Five ways to nourish your microbiome (That aren’t foods!)

EXERCISE

Recent studies are showing that regular exercise has a beneficial impact on both the number and diversity of beneficial gut bacteria. It has also been proposed that exercise might alter immune cell responses in the gut as well as reducing inflammation.

Specifically, exercise has been shown to enhance the bacteria that produce Butyrate – a fatty acid that has a role in repair of the gut lining and reducing inflammation.

The good news is that even light exercise, such as a brisk walk or swim, is enough so create a positive change as long as it is regularly completed – I.e. At least 3 times a week or spread throughout the week totalling around 3 hours.

Although there is growing evidence that exercise can positively alter your microbiome regardless of diet or body composition, it is important to note that these changes are not permanent and the microbiota appears to return to normal if the exercise regime stops.

INTERMITTENT FASTING

The benefits of intermittent fasting on body composition and heart health have been in the media for a while now, but did you know that periods of fasting can also have a beneficial impact on your gut health?

Intermittent fasting can vary in method, but can be anything from a juice fast or just eating certain foods, to periods of withholding all food or dramatically decreasing calorific intake, before going back to a ‘normal’ diet and routine.

Studies observing the effects of fasting on changes in the gut microbiome have been done at Cedars-Sinai, which have found that periods of 12-16 hours done twice weekly displayed a marked change in microbiome population.

Obviously dramatic changes to diet and feeding routine should be done with caution, especially in certain groups of the population such as those with diabetes or cancer, so please consult your doctor before attempting.

REDUCE STRESS

Yes, once again stress is right up there negatively impacting our health.

When the body is in a state of stress the actions of the vagus nerve, including gut motility, digestive secretions and the release of essential anti-inflammatory substances, are depressed. The anti-inflammatory actions here are the important part, as the microbes of the gut are sensitive to inflammation, meaning that stress directly effects the population of the microbiome.

Now, there are many ways of reducing stress, including meditation, exercise, mindfulness, and so on. I could tell you what to do but the effectiveness of the activity will often be dictated by your response to it so I'm going to leave the choice up to you.

VITAMIN D

The ‘sunshine’ vitamin is essential to digestive health. It plays a key role in maintaining the barrier function created between the intestinal epithelium and external environment. The integrity of this barrier is critical in maintaining homeostasis of a number of microbial species.

A Canadian study looking at vitamin D levels and gut microbiome composition found that after exposing participants to UVB rays on a number of occasions, they displayed both an increase in Vitamin D level and microbiome diversity.

Further study is required in this field but the evidence points to a promising correlation in healthy vitamin D levels and maintenance of a healthy and diverse microbiome.

In the U.K. the NHS recommends supplementing with 10 micrograms daily during the winter months or if you spend a lot of time indoors to ensure adequate levels in the body. As with any supplement, be sure to buy from a reputable brand and not to take more than the recommended dose.

SLEEP

Sleep is so important to our wellbeing, from cell repair and growth to digestion and maintenance of a healthy weight: sleep fixes everything (ask any parent!).

But sleep has also been found to positively impact gut health.

Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can have a negative effect on the gut microbiome in as little as 48 hours. Additionally researchers also indicated that the diversity of certain gut bacteria correlate with healthy sleep, suggesting that there is a strong interrelationship between the two.

Now, If that's not enough motivation to sneak in the odd nap I don't know what is!

References: Relationships between Vitamin D, Gut microbiome and systemic Autoimmunity. (Yamamoto and Jorgensen); Gut microbiome diversity is associated with sleep physiology in humans. (R.Smith); Is intermittent fasting healthy? (A.Smieciuszewski); Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Mood: The Gut Microbiome is involved. (L.Stewart);