Fermented foods and beverages are becoming increasingly popular, especially during the covid-19 crisis we have seen a rise in demand. Nowadays we find kombucha on tap in bars, sourdough bread in almost every bakery and more varieties of plant based yogurt, sauerkraut and kimchi in your local organic stores.
We have selected 5 out of hundreds of fermented food products and want to introduce them to you.
What are the potential promoting health benefits of Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Tempeh, Miso and Kombucha they when properly fermented. Find it out now!
One of the most famous ferments in the world and our most favorite is Sauerkraut. In the 16. Century, the Germanic people began with the process of fermenting cabbage. Over time the sugar in cabbage turns into lactic acid bacteria when given the right salt content, temperature and environment.
Ingredients:
White or Red cabbage, salt, bay leave/juniper berries, water
Additional: Fruits, other vegetables, herbs and spices
Potential benefits:
Sauerkraut is low in calories but contains plenty of fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K (
Pay attention: the gut-friendly Lactobacillus bacteria only remain intact if Sauerkraut is consumed raw fermented (unpasteurized)
According to Healthline, one test-tube study showed that treating breast cancer cells with cabbage juice decreased the activity of certain enzymes related to cancer formation (
The current evidence towards probiotics and gut health from fermented foods is limited to mostly animal testing. More research is needed to look at how these findings may translate to humans.
Click here to buy our Classic Kraut (unpasteurised).
The Korean version of the European Sauerkraut is called Kimchi and carries a thousand-year-old tradition. Almost every household in Korea is fermenting the spicy cabbage based mixture and Kimchi is used as a side dish to almost everything. The recipes vary from family to family and different versions have evolved over time.
Ingredients most commonly used:
Chinese (Napa) cabbage, carrots, radish garlic, leek, ginger, gochugaru chili, salt
Potential benefits:
Kimchi may be especially effective when it comes to lowering cholesterol and reducing insulin resistance. Furthermore, Lactic acid bacteria and Vitamin C can be found in uncooked raw fermented Kimchi & Kimchi Kraut.
According to Healthline, one study, 21 people with prediabetes consumed either fresh or fermented kimchi for 8 weeks. By the end of the study, those consuming fermented kimchi had decreased insulin resistance, blood pressure, and body weight (
Click here to buy our Kimchi Kraut (unpasteurised)
Tempeh is a major protein source for most Indonesian people and has its roots in Indonesian/Asian culture. By now we see tempeh in different flavors, shapes and variations in most organic food stores all around the world. Its high plant based protein content as well as nutty firm taste makes tempeh very attractive as a meat substitute. Only two ingredients (legumes/beans and rhizopus mold) are required to ferment tempeh.
In case you are interested in the process of Tempeh making check out Valentinas online course and here tempeh products.
Ingredients used:
Beans/legumes (soy beans, black beans, peas, split peas, peanuts and more), rhizopus mold, salt (sometimes)
Potential benefits:
This high-protein meat substitute is firm but chewy and can be baked, steamed, or sautéed before being added to dishes. A high plant based protein content offers a great substitute for meat based proteins 9.
Additionally, a test-tube study found that certain plant compounds in tempeh could act as antioxidants. This helps reduce the buildup of free radicals, which are harmful compounds that can contribute to chronic disease (10).
Further research is needed to determine potential health benefits of tempeh also focusing on raw vs. cooked tempeh. Interesting will be to see differences of nutritional values deriving from the fermentation of beans and legumes in the future.
Miso is a common kitchen all-rounder (seasoning) in Japanese cuisine. It’s made by fermenting soybeans (or other beans) with salt and koji, a type of fungus. Miso is often used as a substitute for salt or MSG because of its natural umami flavor. Soups, stews, sauces, dressings and BBQ glaze everything can be pimped up with Miso paste.
Not only soy but also Barley, rice and Rye Miso can be found in most organic stores shelves.
Ingredients used:
Soy beans (or rye, barley etc.), Koji (Aspergillus oryzae), Choukaku-Koji (starter), salt
Potential benefits:
In a 2003 study involving 21,852 Japanese women, consuming miso soup was linked to a lower risk for breast cancer (
No further studies towards health benefits of miso could be found at the moment of writing this article and more research is required in the future.
