Why Microbiome Support is the Foundation of a Healthy Mind and Body
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When it comes to health, focus on covering your bases and building a strong foundation. Your microbiome is the epicenter of so many different pillars of health, from digestion to the nervous and immune systems.*
Your microbiome refers to the “mini-ecosystems” of microbes that reside in and on your entire body. The skin, vagina, urinary tract, eyes, mouth and gut lining all have a microbiome. Most of the bacteria are helpful (symbiotic) or at least not harmful. As with all aspects of health, the goal with the microbiome is balance.
While the microbiome contains all the bacteria in and on your body, several health benefits have been linked to the bacteria in your gut specifically, and this is what most people are referring to when they talk about all the good the microbiome can do for you.
These benefits include:
- Healthy digestion*
- Immune support*
- Nutrient production*
- Balanced mood*
- Brain health*
The goal of the microbiome is balance, so the good bacteria can do its important work.
What Probiotics Have to Do With the Microbiome
Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that live in your gut. They are living things — mostly bacteria. They are found throughout your digestive tract, especially in your small and large intestines. Probiotics help to keep the bad bacteria that enter your body in check, and they assist in promoting a well-functioning digestive system.
Certain strains of probiotics even produce those helpful digestive enzymes that break down your foods. Your gut is home to not only your digestion, but also much of your immune and nervous systems, so probiotics have benefits that extend beyond the digestive system.*
Some of the benefits of probiotics include:
- A balanced microbiome*
- Foundational support*
- Healthy digestion and regularity*
- Immune health*
- Reducing occasional gas and bloating*
- Urinary and vaginal health*
- Well-being and mood support*
What Do Probiotics Do for You?
In short, probiotics are tasked with the 3 Cs in your microbiome: crowd, create and communicate. This is a phrase coined by Enzymedica’s Vice-President of Education, Julia Craven. She lives and breathes all things enzymes and natural health, and she developed this clever trifecta to answer the question she heard over and over: We know probiotics are beneficial, but what do they actually do for you?
- Crowd: Balance in the microbiome is a game of numbers. The good ones need to crowd out the unwanted/bad ones, then adhere to the lining of your gut. Think of it like a game of musical chairs in the GI tract!
- Create: As probiotics do their work and naturally die off, they create post-biotics. These waste products are beneficial by-products (short-chain fatty acids, enzymes, vitamins, neurotransmitters, etc.) that have their own health benefits.
- Communicate: These bacteria are alive – and they are active! They get involved by communication between the gut and the brain (via the vagus nerve and neurotransmitters), immune system (via cytokines and T cells) and more.
Why Food Sources of Probiotics Aren’t Enough
Certain foods do provide probiotics, in an ideal setting. These include:
- kefir
- kimchi
- kombucha
- kvass
- miso
- sauerkraut
- some types of cheese
- tempeh
- yogurt
However, due to cooking, storage or food preservation methods, the probiotics are often partially or completely killed off before you eat them. These foods still deliver health benefits, as dead probiotics are known as postbiotics. These compounds possess their own beneficial qualities! They also offer plenty of nutrition eaten raw or cooked.
But, if you’re looking to support a specific aspect of your health and well-being using probiotics, talk to your health-care provider about choosing a probiotic supplement for women’s health, bloating, mood, digestion, regularity, etc.
How the Gut and Brain are Connected
When someone says “trust your gut” or “I have a gut feeling,” there’s science behind it. We do have a gut-brain axis that is a two-way street, with messages coming and going from the immune, nervous, endocrine and other systems.
Your digestive tract is lined with hundreds of millions of neurons. This “gut brain” is your enteric nervous system, and it’s on speed dial with your actual brain and central nervous system, thanks to all those neurons and your vagus nerve.
About half of your dopamine outside your brain and 95% of your serotonin and are supplied by your gut bacteria. (Dopamine is hormone and neurotransmitter that impacts emotions, behavior, movement and pleasure. It’s part of your brain’s reward system. Serotonin is chemical messenger that relays important messages related to mood, sleep, digestion and more between the brain and cells.)
That connection means that what you do for your gut impacts the brain — and vice-versa. Probiotics help maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria and keep the brain and gut connected.
Learn how to cover your bases, with SubCulture Probiotics for Mood, Bloat and Women.*
