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Building a Healthy Gut Microbiome
Written by Rebecca Waletzko, Mayo Clinic Dietetic Intern
What is the gut microbiome?
Our gastrointestinal tracts are made up of trillions of microorganisms which comprise our gut microbiome. These microorganisms can be generally classified as healthy or unhealthy. Gut health can be defined by normal composition of the microbiome, adequate digestion and absorption of food, the absence of gut illnesses, and an effective immune status. Emerging research is helping the medical world understand more about the gut microbiome, securing that we can alter our microbiomes by what we eat.
Why is this important?
When the gut microbiome is not balanced, disease risk is higher. A gut that is rich in healthy bacteria may help reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, and colon cancer.
How do I build a healthy gut microbiome?
Foods that help create a healthy gut microbiome are prebiotics/fiber and probiotics/fermented foods. High fiber diets containing prebiotics and probiotics promote a healthy gut microbiome. Whereas diets high in fast food, sugar, processed foods, and excessive alcohol can decrease gut health.
Try to include these in your diet:
Fiber/Prebiotics: These are nondigestible substances that feed healthy gut bacteria.
- Sources: fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains – such as artichoke, asparagus, bananas, barley, beans, berries, chicory root, flax, garlic, leafy greens, oatmeal, onion, rye, wheat.
Fermented Foods/Probiotics: These bacteria feed off of fiber/prebiotics and aid in digestion.
- Sources: buttermilk, fermented vegetables, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, miso, sauerkraut, sourdough, tempeh, yogurt with live cultures.
Related Recipes:
Roasted Asparagus and Wild Mushrooms
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Yes, I am pretty good with all groups, just cautious!
Right now I am just trying to get my gut to calm down until I can get in to see a doctor. I don't know yet if I have a long term IBS issues or if this is just a blip, but its scary how severe and out of the blue my symptoms of bloating, gassy, and constipation are. I am about a week into the craziness and have some relief using Miralax and limiting high FODMaps. I don't know what the next step should be. I was thinking about increasing prebiotics but alot of those look like high FODmap foods. I don't think I have symptoms long enough that a doctor will diagnose me with anything like IBS but I feel like THIS is the time to do effective healing or restoring my gut biome, if needed.
My question is FODMAPS need enzyme breakdown to avoid excessive fermentation but Prebiotics/Probiotics are about restoring healthy bacteria to AID in fermentation, right? I want to understand that relationship. Say things about that 🙂
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1 ReactionHi @lisadi88 , I'm sorry to hear about your symptoms. I had one of my colleagues who specializes in gastroenterology read your question. Please see their response below.
FODMAPs are a group of carbohydrates that are not absorbed well in the small intestine and act as a source of “food” for the bacteria in your digestive tract. As the bacteria naturally ferment high FODMAP foods it triggers water to be pulled into the small bowel, which causes bloating, gas and in some people diarrhea/constipation.
There is no specific enzyme you can take to help high FODMAP foods breakdown better. As directed by a physician and dietitian there can be specific ways to modify your diet that may reduce your symptoms. Recommend following up with a GI physician and dietitian.
Prebiotic feed the bacteria in your gut, these foods can cause increase gas or bloating for some individuals. Probiotics introduce new bacteria into your gut, these bacteria will “munch/eat” the prebiotic or fibrous food to help maintain your gut integrity.
Thank you for that description of how prebiotics and probiotics relate. It sounds like balancing the prebiotics is key for those who suffer from excess gas and bloating. Thank you
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1 ReactionHello, has anyone else ever had their gut microbiome tested through a stool sample and discovered they have no Lactobacillus and not enough Bifidobacteria? Is it possible to colonize the gut with Lactobacillus-ie when you eat yogurt or drink Kombucha does it survive the stomach acid to reach where it needs to go? If you have been successful in colonizing, what brand of Probiotics did you use? I am working with an online naturopathic doctor but would like feedback from others who may have experienced this. If anyone has links to studies which successfully colonized Lactobacillus please let me know.