You may have been hearing a lot about gut health lately, but what is the science behind this? This article will look at how your gut microbiome impacts your whole-body health and your biological age.
Your gut interacts with your whole body
Firstly, what is your gut microbiome? Well, it is the collection of microbes that live inside your intestines. In fact, your gut contains almost as many bacterial cells as your body contains human cells (around 36 trillion). There are more than 1000 species of bacteria which contain 100x more DNA than your body has human DNA – meaning genetically you are more bacteria than human.
We have a symbiotic relationship with the microbes in our gut. The food we eat, particularly fiber, acts as a fuel for the microbes and in return they produce beneficial compounds that our body needs to function- including hormones, neurotransmitters, and other chemicals. In fact, if you look at the different compounds in our blood, around one third are produced by gut bacteria and in this way the gut communicates and regulates various systems across your body including your skin, brain and immune system.
To keep this process working optimally we need a diverse gut microbiome with the right balance of good and bad bacteria. This is because some types of bacteria promote cellular health, while others enhance inflammation and accelerate aging. A diverse gut microbiome will keep the number of ‘bad bacteria’ to a minimum and ensure that you have a strong gut lining and less inflammation.
Your gut and brain are in constant communication
Your gut can produce neurotransmitters usually found in your brain like serotonin. While the neurotransmitters produced in your gut cannot enter the brain, they do impact your ‘second brain’ also called the enteric nervous system – this is the network of neurons that are around the intestine. Your brain communicates with your gut via this enteric nervous system and also via the vagus nerve which connects the gut and the brain directly. In this manner your gut health directly impacts your brain function and mental health. In fact, a recent study showed that supplementing with a prebiotic and exercising caused changes in the gut microbiome, enhanced cognitive function and improved muscle function.
Guy dysbiosis is a hallmark of aging
Gut health is so important it is now recognized as one of the Hallmarks of Aging – the cellular changes that cause the aging process. Gut dysbiosis is an imbalance of bacteria which accelerates aging and can contribute to other illnesses.
During aging or illness there is a reduction in the variety of gut microbes and more species of ‘bad’ bacteria. When this happens the cells that line your intestines become damaged, allowing pathogens and toxins to leak across this barrier, triggering your immune system to produce inflammatory factors. If the gut microbiome is dysfunctional for an extended period, it contributes to chronic inflammation across the body and neuroinflammation in the brain which accelerate aging.
So, why do we all have such dysfunctional microbiomes? Well, our modern lifestyles mean the majority of the population have a diet which lacks sufficient fiber, includes vast quantities of ultra processed foods, foods that are covered in pesticides, and we consume many medications which also damage gut bacteria.
Gut health influences inflammation and biological age
The composition of your gut microbiome contributes to your pace of aging. Many studies now show improving your gut health can reverse your biological age – this is because a healthy diverse gut microbiome reduces inflammation, promotes normal immune function and enhances brain function.
One human study found that increased consumption of probiotics improved cognitive function, learning and memory. While another study showed eating 30 different types of plants a week improved the composition of the gut microbiome and in turn lowered biological age.
Lifestyle factors impact gut health and reverse biological age
There are a wide range of factors that influence the composition of your gut microbiome including your genetics, age, diet, medications you consume, where in the world you live, exercise habits and stress levels. Therefore, alterations to your lifestyle are one of the best things you can do to improve your gut health and lower your biological age.
- Eat more fiber
Fiber is the food for your good gut bacteria, strengthening your gut lining. It is recommended that adults consume 30 grams of fiber a day, yet most people only consume 8-15 grams a day. With only 5-10% of the population eating the recommended amount. Increasing your fiber intake is one of the best things you can do for your gut health.
- Add more fermented foods to your diet
Fermented foods such as kimchi or kefir contain a range of probiotics, these are beneficial strains of bacteria you want to promote whole-body health and lower inflammation.
- Eat the rainbow
By eating more colorful plants you are increasing your intake of polyphenols – the longevity promoting compounds found in nature. Polyphenols have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and health promoting functions and also act as food for your beneficial bacteria.
- Reduce consumption of ultra processed foods
Not only do these types of foods often contain little nutrition for your body, but they also lack fiber or nutrition for your gut microbes. UPFs can also trigger overeating and increase inflammation.
- Exercise more
The relationship between your microbes and exercise is also symbiotic. Exercise supports the microbiome and in turn your microbes make you a better athlete by breaking down lactate (this is the compound that accumulates in your muscles during exercise that causes cramps and fatigue).