Taking care of your gut microbiota

Adapted from article by Mark Buse, President of I-ACT

We all know that an altered gut microbiota has been linked to a wide range of intestinal and
extraintestinal conditions. Extraintestinal means it is situated or occurring outside the intestines.

WHY SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH OF OUR GUT MICROBIOTA?
Almost every human disease has been linked to changes in the balance of our microorganisms. The
huge diversity of our microbiota is the main element of our health. Without it we are in trouble.

SEVERAL ELEMENTS THAT HELP PROMOTE A HEALTHY GUT
PREBIOTICS
They are the food which nourish our bacteria. Different plant-based foods (including vegetables,
fruits, whole grains, and seeds) are a great way to nourish your gut microbiota. Diversity in your diet
of food components is more important than almost anything else.

PROBIOTICS
They help add to our gut with good microbes while adding diversity of beneficial microorganisms
mostly of bacteria but also yeast. Scientists have looked at compounds produced by
microorganisms which have a potential to promote health. These are known as postbiotics.

SYNBIOTICS
They are a mixture of live microorganisms and substrates utilized by a host microorganism that offer
a health benefit. An example would be combining a prebiotic food and a probiotic fermented food
in the same meal. An example would be combining yogurt with dried fruits and nuts.

FECAL TRANSPLANTS
Known as bacteriotherapy which have shown hope in treating conditions not directly related to the
gut. An example would be obesity. However, the most recent studies are centered around treating
infections caused by Clostridioides difficile also known as C-dif. This type of infection is only made
worse by antibiotics. Interesting enough, antibiotics not only kill the infection but other bacteria that
guard against reoccurrence. C-dif eliminates spores that cause more of the same infection to
develop. It is only time we see other types of bacteria behave in the same manner. As bacterial
diversity becomes more and more important, scientists are looking into how fecal transplants can
help in that direction.

The future of probiotics will bring us beyond the well-known Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
Examples include bacteria that help alleviate features of metabolic syndrome in overweight and
obese people. Scientists are also looking into which gut bacteria are associated with healthy dietary patterns.

Taking the non helpful things out of your diet cannot be overemphasized, like processed foods, refined sugars, refined grains, artificial sweeteners, fried foods. Consuming these items can lead things like elimination of the good bacteria and lack of strain diversity. One of the best ways in which one can nourish your gut bacteria are to consume probiotics, prebiotics and a combination of the two.

References
Collado MC, Vinderola G, Salminen S. Postbiotics: facts and open questions. A position paper
on the need for a consensus definition. Benef Microbes. 2019; 10(7):711-719. doi:
10.3920/BM2019.0015.

Wargo JA. Modulating gut microbes. Science. 2020; 369(6509):1302-1303. doi:
10.1126/science.abc3965.

McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et al. American Gut: an open platform for citizen science
microbiome research. Systems. 2018; 3(3):e00031-18. doi: 10.1128/mSystems.00031-18.

Cani PD, Van Hul M. Mediterranean diet, gut microbiota and health: when age and calories do
not add up! Gut. 2020; 69(7):1167-1168. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2020-320781

About Mark Buse

Mark Buse is Nationally Board-Certified Colon hydrotherapist (NBCHT) and a leading colon hydrotherpy
practitioner, instructor, and researcher of colon health. Mark studies the impacts of the gut microbiome on gut motility, digestion, constipation, and general wellness.
Mark has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, is a Fellow with the American Institute of Chemists. He has
obtained several patients involving replacement of toxic materials, and is a science writer in areas of gut
microbiota and probiotics.
Mark is the International Association for Colon Hydrotherapy President (I-ACT), Co-Chair and Founder of IACT’s Leadership and Mentorship Program and the Chair and Founder of IACT’s Research Committee and is a member of the American Gastroenterology Association (AGA).
Mark is the colon hydrotherapist and owner of Turtle Creek Wellness Center in Tyler, Texas.