icrobiota probiotics - Inside-Ology · 2018. 9. 6. · • Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) • Fructooligosaccharides (GOS) • Oligofructose (OF) • Chicory fibre • Inulin29 The

IN 1907, THE NOBEL PRIZE-WINNING PIONEER IN IMMUNITY RESEARCH HAD AN IDEA – THAT EATING YOGHURT CONTAINING BENEFICIAL BACTERIA COULD BE GOOD FOR YOUR GUT. HIS THEORY DISAPPEARED FROM MAINSTREAM SCIENCE PRETTY QUICKLY, BUT SINCE THE 1990s IT HAS GIVEN RISE TO A FASCINATING AND GROWING AREA OF RESEARCH1.

The gut microbiome is made up of trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms — in fact, there are ten times more bacteria in our intestines than there are cells in our bodies. Such is the scale and importance of the microbiome that scientists are referring to it as an organ in itself.7

It contains more than 1,000 different species of microorganisms, but the exact mix in each person’s gut is different — your microbiome is as individual to you as your fingerprint.8

Humans and gut microbiota have evolved together and have a mutually beneficial relationship. We offer them food and shelter. They help us digest our food and do their bit to keep us healthy.9

A good breakfast boosts mental performance, concentration and mood. And kids who skip it perform worse in school!2 It should include fibre, carbohydrate,

long-chain fatty acids and hydration.3

So what makes a good breakfast?• Cereals are often fortified with vitamins, fibre and minerals, but check the labels for high levels of salt and/or sugar. Serve with milk and a dollop of yoghurt to up the protein intake and keep kids fuller for longer.4

• Toast or muffins are good sources of energy, and choosing wholegrain will make sure they get their fibre, too.5

• Porridge, served with yoghurt or milk, and with a chopped banana or a handful or dried fruit on top, will give them everything they need.

• Add a small glass of fruit juice to breakfast time and they will be on their way to five a day.6

Microbiota & probiotics

Who was Élie Metchnikoff?

Some bacteria feed on the dietary fibre our bodies need, but our guts cannot break these down by themselves.10 As they feast, they produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)11 which look after our colons.

SCFAs keep the food in our guts moving, making for a smooth journey from “in” to “out”, and even keep our blood sugar in balance, protecting us from obesity and colon cancer.12 Some microorganisms help our guts release vitamins from food, while others produce nutrients, such as B vitamins, vitamin K and folate.13

Others still help our bodies break down the sugars in dairy products, meaning they could help fight lactose intolerance.14

We have all felt the tell-tale signs of stress, anxiety or excitement in our bellies. That is because gut bacteria can influence signals between neurons in the brain, affecting anxiety and depressive feelings.22 This is called the gut-brain axis, and scientists are discovering more about it all the time.

The SCFAs bacteria produce when feasting on our fibre makes our bodies release serotonin, more commonly known as the happiness hormone. It influences mood and contributes to memory and learning.23

Our gut microbiome acts as a barrier against microorganisms, viruses or bacteria that may pose a threat to our health.15 It starts working from birth develops throughout our lives.

Timeline of microbiota and immunity:

There is still more work to do before scientists can be sure, but it appears that some bacteria may be living in the guts of foetuses still in the womb!16

• The microbiome starts developing as we are born, and we start picking up bacteria on the way into the world. Bacteria and antibodies in breast milk encourage the colonisation of the gut. In the first year, diet is the main factor determining the mix of microorganisms in our microbiome.17

• Gut microbiota can spot viruses or other threatening microorganisms, called pathogens, and alert the body to mount an immune response. Antibodies are created to fight the threat.18 Each antibody can only fight one pathogen, but as the microbiota learn to recognise new threats, the body learns to develop new responses.

• Antibiotics seriously disrupt the balance of the microbiome, because they can kill huge swathes of the bacteria in our guts. This reduces its ability to carry out its vital functions.19

• During pregnancy, the balance of the microbiota changes, as the immune system tries to create a new balance. It’s thought that the immune system needs to be suppressed to allow the foetus to grow, but mum and baby still need to be protected from infection.20

There is no such thing as “good” or “bad” bacteria. Though some species are more beneficial to us than others, a healthy gut is one with a diverse community of competing colonies of microorganisms that defend us against illnesses.

It is an incredibly complex network of competing colonies. A healthy equilibrium is maintained by a complicated system of checks and balances. If the balance is disturbed, health problems follow.21

Because the food we eat also feeds our gut microbiome, we need to eat the right things to help it do its job. The more fibre we eat, the more short chain fatty acids are made, and the healthier our guts. Whole grains, fruit and vegetables

are all rich in fibre.24

What is the difference between probiotics and prebiotics?

Probiotics are live microorganisms that we can eat to support our gut microbiome by boosting the numbers of beneficial bacteria in our guts. They are created by the fermentation process.25

Yoghurt, for example, is made from fermented milk. Bacteria that produce lactic acid grow in the sugars in the milk, and the compounds they produce as they multiply, change the texture, flavour and nutrients until the milk becomes yoghurt.

