The Gut and the Brain At least 80% of the serotonin, our
“happy” chemical, is produced in our gut from enterochromaffin cells. A 2019 study in Scientific Reports found a particular strain of Clostridium bacteria regulates the activity of these cells and serotonin production. Ad- ditionally, there is a direct link to the brain via the vagus nerve allowing the brain to influence gut function and immune regula- tion among other things.
Restoring a Healthy Gut Microbiome
Given that the majority of us have been exposed to things over time that affect the diversity and quantity of this small ecosys- tem in our gut, most can benefit from efforts to improve their gut health.
1. Probiotics: Supplementing our diet
with a healthy dose of microorganisms can have a dramatic effect on our health. Some form of fermented food has been included in traditional cultural diets around the world for centuries. In our current society, probiot- ics are commonly self prescribed by people who are health conscious or have done some research on their gut health. Giving probiotics to individuals has been included in the standard of care for most naturopathic doctors for decades. A probiotic is a collec- tion of microorganisms that are consumed or applied to the skin. They are found in fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut, kombucha or the increasingly popular Kim- chi and Kefir. Probiotics can be taken in the form of capsules and powders and can be found in some topical beauty products.
Is eating a yogurt a day enough as
some yogurt commercials might have you believe? No, absolutely not! Furthermore, it is important not to simply gauge your gut health by your bowel habits alone. Many health concerns can be associated with the microbes in your gut even with regular bowel movements and in the absence of any gastrointestinal symptoms.
When choosing a probiotic, you need to look at both the diversity of the strains it contains as well as the quantity of each. Given that there are over 1000 species of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, we need as much diversity as we can find in a probiotic. The majority of supplements in the US contain one or both of the strains Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. A commonly advertised commercial brand of probiotic frequently recommended by conventional gastroenterologists has only ONE strain of bifidobacerium. A probiotic needs to have as many strains of diverse microorganisms as possible in order to support a healthy gut. There are probiotics
available with 10 or more different strains of bacteria. Additionally, some bacteria are specifically associated with particular medi- cal conditions. For example, the bacteria Saccharomyces is known to be deficient in the hospital infection commonly known as C-Diff, an overgrowth of the pathogenic bacteria Clostridium Difficile. Taking this unique species is condition specific. Work- ing with a naturopathic doctor can help you navigate what probiotics you may need and finding the best products for you.
When choosing a probiotic, you need to look at the number of the bacteria as well. Further analysis of the same common commercial brand previously mentioned shows that the product contains 5 billion bacteria. A good quality probiotic will have at least 10 billion bacteria and some are available with counts over 100.
It is a commonly held belief that probiotics need to be refrigerated. In truth, probiotics are more sensitive to light and moisture than temperature. A good quality probiotic will be in a glass jar to keep out moisture and the color is typically either brown or blue glass to keep out the light. Refrigeration will maintain some freshness. However, if you like to use a weekly pill organizer, keeping 7 days worth of your probiotic tucked away in a dark drawer will
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