We’re learning more and more about the link between the state of our gut flora, or microbiome as they are affectionately known, and the state and health of our mind. Did you know that microbime represent over 57% of the cells in our body? Amazing!
Well now a new study has shown that not only does the health of our gut affect our mind, but it also affects our memory. Professor Robert Knight, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego, is a bit of an expert when it comes to the role of gut microbiome in our health. Last week he presented some research results to the American Association for the Advancement of Science which supported older research in this area. The research involved injecting mice with healthy gut bacteria and watching the result on their memories. The mice injected with the good gut bacteria presented with better memory function and brain function.
Now whilst no research is perfect, what this study has raised is that there is an intrinsic link between gut health and brain or memory function, and it’s worth cleaning up our eating habits, at least in part. However before we rush home to empty out the comfort section of the freezer, the research also indicated that each persons bacteria is so specific that what works for one person won’t work for others when it comes to diet, probiotics and treatments. I can second this, as I tried up to 5 different probiotic types before finally finding my hallelujah which seemed to almost cure my adult acne and IBS within a month. This probiotic won’t necessarily work for everyone, because we’re all different.
How does your gut affect your health?
This gut brain connection and the concept that what you eat directly affects your mind is fascinating, but also quite scary if you’re one of the many people out there living with IBS or stomach issues, or even just an unhealthy diet. Your health can be both the cause and the result of your gut microbiome, but changing your diet can go a very long way to improving it.
Dr Knight has also gone on the record in the past to state that infant gut microbes are affected by cesarean births and breastfeeding practices, which can affect their long term health. Knight claims that “Infants born by cesarean delivery are at increased risk of asthma, obesity and type 1 diabetes, whereas breastfeeding is variably protective against these and other disorders.” So much to think about!
So regardless of how focused you’ve been on gut health in the past, what’s the best way to get a healthy gut? Even if you start small and try to eliminate processed and packaged foods, cut back your alcohol intake, and reduce your added sugar intake, these baby steps can go a long way to a happier gut. I’ve written about this in a few articles, firstly for healing your stomach lining if it’s damaged, which foods heal a healthy gut, and my healthy gut nutrition guide.
Remember, a healthy cut can make a world of difference
A healthy microbiome leads to a healthy gut. A healthy gut can stop so many health issues. If nothing else you can try and clean up your gut health for healthier skin, less stomach bloating, and reduced food sensitivity.
Image source: https://www.happygutlife.com
So can you test the health of your gut microbiome?
For those of you wanting to rush out and test your microbiome to see if it’s healthy or not, Professor Knight also co-founded the American Gut Project. It’s a crowd-funded initiative that collects and analyzes microbiome samples which are sent in by people like us, to build a large public database of the human microbiome. However, don’t expect to receive a health checklist back in the mail, it’s more of a one way stream at the moment. As Dr. Knight himself has said, “What you can do with the information at the moment is limited. It’s very much a science project, not a diagnostic test.”
If you’ve got a spare 17 minutes, below is an amazing video of a TED talk by Professor Robert Knight below on microbes and their role in our health. In his talk Knight says that “The three pounds of microbes that you carry around with you might be more important than every single gene you carry around in your genome.”
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