Made from black or green tea leaves, SCOBY and sugar, Kombucha is probably the most famous fermented drink of our times. The fizzy, bubbly, refreshing drink has a very low content of sugar after fermentation and when not pasteurized contains alive bacteria.
SCOBY, which stands for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast,” is an ingredient used in the fermentation. Fermentation is a chemical process in which carbohydrates like sugar or starch turn into alcohol or acid (
The appearance of the SCOBY can vary, but it’s typically dense, round, rubbery and opaque with a mild, vinegar-like smell. It protects the liquid and spreads throughout the surface of the jar.
Ingredients:
Black or green tea, SCOBY, water, sugar
Additional: fruits, herbs and spices can be added in the secondary fermentation process of Kombucha.
Potential benefits:
According to Healthline: Animal studies show that drinking kombucha could help prevent liver toxicity and damage caused by exposure to harmful chemicals (
There are no proven benefits of the bacteria derived from raw kombucha yet. Currently, science is looking into the amount of alive bacteria within Kombucha, some papers mention that the amount of living bacteria in Kombucha is too small to reach the large intestine (compared to properly fermented Sauerkraut where a very large amount can be present and reach the large intestine for example) (23).
Fermented foods are a large part of our daily diets all around the world. Only now we begin to understand the benefits these foods may have on human health.
Research on the gut microbiome, human bacterial health and the gut have finally reached the popularity it deserves and is needed in order to find out which bacteria are good for us and which we should avoid.
Within our Gut-Mind journal we are bringing you cutting edge research and articles on the topic gut health and the gut microbiome as well as the effect of raw, fermented foods on our general well-being.
Click Gut Mind Journal English to learn more.
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So much of what we know about nutrition is changing. Since the start of the human microbiome project in 2008 we have to call our old view on nutrition as outdated.
Medical and nutritional professionals used to think that our microbiomes were irrelevant. Now we know this assumption was completely wrong. All the microorganisms in and around us make up about 90% of our functioning DNA.
We are comprised of thousands of microbial species and thanks to advanced microbiology we can now explain the vital importance of our microbial ecosystem towards human health.
Most of the 20th-century science and medicine were based on cleaning, sanitizing, and freeing humans from “bad germs. But this systematic killing of our microbial partners has brought a new area of human disease to us.
An era of “incurable” NCDs. This stands for Non-communicable Diseases. Everything from heartburn, indigestion, and IBS to cancer, autism, food allergies, Crohn’s, eczema, and Alzheimer’s is linked to gut microbiome dysbiosis.
If our microbiomes are the epicenter of human health, we have to encourage the growth of healthy, thriving microorganisms in and on our bodies. My way of doing so is starting with a whole food, mainly plant based diet.
Quote: “According to the WHO, NDCs kill about three times as many people as infectious diseases per year.”
The question I get asked over and over again from our Crowd is: “What is the optimal diet for good gut health”. Today, I want to give you a short insight into my daily diet, so the food I consume on a regular basis.
The western concept of “the perfect diet” does not exist. I have tried many “dietary trends” in the past such as low fat, no carb, high protein, no sugar, and so forth. In my opinion taking out a few foods without looking at the whole picture of a wholesome diet does not do the trick.
In this overview I want to show you that you don’t need to sacrifice on certain ingredients but find the right balance to maintain a healthy gut microbiome (increase diversity).
My rule of thumb is: “Eat only ingredients you can imagine growing in nature”
Let me give you a few examples:
I think you get where I am going. So keep that in mind next time while doing groceries.
“If you can´t spell the ingredients or can´t picture where they are growing don’t buy it!
Our friends from cultured guru have established a new food pyramid which is the perfect guideline for a gut healthy diet. It's an everyday pyramid and also my personal standard way of eating during the week. Occasional adding dairy or meat products from an organic, local source is up to every individual himself and totally legitimate in moderate amounts (e.g., 1-2x per week).
Some ingredients' inspiration from the new pyramid needed?
