Nutrition and gut microbiota

What is the microbiome?

The microbiome (in the past we also used the term microflora) are the microorganisms that live in our gut. These microorganisms belong to the kingdoms of bacteria, fungi, and archaea. The numbers of these microbes with which we coexist are very impressive: for example, the bacteria of the human microbiome amount to a few hundred billion (!) cells.

How do gut microbes interact with our health?

• In the body of a healthy person, multiple microorganisms coexist, with the largest numbers found in the small and large intestine and throughout the body. The microbiome is even characterized as a supporting organ because it plays many key roles in carrying out the daily functions of the human body.
• The microflora stimulates the immune system, breaks down potentially toxic food compounds, and synthesizes certain vitamins and amino acids, including B vitamins and vitamin K.
• Complex carbohydrates such as starch and fiber are broken down by bacteria in the large intestine, creating short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as butyric acid, which reduce inflammation, boost brain function, and help the immune system, regulate of metabolism and mood/psychology.
• Clinical studies have shown that SCFAs help treat ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

What factors affect the microbiome?

• The microbiome consists of microbes that are both helpful and potentially harmful. The diversity and quantity of microorganisms (and thus how beneficial or harmful they are to us) is influenced by several factors. A person's microbe network is determined by genetic factors (genes), by his exposure to his mother's microbes as an infant at birth, and through breast milk, but also in later life depends on environmental conditions, and of course diet.
• If there is a disturbance in the balance of microorganisms, due to for example a bad lifestyle, dysbiosis occurs, and the microbiome can act pathologically in our body, with the consequence that we become more susceptible to diseases.

How can nutrition help the microbiome?

• Probiotics are foods that contain microorganisms. They include fermented foods such as kefir, yogurt with live active cultures, pickled vegetables, tempeh, kombucha tea, kimchi, miso, and sauerkraut.
• Also, a high-fiber diet affects the type and amount of microflora in the intestines. Fiber is sometimes called prebiotics because it feeds our beneficial microflora.
• Other prebiotic foods include: garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, dandelion greens, bananas and seaweed. In general, fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains such as wheat, oats, and barley are all good sources of prebiotic fiber.