Gut response
By Amy Yarker for Ethos magazine, issue 15.
You’ve probably heard of ‘friendly bacteria’ and keeping a healthy balance of those ‘good bacteria’ in your gut. Products like Yakult have been on the UK market since 1994, so these concepts aren’t new, though talk of the importance of gut health and probiotics continues to grow within the media. Although it’s not the main driver, the Covid-19 pandemic has begun to highlight a shift towards immunity-boosting consumables. We’re choosing to review our lifestyles and seek out gut-loving and immunity-boosting ingredients in the hopes of strengthening our immune system. But what does it all mean?
Your gut is much more than just your stomach. If you think back to school biology lessons, your gut encompasses the entirety of your digestive system. From your mouth, through your oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, small and large intestine, finishing at your rectum. And that’s just a quick overview.
The main player when we talk about the gut and gut-health is your microbiome. This is made up of millions of little critters of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other organisms that lie within our bodies, waiting to help in the process of digestion. Scientists are beginning to look at our microbiome as an organ — as influential in our body’s make-up as our genes. They protect us, they’re much more agile than human cells and they’re extremely important to the healthy functioning of all aspects of the human body.
How our gut functions impacts our mind and our body, from our immunity, skin, brain, sleep, and hormones. This only scratches the surface of these wonderful organisms. A happy, healthy gut equals a happy healthy mind. The hormones serotonin, dopamine and gaba (gamma-aminobutyric acid) are all dependent on healthy gut flora. But it isn’t just what you eat that plays a part in the health of your gut microbes. What makes up your gut flora is easily influenced by how you are born, how you are fed (breast vs formula), genetics, age, where you live and travel, stress, exercise, diet, recreational drugs/ alcohol or cigarettes and the medication you take.
The fact that they’re influenced so easily allows us a level of control to positively impact our microbiome. But our gut microbes are delicate — as we age, they age; as we change, they change. No matter what, we need to think about our gut.
What can you do to improve your overall gut wellbeing? Here are our five top tips:
1. Mindful eating — this isn’t about what you eat but how you eat. Savour your food and the experiences that come with eating. Turn off distractions and focus on your meal and the people you are with. Eat foods not because they are ‘good’ for you but because they nourish you in mind and body.
2. Chew!! It may seem simple but often we don’t chew our food enough. Try to chew between 20–30 times before you swallow.
3. Variety is the spice of life — different microbes thrive on different foods, so variety is key to keeping them all happy. The recommendation is to try 30 different types of plant-based foods a week — including nuts, seeds and wholegrains.
4. Fibre — it’s good for your gut microbes, they thrive off it. It has many health benefits and increases gut transit time.
5. Ferments — adding fermented food with live bacteria to your diet can support your gut. Ensure that your ferments are unpasteurised and live to get the best benefits. Ferments include food and drinks such as kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut, water kefir, miso — and many more.
A quick word of warning here on the “bogus bin” of health myths, often perpetuated by influencers seen on social media. Skinny tea, cleanses, detoxes, lemon water, celery juice and so called ‘superfoods’, to name a few, are not your gut’s friend. Nutrition myths are everywhere and it’s hard to know what’s based on science, and which are based on our human desire for simplicity. Food is not just a source of nourishment but enjoyment — make educated decisions that aren’t based around using social media as your wellness expert. If changing your diet doesn’t make you feel well, there’s a reason.
Amy Yarker is an anatomical scientist and the MD and female fermenter at The Fermentation Station. TFS produces gut-loving, small-batch, plant-based ferments that are focused on sustainability.