„For long term gut health, you should feed the gut microbes!”
Best is if we eat probiotic (raw, fermented vegetables, cultured yogurts and drinks etc.) as well as prebiotic foods (fiber rich plant based and not too much processed) is becoming your habit and lifestyle.
Let me explain to you both on the example of a garden in nature:
🥬Probiotics are the seed and resemble the actual alive bacteria that we feed our gut (which is our garden in this example).
🥗Prebiotics (the fertilizer) are the foods which the probiotics nourish on. These consist mainly out of digestible fibers (from plant foods such as broccoli, asparagus, leafy greens, fermented vegetables etc.)
🌾 they work together in symbiosis and can’t function without each other just like healthy soil in nature needs alive bacteria and microorganisms we humans need that as well to build resilience and health from within.
Here comes the good news! Within properly raw lacto-fermented vegetables, which have a sufficient amount of alive bacteria to reach the large intestine, you may find both pro/prebiotics. These include lactic acid bacteria and plant fibers.
My personal experience with a gut healthy diet is 100% positive and without regret. After years of allergies, gut issues, skin conditions, and fatigue caused by a high stress, fast food, and low sport lifestyle, I now feel better than ever before. My skin became clean and soft, my physical as well as mental health is at its best and I became an overall more compassion and self-loving person since I started implementing this new way of eating and living.
In previous chapters we have learned that feeding your gut microbiome the right bacteria is already a mother's responsibility towards her baby in the womb. The first 5 years in life are where we build most of our good gut bacterial diversity. So make it a habit to eat enough pro and prebiotics and maintain a low stress level to strengthen the diversity and resilience from the inside.
Hint for mothers: It helped my sister to tell her children that there is a small pet living inside them (the gut microbiome) which needs to be feed well with plants and probiotic fermented foods on a daily basis. This pet became an important friend of the kids and they now do not refuse broccoli, kraut, and tempeh anymore but love to eat and feed their little friends the good gut bacteria.
*This guide is no medical advice, only speaking from my own experience with changing to a gut health focused diet and the outcomes within my personal experience. For more information on gut related disease and treatments please ask your practitioner and gastroenterologist.
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What is the gut microbiome?
The human microbiome is composed of communities of bacteria (and viruses and fungi) that have a greater complexity than the human genome itself.
The human microbiome has extensive functions such as development of immunity, defense against pathogens, host nutrition including production of short-chain fatty acids important in host energy metabolism, synthesis of vitamins and fat storage as well as an influence on human behavior, making it an essential organ of the body without which we would not function correctly (A, Sanderson, 2017).
The gut microbiome hosts over 70 percent of the cells that make up your immune system. It also supports the digestion of food and the functioning of the intestine. For example, good bacteria in the intestine lower the pH level in your gut, which, in turn, is beneficial in fighting against pathogens.
We build our microbiome from birth.
Did you know that as adults, we carry around 1.5 kg of “microbiome” material with us? There are billions of bacteria in our gut--in fact, there are 150 different types. A healthy microbiome consists of many different types of bacteria that live in balance with each other; but which types are currently unknown. This even differs from person to person. If the intestinal bacteria are out of balance, this can cause unpleasant complaints. We will discuss this further in the following chapters.
The first 1,000 days
The first 1,000 days (conception - 2 years) of the child are most important to build an optimal intestinal microbiome. When we are in the womb as a baby, we are protected by our mother's immune system. After birth, we have to take care of our own immune system. We develop a large part of the immune system in our intestines; in other words, in the microbiome. We build this up partly through our mother during delivery, and also through nutrition. For example, the mother naturally transfers bacteria, such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, to her child during breastfeeding.
If this is not possible, a baby is also well fed with bottle feeding. This bottle feeding is rich in prebiotics in a patented form, which has a positive effect on the gut microbiome. For example, regular Nutrilon uses the fermentation process, which creates postbiotics. This has a positive effect on the microbiome, and regardless of the composition of the microbiome, it differs just like the fingerprint of humans!
Okay, we’ve talked about a lot of terms already. We will return to the meaning of all these terms in further Gut-Mind articles. We’ll also go deeper into how you can optimize your microbiome and why this is so important for your mood, health and intestinal problems.
