• Digestive Disorders

How Does Your Gut Microbiome Impact Your Overall Health?

Medically reviewed and edited by Michelle Everhart, FNP-C

Have you ever suffered from an upset stomach, bloating, or fatigue and wondered why? These common discomforts can often be traced back to an unexpected source: the gut microbiome.

While you might not think much about your gut, it plays a significant role in your overall health. Understanding how to support your gut microbiome is essential for maintaining your well-being from the inside out.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how your gut microbiome can affect your health and what you can do to support its proper function and avoid any digestive issues.

What is the Gut Microbiome?

The gut microbiome refers to the millions of microorganisms — healthy bacteria, viruses, and fungi called human gut microbiota — that live in the intestinal tract.

These gut microbes are essential for many aspects of human health, including digesting food, absorbing nutrients, and protecting the gut from harmful pathogens.

Factors that affect the microbiome

Although the gut microbiome is an essential part of our overall well-being, it’s quite sensitive and easily disrupted by factors such as:

• Diet: This is the primary factor affecting the gut because the food we eat can alter its composition almost instantly. For example, a diet high in fiber can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, but excessively processed foods and sugar can cause these microorganisms to die. 

• Antibiotics and medications: Antibiotics are designed to kill harmful bacteria but often end up affecting beneficial bacteria as well. Other medications like proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can also change the microbiome’s composition.

• Age: The microbiome evolves throughout a person's life and typically becomes less diverse in old age, resulting in fewer different microorganisms in the gut.

• Lifestyle factors: Exercise, sleep, and stress levels all impact the microbiome. For example, regular physical activity has been shown to increase gut flora diversity, while chronic stress can negatively affect its balance.

• Health conditions: Certain diseases and conditions may alter the microbiome. Gastrointestinal diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are typically associated with reduced microbial diversity.

The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Overall Health

Impact on digestion and nutrient absorption

The gut microbiome is an essential part of the digestive process, affecting everything from food digestion to nutrient absorption.

It works by breaking complex carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into smaller molecules.

From these molecules, the microbiome absorbs nutrients into the bloodstream, supplying the body with energy for essential functions. 

The gut microbiome is also responsible for absorbing vitamins and minerals that are vital for energy production, skin health, bone strength, and muscle function. 

Mental wellness

The gut microbiome also has a significant impact on mental health, an interaction often referred to as the gut-brain axis.

This allows gut bacteria to send and receive signals to and from the brain, influencing mood, stress levels, and overall psychological well-being.

Studies have shown that an imbalance in the gut microbiome can contribute to increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.

Therefore, disruptions in the gut microbiome can make you more susceptible to developing these conditions.

On the other hand, a healthy gut can contribute to a more resilient stress response and overall improved mental health.

Weight loss

Your gut microbiome can also affect how the body stores fat and converts calories into energy.

If there is an imbalance, it can cause caloric burn to slow down. This can lead to more fat in the body, which contributes to weight gain over time.

That’s why it’s important to have a balanced and diverse microbiome to support proper metabolic function, which is a critical aspect of losing weight. 

A diverse microbiome is more likely to contain Prevotella bacteria, which have been shown to be more effective at breaking down fat and promoting weight loss.

What Happens If Your Gut Microbiome is Unhealthy?

Development of common digestive disorders

An imbalance in the gut microbiome — called dysbiosis — is commonly associated with a range of gastrointestinal disorders.

This is because a disruption of the microbiome causes your intestinal wall to break down, allowing toxins and pathogens to leak into the gut.

When this happens, it can worsen digestive symptoms and inflammation, causing conditions like:

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC)

• Gastrointestinal infections

This can cause a number of uncomfortable symptoms, including:

• Abdominal pain

• Bloating

• Diarrhea

• Constipation 

Impact on metabolic health 

The overall health of your gut also plays an important role in regulating your metabolism and body weight.

An imbalanced gut microbiome can affect how your body stores fat and uses energy, which can cause weight gain. Over time, this can contribute to issues such as:

• Obesity

• Type 2 diabetes

• Fatty liver disease 

Dysbiosis can also affect how your body regulates blood sugar, which increases your risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

Poor gut health may also lead to increased cravings for unhealthy foods — such as high-sugar, high-fat items — that can further deteriorate metabolic health.

