How everything may be wrecking your gut health

Do you spend your life feeling bloated? Or just can’t slim down, no matter what diet you try?

It might not just be what you eat that’s to blame. More likely, in fact, is the activity of the 100 trillion bacteria living in your gut.

Not a week goes by when the phrase ‘gut bacteria’ isn’t linked to a new health claim by leading scientists around the world.

In the last week alone it has been hailed with having a crucial effect on weight gain.

It might not just be what you eat that’s to blame. More likely, in fact, is the activity of the 100 trillion bacteria living in your gut

Research published in the International Journal of Obesity found that people who have a stable weight, or who lose weight, have a larger number of different types of microbes in their guts, eat more fibre and have a higher abundance of certain types of gut microbes.

And if bloating and/or poor digestion plague your life, then these bugs are most likely to blame too.

‘People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have been found to have less of the ‘good’ types bacteria in the gut (lactobacilli and bifidobacteria),’ says Dr Megan Arroll, a psychologist and author of IBS – Navigating Your Way To Recovery.

There have also been links between gut health and asthma, endometriosis, obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and even anxiety and depression.

• Feeling slumped after lunch? Eat ALMONDS to boost…

  One in four children are exposed to secondhand smoke from…

  EXCLUSIVE: Morning-after pill could FAIL if you weigh 11…

  Is THIS the vending machine of the future? A 25-second delay…

‘A growing body of research suggests that having the right balance of probiotic [good] bacteria gut in the gut is important for health’ says Arthur Ouwehand, professor of microbiology and an expert in probiotics, from the University of Turku, Finland.

But what actually is it? And how do you know if yours is in the state it should be?

Did you know, for example, that bog-standard painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen could disrupt your bacterial level – and therefore your digestive system?

Or that popping a gut-friendy probiotic pill or yogurt is useless if you consume a hot drink within the next hour?

Here, leading experts reveal everything you need to know about good gut health – and why it’s so important…

WHAT’S GOING ON?

The body is full of bugs that make up one of the most complex ecosystems in the world – with over 400 different species living in the gut

Our guts are populated with trillions of tiny organisms including thousands of different types of bacteria, explains Dr Arroll.

‘These organisms are very important to us – not just to help digest food – but also for our immune system. Collectively, this group of organisms is known as the gut “microbiota’, or gut flora.’

In fact, the body is full of bugs that make up one of the most complex ecosystems in the world – with over 400 different species living in the gut, says Rob Hobson, head of nutrition at the supplement company Healthspan.

‘Generally, these bugs are not harmful and many have a beneficial role to play in the body,’ he adds.

‘They help to synthesise certain vitamins including B12, folic acid and thiamin that are required for energy metabolism, red blood cell production and maintaining a healthy nervous system,’ he explains.

‘These clever microbes also teach our immune systems to recognise foreign invaders and produce anti-inflammatory compounds that fight off disease-causing bacteria.’

HOW BUGS MAY AFFECT YOUR WEIGHT

Why do some people seem to eat whatever they want and not gain weight, and others appear to gain weight even if they eat reasonable amounts of food? 

The answer, at least in part, may be found in the bacteria that live in our guts, says Ana Valdes, an associate professor and reader at King’s College London.

‘Our latest research, published in the International Journal of Obesity, shows that people who have a stable weight, or who lose weight, over a nine-year period have a larger number of different types of microbes in their guts, eat more fibre and have a higher abundance of certain types of gut microbes,’ she told The Conversation last week.

GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT

What’s crucial is that our gut microbiota is in a state of balance – between so-called ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria – but many things can knock it out of kilter.

‘The balance of bacteria in our gut can be easily upset by a number of factors including stress, poor diet, illness and drugs such as antibiotics,’ says Dr Ouwehand.

THE KEY OFFENDERS

Antibiotics

While antibiotics kill the ‘bad’ bacteria that cause infections, they also destroy the ‘good’ bacteria in our bodies.

This can lead to further health problems such as thrush and gut issues such as bloating and constipation.

‘It’s important to begin taking probiotics from the moment you start antibiotics and continue for a few weeks after finishing the course,’ says Professor Ouwehand,

‘Take the probiotic between one or two hours after the antibiotic to get the most benefit.’

Low-carb diets

Low-carb diets may have a negative effect on our gut bacteria because they starve the bacteria of food which they need to grow and thrive, experts say

Dr Ouwehand believes the current craze for low-carb diets may have a negative effect on our gut bacteria because they starve the bacteria of food which they need to grow and thrive.

Research carried out at the University of Copenhagen found that almost a quarter of people on these diets had 40 per cent fewer ‘good’ bacteria than are normally found in a healthy gut.

Processed food, high-sugar diets

Modern diets are full of processed foods which are often transported and stored for lengthy periods of time, says Dr Arroll. They also lack the dietary fibre that we used to consumed half a century ago.

