4-12-21 Health Seekers: 10 Things About Our Microbiome

Hi Friends,

     As I have been saying, every system in our bodies, even every cell, are interconnected and affect one another. Yet it would seem that our microbiome may be a major influence to them all. While we are free to eat as we please, if we do not eat correctly, we can cause our microbiome to become imbalanced which can cause many diseases to manifest. Listen to these wise words:

“ ‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say–but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’–but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1Co 6:12 NIV

     Part of having the optimal health we truly desire is being able to control ourselves. We must pay attention to what we are eating, how much we are eating, as well as when we are eating. But the microbiome is also affected by everything else. So we must learn to control our thoughts, emotions and actions too. Never forget that everything we do affects every part of our health, so make a firm decision to choose life. That means making choices that will benefit us and those around us. And that means not being controlled, or mastered, by anything as well. By God’s Grace, we can have control over ourselves and achieve that optimal health that will help us, not only have life, but enjoy and share it too.

     Everything we think, say and do affects our microbiome, but in turn, our microbiome affects everything we think, say and do. Here are things to know:

1- Where is our microbiome: Our microbiome encompasses all of our external surfaces including our skin, mouth, vagina, and both intestines, with the majority of microbes located in our colon. Believe it or not, these are all external. For instance, think of our gastrointestinal system as a very long, and twisted tube, that goes from our mouth all the way to the other end. So you can see, this ecosystem is all over us, and can have a huge influence on the rest of us.

2- We are outnumbered: All the organisms in our microbiome outnumber our human cells by a factor of 1:10. We are actually more microbe than we are human! The most influential part of our health is not even us. As I have mentioned before, this is fascinating. Each one of us humans are truly a walking, talking, moving planet. How amazing God has created us that we are being taught to live in harmony with other living creatures, right within our own bodies. 

3- Our microbiome is unique and individualized. Like a fingerprint, every person’s microbiome is distinct. And its composition may start right in the womb. There is much debate going on about the microbe environment within our mother’s womb, where we are knitted together by God. Till now, it had been thought that it was pretty much sterile, but evidence seems to be pointing to the start of a fetal microbiome during those nine months of gestation. It is known however that, during birth, our microbiome is being created, or possibly changed (?), due to all the microbes we are exposed to during labor through the vaginal canal, among other things. It is thought that this could be a reason why those born by C-section tend to have more health issues, since their microbiome was not able to get all those different organisms through the birthing process. Sorry, details like these amaze me!

4- Everything in life requires a healthy balance: The term symbiosis means the art of living together in peace. So it should not surprise us that dysbiosis, an imbalance in our microbiome, seems to be the cause behind every disease known to man. Talk about symbolism! Just like in our world, the microbiome consists of “good” and “bad” microbes. It is not that we should only have the ones that help us, and none of the others, but that there must exist a balance between the two. Also there must be a vast amount of diversity so that this system can operate in healthy ways. And all of them must live in harmony with one another. Again, can you see the object lesson here when it comes to the world we live in?! If we are open, there are godly lessons in everything, including our microbiome.

5- Dysbiosis causes leaks: when our microbiome is imbalanced because we are eating the wrong things, are over stressed, or have gone overboard with all the antibacterial everything, the result is openings in the linings of our gut. There is supposed to be what’s called a “tight junction” between each cell that lines our gut. This lining is very thin, only one cell thick, so that nutrients can be absorbed into our blood and travel to all cells and nourish them. When dysbiosis causes openings in the lining, things can leak into our bloodstream that were never meant to be there, like undigested food particles, toxins, and proteins. You can imagine the damage they can cause to the rest of our body.  

6- Leaks cause inflammation: So the term for the above situation is “Leaky Gut.” The issue is that these unwelcome substances moving around our circulatory system are not supposed to be there. So in comes the immune system to save the day. Problem is this poor system goes into overdrive and begins to cause systemic inflammation, as it tries to get rid of all this foreign matter. That inflammation has been shown to be the root cause of everything from diabetes and heart issues to auto-immune and dementia. This is serious and life threatening. But the more we know, the better decisions we can make to ward this off!

7- Leaky Gut causes mental symptoms: Now instead of functioning as should be, helping us make energy and allowing us to focus our attention on the things of life, our cells are busy fighting this inflammation because, fighting this unwanted material in the cells, becomes priority. This is where things like fatigue and brain fog, as well as depression and anxiety, can become issues. Sadly, usually if we have “leaky gut” we also have “leaky brain”. This inflammation causes every lining in our bodies to become permeable to outside substances, including our brains. Inflammation means “on fire,” so when our brains are “on fire,” you can see how it alters the way the brain is supposed to work. The way neurotransmitters, like serotonin and dopamine, bind to the neurons in the brain changes and depression and anxiety, among other conditions, can be our result. Things get into our brain that should never have been there. This is a possibility in Alzheimer’s disease. Again, this is serious, but godly knowledge is power.

8- Inflammation becomes systemic: Again, the immune system releases all sorts of chemicals to ward off any unfamiliar molecules and this affects every part of our body. For instance, if these cytokines, as they are called, are activated in our lungs, it can cause asthma. In our skin, it can cause psoriasis or eczema. And as I said above, in our brains, not only depression and anxiety, but also headaches, dementia and seizures. Do NOT panic, God is with us! Just learn to lean on Him, more and more, to make better life choices.

9- Our anti-microbial world: We are taught to think that things like household cleaners, hand sanitizers, and chlorine in our tap water, are all there to protect us, but the reality may be they are causing more harm than good! Here’s a tip: start making or using your own natural substitutes where you can. And use water filters as much as possible. We have one in each shower of our home…because think about it, our skin is our largest organ and we are sterilizing its microbiome with all the chlorine every time we bathe! Again, think balance here. Soap and warm water are enough to cleanse our hands of any unwanted microbes, like COVID, so don’t overdo it. More on this when we get to the pillar “Environment”. 

10- Watch what we take into our bodies: Everything from foods laced with pesticides, too many medications, and chronic stress will take a toll on our microbiome, and thus, our overall health. First, Glycophate is probably the worst pesticide out there, so please opt for organic, non-GMO foods. It alters the make up of foods causing most of the food sensitivities known, as well as killing off the good microbes we have in our microbiome. Second, we use WAY too many antibiotics! Imagine, if they are trying to kill off bacteria we don’t want, they are also killing off good bacteria in our microbiome that we DO want! