What exactly is gut health, and why is it important?
Right now, your digestive system is teeming with bacteria, fungi, viruses, and even parasites — all part of the gut microbiome, playing a bigger role in your health than you might think.
It might sound a bit worrying that trillions of microorganisms call your gut if you grew up thinking all germs are bad. However, there are some “good” ones that actually protect your body from illness and disease.
Mahmoud Ghannoum, a microbiome researcher and professor in the department of pathology at Case Western Reserve University, told Yahoo Life that the gut thrives on a wide variety of microbial species. If one type of bacteria can’t do its job, another species can step in and help. Ghannoum compared the diversity of the gut microbiome to that of diverse human societies. Each element has its own role, but everyone works together to keep society moving forward.
A less diverse microbiome, or dysbiosis, can lead to an imbalance between “good” and “bad” bacteria. When there are more “bad” bacteria, your body is more susceptible to infection and disease. “The gut is a central part of how we manage our health,” says Ghannoum. “If science continues in this direction, the way we practice medicine will be better, because we will have more preventive treatments, such as preventing certain diseases simply by adjusting your microbiome.”
Here’s what you need to know about the effects an unhealthy gut can have on your health, and how to keep you and your gut microbes happy and healthy.
Why is it important to keep your gut healthy?
The gut microbiome has many functions. It is involved in:
Regulate immunity
Helps digestion
Maintain good brain health
Protects from harmful pathogens
Producing essential vitamins and nutrients
Helping drug metabolism
Scientists have recently shed more light on how gut bacteria play a role in fighting chronic disease. A 2018 study published in the journal Urology found that men with prostate cancer were more likely to have an excess of a species of bacteria called Bacteroides massiliensis than those who do not contract the disease.
Gut bacteria can also affect the success of cancer treatment. A 2022 study found that patients with melanoma who responded well to treatment were more likely to have Lachnospiraceae type. Meanwhile, cancer treatment was found to be less effective in people with high numbers Streptococcaceae type.
Several gut microbes affect metabolism and inflammation. When there is an imbalance in the gut microbiome caused by an unhealthy diet and antibiotics, research shows it can contribute to weight gain.
Research has also shown that having a less diverse microbiota in the gut can impair immune responses in the brain, contributing to an increased risk of inflammation and neurodegenerative disorders. Ghannoum adds that when the gut-brain connection changes due to gut imbalances, it increases the risk of neurological conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, autism, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease.
What are the signs of an unhealthy gut?
Because the gut microbiome is involved in a variety of bodily processes, an unhealthy gut can manifest in a variety of symptoms. Ghannoum says people often experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as:
Stomach ache
Chronic stomach pain
Constipation
Digestive problems
chronic nausea
vomit
Another less obvious sign is a change in your behavior. A 2019 study showed changes in gut bacteria can affect unhealthy food cravings, a person’s reaction to stress, and increase the risk of depression.
Currently, you can purchase a test using a stool sample to determine the bacterial profile of your gut to evaluate whether your intestines are healthy or not. Arik Alper, a pediatric gastroenterologist and assistant professor of pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine, told Yahoo Life that there is no official method to check for a healthy gut and recommends certain skepticism of such a test.
How to maintain gut health?
Experts say there are several ways to protect your gut health. Here’s how:
No. 1: Eat more fruits, vegetables and fiber in general
One way to fill your stomach is to change what you eat. Gut microbes need nutrients to survive, and a healthy diet is a key component in shaping the microbiome. A 2019 review showed that eating a diet high in animal meat, saturated fat, sugar and salt increases the number of “bad” bacteria and harms the growth of “good” bacteria.
On the other hand, eating green leafy vegetables, high-protein plants (such as tofu or beans) and foods rich in omega-3s (such as salmon, oysters, flaxseeds and walnuts) are linked to the production of “good” bacteria. Ghannoum also recommends eating foods rich in fiber (such as oats, lentils, popcorn, and chia seeds) because they are important food sources for gut microbes.
No. 2: Avoid strict diets
Alper says that it’s not just about what you eat but also what you avoid. Limiting eating, cutting out certain food groups, means you limit access to potential fuel for your microbes, which can lead to a less diverse gut microbiome.
“I would be wary of making sudden and unnecessary changes to your diet,” warns Alper. He points out that some people, for example, avoid eating gluten. Unless you’re allergic or have celiac disease, he argues that there’s no benefit to your microbiome staying on a gluten-free diet, especially since most gluten-free products are less nutritious, low in fiber, and high in saturated fat.
In addition, suddenly switching to a gluten-free diet can irritate the gut and lead to the death of gut microbes that depend on gluten for survival. “By limiting your diet, you’re actually reducing the diversity of your gut microbial composition,” says Alper. “But if you expand your nutrition and eat a little of everything, you promote the growth of different gut microbes.”
No. 3: Don’t get your hopes up on probiotics
Probiotic supplements are a popular choice marketed to improve gut health. However, experts say you shouldn’t rely on them to solve all your gut problems. “Probiotics will never change your gut microbiome,” says Alper. That’s because there are trillions of gut microbes in your digestive tract. “Do you think that if you take probiotics, which make up 0.001% of the total composition of your gut microbiome, would this change anything?” he says.
Alper also points out that many of the microbes in probiotics may not survive the acidity of the stomach. Plus, he says existing gut microbes won’t allow “new microbes on the block” to dominate your digestive tract. That said, that doesn’t mean all probiotics are necessarily bad or pointless. Ghannoum says taking probiotics is “better than nothing.” Just don’t expect it to change the entire diversity of your gut microbiome.
No. 4: Eat foods rich in prebiotics
Prebiotics serve as fuel for gut microbes. Certain vegetables are rich in prebiotics, especially garlic, onions, and beans. Ghannoum says high-fiber foods also contain prebiotics that can “shift the microbiome into a more balanced state.”
A 2018 review of the impact of prebiotics on the gut showed that they help promote the growth of good bacteria, such as those that reduce inflammation and promote metabolism or weight loss. Another benefit is that it increases gut bacteria which boosts the immune response and absorbs minerals better, such as calcium, to prevent fractures.
No. 5: Avoid using antibiotics whenever possible
Antibiotics help get rid of the bacteria that cause infection, but on the other hand, can cause additional damage, destroying some of the good bacteria that live in the gut. Even one type of antibiotic taken in infancy can substantially reduce the diversity of the gut, allowing fungi to thrive and reproduce.
“Even if you take antibiotics, your gut will remember them,” says Alper. “All of these can reduce the diversity of the gut microbiome.” It can take a while for your intestines to heal after being exposed to antibiotics. A 2022 study showed that a single antibiotic could disrupt a patient’s microbiome for up to six months.
Using antibiotics also risks creating antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, and research shows that antibiotic-resistant bacteria can cause infections that are difficult to treat. One example is growth C. difficult, which damage the intestines and cause antibiotic-resistant diarrhea.
Alper says the bottom line is not to rush into taking antibiotics unless absolutely necessary or when an effective alternative treatment is available.
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