Your microbiome is in a dynamic state of flux and flow. Your birth and first few years of life lay the foundations for your microbiome. But it doesn’t end there. Throughout your life there are innumerable factors that impact your microbiome, including your dietary choices, exposure to pets, taking antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals, your stress levels and your exposure to pesticides. The good news is that, even if you have had life events/exposures that have negatively impacted your microbiome, there are daily habits that can positively impact your microbiome going forward (in part 4 of the Microbiome 101 series we will discuss how you can support a healthy microbiome).
Your Birth and Early Years
Where you were born
There are significant differences in microbiota diversity across different geographies. Part of these differences are due to variations in local dietary habits. People who live in areas of the world where a high fiber diet is the norm have increased microbiome diversity compared to people who eat a typical Western diet (which is generally very low in fiber).
How you were born
The uterus isn’t a sterile environment and the colonization of your gastrointestinal tract by microbes starts to in utero, therefore the health of your mother’s microbiota had an impact on yours while you were still growing in her uterus. Delivery method makes a difference too. Whether you were born via C-section of vaginal birth impacts your microbiome. The first bowel movement of babies born vaginally tend to be populated by the mother’s vaginal microbes, whereas the first bowel movement of babies born via C-section tend to have microbes typically found on human skin.
Breastfeeding
Breast milk contains hundreds of species of bacteria, including the commonly supplemented bifidobacteria. Infants that are breastfed have higher levels of bifidobacteria and infants with higher levels of bifidobacteria have been shown to have higher levels of immoglobulin A, which is an important part of your immune system function. Breast milk also contains oligosaccharides, which are prebiotics (food for the gut microbiota) for the growing infant microbiome.
Life events/exposures
Antibiotics
It goes without saying that sometimes antibiotics are needed and that they can be lifesaving and have improved human life and health exponentially. When you need an antibiotic, it is important to take it, and to take the full course. However, we are living in a world rampant with antibiotic overuse, and that isn’t great because the antibiotics we take impact our microbiome. Not only do we need to consider the antibiotics we take directly, but also the ones we take inadvertently when consuming non-organic meats, milk or eggs. Antibiotics are given to farm animals that we then eat. What’s really interesting to note about the antibiotics given to farm animals is that not only are they given to compensate for unsanitary conditions, but also to fatten the animals up (makes you wonder what chronic overuse of antibiotics could do to humans…).
Other pharmaceuticals
There are numerous pharmaceuticals besides antibiotics that can impact your microbiome. What I want to highlight here are proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). PPIs are medications that are prescribed, or even just taken over the counter, for GERD/heartburn or peptic/duodenal ulcers. They work great for lowering symptoms and are essential if you are someone with erosive esophagitis or gastric/duodenal ulcers. But the majority of people taking PPIs don’t have these conditions and are experiencing GERD because of low stomach acid. And PPIs make that condition worse. The bad news for the microbiome is that low stomach acid, made even lower by PPIs, means that food is not properly digested, which can lead to dysbiosis (overgrowth of the “bad bacteria”) in the gut.
Exposure to pesticides and herbicides
“If you’re using glyphosate (roundup) on your garden, please stop.” Sincerely, your microbiome.
Seriously though, this stuff really has a negative impact on your good gut bugs. Glyphosate kills weeds by affecting shikimate pathway in the weeds people want to keep away from their veggies and perfectly manicured lawns. Lucky for us, humans don’t have this pathway, so we don’t need to worry about glyphosate, right? Wrong! We don’t have this pathway but our gut bacteria do, and we need those little guys. Essentially glyphosate is acting as an antibiotic in our gut and the worst part about it is that you cannot remove it from foods by washing or cooking (a reason you should buy organic produce when possible).
Exposure to nature
As if you needed another reason to spend more time in nature, spending time in nature has a positive effect on your microbiota. If you live in an urban environment, here are some ideas for getting more time in nature. Spending too much time in overly sanitized indoor environments leads to significantly lower exposure to microbes you would encounter spending time outdoors. Just as a forest is healthiest when it is rich in diversity of flora and fauna, your microbiome is healthiest when it is more diverse.
Pets
The furry friends you live with influence the microbiome of your house, and thereby your microbiome. Research shows that infants living with dogs and/or cats had a higher level of a couple of microbes that are thought to be correlated with lower levels of childhood obesity and allergic diseases.
Stress
What doesn’t stress impact, you might ask? Well…..I’m not sure really, but it certainly does impact the microbiome. So, if you ask me, why yes I do think it’s time you took a vacation. Tell your boss your microbiome needs it.
Daily Habits
Dietary choices
What we eat feeds not only our cells, but also the microbiota that live inside us. High levels of fiber from vegetables, fruits and legumes support a healthy microbiome. Variety is key as it leads to healthy microbial diversity. Also, opting for organic is ideal, to avoid pesticides like glyphosate that can kill our friendly microbes.
Exercise
Movement essential for maintaining the health of our human cells, but also those of the microbiome. And those positive effects on the microbiome lead to beneficial effects on levels of inflammation, neuroendocrine pathways and immune system function for their human homes. So keep your beautiful body moving for yourself and your resident microbiota! They don’t care if that means dancing to
Personal care and cleaning products
Certain chemicals in personal care products, such as triclosan can disrupt our microbiota. Also, antibacterial soaps and chlorine based cleaners disrupt the microbiome and can increase risk for asthma, allergies and eczema. Opting for plain old soap and water or less harsh personal care or cleaning products when possible helps to minimize day to day negative impacts on your microbiome
In Part 3 of the microbiome 101 series we will look at the health impacts of a disrupted microbiome.