our happy hormone) is stored in the gut lining – so it’s not so unbelievable that our gut impacts our mood and mental health (5). Thus, having a healthy gut can profoundly impact our overall health a wellbeing.

How do I get a healthy gut? Well, there is often lots of talk about probiotics and prebiotics and there is some truth to these discussions, however, I know it can get quite confusing! So, first things first, what are probiotics and prebiotics and what do they do? Probiotics are beneficial live bacteria; they aid digestion and support the gut and its role in health. They can be found in some supplements and foods such as kimichi, saurkraut, pickled foods and yoghurt, to name a few. Whereas prebiotics act as a food source for the beneficial bacteria in your gut and they are found in fibre. Fibre is found in fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain carbohydrates (6). Thus, without prebiotics probiotics cannot thrive, so making sure you consume balanced quantities of both is key in achieving optimal health benefits! In addition, just as our gut can impact our mood, inversely our mood can impact our gut. Increased stress levels have been associated decreased levels of beneficial probiotics bacteria in the gut (7). As well as this, studies have found a link between increased activity levels and increased gut microbiota diversity (8) – so let’s keep moving people!

Key points for a healthy gut:

Consume plenty of prebiotics (fibre) and probiotics – in balanced quantities!
Try to manage stress levels – why not try out yoga, pilates or mindfulness?
Exercise more… Even a short walk every day is a great improvement!

References

Valdes, A.M., Walter, J., Segal, E. and Spector, T.D. (2018) Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health, Bmj, 361, pp. 2179.

Gentile, C.L. and Weir, T.L. (2018) The gut microbiota at the intersection of diet and human health. Science, 362(6416), pp.776-780.
Cani, P.D. (2018) Human gut microbiome: hopes, threats and promises, Gut, 67(9), pp.1716-1725.
Bäumler, A.J. and Sperandio, V. (2016) Interactions between the microbiota and pathogenic bacteria in the gut, Nature, 535(7610), pp. 85-93.
Mayer, E.A., Tillisch, K. and Gupta, A. (2015) Gut/brain axis and the microbiota, The Journal of clinical investigation, 125(3), pp. 926-938.
Pandey, K.R., Naik, S.R. and Vakil, B.V. (2015) Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics-a review, Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(12), p. 7577.
Li, Y., Hao, Y., Fan, F. and Zhang, B. (2018) The role of microbiome in insomnia, circadian disturbance and depression. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, p.669.
Clarke, S.F., Murphy, E.F., O’Sullivan, O., Lucey, A.J., Humphreys, M., Hogan, A., Hayes, P., O’Reilly, M., Jeffery, I.B., Wood-Martin, R. and Kerins, D.M. (2014) Exercise and associated dietary extremes impact on gut microbial diversity. Gut, 63(12), pp.1913-1920.