The truth about gut health
Words: Sarah Tarca // @tarca
image: Ava Sol // Unsplash
My own gut health story has been more of an odyssey than a journey. Beginning with the admission that perhaps something wasn’t right with my lack of, err, movements down there to seeing doctors, a gastroenterologist, more doctors, approximately one thousands different pills, all kinds of tests, a colonoscopy and a very real and near faecal transplant which is every bit as disgusting and terrifying as it sounds.
But, after all this, I ended up back where I started, looking for deeper answers to an issue I knew wasn’t simply about my toilet visits. My job was incredibly stressful, I was running on fumes, constantly feeling like I was holding my breath, and fuelling with caffeine and alcohol and whatever else got me by. It was naturopath, Anna Maria Boelskov, who eventually helped set me on the path of healing, with some herbal supplements which kick-started my gut health.
Seeing how much of a difference it made to my wellbeing to have a happier gut (I was less anxious, my skin was clearer, my weight stopped fluctuating) tumbled me straight into a hole of gut health research that I’ve never come out of. Obsessed with keeping it in optimal condition, and fascinated by all the new research out there, especially in relation to the gut-brain axis, I’ve become a total nerd for this stuff, and want to share everything I know with anyone who’ll listen.
Which is why you’re reading this story. Because I interviewed Cate Lilja, Nutritional, herbal, and complementary medicine scientist, and Co-Founder of the new ingestible beauty (and gut health!) supplement, Skin Food Elixir by Optima Nutricosmetics to help me cut through the crap (!) and the hyperbole to uncover the biggest lies and some hardcore truths about gut health – and we’re here to share them with you.
What does good gut health REALLY LOOK like?
The gut really encompasses all of the tissues from our mouth to our colon, as well as our microbiome – the 100 trillion microorganisms (mainly bacteria) that live in our gut. There is estimated to be around 500 species, the predominant of which is F. Prau accounting for anywhere from five to 15 per cent in a healthy gut. A healthy microbiome not only consists of a majority of ‘good’ bacteria, but it also requires diversity – a good variety of species performing different functions.
Our gut is responsible for absorbing nutrients and excreting waste, but that’s not all... the cells in our gut (as well as the bacterial cells in our microbiome) produce chemicals that transmit messages to our brain, immune system, skin – really every other cell in our body. So when we think about poor gut health it’s not just about digestive symptoms, these are signs of an issue, the impact of which can be systemic.
There is so much new research coming out about gut health now… it’s overwhelming. What do you think is the most important info for us to know?
The gut is capable of producing 90 per cent of the serotonin in the body, and research has shown that certain microbes can increase the amount produced by the gut cells. Seratonin is an important neurotransmitter and hormone that not only affects mood but also blood clotting, digestion, sleep and memory. Early research in animal models has shown the ability of certain probiotics to influence mood, depression and sleep, just to name a few. This research opens up a host of possibilities for novel, non-invasive and safe treatments to certain conditions, including psychological conditions in the future.
do the foods you eat really have that much of an effect on your gut health?
Absolutely. The food you eat is also the food your microbiome eats. Studies have shown that changing your dietary habits, for example from vegan diet to omnivorous diet, dramatically changes the composition of your microbiome. Prefered food sources differ across microbial species. For example yeasts that are very efficient at digesting processed sugar may thrive in a gut where there is plenty present. In the same way - populations of good bacteria that thrive on soluble fibre will dwindle in a gut where there is very little dietary fibre present due to a high intake of processed foods.
So Can you address gut health with food alone then?
Whilst food can have a huge impact on our gut health (and our microbiome) there are many other factors at play. One example is the gut-brain axis which is the communication pathway controlled by the nervous system signalling hormones and neurotransmitters between our gut and our brain. Via this messaging pathway chronic emotional stress and lack of sleep can both alter the composition of the microbiome. Other factors such as exposure to pollution, drugs (e.g antibiotics) and physical exertion can also impact on our microbiome composition, so lifestyle is just as important as diet for addressing gut health.
“Studies have shown that people who garden, have dogs, spend more time outside or even open the windows in their homes and offices have better microbiome diversity…”
Why do you think that gut health seems to be so endemic to modern life?
Certainly our changing diet has had a huge impact on our microbiome composition. We eat more processed food, have introduced processing aids such as emulsifiers, eat far less soluble fibre, and a greatly reduced variety of foods. On top of this we have antibiotics, we use antibacterial soaps and generally don't get our hands dirty! Studies have shown that people who garden, have dogs, spend more time outside or even open the windows in their homes and offices have better microbiome diversity.
How exactly does gut health affect your skin, your mood and general physical and mental health ?
The gut is in constant communication with every other system in our body. It can control immune responses, hormones and neurotransmitters to help keep all of the systems in our body working in harmony and balance (or ‘homeostasis’).
When our gut is in good health and functioning optimally it is able to support the healthy functioning of the rest of our body by providing, not only all of the nutrition we need, but also by regulating our immune system, excreting toxins and signalling to the rest of the body to maintain homeostasis.
When our gut is in poor health, we experience leaky gut (inflammation of the gut wall that leads to gaps between the cells that line the gut wall - literally allowing undigested particles to ‘leak’ through the gut wall, causing an immune response and inflammation) and these messages are disrupted. Poor gut health is associated with everything from premature ageing of the skin, increased numbers of blackheads to autoimmune conditions, chronic fatigue, obesity, anxiety and depression.
THREE BIG GUT HEALTH MYTHS… and what the truth really is
you need to ‘cleanse’ your gut
Cate says: “Despite the popularity of colon cleansing or ‘detoxing’ there is no good scientific basis to support the practice. If you are constipated an enema may provide some immediate relief but does not address the underlying cause. But, if you have developed leaky gut and dysbiosis it is very important to get your microbiome back into balance and break the cycle of inflammation with a qualified health care professional.”
you need to poo once a day to be healthy
Cate says: “We are all different and so is our microbiome. In fact our microbiome is like a fingerprint, no two are the same. As such, we all digest, absorb and process our food uniquely. Whilst some advocate that we should have at least one bowel movement per day, this is not reflected in large scale surveys of the general population. In fact the typically accepted healthy range is anywhere from three times per day to three times per week. A better indicator of gut health is the consistency of your stool - which should be well formed and sausage like - and changes to frequency of bowel habits.
You can stop taking probiotics once your gut is happy again
Cate says: “With such a variety of probiotics out there, the first thing is to understand the type of probiotic you are taking and its benefits. Some probiotics can be used short term, for example to support your gut health whilst taking a course of antibiotics.
Generally though probiotics are used as part of a long-term strategy to help maintain good gut health. Gut health and microbiome diversity can be affected by many lifestyle factors that we come into contact with on a daily basis (diet, alcohol, stress, just to name a few). So if these are still in play then strategies such as daily pre and probiotic supplementation could help to counter these damaging factors and maintain your newly acquired gut health.”
If you’re keen to try Optima Nutricosmetics new ingestible beauty supplement, Skin Food Elixir (which, FYI, has the highest dosage of collagen on the market), they have given us a special launch discount of 20% . Just enter the code Wayward (case sensitive) at the checkout. Enjoy!