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What a Vegan Diet could do for Your Gut Microbes
An amazing new area of research is looking at the microbes (i.e. bacteria, fungi and even viruses) that live in our intestines and their effect on human health (1,2). It is perplexing how much these gut microbes affect so many different areas of health. Diseases such as obesity and diabetes (3), arthritis (4), metabolic syndrome (5) and bone and mineral metabolism (6,7) are all affected by the quality of microbes in one’s gut. Specific gut microbes have been identified as bad for human health (called pathobionts), and other microbes have strong health-promoting properties (8).
Do people have any control over their gut microbes? After receiving microbes at birth, the food we eat dictates the ratio of good-to-bad gut microbes (2,8). Most importantly, it has been shown that, although bad microbes (pathobionts) can persist in the gut (9), dietary changes are still able to deliver the desired health benefits (2,8). Probiotics deliver specific microbes (usually bacteria) to the gut in food or tablets. Alternatively, prebiotics provide nutrients to feed and stimulate good bacteria.
How can diet improve my good gut microbes? A central link between diet, gut microbes and health is inflammation. A poor diet leads to pro-inflammation gut microbes and associated health issues (1), whereas a good diet leads to good gut health and protection from…
