How to Boost Your Microbiome

Boosting Your Microbiome - Not Just for Digestion

By: Dr. Courtney Ranieri, ND

Did you know that a healthy human gut is home to around 3-4 pounds and over 1000 different species of bacteria? Our microbiome is important not just for digestion, but new research has come out showing us the role of the
microbiome for immune health, weight control and mood.

What is the microbiome? The microbiome is the collection of microorganisms living in and on our bodies. Most of bacteria is beneficial and necessary to help break down food, keep invaders out, synthesize vitamins and absorb nutrients.
Some people even consider the microbiome another organ in itself because the body couldn’t function without it.

Here are some interesting facts about our microbiome:

Studies have shown that people who are overweight have different gut bacteria than those who are lean
Obesity has been linked to with lower gut diversity (less bacterial strains in the gut)
Approximately 70% of your immune cells are clustered around your digestive tract
Two-thirds of your serotonin — your ‘happy hormone’ that governs mood, anxiety, sleep and food cravings — is actually
Made from cells around your digestive tract
Approx 60% of people with anxiety and depression are thought to have intestinal function disturbance, due to an imbalanced
Microbiome

We’re actually born without any microorganisms living in or on us and our first exposure comes during delivery and, as we age, bacteria found in food, breast milk and our environment help shape our microbiome for life. The microbiome changes a lot within the first 3 years of life as new strains of bacteria are being introduced and making a home in our gut. These strains stay with us for the rest of our lives. This is why it’s important to focus on setting up our toddlers’ and infants’ microbiome for the future.

How do we optimize our microbiome? Our Naturopathic Doctors are great at helping you with this this! The key is to maintain a healthy gut environment and balance between the healthy and helpful bacteria and the pathogenic invaders:

Eat probiotic-rich foods (like fermented foods, sauerkraut, kimchi) often
Take a probiotic that has specific strains to help you with your health concerns. Research shows that there are specific strains
that can help with bloating, skin conditions, vaginal concerns, yeast infections, UTIs, traveller’s diarrhea and more.
Ensure that your digestive system is an ideal home for microorganisms to flourish by optimizing diet, bowel movements, stomach acidity and removing food triggers
Eat enough fibre to feed good bacteria