Until the next!
Michelle
Dietitian at SauerCrowd
]]>Have you ever questioned the way we use antibacterial soap, the amount of washing gel we use, and why some people have a more pronounced body odor than others?
Let’s start with the soap story. Antibacterial products are a triumph of advertising and assumptions over science. We all know the classic sentence “this product removes 99,9% of bacteria”, but what does that actually mean for us humans when removing all the bacteria?
As we clarified in our last chapters of the gut-mind journal:
NOT ALL BACTERIA ARE BAD
And here comes the relation to our very own body smell. Your smell is to a large extent determined by the beneficial microbes on your skin “your identity to some extent”. When removing all the bacteria and microbes from your skin in using antibacterial soap you lose that very own identity.
In our western society we are bombarded with advertisement about how to stay clean and smell fresh (e.g. 48 hours no smell ads) whilst wearing the newest designer cloths made from fossil fuel based materials (synthetic fabrics).
Have you ever wondered why people living in tribal societies don’t face these challenges of “bad smell”? I would split people living in less developed countries into two groups when it comes to personal hygiene.
So why are many people in western society become unacceptable smelly after only 2-3 days of not using they favorite shower gel while native tribe people not using soap or hot water in the tropics manage to stay “clean”?
It may be all about a sensitive group of microbes called Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) found in healthy soil and water sources.
Most of the human sweat comes from the apocrine glands (scent glands). The smell that these glands release is actually completely odorless. It only gains a scent when our skin microbes tuck in and convert into and convert into a whole host of smelly compounds. The scent you then produce depends on the composition of the microbes you harbor.
According to Dr. Whitlock (from AOBiome), without AOB´s the ammonia we sweat out is not converted into nitrite and nitric oxide (chemicals which play a role not only in regulating the running of human cells but also in governing our skin microbes). Without nitric oxide, corynebacteria and staphylococci that feed on our sweat can run wild and bring bad smell (Graham, 2019).
Now it’s getting a bit scientific here:
By washing with shower gels and soaps, as well as using deodorants which work by removing or masking the odor producing bacteria, we alter our skin microbiota.
We need AOB´s on our skin because the ammonia we sweat out is converted into nitrite and nitric oxide (chemicals which govern our skin microbes). Without nitric oxide, the corynebacteria and staphylococci which feed on our sweat can run wild and are responsible for the bad body odor what we all want to avoid.
The irony is that in washing with chemicals and using deodorant to ensure that we have a permanent great smell, we are kicking off a vicious cycle.
Soap is removing our AOB´s, no AOB´s means disruption to our other skin bacteria, this disruption causes bad smell on our body, and therefore we must use soap to clean up the mess. → I would say the cosmetics and detergents industry has achieved their goal
What can we change?
“The solutions to our everyday struggles can be so simple, it helps to look back on how we used to handle life decades ago, how life works in native tribes, before the consumer society evolved”.
If you have any questions to this topic or how to integrate changes in your lifestyle & diet, feel free to contact us any time via info@sauercrowd.nl
Terminology:
Microbiome: a community of microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that inhabit a particular environment and especially the collection of microorganisms living in or on the human body. Your body is home to about 100 trillion bacteria and other microbes, collectively known as your microbiome.
Bacteria: Plural of Bacterium. Microscopic single-celled organisms lacking a distinct nucleus are known as bacteria. They may be shaped like spheres, rods, or spirals. They inhabit virtually all environments, including soil, water, organic matter, and the bodies of animals
Lactobacilea: there are >150 different spiecies of Lactobacillae.
References:
Microbes during “Natural Birth”
In the first few hours of a child’s life, microbes play a very significant role. From bathing in the mother’s warm secure womb, a sack of amniotic fluid inside the uterus, the baby is protected from the microbes of the outside world.
Once the membranes rupture (aka the water breaks) the colonization begins! In general, *, most of the microbes the baby encounters are not antagonists, but friends. It’s a ride coating the previously sterile baby in a smear of vaginal microbes.
