Who's in charge, your biome or yourself?
For all who know me, or are a client of The InHara System of Holistic Health, there is no question that I strongly believe that the human and environmental microbiome talks to us all day. The question is, what is YOUR biome saying.
The following is an excerpt from an article put out by www.seed.com regarding a few such points that I think my community is interested in - sugars, fitness, and health. The information in the article is that of Seed but I stand with them as a provider and recommend their product as well.
If you are looking to add a full spectrum, human tested, probiotic to your life, Seed is a great option and I am happy that my clients get up to 20% off their first order using code theinharasystem .
If you are realizing that your sweet tooth or stress or constant fatigue is calling your shots each day, please reach out. The InHara System is once again accepting new clients beginning the week of Feb 27, 2023.
Have a lovely day.
Marissa
Your gut microbiome may be driving your sweet tooth
While it might feel like your food cravings are informed by your mood or how much you exercise, there’s another player involved: your microbes. Research is continuing to unpack how your microbiome dictates eating behavior via the gut-brain axis (or the bidirectional pathway between the gut and the brain)—and recent findings uncover a potential explanation for overeating of high-sugar and high-fat foods.
A study from Dr. Sarkis Mazmanian, Seed Scientific Board Member and our Gut-Brain Research Program partner, examined the eating behavior of mice whose microbiomes were disrupted after a four-week course of antibiotics. Compared to mice with “healthy” gut microbiota, the mice with disrupted gut microbiomes ate 50% more high-sugar pellets and ate in longer bursts. When researchers restored the disrupted microbiomes with fecal transplants, their feeding patterns returned to normal and they no longer exhibited the same overeating behavior. This means that specific microbes may suppress binge-eating behavior, while their absence could drive overeating.
What you can do:
While more research is needed (especially in humans) to better understand the role of the gut microbiome in regulating eating behavior, nurturing your resident microbes (see #1 above) may help if you struggle with sugar cravings and overeating.
You may want to reconsider common sugar alternatives
Sugar replacements are commonly marketed as healthier alternatives and often regarded as inert (having no effect on health). This research suggests otherwise. In this two-week randomized, controlled trial, healthy participants were given saccharin, sucralose, aspartame, and stevia (common sugar alternatives) in doses lower than the “acceptable daily intake.”
Both saccharin and sucralose changed the gut microbiome composition of participants and all sugar alternatives altered the microbiomes’ functioning. Furthermore, these microbiome alterations were found to impact glucose metabolism and blood sugar levels, which could lead to complications like unintentional weight gain and diabetes.
What you can do:
If you frequently opt for zero-calorie sweeteners (especially saccharin or sucralose), it might be time to consider lowering your intake levels. And be sure to look closely at your labels—these sugar alternatives can be found in products that may surprise you such as lipsticks and toothpaste.
The key to achieving your fitness goals could lie in your gut microbiome
Is “exercise more” on your resolutions list this year? Your microbiome may help keep you motivated. In this study, researchers assessed what factors were responsible for some mice exercising more than others. After collecting over 10,000 data points, they determined that microbiome composition was the primary factor in the mice’s motivation to exercise. To confirm their hypothesis, they administered antibiotics to disturb the mice’s gut bacteria and found that the distance these mice ran dropped by half. After recovery from the antibiotics, the mice returned to their previous performance levels.
So how do microbes actually impact exercise motivation? Compounds secreted by microbes in the gut stimulate the activity of certain neurons, elevating dopamine (a neurotransmitter involved in reward and motivation) levels in the brain during exercise. This means gut microbes could influence how much fulfillment someone gets from exercising, and may help explain why certain people are more motivated to exercise than others.
What you can do:
While nurturing your gut microbiome isn’t a substitute for exercise, it might increase motivation to stick to your fitness routine. A few simple ways to support your microbes: consume a diverse range of plants (fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds); spend time in nature; get adequate sleep; adopt a houseplant or pet; and limit inputs that disrupt the microbime like NSAIDs, alcohol, antibiotics, excess sugar, and tobacco smoke.
