When your healthy microbiome is altered, because the number of good bacteria in your body is reduced, an overabundance of unhealthy microbes can take over. This can happen in a number of ways. Overuse of antibiotics kill off not only harmful bacteria but destroys some of your healthy microbes as well. Infections can overwhelm your microbiome and create an imbalance between healthy and unhealthy bacteria.
Your healthy organisms need to be fed to thrive and multiply to ward off unhealthy invaders. All armies travel on their stomach and your microbiome is no different. This is why your diet is important.
If you eat probiotic-rich foods – yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh and kim chi – you continuously provide a supply of new healthy bacteria to colonize your gut. A diet rich in fiber offers food for your healthy microbes. Though humans do not digest fiber, your friendly microbes thrive on it and other undisgestable food remnants. Fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, peas, whole grains, oat, barley, and seeds are all fiber-rich.
We eat too little fiber and too few fruits and vegetables which means we are not allowing our healthy microbes to thrive. When gut microbes are not adequately fed they may feed on the mucosal lining of the intestine weakening the barrier between the gut and the rest of the body. As the lining of the gut thins toxins may be able to cross through the intestinal wall into the blood stream. When your microbiome is limited inflammation goes up and active communication with your immune system goes down, both of which are associated with chronic diseases.
Experts on gut health have identified a number of microbiome disrupters: ultraprocessed foods high in refined carbs and sugar; a diet with large amounts of red and processed meats; food chemicals and additives can alter the microbiome; zero calorie sweeteners; and pesticides. Though in all cases the dose makes the poison, these are items to limit to keep our microbiome healthy.
