Gut microbiota are little organisms that live in our gut. Many species have been identified- many different kinds live in our gut, skin, vagina, everywhere. The majority are in our gut. These are very important for our overall health because they help regulate so many processes we cannot live without them. We estimate the average healthy adult has a couple of kilograms of microorganisms in our gut. To have a healthy gut, we want a wide diversity of microbiome, a lot of them, and to keep them active and busy. How do we achieve this?
Diet:
Research is growing on what foods support healthy guts. A healthy, balanced diet with lots of fibre, fresh vegetables, and fruit is great support for a healthy microbiome. In particular, soluble fibre, polyphenols, and antioxidants. These are referred to as prebiotics, and they support the health of the gut microbiome, which in turn produces compounds that are good for our body, including the brain, heart, and liver. Not all fibre will actually be prebiotic, more digestible and fermentable. It is great to eat a balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables like kale, swiss chard, and cabbage. A diet that includes a significant amount of processed foods and is rich in simple sugars can starve your microbiome. The best way to support our gut health is through eating healthy foods while avoiding too much alcohol, smoking, processed foods, and antibiotics. Medications that suppress stomach acid are very popular over-the-counter aids, but they can impact the gut composition.
Probiotic bacteria is what we take from the outside, and we hope it will support our own microbiome. To be probiotic, it has to be live, defined, in adequate amounts, and proven to make an impact on our health. There should be evidence it will help our health. In fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt, the composition is changed by bacteria fermenting the food; they are often called ‘probiotic’. However, while this food is likely to be easily digested and might have some leftover bacteria that are beneficial to our gut, by the time we ingest that bacteria, they are likely dead. They are not probiotics, they will not have enough of the live bacteria.
There are specific probiotic strains that influence specific issues. Like vitamins and minerals, taking vitamin C will not help prevent osteoporosis; probiotics are like this as well. While food is the best path, there are times when probiotics can help, but they need to be specific probiotics to be effective, and we need to choose them depending on the health concern. For example, there are probiotics specific for bladder infections. If you know you are prone to this, you can take a specific probiotic to support the prevention of urinary tract infections and take it for short periods of time.
For those interested, there is a Clinical Guide to Probiotics, reviewed and updated annually. It outlines the evidence, government approval, and more information.
Watch for products that are not tested or proven to be effective.
Prebiotics are different from probiotics. They are food for our own microbes or for those we take as probiotics. Prebiotics will support our own microbiome. They are abundant in food sources. You can consume these via food; however, if you want to try supplements, keep in mind it is a significant amount you would need to take as a supplement to make a difference.
Gut microbiome and some probiotics strains seem to have an effect on the metabolism of estrogen. There is promising preliminary research; however, we do not have enough evidence to show if and how probiotics can help estrogen metabolism and reabsorption of the estrogen in the gut.
As it relates to symptoms of menopause, there are probiotics with evidence for many of the associated symptoms, such as insulin resistance, migraines, and more.
Consuming prebiotic foods and adding soluble fibre, especially ground flax seed which includes soluble fibre and lignans. Lignans can help remove excessive estrogen during the surges of estrogen in perimenopause.
The vaginal microbiome relies on estrogen to fuel healthy bacteria in your vagina. As estrogen declines, the healthy bacteria are starved, and the balance of the vaginal microbiome can shift, creating many issues, including odour.
Vaginal estrogen is the gold standard treatment to support a healthy vagina in menopause. There are potential probiotics that have evidence for vaginal yeast infections, and they change the levels of bacteria to improve the healthy bacteria inside the vagina.
If you want to introduce a probiotic or prebiotic, check out the resource guide available for easy access at the Alliance for Education on Probiotics. Another great resource is the International Society Certification Association for Prebiotics and Probiotics.
Check out our interview with expert Dragana here! Natalie is catching flies!