Supporting gut health – can friendly bacteria help?

Adrienne Benjamin, registered nutritionist at ProVen Probiotics, explains what affects digestion and how to support gut bacteria

Our gut is central to our health and is impacted every day both by what we eat and drink and how we live our lives. As well as foods, some of the factors that directly affect our digestion include stress, lack of sleep, medications, alcohol, smoking, under or over-exercising and dehydration.

Stress initiates a ‘fight or flight’ reaction that switches off digestion, leading to altered gut function, imbalanced gut bacteria and a reduction in digestive function. As chronic, long-term stress has become endemic in society, lowered gut function and related symptoms are becoming increasingly common. Lack of sleep, increased alcohol intake and excessive smoking can also all result from stress and further impact digestion.

In addition, antibiotics, protein pump inhibitors (PPIs) and over-the-counter heartburn medications target the gut and alter the structure and function of our digestive system, potentially leading to symptoms.

Changes to our gut can then mean that we struggle to digest and potentially react to certain foods (notably wheat and dairy), which further exacerbates our symptoms and may restrict what we eat.

Can diet help with gut symptoms?

Sugar and processed foods can exacerbate symptoms such as gas and bloating as they are fermented by some strains of bacteria in our gut; inadequate hydration can lead to constipation; low fibre intake can result in both constipation and diarrhoea; and artificial sweeteners and other manmade chemicals may not be recognised by the body and can impact digestion.

Conversely, adequate fibre intake will support stool formation and to help feed the bacteria in our gut; a varied diet will provide a range of nutrients, which act as co-factors for digestive processes and to help produce stomach acid and digestive enzymes; and adequate fluid supports hydration throughout the body and helps to ensure good stool consistency.

Specific foods and nutrients that can help to support the gut include vegetables, fruits, prebiotics, probiotics, essential fatty acids and good quality protein.

Where do bacteria fit in?

The trillions of gut bacteria that live in our intestines (collectively known as our gut microbiome) play a central role in supporting our health and are particularly important for both immune and digestive health. They help to digest various foodstuffs including undigested dietary fibre and have been shown to undertake specific functions in relation to digestion, including:

• regulating gut motility, the speed at which food travels through the digestive tract
• promoting absorption of minerals
• producing enzymes such as beta-galactosidase, to aid digestion of lactose
• synthesizing certain vitamins, such as vitamin K and some B vitamins
• improving the function and integrity of the gut barrier to ensure that large food particles do not cross into the bloodstream
• influencing neurotransmitter production and the circulation of hormones in the body

When the microbiome is healthy and balanced, it contributes to healthy digestive function, but if there is an imbalance, known as dysbiosis, we can experience unwanted digestive symptoms such as bloating, gas, indigestion, constipation and diarrhoea.

How do I support my gut bacteria?

Our microbiome is established in the first years of life and when we reach around three years of age, the strains and species it contains reflect the structure that it will have for the rest of our life.

Friendly bacteria (probiotics) are known as ‘proxies’ (substitutes) for the bacteria in our gut. They are often strains of bacteria that are naturally present in our digestive system and have been isolated, fermented and reproduced to use in supplements specifically designed to support the balance of bacteria in our gut.

Some foods naturally contain very high numbers of bacteria (probiotics) and, although the specific strains contained in these foods have not often been identified, including them in our daily diets can help to support microbiome balance. In addition, some foods contain indigestible fibres (prebiotics) that provides food for the bacteria and help to support the colonies present in our intestines. Examples of probiotic foods include live natural yoghurt, sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha, and prebiotic foods include onions, garlic and leeks.

Taking a multi-strain probiotic supplement can help to support diversity, particularly for those who do not eat these probiotic and prebiotic foods. When selecting a supplement, it is important that it is supported by clinical research and that the bacteria numbers are guaranteed until the expiry date of the product and survive stomach and bile acids to reach the intestines where they can be utilised.

Adrienne Benjamin, registered nutritionist with ProVen Probiotics