It’s the same process, with different species of bacteria, yeasts and/or moulds, that is used to make all fermented foods, though post-fermentation pasteurisation, baking or filtering will kill the live bacteria.26

Microbiome-boosting fermented foods include:

• Fresh kimchi• Olives cured in water or brine• Kefir• Traditional salami• Yoghurt• Some unpasteurised cheeses• Fresh sauerkraut• Fresh sour dill pickles27

Prebiotics are dietary fibres that alter the composition of the microbiome or boost its immune function. They can found in small amounts in onions, garlic, bananas and chicory root.28

Prebiotics are sometimes also added to foods, like yoghurt, cereals and drinks. Look on the label for:

• Galactooligosaccharides (GOS)• Fructooligosaccharides (GOS)• Oligofructose (OF)• Chicory fibre• Inulin29

The gut microbiome is as complex as is it fascinating, and more than 100 years after Prof Metchnikoff first suggested bacteria could keep us healthy, we are

still finding out more.

However, we do know one thing for sure: if you look after your gut bacteria,

your gut bacteria will look after you!

Why not make your own kimchi?https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/quick-kimchiWhy not make your own sauerkraut?https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/simple-sauerkraut

References1Mackowiak, P.A., 2013. Recycling Metchnikoff: probiotics, the intestinal microbiome and the quest for long life. Frontiers in public health, 1, p.52. [Online].2British Association of UK Dietitians. 2016. Food fact sheet: Healthy Breakfast. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/breakfast.pdf.3Ibid4Ibid5Ibid6Ibid7Ramakrishna, op. cit 8D’Argenio, op. cit9Lee, Y.K. and Mazmanian, S.K., 2010. Has the microbiota played a critical role in the evolution of the adaptive immune system?. Science, 330(6012), pp.1768-177 [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3159383/10Ramakrishna, op. cit11Ríos-Covián, D., Ruas-Madiedo, P., Margolles, A., Gueimonde, M., de los Reyes-Gavilán, C.G. and Salazar, N., 2016. Intestinal short chain fatty acids and their link with diet and human health. Frontiers in microbiology, 7. [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4756104/12Gut Microbiota for Health. 2016. Short chain fatty acids. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/SCFA-INFOGRAPHIC-post_EN.jpg. [Accessed 9 November 2017].13Ramakrishna, op. cit14Savaiano, D.A., Ritter, A.J., Klaenhammer, T.R., James, G.M., Longcore, A.T., Chandler, J.R., Walker, W.A. and Foyt, H.L., 2013. Improving lactose digestion and symptoms of lactose intolerance with a novel galacto-oligosaccharide (RP-G28): a randomized, double-blind clinical trial. Nutrition journal, 12(1), p.160. [ONLINE] Available at: https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2891-12-16015Turnbaugh, P.J., Ley, R.E., Hamady, M., Fraser-Liggett, C., Knight, R. and Gordon, J.I., 2007. The human microbiome project: exploring the microbial part of ourselves in a changing world. Nature, 449(7164), p.804. [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3709439/ [Last accessed 9 November 2017].16Nuriel-Ohayon, M., Neuman, H. and Koren, O., 2016. Microbial changes during pregnancy, birth, and infancy. Frontiers in microbiology, 7. [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4943946/ [Last accessed on 9 November 2017]17Ibid18Wu, H.J. and Wu, E., 2012. The role of gut microbiota in immune homeostasis and autoimmunity. Gut microbes, 3(1), pp.4-14. [Online]. Available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.4161/gmic.19320 [Last accessed 9 November 2017].19Langdon, A., Crook, N. and Dantas, G., 2016. The effects of antibiotics on the microbiome throughout development and alternative approaches for therapeutic modulation. Genome medicine, 8(1), p.39. [Online]. Available at: https://genomemedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13073-016-0294-z [Last accessed 9 November 2017]20Nuriel-Ohayon, M., Neuman, H. and Koren, O., 2016. Microbial changes during pregnancy, birth, and infancy. Frontiers in microbiology, 7. [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4943946/ [Last accessed on 9 November 2017]21Hooper, L.V., Littman, D.R. and Macpherson, A.J., 2012. Interactions between the microbiota and the immune system. Science, 336(6086), pp.1268-1273. [Online]. Available at: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/336/6086/1268 [Last accessed 9 November 2017].22Ibid23Ibid24Gutmicrobiota for health, Short chain fatty acids, op.cit25International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics. 2016. Fermented foods. [ONLINE] Available at: https://isappscience.org/fermented-foods/. [Accessed 9 November 2017].26Ibid27Ibid28International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics. 2016. Prebiotics. [ONLINE] Available at: https://isappscience.org/prebiotics/. [Accessed 9 November 2017].29International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics. 2016. Prebiotics. [ONLINE] Available at: https://isappscience.org/prebiotics/. [Accessed 9 November 2017].