Restoring Gut Health and Ecology

The Microbiome of which more than just one (oral, vaginal, Colon) is much the same as a regenerative, ecological farming community. Nature works as a team if it is allowed. Plants, wildlife and livestock all work together, having a purpose and role. Spirit feels like the most significant influencer of the Gut and its residents. Bacteria needs to exist symbiotically for the body’s health, and essentially that comes down to your diet and lifestyle and whether they positively or negatively influence your Bacteria levels.

What you eat directly influences the ecosystem of your Gut. 

If you want an excellent gut that does not promote inflammation, which leads to further complications, you need to look at what is on your plate and its origin. 

A standard western diet high in fat, meat, protein, sugar, refined foods, emulsifiers and low in fibre, omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, resistant starches and fermented foods – increases the risk of low bacterial diversity, with more pro-inflammatory bacteria, lower SCFA production and higher mucin degradation. We are leading potentially to increased intestinal permeability, metabolic endotoxemia and the increased risk of chronic disease.

So how do I increase bacteria levels;

Not everyone has access to Daylesford, planet organic, whole foods, farmers markets and artesian delis. Eating 30 foods a day may be the recommended norm, but it’s not always necessary, achievable or maintainable. Step one may be eating vegetables every day, followed by fruit every day, and vegetables at every meal. Healing the Gut has t be done in stages for longevity and behaviour change to be successful. 

Polyphenols; PHGG Fibre – Invivo; https://invivohealthcare.com/products/therapeutics/bio-me-prebio-phgg-225g/

Jack Munro Book. –  https://cookingonabootstrap.com/

LPS: Lypo polysaccharides 

The Role of Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and Endotoxemia in Systemic Chronic Conditions. Systemic low-grade inflammation is associated with many chronic diseases, including chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), cardiovascular disorders, diabetes and insulin resistance, autoimmune disorders, degenerative disorders and mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.

LPS derived from the outer cell wall of gram-negative bacteria, which interact with the toll-like receptors of the immune system. A significant source of serum LPS is from the gastrointestinal tract, especially with increased intestinal permeability, which allows LPS to translocate.

It is often the byproduct of the bacteria that causes the problem and not the bacteria itself. Lipopolysaccharides are the byproducts of harmful bacteria; when you produce LPS from within the digestive tract, the intestinal permeability increases. 

LPS can damage the villi of the small intestines. The small intestines are where you absorb your food, and now you are short-staffed, which can and does lead to a build-up of food left to ferment and rot as absorption has slowed down or stopped. Here, nutrients get absorbed into the blood across the mucosa of the small intestines, thus making PLS the driver for lack of absorption.

Studies also show that when your communal bacterial levels reduce, so do your oestrogen levels rise, potentially creating an oestrogen dominance that triggers many female-based disease states. For example, high oestrogen and low progesterone balance lead to breast cancer. So by having low levels of bacteria producing LPS, you can find yourself in a state of not being able to process estrogen, which can lead to cancers. But, on the other hand, you can also have bacteria that produce microvilli that will process oestrogen. 

Mineral levels are altered, which plays a role in how your body breaks down protein and fats. When the body has this dysbiosis of harmful bacteria, many systems are affected—more LPS, less dopamine, and therefore more depression, low mood and lack of motivation. Dopamine levels are also affected as LPS creates congestion in the liver, which also affects mood.

It affects your bowels and frequency as serotonin levels decrease a near feel-good transmitter. Serotonin helps the peristalsis of the bowel. So now you have low energy and stressed people simply because they do not have good bacteria levels because your mitochondria levels have been affected, which is your metabolism. Damages mitochondria also equal fatigue, and that also affects your thyroid and your body ability to convert t4 – t3—the inactive thyroid hormone into the active thyroid hormone. Female hormones then take a hit as your cortisol output is low, affecting your body’s ability to produce energy and create a stable body temperature and pulse.

Inflammation levels will rise as cortisol output increases to deal with the stress and the inflammation. In addition, absorption is further impaired because the inflammation reduces your natural body stores of glutathione, the master intercellular antioxidant of the body.

A simple microbiome status may look initially like a common dysbiosis. Still, on further inspection, much more is going on under the surface than simply there being too many harmful bacteria to good. For all the reasons above, you can see how easy it is to create disease states when the bacteria levels the good ones are not flourishing and in abundance.

How to reduce your LPS Levels; Clinical considerations 

• Increase butyrate-producing bacteria to protect the GI epithelial lining
• Reduce local and systemic oxidation and inflammation diet and Lifestyle
• Support smoking cessation
• Increase the amount of plant fibre and resistant starches in the diet, bind and clear LPS from the bowel, and feed butyrate-producing species such as Ruminococcus, Roseburia, Akkermansia and Eubacteriumspecies
• Avoid a western or ketogenic dietary pattern.
• Support a diet rich in polyphenols to feed keystone bacterial species, reduce inflammation and discourage the growth of gram-negative bacteria
• Meditation, breathing techniques and cold exposure have been shown to help reduce systemic LPS load.

Short-chain fatty acids;

Certain bacteria produce SCFA: see chart.

SCFAs improve gut health through several local effects, ranging from maintenance of intestinal barrier integrity, mucus production, and protection against inflammation to the reduction of the risk of colorectal cancer.

What can you do to increase butyrate? The best way to supercharge your gut microbiome to produce butyrate is to eat a high-fibre diet that includes good sources of resistant starch and pectin. This means eating a diet rich in plant-based foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts/seeds and legumes.

Polyphenols:

Polyphenols are plant chemicals found in large amounts in coloured fruit or vegetables. Many of them possess well-researched antioxidants, which help reduce the risk of systemic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity. However, many studies have shown that polyphenol metabolism is poor at best by human enzymes and is mainly done by the microbes of the large intestine. This results in the feeding of bacterial species, resulting in a diversity of the commensal bacteria, and the metabolites produced can have local and systemic effects on immunity, inflammation, and the nervous system. Studies have shown that polyphenols in the diet can increase numbers of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli and reduce the number of pathogens, such as C. perfringens and C. histolyticum.

Polyphenols can increase Akkermansia species, improve mucin production and increase secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA)

Fibre and Prebiotics;

Prebiotics are polysaccharides that are metabolised or fermented by the gut microbiota. Resistant starches are also a form of indigestible polysaccharides. Prebiotics are a class of fibres known to have a beneficial impact on commensal bacteria. Still, the term is loose and expanding, as many different fibres can also play a role in cross-feeding. Fermented fibres from the Microbiome can produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bile acid derivatives and vitamins, which in turn influence local and systemic physiology. Many bacteria live in a syntrophic relationship, and cross-feeding between species is very common, which means the diversity of fibre/prebiotic intake is critical. 

Interested to know what’s going on in your gut? Click here to take the test to find out!

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