Research in mice has shown that after just one day, a diet high in fat and sugar and low in fibre changed the composition of the microbiota in mice.

And in humans, children from rural Africa who have a diet very high in fibre have been shown to have a more diverse microbiota than children from urban areas of Europe (where the fibre intake is lower).

A poor diet rich in sugary or processed foods can cause good bacteria in your gut to become weakened, she adds.

‘You basically provide an all-you-can-eat buffet for bad bugs to thrive on and take over.

‘And a build-up of bad bacteria may result in health problems such as food allergies, yeast infections or inflammatory bowel disease.’

Diet drinks

Israeli researchers have found that artificial sweetener use led to an imbalanced microbiota

Artificial sweeteners are the most commonly used food additives in the world.

They provide a sweet taste without the calories and so are added to diet food and drinks.

But, there has been a huge jump in the use of artificial sweeteners in the past century, which coincides with the rise in obesity and diabetes.

Israeli researchers have found that sweetener use led to an imbalanced microbiota. This in turn raised the risk of glucose intolerance and other changes associated with both diabetes and obesity.

Painkillers

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) such as aspirin and ibuprofen may also be playing havoc with your gut microbiota. In a study published in the

British Journal of Nutrition, older adults who did not use this type of medication had higher numbers of the good type of bacteria Lactobacillus in their guts.

Stress

Research has shown that exposure to stressful situations can disrupt the balance of bacteria

The gut and brain are connected via the brain-gut axis – the biochemical signalling that takes place between the gut and the nervous system, which plays an important role in healthy brain function.

Research has shown that exposure to stressful situations can disrupt the balance of bacteria, says Dr Arroll.

But we’re also starting to understand this can go the other way, too – that a healthy and diverse gut microbiota can (in mice at least for now) help with the stress response.

By influencing the balance and types of bacteria in the gut, studies show it may even be possible to lower stress and boost mood.

Use relaxation techniques to reduce stress and protect the gut microbiota,’ advises Dr Arroll.

EATING YOUR WAY TO A HEALTHY GUT

A good way of boosting levels of friendly bacteria is by eating foods rich in prebiotic fibre, says nutritionist Mr Hobson. Prebiotics are a special type of fibre which stimulates the growth of the probiotic bacteria in the gut.

Prebiotic fibres are found in asparagus, Jerusalem artichoke, onions, garlic and leek and bananas.

What nutritionists call resistant starch – found in foods like cold potatoes, cold pasta and barley – will also have the same effect.

DO WE REALLY NEED PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS?

Probiotic supplements usually contain several different strains of bacteria

‘For many people, however, diet alone cannot provide the right strain and level of live bacteria we need to maintain a healthy gut,’ says Mr Hobson.

His advice?

1. Choose a supplement that contains at least 10 million bacteria per serving and take regularly.

Probiotic supplements usually contain several different strains of bacteria, but the number of probiotic bacteria that a supplement delivers is also important – to be effective you need to choose one that contains at least 10 million bacteria per serving.

SuperPro 50 (60 capsules for £28.50), a probiotic from Healthspan, launched earlier this month.

It contains over 50 billion bacteria from 4 different strains, including the bacteria Bifidobacterium lactis which are known to decline with age.

2. Look for strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium as these are the most widely researched

3. Make sure you check the check the expiry date because once that’s passed there may not be any live bacteria left in the product.

THE BEST TIME TO TAKE YOUR GOOD BACTERIA

Health-conscious Britons who spend hundreds of pounds a year on vitamin supplements could be undoing the benefits just moments after taking them.

Most of us – 70 per cent – pop our pills at breakfast, according to new research by Healthspan.

But the vast majority of us have no idea that heat can reduce the effects of tablets – and even kill the so-called ‘friendly’ bacteria in probiotics.

Therefore popping a supplement or downing a probiotic drink with breakfast – as most of us do – will render it less effective, or even useless, if washed down with tea, coffee or hot food such as porridge.

Research from the University of East Anglia has found that drinking coffee at the same time as a meal inhibits the absorption of iron by up to 73 per cent.

This is because compounds in coffee bind to iron and stop it being absorbed by the intestines.

As a result, experts say we should wait at least an hour after consuming hot food or drinks before taking the tablets.

‘I don’t advise taking probiotics, vitamin or mineral supplements with tea or coffee,’ said Dr Sarah Brewer, a GP and medical nutritionist.

To ensure the beneficial bacteria survive, Glenn Gibson, a leading authority on probiotics and professor of food microbiology at the University of Reading, advises washing down the supplements with water or milk.

Breakfast is still the best time to get your hit, as the gut has been ‘rested’ overnight – and is therefore more receptive to the friendly bacteria, he explains.

But it’s important to leave an hour window to ensure the efficacy.