From our friends at Standard Process, we are sharing with you How to Improve your Microbiome.
Blog post adapted & sourced from Standard Process: https://blog.standardprocess.com/checklist-how-to-improve-gut-microbiome-with-simple-adjustments. Author: Nancy Morrow, MS
How to Improve your Microbiome:
Our food and supplements that we consume on a daily basis provide us with a variety of bacteria for our gut microbiome. They can have healthy benefits or they can have unhealthy effects. It is good to be consuming a diet of healthy bacteria to encourage your body to allow our gut microbiome to thrive and prosper. Our diet has a ton of vitamins and minerals in it that help to repair, build, and maintain a good gut microbiome. Here are a few tips to develop a healthy microbiome:
1.Fermentable Dietary Fiber which can include insoluble or soluble fiber sources. Insoluble fiber sources include whole grains, celery, fruit with edible seeds, and root vegetables. Some Soluble fiber sources include oat bran, barley, nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, and some fruits and vegetables.
Fermentable dietary fibers usually are soluble and usually give the gut microbiome energy through the process of fermentation by passing through the GI tract unscathed to the large intestine.
"The fermentation of some of these fibers is associated with an increased production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs serve as immune regulators and as fuel for intestinal cells, which need energy to perform important jobs in the body:
- support the integrity of the intestinal barrier
- support the immune system
- promote electrolyte and water absorption
- and much more."
2. "Fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and yogurt, are those that have been created through the process of fermentation, where bacteria transform carbohydrates into alcohol or acids. While fermented foods were historically touted for their preservation abilities, we’ve also learned over time that these foods deliver “good” bacteria to support a healthy gut microbiome."
3. "Polyphenols are phytochemicals (unique components of plant-based foods that are associated with a spectrum of health benefits). There are many examples of polyphenols in our diets. They are found in vegetables, fruits, cereal grains, tea, coffee, dark chocolate, cocoa powder and wine. Several studies link polyphenol consumption with the growth of “good” gut bacteria and the optimization of the composition of our gut microbiome. Additionally, polyphenols are associated with improved metabolic factors and protection from intestinal inflammation associated with dysbiosis in our gut microbiome."
Standard Process's Guide and Checklist to Improving your Gut Microbiome:
" Through food and supplementation, we can improve the variety of bacterial species in the microbiome, which can have far-reaching health benefits. Consuming a diet of whole, unprocessed food while providing pro- and prebiotic support can help build, repair and/or maintain the gut microbiome.
□ Include whole grains, celery, fruit with edible seeds, and root vegetables, along with other insoluble fiber sources17
□ Include sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and/or yogurt in your diet, along with other fermented foods
□ Include plenty of vegetables in your diet –they’re often fiber sources, and polyphenols are found in them
□ Include fruits, cereal grains, tea, coffee, dark chocolate, cocoa powder and/or wine, to consume polyphenols
□ Supplement with probiotic or prebiotic supplements when needed, such as with a prebiotic supplement containing 2’-FL
□ Exercise regularly with physical activity
Avoid smoking or drinking excess amounts of alcohol
□ Avoid over-using antibiotics – only use antibiotics according to a healthcare practitioner’s prescription to treat bacterial infections
□ Include beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds in your diet, along with other soluble fiber sources16 "
