The Article below was published in Vol. 136, Issue 6 of the Lake Forest College Stentor on March 12, 2021.
By Nu Rho Psi Members
Editor’s Note: The Stentor is providing space for the Lake Forest College chapter of Nu Rho Psi’s Newsletter. Are you a student honor society member or a member of another campus club/organization looking to share information with the campus community? Contact us at editor@lfc.edu for more information.
We always hear about the microbiome, but what really is it? The microbiome is basically the compilation of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that live on and inside the human body. Bacteria, a part of the microbiome, are everywhere including on and even in you! There are three classes you can put them into: neutral, good, and bad bacteria. The neutral bacteria are ignored, and the bad bacteria must be kept in check, which is a job assigned to your immune system. Naturally, we don’t want the immune system to destroy the good bacteria since we need them for the important job of digestion, which is carried out in the intestines. These good bacteria help us extract calories and nutrients from food that we could not extract otherwise. So how has the body solved this problem? Well, the bacteria have co-evolved with our immune system’s messenger systems to tell it mainly—not to kill them, and some even developed the ability to stimulate the gut so that it can regenerate faster. These bacteria have a real motivation to keep the gut healthy, as it is their home. Recently, this communication with the body has shown to go past the immune system and directly to the brain.
It should be no surprise that a healthy microbiome has benefits for digestion. However, did you know that a balanced microbiome also has benefits beyond the gut? A study by Lawrence & Hyde (2017) investigated the effects of an improved microbiome on health. Participants who completed the four-week diet to improve their microbiome experienced noticeable health benefits. They lost weight, had gastro-intestinal improvements, resolved symptoms of eating disorders, and, most interestingly, reported better emotional well-being. Participants reported feeling [fewer] mood swings, anxiety, and depression. These changes and overall improvements showcase the various benefits a healthy microbiome provides.
There are various ways one can improve their microbiome, but some scientifically supported ways to improve the gut microbiome include taking some sort of prebiotics, which is a type of dietary fiber that feeds the friendly bacteria in your gut. Some foods that are rich in prebiotics include asparagus, onions, bananas, and even oats. Additionally, eating less sugar and sweeteners can improve microbiome gut health which thus enhances overall health. Some more common ways to improve gut microbiome health is to reduce stress through regular exercise and getting enough sleep, which has been proven scientifically to improve one’s microbiome gut health but more importantly better one’s overall health.
