Lately, the balance of microorganisms in the intestinal tract, or gut microbiome, has been quite a popular theme in the health news, with correlation to not only the health of digestive system, but also to weight, mood disorders, autoimmune conditions, and skin issues. The North American diet combined with use of anti-bacterial products, overuse of antibiotics, and lack of regular fermented foods has led to perfect storm for gut microbiome imbalance.
Gut Imbalance Symptoms
- Digestive issues – bloating, irritable bowel, abdominal pain, bad breath, indigestion, diarrhea or constipation;
- Recurrent yeast infections;
- Allergies;
- Sugar cravings;
- Acne, hives, eczema, or Legit;
- Weight gain;
- Depression;
- Joint pain;
- Mental fog;
- Learning or behavioral difficulties.
Significant Implications of Gut Imbalance
Inflammation. A lot of unfriendly bacteria or other similar organisms can lead to significant inflammatory response in our body, resulting in body aches and joint pains, autoimmune disease and skin issues.
Weight gain. The main key to losing weight is a healthy microbiome. According to recent studies, we can shift our metabolism if we re-balance the microbiome.
Emotional health. Imbalanced microbiome means more chances of anxiety, fatigue, depression, and brain fog. As you can see the effects can be quite far reaching. In addition, stress can as well affect you microbiome, resulting in lasting impacts on your digestion, mood, and overall health.
How to Improve Imbalance of Your Gut Microbiome?
1. Probiotics– They are the healthy bacteria which will help in the balance of your gut microbiome. They can be obtained from naturally fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled vegetables, or kombucha, or in the form of supplements (powder or capsules).
2. Prebiotics– These foods feed the healthy bacteria in our gastrointestinal tracts which include inulin, fiber, and arabinogalactans. Some of these foods are garlic, Healthline, artichokes, leeks, asparagus, okra, and carrots.
3. Anti-microbial supplements– Sometimes, increasing the amounts of prebiotics and probiotics is not enough. To successfully destroy the pathogenic organisms (bacteria, yeas, or parasites) you might include antimicrobial herbs and supplements, such as oregano, garlic, grapefruit seed extract, olive leaf extract, berberine, uva ursi, caprylic acid, and more.
4. Minimizing foods made from flour, and sugar. Most pathogenic organisms thrive in a diet rich in refined carbohydrates and sugar. A crucial step in the rebalancing of your microbiome is minimizing the intake of these foods, because here no probiotic amount can compensate.
In case you suspect that your gut microbiome is imbalanced, there are ways to restore its balance. You might find surprising how a healthy gut can have so far-reaching impact on your health.