‘When the cervix is completely open and the baby’s head is deep enough in the birthing channel for the mom to start pushing, the baby’s journey through the mom’s vagina starts. This process takes on average 20-60 minutes during which the baby gets it’s first full exposure to the mom’s microbiome. Hard work for mom, but an important time for the baby’s immune system to get used to the outside world’s bacteria!’
So, we basically all start off with mums’ bacteria, which are there to protect us and help us building our immune system, breaking down proteins and enzymes etc. The most densely populated areas in the body are the mouth, vagina and the intestine, populated by a high density of Lactobacilli and Prevotella.
Where there are Lactobacillus, the environment gets acid which makes it a hostile milieu for many other bacteria, especially pathogenic bacteria as Streptococcus, Clostridium difficilae, or Pseudomonas. The Lactobacillus species simply crowds them out and next to that, produces antibiotics of their own (called bacteriocins).
In a healthy vagina certain family member of Lactobacillus are the dominating bacteria. They convert sugar into lactic acid, creating an acid environment which makes it difficult to impossible for hostile bacteria to survive or grow in this area. Furthermore, these Lactobacillae have a feature that breaks down hostile bacteria, called bacteriocides. This makes it a safe environment for the baby to slowly travel through during the last moments in it’s mom’s body and to get in contact with healthy bacteria.
A mother’s gift (natural birth)
Thus, the microbiota begins with a simple selection of lactic acid bacteria, partially transferred by the mother onto the child. These bacteria play a role in cultivating the baby´s metabolism and educating the immune system. Thanks mum! After a few months, the child’s microbiota grows in diversity and complexity – ecological succession.
But what about the millions of babies who come to life each year, without going anywhere near their mother’s vagina?
But what about the millions of babies who come to life each year, without going anywhere near their mother’s vagina?
The Caesarean sections have been used for centuries, especially in the 19th century to save a stuck child from dying. In the last century though, with enhanced surgical techniques and anesthetics, we managed to not only save child but mother as well.
C-sections are a crucial alternative to vaginal delivery in certain medical circumstances – some women have no choice but to give birth this way. Since the 70´s we see an upward trend in C-sections across many countries around the world. The WHO estimates that the optimal rate of C-Sections should lie around 10-15% of all births. The Netherlands are in line with the current rates and also leader in natural house birth giving in the Western world (A. Collen, 2015).
Globally though, we see the number of C-sections go up. In some hospitals in Brazil, for example, the number is up to 90%. In the US, the number is up to 70%. And Brazil and the US are not alone in this. In Argentina, Iran, Mexico, Cuba, and in many parts of our Western World, hospitals are specializing on giving birth via C-section as the “fast and safe way out” (F.Magne et all, 2017).
Why the increase in C-section births?
It seems that giving birth naturally is considered too time-consuming and unpredictable for many health care facilities around the world. Another reason is also the huge increase in lawsuits in many parts of the world after babies have been born with cerebral palsy which is preventable by doing a planned caesarean section.
Caesarean born infants have shown a more slowly diversifying microbiota, with differences reported from normally born infants. (Salminen, 2004).
In the early days, C-section babies are more susceptible to infection (up to 80% of MRSA infections in infants occur in those born via C-section) (A. Collen, 2015).
In general thought, no statement in terms of weather C-Section born babies compared to vaginal birth are “less healthy” in later life can be made. This field of study is too young to draw long-term conclusions and results of longer-term studies such as the largest ever study of the newborn microbiome conducted in the UK at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Hinxton do need more time to be published.
What about other ways of giving the first gift to your baby?
Vaginal Seeding
There is plenty emerging research on how exactly these differences in the gut microbiota translate into the health consequences associated with C-sections. For example, trials have been conducted where the vaginal bacteria are rubbed first into the babies’ mouth, then across its face and body after giving birth via C-section. “The idea of putting undefined microbes in children that are immunologically underdeveloped is very risky,” says Lawley from the UK study in Hinxton. “Our data does not that support that. It makes me very nervous.”
The trend to switch to the fast delivery method C-section only for convenience, financial, or cosmetic reasons is noticeable, but definitely not a positive trend. There are cases where a C-section is definitely needed and should be applied, as long as mothers have a choice, they should have the right to choose themselves.
