Complete Guide to Pampering Your Microbiota
We are living in remarkable times!
Over the past twenty years, significant advances have been made in epigenetics, neuroscience, positive psychology, and the discovery of the impact of our gut flora, the microbiota, on our health.
Indeed, we are witnessing the dawn of a true medical revolution that will transform everything in the coming decades. With more than a hundred studies published each week on the subject, we are gaining a better understanding every day of how this microbiota influences our digestive, metabolic, immune, and neurological health. We can liken this intestinal flora to an "inner garden that must be cultivated with love and respect" (Dr. Donatini) to regain optimal health.
Let's explore this renowned microbiota together and learn how to care for it properly to keep it rich, stable, and balanced through our diet, thereby becoming true artisans of our health!
We Are Microbial
Did you know that we are composed of 10 to 100 times more bacteria than human cells? Far from being our enemies, these bacteria are essential allies. They are divided into 400 different species and play a crucial role in our health based on their composition. Collectively, they form what is known as the "microbiota," a term derived from the Greek words mikros (small) and biotos (life). It encompasses all the microorganisms (yeasts, viruses, bacteria) that coexist with us. More accurately, we should refer to "microbiotas," as there are various types throughout the body: oral, vaginal, anal, skin, cerebral, intestinal, and many others, each interacting with one another and with us. The most significant is the gut microbiota, due to its sheer quantity (weighing between two and five kilos depending on our diet) and its influence on other microbiotas.
The Gut Microbiota
The gut microbiota covers the 400 m² of our intestines and is estimated to comprise 100 trillion microorganisms, which is about the same as the number of cells in our entire body.
The presence or absence of specific bacteria is linked to modern diseases (such as obesity and type 2 diabetes), chronic and inflammatory diseases (such as endometriosis, fibromyalgia, and osteoarthritis), and autoimmune diseases.
We Provide it Room and Board ... and it gives back to us on various levels:
Metabolic - The microbiota supplies vitamins (B1, B9, K2), some fatty acids crucial for our colon, regulates cholesterol, absorbs minerals, and produces enzymes.
Protection - It prevents the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria from the environment by producing mucus inside the colon, known as the barrier effect. Additionally, 70% of our immune system is located in our gut, determined by our microbiota.
Communication - The microbiota communicates with fat tissue, the liver, heart, muscles, and bi-directionally with our brain. Remarkably, 90% of serotonin is produced in the digestive tract, directly affecting our mood. It is, in fact, "established that depression is an inflammatory cerebral disease linked to the digestive microbiota," according to gastroenterologist Bruno Donatini.
Nature is Well-designed
The key to health from birth is based on fundamental principles:
Maternal Diet: A diverse maternal diet enhances the placental microbiota, benefiting the child's microbiota, especially through omega-3 intake.
Vaginal Birth: This allows the baby to come into direct contact with the mother's vaginal and, more importantly, anal microbiota, which significantly influences the baby's microbiota. A caesarean section bypasses this microbiotic richness, increasing the risk of allergies, hyperactivity, and overweight.
Breastfeeding: Ideally for six months, breastfeeding provides probiotics and prebiotics crucial for the baby's development.
Child's Diet Until Age 2: This critical period shapes the child's microbiota and educates the immune system.
Our microbiota is unique and evolves throughout our lives, starting from birth.
So, How Can We Enrich Our Intestinal Flora?
A balanced microbiota, known as "eubiosis," should be diverse, akin to having an extensive toolbox to repair, protect, and maintain our longevity. Achieving this requires a diet rich in fibre, organic fruits and vegetables, and fermented foods. Here are some essential tips:
Eat in Small Quantities and Chew Well: This facilitates good digestion, ideally liquefying food in the mouth.
Include Oilseeds and Omega-3 Rich Foods: Consume small oily fish and raw oils like rapeseed, walnut, camelina, and hemp daily.
Eat Fermented Foods: Incorporate fermented lacto vegetables and drinks like kefir and kombucha.
Use Anti-inflammatory Herbs and Spices: Add cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, parsley, and similar ingredients to your meals.
Hydrate with Quality Water: Drink chlorine-free, ideally filtered water.
