Clinical Nutrition Supports Gut Microbes
Your immune system includes billions of good and bad bacteria that work in unison to help optimally run your body’s engine.
When these gut microbes fall out of balance the system can be-come vulnerable to a number of adverse health conditions.
There are ways to naturally support gut microbes through specific food selections.
Being guided by a naturopathic doctor versed in clinical nutrition can help you determine the best gut strengthening choices according to your specific health history.
Learn to avoid an imbalance and instead assist a healthy flora which is considered one of the major components to a strong immune system.
Supporting gut microbes through clinical nutrition, may result in:
• Relieving fatigue
• Rapid healing
• Appetite regulation
• Clearing skin
• Snuffing out free radicals
• Defending against bacterial as well as viral strains
Diarrhea Relief
Before reaching for an over-the-counter (OTC) conventional remedy for diarrhea, all you may need is a probiotic diet and/or supplement.
As reported by Berkley Wellness, University of California,
“A 2010 review from the Cochrane Collaboration concluded that probiotics shorten episodes of acute infectious diarrhea. And in 2011, a Health Canada monograph stated that products containing certain probiotics help manage acute infectious diarrhea and antibiotic-associated diarrhea.”
Foods for Favorable Flora
There are many foods capable of supporting your immune system. Working with a naturopathic doctor to find the best foods to feed and maintain a healthy microbial community can result in relieving a variety of potential ailments.
Kefir
Kefir is a fermented drink derived from milk and kefir grains containing both live bacteria and fuel for live bacteria. This is called a synbiotic food which encourages the gut to produce healthy bacteria on both fronts.
It tastes like a drinkable yogurt and can be added to shakes, cereal or cooking recipes. Keep kefir cold to preserve the beneficial, live bacteria.
Unpasteurized Sauerkraut
When cabbage is fermented it becomes sauerkraut which is full of gut growing microbe proper-ties. By eating this tangy food, you offer your digestive tract a cavalry of healthy fighters.
Sauerkraut also contains high levels of glucosinolates which have been linked to anti-cancer properties.
According to Health Impact News,
“A study published in 2012 in the journal Nutrition Cancer showed that consumption of cabbage and sauerkraut is connected with significant reduction of breast cancer incidences.”
Avoid pasteurized sauerkraut (usually in cans) or fully cooked portions as these processes significantly reduce its potency. Look for raw, fermented brands.
Artichokes
It’s a crazy looking plant but artichokes are known as prebiotics. The Mayo Clinic describes prebiotics as food made up of nutrients that pass through the stomach and into the gut feeding good bacteria. Other prebiotics include lentils, asparagus, honey and bananas.
Miso Soup
Miso soup is derived from beans made into a fermented paste. This fermentation process creates live cultures for a healthy gut. The paste is added to hot water to make a broth which in turn be-comes miso soup. Some call miso soup the “vegetarian’s chicken soup” due to its long list of beneficial health properties.
Foods that Fry Flora
Consuming a diet high in processed salts, fats and sugars can weaken your delicate microbial community. When these foods are consumed, especially on a daily basis, in just a short time several health challenges can occur.
It can affect skin appearance as well as create digestive difficulties such as diarrhea or constipation.
Avoid foods that have been boxed, canned, and stepped on so much they don’t resemble food anymore. With the guidance of a naturopathic doctor, stick to live produce, whole grains, minimal dairy, and the above mentioned pro and prebiotic enhancing foods.
Outside Factors
Aside from eating the right or wrong foods, your surrounding environment and activities can also influence gut microbe productivity.
Jet Lag
A recent study by researchers of the Weizmann Institute of Science found that gut microbes mimic your natural circadian rhythm. This is the biological clock rhythm and when it is disrupted, a taxing of the system can ensue.
The result has been linked to a variety of diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and now obesity.
In this study it was found that jet lag reaches into the micro level.
Lead author Eran Elinav comments on using probiotics,
“Targeting the harmful changes in the microbiota in these large human populations with probiotic or antimicrobial therapies may reduce or even prevent their risk of developing obesity and its complications.”
Weight Loss from Vertical Movement
It turns out that exercise can beneficially affect gut microbes. According to a Japanese study cit-ed by the Huffington Post (5/13),
“…the up-and-down motion of certain exercises like jumping rope disrupted appetite-regulating hormones released by the gut. Exercise that involves vertical movement may curb hunger even more than other exercise, researchers said, since it causes greater gut disturbance, which may promote the appetite suppression that generally occurs with exercise.”
Baby Bellies
Much research is being done regarding in vitro and infant gut microbe influence. One finding by researchers at the Norwegian Public Institute and published in the journal PLoS Computational Biology, discusses how specific gut microbes might affect infant growth.
“Researchers examined stool samples from 218 babies and developed a method to identify specific points in time when the presence of certain bacteria is associated with growth.” (HealthDay 5/9/13)
Sometimes all it takes is proper clinical nutrition to get your digestive health and your immune system back on track. At Integrative Med Solutions, we will design an acupuncture and naturopathic treatment program that works for you. In many cases, insurance covers portions of the acupuncture treatment. Allow us to support you to achieve optimal health. To make an appointment or find out more about how acupuncture and naturopathic medicine can benefit you, please call our office at 914.337.2980 or CLICK HERE to schedule an online appointment.
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