You’ve probably been hearing a lot about your gut microbiome lately. It is a bit of a buzzword in the health and wellness world, and for very good reason. The human body is a complex, interconnected ecosystem in which microbes/bacteria live. The gut is where most of these bacteria live because it is the gut that most interacts with the outside world. It is constantly exposed to new microbes that come from the things we eat and drink, and it is the frontline of our immune system. In fact, the health of your digestive system directly affects the health of your body as a whole.
Our bodies depend on this bacteria, sometimes referred to as “good bacteria” to protect against disease, keep our metabolism up to speed, and to protect our digestive systems, brain, and more.
The human gut microbiome has been the subject of extensive research for its role in both health and disease. It has been researched in connection with:
An imbalance of the normal gut microbiota have been linked with many conditions like the ones mentioned above. Thus, keeping your gut healthy and balanced is of supreme importance for our health at large.
Unfortunately, many of our guts have been damaged from bad lifestyle choices and the foods that we eat. The standard American diet is lacking in the things our good gut bacteria require. Toxins like pesticides and food preservatives only make it worse. Our guts become damaged when we eat a diet high in starch and sugar, when we don’t eat enough fiber, and when we take gut-damaging drugs like antibiotics, acid blockers (reflux meds), anti-inflammatories, and more.
It is our job to encourage the good bacteria (microbes) in our gut by feeding them the things they need, such as:
Taking a strong and diverse Probiotic is another way to protect and FEED the good bacteria in your gut. The best way for you to determine which probiotic will work for you is to work with a practitioner who practices functional medicine. Click here for more info on the benefits of probiotics. Deeper gut healing might be required before you even begin taking probiotics.
Sometimes certain vitamins, minerals, and even medications are necessary to begin healing your gut and “tending your inner garden” so that you can strengthen your gut microbiome. Vitamins and amino acids such as Zinc and L-Glutamine both work to reduce intestinal permeability (leaky gut). These can be taken both orally and administered intravenously.
The REPAIR: Healthy Gut IV workd to close the tight-junctions between intestinal cells and protect your gut from inflammation. Other vitamins such as Vitamin C and Glutathione are important protectors of the mucous layer and cells in the intestinal tract. All of these vitamins in unison can shield against the damage done from intestinal inflammation caused by our diets, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and more.
To learn more about your gut microbiome, schedule a consult with Matteo Rosselli, D.O. at 561-406-2202. To book an appointment for a REPAIR: Healthy Gut IV, click the button below.
Resources:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3426293/
2. https://drhyman.com/blog/2018/04/13/how-to-feed-your-gut/