Influence on immune responses

An unhealthy gut can have a significant impact on immune function, contributing to several health issues.

When the microbiome is balanced, it can help prevent unnecessary immune responses. 

However, when something disrupts this balance, it can cause an overactive immune system, resulting in issues like:

• Chronic inflammation 

• Increased susceptibility to infections 

• Increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases

• Asthma

• Eczema

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

How Can You Support a Healthy Gut Microbiome?

Dietary changes

As we’ve mentioned before, dietary habits often have the most significant impact on the health of your gut microbiome.

Following a balanced diet is essential for supporting your gut and ensuring that it functions properly.

This means eating nutrient-rich foods and creating a diverse microbiome environment. A varied microbiome is stronger and more resilient.

You can also include more foods rich in dietary fiber to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. This includes foods such as:

• Whole grains

• Vegetables

• Fruits

• Legumes

Fermented foods are another great addition to your diet because they contain short-chain fatty acids and natural probiotics — beneficial bacteria that help balance the gut.

These foods include:

• Yogurt

• Sauerkraut 

• Kefir

• Kombucha

• Kimchi 

While adding these foods to your diet is a great way to support your gut, limiting your consumption of certain products is also important to keep your microbiome healthy. Some foods to avoid include:

• Highly processed foods, such as takeout or fried products 

• Sugary drinks and snacks 

• Red meat 

These foods promote the growth of yeast and other unhealthy gut bacteria, which can lead to an imbalance in the microbiome.  

Lifestyle adjustments 

Various lifestyle factors can alter the microbiome, contributing to many health issues. To help improve your gut health, you should avoid:

• Smoking 

• Excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption 

In addition to quitting these habits, you can make other lifestyle changes that support your overall well-being and gut health. These may include:

• Practicing stress management techniques, such as meditation, breathing exercises, and yoga 

• Getting enough sleep every night (around 7 to 8 hours for adults)

• Only using antibiotics when necessary 

• Getting more regular exercise

• Drinking enough water 

You can also consult your doctor about specific changes you can make to support your gut and overall health.

Probiotic supplements

Probiotics are live bacteria that are essential for gut microbiome balance.

While they can be consumed through fermented foods, this may not be sufficient for restoring severe gut imbalances. In these cases, you may want to consider a probiotic supplement.

Choose your probiotic supplement wisely, and opt for products that have been proven to work for your specific needs.

If you’re unsure, speak to your doctor about using probiotic supplements. 

They can advise you on the best options for your condition or suggest more appropriate strategies to support your gut. 

When Should You See a Doctor about Your Gut Microbiome Health?

While minor digestive discomfort is common and often temporary, persistent or severe symptoms may require medical attention. 

Be sure to consult your doctor if you experience any of the following:

• Persistent digestive issues, including ongoing symptoms like chronic diarrhea, bloating, or abdominal pain

• Significant weight loss or weight gain without any changes in your diet, exercise, or lifestyle habits 

• Getting sick more often than usual, especially with colds and flu

• Developing new allergies or autoimmune disorders, including eczema or asthma

• Persistent fatigue and low energy levels

• Symptoms of depression or anxiety without any previous diagnosis of mental illness

These symptoms often indicate issues with the gut microbiome that should be addressed as soon as possible.

Your doctor can perform an assessment to determine the problem and recommend appropriate treatment methods to restore gut balance. 

Where Can You Learn More about the Gut Microbiome?

At LifeMD, our licensed doctors and nurses can help you manage digestive tract issues or conditions that may develop due to an imbalance in the microbiome.

A team of medical professionals can assist you with nutritional advice, medications, prescriptions, and advice to cope with painful or uncomfortable symptoms.

Skip the waiting room and consult with board-certified physicians and nurse practitioners online. Make your appointment today.

Michelle Everhart, FNP-C

Michelle earned her MSN with a specialization in Family Nurse Practitioner from California State University. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys working out at the gym with her friends and spending quality time with his husband and three little boys. She also enjoys singing and freestyle dancing in their living room when the right song comes along.

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