Understanding Your Microbiome: The Hidden and ESSENTIAL World Within
By Susan Tanner M.D.
The Gut’s Benevolent Dictatorship
Imagine inside your body an entire world population with its own government! This government doesn’t hold elections but functions as a benevolent dictatorship. While not entirely altruistic, these individuals and groups support the entire hosting organism while striving to maintain their own existence. In the simplest terms, this is the microbiome—the population and activities of microorganisms in the gut, particularly the small intestine lining.
The Rise of Probiotics
Even on television these days, we see ads and programs for probiotics, promoting the idea of introducing beneficial bacteria into the intestinal tract. Healthcare practitioners, including myself, have recommended probiotics for years to address various gastrointestinal discomforts. However, we’re now realizing there’s much more to the story.
The Far-Reaching Impact of the Microbiome
The Gut-Brain Connection
About a decade ago, researchers recognized the importance of small intestine integrity for brain and mental health. A large percentage of neurotransmitters — chemicals controlling mood, focus, and memory — are formed in the gut lining, leading to the term “second brain” for the gut. Recent studies provide an even more in-depth look at which specific gut bacteria significantly impact brain function and health.
The Microbiome and Immune Function
The small intestine lining is a crucial starting point for our body’s immune system, producing Secretory Immunoglobulin A (IgA). The balance of gut bacteria can affect IgA levels, influencing susceptibility to gastrointestinal problems, systemic infections, and even autoimmune conditions.
Toxin Processing and Chronic Illness
Specific bacteria can impact how bile is delivered from the liver to the gut, affecting the body’s ability to process toxins and chemicals. This can lead to an increased burden on the body, potentially contributing to chronic illnesses like cancer, chronic fatigue, heart disease, and diabetes.
Weight Management and the Microbiome
The balance of certain bacteria phyla, such as Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, can become imbalanced, leading to excessive caloric extraction from foods and weight gain.
Analyzing Your Personal Microbiome
While individual microbiome testing (like the Biome FX test) is ideal, there are general steps you can take to improve your gut health.
Improving Your Microbiome: A General Plan
Diet and Timing Rules
- Follow a Mediterranean diet – Google is your friend for this research
- Confine eating to an 8-hour window, at least 5 days a week
- Avoid heavy protein-rich diets in the evening
- Use bitters before meals if you have reflux or stomach-emptying issues
- Try apple cider vinegar with meals if increased gas from proteins is an issue
The Weed, Feed, Re-seed Approach
Weed
Introduce suppressive bacteria to discourage undesirable populations and encourage helpful strains.
Feed
Consume non-digestible fiber (prebiotics) and supportive immunoglobulins to nourish good bacteria and strengthen the gut lining.
Re-seed
Introduce probiotics to populate the gut with beneficial bacteria and suppress harmful ones.
Recommended Products (all available on Fullscript)
For weeding: Microbiome HU 58 (Bacillus Subtilis)
This is Bacillus Subtilis, which doesn’t kill but displaces some undesirable groups of bacteria. Take one daily for one week, then increase to two daily till the bottle is finished. This also helps reduce ammonia levels which can cause or add to brain fog.
For feeding: Mega Mucosa Powder and high-fiber foods
1 scoop daily for 3 months or longer. Also focus on including different types of fiber into the diet, such as chia seed, flax seed powder, as well as high fiber foods.
For re-seeding: Mega Spore Probiotic
1 capsule daily. This is ongoing to help maintain good flora and discourage the ones you don’t want.
For mood, anxiety, and sleep issues: Zen Biome Cope (anxiety), Zen Biome Dual (stress, IBS, sleep) or Zen Biome Sleep (insomnia)
For bitters: Quicksilver Bitters X
Conclusion
This overview of the microbiome and its relationship to overall health demonstrates the profound impact of gut health on wellbeing. Future articles may delve deeper into specific health conditions and their connection to the microbiome. Please send in your questions for potential inclusion in future articles! Your anonymity is guaranteed.
You may directly access pharmaceutical-grade vitamins and supplements to support your well-being at a discount through my online Fullscript store by clicking here: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/susantannermd/signup
