A healthy gut is absolutely foundational for supporting the overall health of your body and mind. And you cannot have a healthy gut without a healthy microbiome. In thinking about how to approach part 3 of the Microbiome 101 series: how the human microbiome impacts health, I had to really rein myself in, as there are so many ways in which the microbiome impacts health and is implicated in various health conditions. I am going to keep this as short and sweet as I can. What follows is a very brief overview of some of the ways in which the microbiome is connected to, and impacts, human health and a peek into some of the health conditions associated with a disrupted/unhealthy microbiome.
HOW is the microbiome linked to the rest of your body?
Microbiome-gut-brain axis
Your mood is directly affected by your gut microbiome. Vice versa, your stress levels and your mood can also affect the composition of your microbiome. It’s a two way street. Your microbiome can impact your mood as it has an impact on neurotransmitter levels, impacts the vagus nerve and has an effect on the HPA-axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis). Because of this interrelationship, whenever I am working with someone with anxiety or depression, we are also going to do a deep dive into gut/microbiome health because without good gut/microbiome health, it’s difficult to have great mental health. It’s also why whenever someone is dealing with gut issues, we always need to focus on stress management, as high stress levels have a negative impact on the microbiome.
Microbiome-gut-skin axis
Although what you put on your skin (or sometimes avoid putting on your skin) is important for skin health, your skin health is profoundly affected by what is going on inside your gut and the makeup of your microbiome. Through a variety of complex mechanisms, including modulation of inflammation, and interaction with the immune system and neuroendocrine system, your microbiome plays a role in the health of your skin. Conditions such as acne, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis are often, in part, a result of alterations in your resident gut microbes.
Microbiome-gut-heart axis
The microbiome also has a role to play in cardiovascular health. A 2019 study showed that certain alterations in the gut microbiome were associated with atrial fibrillation and research has shown a link between cardiovascular disease risk and a decrease abundance of butyrate forming microbiota in the gut.
Gastrointestinal conditions associated with a disrupted microbiome
Inflammatory bowel disease
Gas/bloating
Diarrhea/constipation
IBS
Celiac disease
Clostridium difficile infection
GERD
SIBO
health conditions associated with a disrupted microbiome
Autoimmune disease
Allergies
Vaginal candidiasis
Anxiety and depression
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Hormonal imbalances
Cardiovascular disease
Diabetes
Psoriasis
Asthma
Eczema
Cancer
Obesity
COVID and the microbiome
What’s one health concern that has brought profoundly sweeping changes to the lives of humans across the planet? OK, obvious answer: COVID-19. It should come as no surprise that there is research to suggest that the severity of COVID-19 infections is impacted by the health of the microbiome. Furthermore, this research indicated that chronic, lingering symptoms experienced by COVID-19 “long haulers” could partially be due to disruptions in the microbiome.
In part 4 of the Microbiome 101 series we will look at some foundational ways in which to support the health of your microbiome.