When people mention the word gut health, most of us associate it with digestion. We often think the gut is responsible for breaking down the food we eat to extract vital nutrients and energy while discarding waste. However, the gut’s role in our overall health and well-being extends far beyond digestion.

The gut is home to a staggering number of microorganisms, more than 100 trillion, collectively called the gut microbiome. The large majority of these microorganisms are bacteria.

Some of these microorganisms are associated with disease, while others impact metabolism and weight, the immune system, cardiovascular health, and many other aspects of our well-being.

At Vascular Care Specialists of Los Angeles, Dr. Mathew Cheung and Dr. Peter Lin discuss the importance of your gut microbiome as this is unique to each individual. In this post, they discuss why your gut microbiome plays such an active role throughout your entire body as it affects literally all aspects of your health, including cardiovascular health.

There are roughly 38 trillion bacteria that live deep within your intestines which perform many important tasks. These bacteria, combined with other microorganisms such as fungi and virus, help digest food, metabolize medications, and protect you from infectious organisms.

The gut microbiome is the totality of these microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microscopic living things that are present in the gastrointestinal tract.

In many ways, your gut microorganisms – which weighs about half two to five pounds in total — functions somewhat like a distinct organ in your body. Just as you have a unique genome, you also have a unique gut microbiome, consisting of some eight million genes that control your gut microbiome.

Although many different types of gut microorganisms are found inside your gastrointestinal track, bacteria are the most studied. In fact, there are more bacterial cells in your body than human cells. There are roughly 40 trillion bacterial cells in your body and only 30 trillion human cells. That means you are more bacteria than human.

What’s more, there are up to 1,000 species of bacteria in the human gut microbiome, and each of them plays a different role in your body. Most of them are extremely important for your health, while others may cause disease.

The gut microbiome begins to affect your body the moment you are born. You are first exposed to microbes when you pass through your mother’s birth canal. However, new evidence suggests that babies may come in contact with some microbes while inside the womb. As you grow, your gut microbiome begins to diversify, meaning it starts to contain many different types of microbial species. Higher microbiome diversity is considered good for your health.

Interestingly, the food you eat affects the diversity of your gut bacteria. As your microbiome grows, it affects your body in a number of ways, including:

1. Digesting breast milk: Some of the bacteria that first begin to grow inside babies’ intestines are called Bifidobacteria. They digest the healthy sugars in breast milk that are important for growth.
2. Digesting fiber: Certain bacteria digest fiber, producing short-chain fatty acids, which are important for gut health. Fiber may help prevent weight gain, diabetes, heart disease and the risk of cancer.
3. Helping control your immune system: The gut microbiome also controls how your immune system works. By communicating with immune cells, the gut microbiome can control how your body responds to infection.
4. Helping control brain health: New research suggests that the gut microbiome may also affect the central nervous system, which controls brain function.

Therefore, there are a number of different ways in which the gut microbiome can affect key bodily functions and influence your health.

The microbiome plays a significant role in digestion. It breaks down certain complex carbohydrates and dietary fibers that can’t be broken down alone. This process allows you to extract the maximum nutrition from your food. The bacteria also metabolize bile in your intestines to digest fats. Without this gut bacteria, we couldn’t digest and absorb fats, and the leftover cholesterol would build up in our blood.

The microbiome contributes to other aspects of your health, some of which you may find astonishing.

First is the strong connection between our microbiome and our immune system. The gut houses nearly 80% of our body’s immune cells. When your gut is healthy, it helps regulate your immune response and protects against various infections. If your microbiome is imbalanced, on the other hand, it can contribute to chronic inflammation, a common characteristic of many diseases, including autoimmune disorders.

The microbiome also plays a role in your nervous system, helping to stimulate the production of neurotransmitters, including serotonin. Serotonin regulates your sleep and wake cycles and enables you to stay focused. While researchers are still studying this area, there appears to be a link between an imbalanced microbiome and the development of mood and anxiety disorders.

Gut microbes also interact with your endocrine cells, secreting the hormones that regulate certain aspects of your metabolism, including your blood sugar, hunger, and satiety. Scientists continue to study how the microbiome may influence the development of metabolic syndrome, including obesity, insulin resistance, and Type 2 diabetes.

Believe it or not, the state of your gut can even impact the health and appearance of your skin. An unbalanced gut may contribute to skin issues such as acne and eczema.

Interestingly, the gut microbiome may even affect heart health.

A recent study in 1,500 people found that the gut microbiome played an important role in promoting “good” HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

Certain unhealthy species in the gut microbiome may also contribute to heart disease by producing trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO).

TMAO is a chemical that contributes to blocked arteries, which may lead to heart attacks or stroke.

Certain bacteria within the microbiome convert choline and L-carnitine, both of which are nutrients found in red meat and other animal-based food sources, to TMAO, potentially increasing risk factors for heart disease.

However, other bacteria within the gut microbiome, particularly Lactobacilli, may help reduce cholesterol when taken as a probiotic.

The gut microbiome also may help control blood sugar, which could affect the risk of type 1 and 2 diabetes.

One recent study examined 33 infants who had a genetically high risk of developing type 1 diabetes.

It found that the diversity of the microbiome dropped suddenly before the onset of type 1 diabetes. It also found that levels of a number of unhealthy bacterial species increased just before the onset of type 1 diabetes.

Another study found that even when people ate the exact same foods, their blood sugar could vary greatly. This may be due to the types of bacteria in their guts.

There are many ways to improve your gut microbiome, including:

1. Eat a diverse range of foods: This can lead to a diverse microbiome, which is an indicator of good gut health. In particular, legumes, beans and fruit contain lots of fiber and can promote the growth of healthy Bifidobacteria.
2. Eat fermented foods: Fermented foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut and kefir all contain healthy bacteria, mainly Lactobacilli, and can reduce the amount of disease-causing species in the gut.
3. Limit your intake of artificial sweeteners: Some evidence has shown that artificial sweeteners like aspartame increase blood sugar by stimulating the growth of unhealthy bacteria like Enterobacteriaceae in the gut microbiome.
4. Eat prebiotic foods: Prebiotics are a type of fiber that stimulates the growth of healthy bacteria. Prebiotic-rich foods include artichokes, bananas, asparagus, oats and apples.
5. Breastfeed for at least six months: Breastfeeding is very important for the development of the gut microbiome. Children who are breastfed for at least six months have more beneficial Bifidobacteria than those who are bottle-fed.
6. Eat whole grains: Whole grains contain lots of fiber and beneficial carbs like beta-glucan, which are digested by gut bacteria to benefit weight, cancer risk, diabetes and other disorders.
7. Try a plant-based diet: Vegetarian diets may help reduce levels of disease-causing bacteria such as E. coli, as well as inflammation and cholesterol.
8. Eat foods rich in polyphenols: Polyphenols are plant compounds found in red wine, green tea, dark chocolate, olive oil and whole grains. They are broken down by the microbiome to stimulate healthy bacterial growth.
9. Take a probiotic supplement: Probiotics are live bacteria that can help restore the gut to a healthy state after dysbiosis. They do this by “reseeding” it with healthy microbes.
10. Take antibiotics only when necessary: Antibiotics kill many bad and good bacteria in the gut microbiome, possibly contributing to weight gain and antibiotic resistance. Thus, only take antibiotics when medically necessary.

At Vascular Care Specialists of Los Angeles, we strive to provide the best service, care, and results possible. If you have circulation problem related to your arteries or veins and would like to seek consultation with a vascular surgeon, give us a call at 626-275-9566 to schedule an appointment. You can also visit us at www.vcsla.com for more information.