Digestive health plays an important role in a range of body processes. Our gut microbiome, a complex system of trillions of friendly microbes known as ‘microbiota’, is an essential contributor to maintaining general health and wellbeing. How well our digestive system is working can have an impact on our immunity, energy levels, and hormone responses. Maintaining a good balance of bacteria in this microbial ecosystem is important for good physiological functioning: any disruption of the gut microbiome can have an impact on our metabolism and overall health.
Benefits of a healthy gut microbiome
A healthy microbiome provides numerous benefits including supporting the immune system, aiding digestion, producing essential vitamins, and potentially influencing mental wellbeing. Maintaining a balanced microbiome can also protect against infections and may reduce the risk of various diseases.
These benefits include:
Physical Barrier:
The sheer number and diversity of bacteria in a healthy gut microbiota create a competitive environment, making it difficult for harmful bacteria to colonise and cause infection. These healthy bacteria occupy binding sites on intestinal cells, preventing pathogens (unwanted microorganisms
which can cause damage, illness, or disease) from attaching and invading.
Antimicrobial Substances:
Many beneficial bacteria produce substances that inhibit the growth of, or kill, harmful bacteria.
Mucus Layer Maintenance:
The production and composition of the mucus layer that coats the intestinal lining is influenced by our gut flora. A healthy mucus layer acts as a protective barrier, preventing pathogens from reaching the intestinal cells and helping to maintain the structure of the gut wall.
Immunity:
The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in supporting our immune system. It helps to train the immune cells to distinguish between beneficial and harmful bacteria, promoting a balanced immune response. This prevents excessive inflammation and damage to the gut wall.
Metabolite Production:
The gut microbiota produces various metabolites which have been shown to have beneficial effects on gut health. These metabolites can promote the production of protective proteins in the gut lining and help reduce inflammation.
Protein Barrier Support:
The gut microbiota can influence how well proteins form tight junctions between intestinal cells. This is crucial for maintaining the barrier function of the gut.
Repair:
In cases of injury or inflammation, the gut microbiota can support the repair process by supporting our immune response and promoting the regeneration of the gut lining.
Digestive Health:
Beneficial bacteria help break down food, particularly fibre, which our bodies cannot digest on their own.
Mental Wellbeing:
Emerging research suggests a connection between the gut and the brain (something called the “gut-brain axis”). A balanced microbiome may positively influence our mood.
Disease Prevention:
An imbalanced gut microbiome has been linked to various health issues. Maintaining a diverse and balanced microbiome may reduce our risk of these conditions.
Nutrient Metabolism:
Gut bacteria can produce essential nutrients like vitamins and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which have many health benefits. They also produce enzymes that help us to absorb nutrients and synthesise essential vitamins like B vitamins and vitamin K.
Potential impact on the human microbiome:
A balanced gut microbiome can contribute to healthy skin, oral hygiene, and sexual hygiene.
As you can see, taking care of our gut health has significant benefits to our entire body and overall wellbeing.
Pre, Pro, and Post Biotics
There are three types of biotic:
- Pre – before: fuel for the good bacteria to do its best work
- Pro – during: beneficial bacteria that work hard to balance your gut flora
- Post – after: beneficial by-products of healthy bacterial activity
Combining prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics can significantly enhance our gut health and overall wellbeing. They work together to provide the best environment for a healthy digestive system.
How supplementation can help
When it comes to making changes to your lifestyle there will be some areas of digestive health that you can take positive steps towards such as eating a well-balanced diet full of colourful fruits and vegetables plus wholegrains, chewing slowly and mindfully, and staying well hydrated.
Whatever symptoms you may be experiencing, there are vitamins, minerals, botanicals, and friendly bacteria which can help support your digestion.
Flavonoids (prebiotics):
Flavonoids are a group of phytonutrients (plant compounds) that give colour to fruits and vegetables, but are also found in cacao, coffee, and tea. Flavonoids have a wide range of beneficial effects including acting as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.
Hesperidin and naringin are flavanones, a type of flavonoid. After eating, they reach the colon almost completely intact because they are difficult to break down by the enzymes in the stomach and the small intestine. This means the gut microbiota can digest them and convert them to hesperetin and naringenin. These forms are better absorbed and can promote the growth of friendly, beneficial bacteria.
Bacillus Subtilis (probiotic):
Bacillus subtilis is a probiotic found naturally in the gut. It can help support digestive health in several ways including helping to break down food, supporting nutrient absorption, and defending against unwanted organisms which may cause disease, damage, or infection.
Bacillus Subtilis can help to enhance gut barrier function and support the immune system. Some research suggests it can improve overall gastrointestinal health, reduce symptoms of digestive issues such as diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, and indigestion, and help balance the gut microbiome.
Lactococcus Lactis (postbiotic):
Postbiotics are deactivated probiotics and have similar benefits to live probiotics. They have the added advantage of a longer shelf-life and play an important role in supporting immune health.
Lactococcus Lactis provides immune support by helping to activate specific immune cells, stimulating the body’s natural defence mechanisms.
Vitamins and Minerals:
There are a number of essential nutrients that play an important role when it comes to supporting your digestion and other associated health areas that are impacted by how well your digestive system is working. Making sure to avoid micronutrient deficiencies is another way to help support your digestive health and overall wellness.
Calcium contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes and also plays a role in muscle function and nerve transmission, which are important for the coordinated movements of the digestive tract.
Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B12, and biotin contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
Vitamins A, B6, B12, and D3, folic acid, and selenium help to support the normal function of the immune system, whilst vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity.
Here at Evera Nutrition, we realise that the issues which might be affecting your digestion are complex and vary from individual to individual. That’s why our team of scientists has created a unique formulation to support your digestive health, helping you to feel comfortable and energised.