Ongoing research continues to confirm that the protection layer, given to the child by its mother via vaginal birth, plays a significant role in early life development. So, to not blame one delivery method or the other, research should focus on the early life microbes, what they mean to child development, and how to make information on that more transparently available for becoming mothers.
We have one immediately available possibility to ensure our children with a healthy microbiome by taking care of our own bacterial diversity, especially during pregnancy and while feeding breast milk.
As a mother, a diet rich in “cultured food that is alive”, pro- and prebiotics (no antibiotics), plant fibres (e.g. retrieved form onions, garlic, leek, asparagus, cabbage, bananas, green vegetables etc.) is recommended.
Furthermore, a low-stress lifestyle, and keeping the immune system upright contribute to a healthy gut-microbiome. Ultimately, carefully choosing the way you’d like your child to see the light on this wonderful planet for the first time, is what you can take control of (mostly).
If you want to read more about How to support your Gut-Microbiome with food, movement and stress relief check out the previous chapter of the Gut-Mind journal.
Terminology:
Microbiome: a community of microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that inhabit a particular environment and especially the collection of microorganisms living in or on the human body. Your body is home to about 100 trillion bacteria and other microbes, collectively known as your microbiome.
Bacteria: Plural of Bacterium. Microscopic single-celled organisms lacking a distinct nucleus are known as bacteria. They may be shaped like spheres, rods, or spirals. They inhabit virtually all environments, including soil, water, organic matter, and the bodies of animals
Lactobacilea: there are >150 different spiecies of Lactobacillae. The ones in the vagina are different from the ones in de gut. L. Crispatus and L. Jensenii are most prevalent in the vagina. They adhere strongly to the vaginal epithelium, produce lactic acid, surfactant and bacteriocines. They convert sugar in to lactic acid. Bacteria like C diff rarely to never occur in the vagina.
Part 1 *
*because 1 in 5 women carries group B streptococcus in their vagina, and if the baby gets colonized and infected, it is likely to die within 48 hours. Women are tested at 36 weeks of pregnancy for this bacteria and offered antibiotics during labor if they carry the bacteria.
References:
Lisa F. Stinson,Matthew S. Payne, and Jeffrey A. Keelan (2018). A Critical Review of the Bacterial Baptism Hypothesis and the Impact of Cesarean Delivery on the Infant Microbiome. Frontiers in medicine. Doi: 10.3389/fmed.2018.00135
Sara Allin, Michael Baker, Maripier Isabelle, Mark Stabile (2019). Accounting for the Rise in C-sections: Evidence from Population Level Data. NBER Working Paper No. 21022
In the previous journals, we talked about the microbiome and discussed the diversity of the microbiome. We now know that diversity is necessary to stay healthy and that stress, bad food, or medication can influence this. Stress has a major impact on the health of the microbiome in the gut. In this journal, we will discuss the impact of mindful eating on gut health.
Mindful eating
When we talk about mindful eating, we mean eating without doing anything other than focusing on our food. Often, when we’re eating, we’re busy with other things, like watching television, scrolling on our phone, or working. All this seems super efficient, but we cannot enjoy our food to the fullest. Besides this, we also chew unconsciously and thus probably for too short of time. Mindful eating also ensures that we are aware of what we put in our body and are therefore less likely to eat (or overeat) too many unhealthy products.
On average we spend 60 minutes per day eating and drinking. 24 of these 60 minutes we distract ourselves from the actual process of mindfully eating (USDA, 2019).
Our 5 Mindful eating tip (print them out and put next to your dining table)
Digestion
Our digestion starts in the mouth. For example, the breakdown of food starts in the mouth due to the presence of enzymes in saliva. However, these enzymes do take some time to do this. Chewing sufficiently is also important to better absorb nutrients in the further digestion process.
Emotions and food
How we feel when we eat has an effect on the mind-gut connection. You have probably experienced that our bowels can act up when we feel stress. This reaction has not only the effect that you have to go to the toilet; it also has an effect on the diversity and resilience of our intestines. Now we also know that this is precisely necessary for a healthy microbiome. A healthy microbiome has an effect on our mood as optimal resistance, so you see that this is a vicious circle.
