Healthy eating strategies to strengthen your microbiome

It is an important part of the body that digests food, absorbs nutrients, and excretes waste products.

The gut microbiome is the diverse ecosystem of microorganisms that live in our intestines.

We are now beginning to realize that the food we eat has a huge impact on the health of our microbiome, which has ripple effects on many other aspects of our overall health.

“Virtually all chronic diseases and infections are linked to the microbiome,” says Jens Walter, professor of ecology, food and the microbiome at the APC Microbiome Ireland Research Center at University College Cork.

walter started in After studying food science in my home country of Germany, I immersed myself in the world of microbiome while doing a postdoc in New Zealand.

He maintained this focus through his work at universities in the United States and Canada until his arrival in 2020 to take up his post at UCC.

He says the microbiome is “an integral part of our biology, and we live in symbiosis with it.”

It's clearly different from the microbiome of other species, which has developed over millions of years and benefits humans. It has evolved to bring about

“Without these microbes, the immune system and metabolism cannot function efficiently,” Walter says.

“It's the engine that moves us. We are human beings who live in conjunction with our microbiome.”

Even for casual observers, it's interesting to see the focus shift from viewing bacteria as the bad guys to the positive things they can do.

Walter would agree with this. “Thinking and priorities have definitely changed. If you look at microbiology as a field, a lot of the focus has been on pathogens, but we've realized over the years that bacteria have many positive effects on health and the environment. I have deepened my awareness of this.”

He says it is truly a symbiotic relationship, one in which living things exist together in a mutually beneficial way. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense for us to take care of our microbiome.

His recipe for a healthy microbiome goes back to basics.

“The key messages are to eat a variety of foods, choose whole grains over processed foods, increase fiber, focus on protein and fat, plant protein, legumes, legumes and nuts. , and include fatty fish,” he says. [for example, sardines, mackerel, salmon] on a diet. Red meat is okay, but in moderation. ”

Other foods to include include low-fat and regular-fat dairy products, but “avoid saturated fats,” says Walter. [found in cheese, bacon, biscuits, etc.] Because it has a negative effect on the microbiome. ”

He urges people to avoid eating ultra-processed foods (UPF). “Sweet drinks and processed meats contain many ingredients that can disrupt the microbiome. [like salami]”

Processed and packaged foods that are low in fiber, high in salt, and contain ingredients such as emulsifiers directly impact the microbiome. “These break down the mucus layer in the intestines and cause inflammation,'' leading to many problems in the long term, including chronic deterioration of the intestinal environment. Infectious diseases such as type 2 diabetes and Crohn's disease.

Walter recommends reading food labels carefully and avoiding foods with long lists of ingredients. It should not be a staple food. ”

It's also good to consider the big picture. “This is about staple food, not something you eat once in a while,” he says. “Eating one or two salads a week won't help you if the rest of your diet is nutritionally deficient. [rubbish]. Make a healthy focus on your diet. ”

He sums up his advice with a line used by American author and journalist Michael Pollan in his persuasive 2008 book. To protect food: An eater's declaration: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

Academic research can be abstract and have no impact outside the lab, but did Walter's research on the microbiome influence the food he eats?

“I completely changed my diet and am following the recommendations most of the time,” he says. “I could have done better, and I cheat sometimes, but I've almost completely cut out cheese and processed meat and started eating more fish than meat.”

He says, “You're still eating too much, which means you're breaking one of Michael Pollan's key rules.”

Healthy eating seems to be a series of choices made daily, weekly, and yearly. This is ongoing research for everyone, including those studying what we should eat.

Researchers from APC Microbiome Ireland and UCC's School of Food and Nutrition Sciences are recruiting for a trial to examine the effects of a blend of probiotics and dietary fiber on the immune health and gut microbiome of obese adults.

• This trial will help develop innovations that will ultimately benefit research participants and future public health. For more information, please visit [email protected].
• For more information on healthy eating strategies that benefit your microbiome, visit exa.mn/gut-microbiome-healthy-eating. Walter et al., 2024.