Reduce Sugar Intake: Modern children consume more sugar by age seven than their grandparents did in a lifetime. Opt for unrefined, low-glycemic sugars like coconut blossom sugar, rapadura, or muscovado, which are nutrient-rich.
Reasons for an Unbalanced and Poor Intestinal Flora: Dysbiosis
When bad bacteria are regularly fed, they proliferate rapidly, forming colonies that lead to an imbalance in the small intestine known as dysbiosis. Poor nutrition hinders good bacteria, allowing bad bacteria to dominate. Symptoms include disturbed digestion (constipation, diarrhea, bloating, flatulence) and modern pathologies (overweight, type 2 diabetes, depression, SIBO, candidiasis, etc.).
How Can Dysbiosis Be Triggered?
Dysbiosis, or an imbalance in the intestinal flora, can be easily triggered by accumulating various excesses:
Excess Saturated Fats: Found in red meat, cold cuts, cheese, and full-fat dairy products.
Refined Sugars: Consuming large amounts of sweets and sugary foods.
Toxic Substances: High intake of alcohol and tobacco.
Dairy Products: These can be acidifying and demineralizing and are often full of pesticides, herbicides, and growth hormones.
Gluten: Found in white flour and wheat products.
Ultra-Processed Foods: Including foods with additives like store-bought ready meals and fast food, chocolate cream, ice cream, candy bars, and salad dressings.
Excess Protein and GMO Foods
Psychological Stress: Stress increases cortisol levels, leading to intestinal hyperpermeability.
Our Allies for Life
Probiotics - Probiotics are mainly live bacteria (such as bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, lactococci) and yeasts that help reseed your microbiota. They are found in fermented foods such as sauerkraut, miso, kefir, kombucha, and live natural yoghurt. Probiotics improve immunity and enhance the body's repair mechanisms.
Prebiotics - Prebiotics are foods that feed the good bacteria. They are particularly abundant in fibre-rich foods like organic fruits, vegetables, and cereals. Prebiotics are types of fibre that humans can't digest but beneficial gut bacteria can. These fibres provide nutrients to bacteria that support healthy digestion and a robust immune system. The king of prebiotics is the Jerusalem artichoke, with 90% prebiotics, but they are also found in parsnips, salsify, turnips, asparagus, leeks, cabbages, lentils, chicory, raw garlic, onions, parsley, legumes, beans, peas, oats, bananas, apples, pears, red fruits, and berries.
Fasting and Microbiota: A Favourable Alliance?
Absolutely! Studies show that fasting can normalize the microbiota and reduce harmful phenomena.
Example of a 10-Day Fast:
A 2019 study by Dr. Robin Mesnage in collaboration with the Buchinger Clinic analysed the effects of prolonged Buchinger-type fasting on the faecal microbiota of fifteen healthy men. The results showed that fasting led to a decrease in pathogenic bacteria and an increase in beneficial strains that support the immune response. These positive effects lasted for three months after the fasting period.
These findings suggest that prolonged fasting may positively influence the composition and function of the gut microbiota, as well as reduce the body's inflammatory state.
The Impact of Intermittent Fasting
A Chinese study conducted on thirty healthy men (aged 18-30) divided participants into two groups of 15. The fasting group was instructed to refrain from eating for 16 hours a day. Stool samples were collected from both groups after 25 days, and the gut microbiota profiles were analysed. The conclusions within the fasting group were:
An increase in anti-inflammatory bacteria
A decrease in bad bacteria that were more abundant in obese individuals
It is noteworthy that the absence of food can alter the biodiversity of present bacteria, leading to greater energy expenditure, reduced fat storage, and a feeling of satiety. These effects are particularly beneficial in cases of obesity or diabetes (CNRS, the newspaper).
Finally, it is important to recognize that research in this area is still evolving. Consulting with a healthcare professional before starting any fasting or dietary changes is crucial as fasting is not for everyone.
Conclusion
As you can see, your microbiota plays a vital role in balancing your immune system, mental and emotional health, and maintaining a healthy weight. So, take good care of this inner garden and you will reap the benefits manifold!
In short, eat a varied, organic, and plant-based diet, minimizing excesses, stimulants, and ultra-processed products. You will become the architects of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being, leading to a healthy life and aging gracefully.
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