So, when we feel strong emotions or are stressed, this not only has an effect on our feelings, but also on our body. We only know a small part of this fascinating story. Still, more and more research shows that when we feel angry, sad, or stressed, it has an effect on our microbiome. Then, even if we still eat as healthy as possible, if we do not do anything about these feelings, our microbiome can still become unbalanced.
Mindfulness
Besides that, mindful eating makes us aware of what we eat and how we do it. Mindfulness therefore also helps to increase our intuition. It teaches us to listen better to our body and we feel more conscious of how our body reacts to what we eat.
There are also studies that measure the effect of relaxing activities (meditation, yoga) on intestinal diseases. The signals show that one can withstand the pain of inflammation in the intestines with more resilience. However, more research needs to be done on what this does in the longer term. It also emerges that meditation can ensure that we are more in touch with our feelings, can look at problems differently, and deal better with our own emotions. All these benefits also have an effect on lowering our stress hormone. There again, that vicious circle.
Now more than ever, it is time to reconnect again to our senses and become mindful in nourishing our body.
Love & Light,
Moritz
Sources
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Stress
You may have heard of the fight or flight response. This is a stress response that allows the body to quickly anticipate danger. Our bodies tell us to run away from the situation or fight it. How? During these “dangerous” situations, our body produces adrenaline and then cortisol, both known as stress hormones. Adrenaline increases your responsiveness, so you can run away faster! You might also quickly catch a pen that fell off the table or exercise very hard. Cortisol is the stress hormone that keeps you alert for a long time, useful when you’re in a dangerous situation! Jup, adrenaline + cortisol is also known as "stress."
Reaction
Nowadays it is not often that we are in a life-threatening situation where we actually have to run or fight. Nevertheless, the stress hormones are continuously running through our body. How come? Stress also develops through mental pressure we feel when we have to meet a deadline or, for example, during an emotional event. The alertness is useful for the moment itself, but you do not want these hormones continuously at a high level in your body. Stress has positive effects for the moment, but it also has a lot of negative effects if the stress lasts too long.
Acute and chronic stress
During acute stress, the body gets ready for action. Adrenaline causes blood pressure to rise, the heart rate to increase and the muscles to contract. Digestion is also slowed down so that all energy can be transferred to the "action." You may recognize it from your experiences--with acute stress you won’t get anything through your throat.
Cortisol ensures that we remain alert for a longer period and, for example, continues to raise blood sugar levels. In addition to this reaction, the immune system is also suppressed by this hormone. If the stress persists for too long and there is no recovery moment, chronic stress develops. The body continues to produce too much cortisol. The focus then is not on keeping the body healthy, but on survival mode. You can imagine that various processes in the body weaken, because there is no focus on them. This also applies to the function of the intestines and the diversity of the microbiome.
Recover
Our body needs recovery after a stressful event. Unfortunately, there is a lot of time pressure nowadays, so we do not know when to relax--and therefore recover. The body indicates chronic stress through various symptoms: headaches, dizziness, digestive problems, stomach pain, sleep problems, fatigue, concentration problems, and eventually burnout. These are annoying side effects, which also include the fact that we can become anxious or even depressed more quickly. This can also be linked back to our microbiome and the "gut-mind" connection.
Gut-Mind connection and stress
The gut and brain communicate and support each other. For example, you may have noticed that your bowels can act up when you are tense for an important meeting. So you can see the intestines respond directly to stress. Stress can also have an annoying effect in the long term. For example, there may be an imbalance in the microbiome. This has an effect on how we feel, so an imbalance can also cause a reduced functioning of our immune system.
During this stressful, worldwide corona event, lowering the immune system through stress and fear of the uncertain is something we want to avoid. We can take responsibility ourselves and no longer allow ourselves to be taken over by fear and stress by living consciously. This means organizing your own life without too many stressors and releasing stressors that you can sometimes not avoid. This can be done by performing relaxing activities such as walking, dancing, meditating, breathing exercises, gardening: whatever relaxes you! Anything that helps you get out of your head will help to reduce your stress levels.
