Over 2000 years ago Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, said, “All disease starts in the gut”. Perhaps he believed diet affects health more than any other single factor. But maybe he suspected something more complex going on in the gut that determined whether a person got sick or not.
Fast forward 2000 years and researchers are now discovering that Hippocrates might be right. Perhaps not all disease starts in the gut but scientists do believe there is a connection between many chronic diseases and gut health. Scientists are looking at the bacteria that reside in our guts as a major factor in overall health. This gut bacteria, also known as the microbiome, has become a hot topic in recent years. As researchers learn more about the diversity of bacteria living in our gut, we may be more able to identify which bacteria are beneficial and desirable and which ones can lead to disease. One thing we know for sure is our diet impacts our microbiome and our microbiome impacts our health. So, as we continue to search for answers, we can still be proactive in regulating our gut microbes by choosing a diet that supports a healthy microbiome.
- Did you know?
- Your gut is home to trillions of microbes – known as your microbiome. Some of the microbes are beneficial and some are not.
- Researchers think the microbiome influences our health, including the immune system, mood, body weight, inflammation, food allergies, and certain autoimmune diseases.
- In a healthy microbiome or a healthy gut, the beneficial microbes keep the bad ones from taking over and causing problems.
- What you eat impacts your microbiome, as does adequate sleep, physical activity, medications and lifestyle.
- These foods support a healthy microbiome: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein (plant and animal sources).
- These foods support an unhealthy microbiome: added sugars, processed foods, alcohol, too much animal protein, and saturated fat.
The impact of diet on health is huge and much more complex than originally believed. But even with the complexity of explaining the interaction between food, environment, lifestyle and our health; I find it interesting that the diet best for our microbiome is the one health-conscious people have been recommending for years. Choose a balanced diet with a variety of whole foods, mostly plants, in right portions along with exercise, quality sleep and healthy lifestyle practices for your best health. Your gut microbiome will thank you and reward you with better health.
