Butterflies in Your Stomach Do Exist!
But How? How is this common old English metaphor true? How is your gut linked to your brain? Have you ever heard the term “gut microbiome?” This is how the brain instantly knows when your gut is “stressed.” There is a long nerve involved too, the oh so lovely Vagus Nerve. I am sure there are plenty of other important nerves for other important functions, but I am only interested in the one that can affect my current mood of course. The Vagus Nerve can relay electrical impulses along its vast fibers between the colon and the brainstem with links to other parts of the body as well! The microbes in your gut can activate these nerve impulses which is one way they can in fact affect the human brain. So yes, “butterflies in your stomach do exist.”
You should know, most of the Serotonin in your body is produced by your gut. Serotonin keeps you happy, it’s the happiest neurohormone if you didn’t catch that. So yes, your gut health is important! Hey, don’t mind me adding sauerkraut to my diet if it will reduce my random flares of social anxiety.
When I started paying attention to my diet, I wondered why do people, especially athletes add probiotics to their supplements? I’ll tell you Jeffrey Gordon the guy in front and currently leading the microbiome information chart says “the nutritional value of food is influenced in part by the structure and operations of a consumer’s gut microbial community.”Wowzers! Mindblown! So even though you eat “healthy” or “clean” you need to be making sure you are supplementing your microbiome as well.
My Microbiome Made Me Crave It!
I believe this to be true (not a scientific fact)-ha! Why do I crave pickles and yogurts randomly? Odd I know , but these two foods are high with Bifidobacterium spp. Bifidobacterium lines the colon. Omega-3 fatty acids specifically increase certain types of bacteria called Bacteroidetes and Lachnospiraceae. This bacteria has been shown to be deficient in people with irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. I’ll share another one. Prevotella spp grows best under a plant-based rich diet. Prevotella spp, a gram negative anaerobic bacilli (my old microbiology lab nerdiness had to come out, sorry), lives along the stomach mucosa.
Draw your attention to this...
Have you ever heard of Selenium? Selenium is a mineral that definitely doesnt get enough attention yet millions of people worldwide are probably deficient. With the mineral selenium, the guthas a healthy response to inflammation. A defiency hence would increase the risk of “leaky gut.” Selenium is also importantly known for converting the thyroid hormone T4 to T3. There are many other primary and secondary causes for hypo or hyperthyroidism, but selenium deficiency is definitely something to keep in mind.
Adults need 55 micrograms of selenium each day. Did you know 1 brazilian nut has 68-91 micrograms, depending on where and how its grown.
What do I take?Probiotic, Prebiotic, Synbiotic?
Probiotics as defined by both The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the World Health Organization as “live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” Each probiotic must only consist of a known bacterial strain or strains, and naturally occur in traditional fermented foods.
Prebiotics are a purified form of dietary “insoluble fiber.” Prebiotics can be found naturally in foods such as bananas, oatmeal, asparagus+so many others, or they can also be made as a supplement. Insoluble fiber is tough on your digestive track to break down, but they help the bacteria grow strong, multiply and correct your digestive issues: Stay tuned for a separate post on Insoluble Fiber,Benefits and Sources. Some prebiotics are known as:
- *FOS-fructo-oligosacharides
- *GOS-galacto-oligosacharide
- *XOS-xylo-oligosacharide
- *HMO-human milk oligosaccharide. (this is another reason breastfeeding your baby is the bomb).
- *Inulin
- pectins
- resistant starches-(check out this resistant starch flour from green bananas that I add to soups to make brothier)
When probiotics are combined with a prebiotic they form Synbiotics. Synbiotics were developed to overcome possible survival difficulties for probiotics. You see the synbiotic benefits the host(you) because it improves the implantation and survival of the microbial supplement.
Helpful bacterial strains...
Bowl Flow:
- L. acidophilus
- L.casei
- L.plantarum
- L. salivarius
Digestion:
- B.longum
- Bacillus Coagulans
- L. rhamnosus
Immune Functions:
- B. lactis
- B.bifidum
- L.bulgaricus
Weight-loss
- L.gasseri
Tips
To encourage a diverse growth of bacterial species and the possibility of affecting your gut for better health.
- Chose your carbs wisely!- Starchy carbs starve your gut bacteria, complex carbs (fiber helps them strive).
- Eat meat in limited quantities.
- Limit saturated fat intake.
- Consume beneficial bacteria.-(Like I mentioned Bifidobacterium spp./Prevotella spp. to name a few).
- Avoid processed food. -Polusorbate 80 for example has been shown to be detrimental to gut flora.
***This post does contain affiliate links which allow me to make a commission on your purchase at no extra cost to you. All the products I recommend I have personally use.***
My list of Probiotic Recommendations:
***Note*** you want a probiotic with many strains possible yes, but do make sure they are “clinically proven” strains.
The TEST is finally here TAKE IT!
In my quest to narrow down what could be causing me some digestive/non digestive issues such as: bloating, random abdominal pain, irritability, “brain fog” I also took a food sensitivity test. It made sense to me (not a scientific statement ha!) to figure out if what I put in my body can be causing my symptoms, and damaging my gut health as well. With 96 Foods tested for Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody reactivity, this finger-prick blood collection kit (by EverlyWell) is a great way to narrow down foods in your current diet that might be causing chaos within your body. Sample collection was a breeze and it took 12 days to get my results.
To get started, click the link below to order your kit today!