Lifestyle
In addition to healthy eating, reducing stress is also important for our microbiome and digestion to work properly. If our digestion can work properly, the rest of the body will also benefit from this by better absorption of nutrients.
We take a holistic view of being healthy and optimizing your immune system. One has an effect on the other. Relaxation, adequate sleep, exercise, healthy eating, social support, and a purposeful life are important to keep our body healthy. Being aware of our body and thoughts is important to stay healthy. We know that our immune system is 70% built up in our gut. We look forward to discussing further how eating and stress can affect the microbiome in our next chapter: mindful eating.
Did you know...
Enough to think about again. Until the next!
Moritz
Sources
Within our digestive system we have low diversity zones such as the stomach and small intestine as well as large diversity zones in the large intestine.
The large intestine has more microbes than any other location in our body and the largest diversity of microbes.
And how to support our gut?
The ultimate goal is to create a stable healthy state of diversity which creates resilience in our small and large intestine. And just like diversity in nature, resilience in our gut microbiome means that we have to nourish ourselves diverse (meaning fibers, probiotics, pre-biotics, vitamins, minerals, and so forth.)
A number of longitudinal studies have been on the composition of the microbiota, they seem to show that dietary changes, the use of drugs (especially antibiotics), and immune function can bring shifts from a healthy state into another state in our microbiota.
The most common perturbations are antibiotics, infections, inflammations, or stress.
Where does diversity begin?
It all starts already within our mother’s womb. The microbiota living in the gut of a newborn has a low microbial diversity when they´re healthy, and for good reasons. The newborns microbiome needs flexibility in order to create a pattern of communities of gut microbes during the early programming period which is unique for each individual. The vaginal microbiome needs flexibility in order to adjust its function to the unique demands of reproduction and delivery (E.Mayer, 2017).
Nature has developed clever alternative strategies to ensure the stability of these unique habitats and protect them from infections and disease. Both habitats are dominated by lactobacilli (the bacteria you find in our raw, fermented veggies) and bifidobacterial (mostly from added yoghurt cultures). These bacteria can produce many antimicrobial substances, and they have the unique ability to produce enough lactic acid to create an acidic milieu that is hostile to most other microorganisms and pathogens.
A growing scientific literature demonstrates that disease such as obesity inflammatory bowel disease, and other autoimmune disorders are associated with reduced gut microbial diversity often as a consequence of repeated exposure to antibiotics. Other disease may join this list in the future.
In order to increase your own microbial diversity, probiotic intervention on the health of your gut microbes may be greater during the first few years in life. Year 1-3 is the time when the microbiome is developing most. This is why it is our responsibility as parents to ensure a well-balanced diet including pro/ and prebiotic foods as well as maintaining a lower stress level in general. Raw, fermented Kraut, Kimchi, and other veggies are one way to implement more lactobacilli bacteria in any diet with regular consumption of it.
They key is stability and resilience
Friendly gut microbes can return quickly even after a very stressful period in life or after an antibiotic treatment when the right diet is in place. This allows them to keep up their beneficial activities over time and makes the microbiome resilient – it’s in our own hands to take care and become strong and resilient from the inside out.
Conclusion
It is important to mention that we cannot expect that any simple intervention by itself, such as a particular diet, will optimize your gut microbiome, while not paying attention to all the other factors that influence gut microbial function, like the influence of unhealthy gut reactions associated with anger, anxiety, and our daily stress.
Meaning simply eating probiotic foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi while continuing a high-animal fat, high sugar diet will not do the trick. Furthermore, drastic diet changes such as becoming gluten free, no fat, or only raw food are also not considered to be the change you may need. None of these interventions by themselves will improve the chronically disturbed connection between your gut and your brain.
Science clearly points it out more than ever that changing your diet is not enough. We need to modify our way of living and working as well, I truly believe now is the chance to work on that more than ever before.
Stay tuned within the gut-mind journal to learn more about this fascinating topic and how you can take your gut-immunity in your own hands.
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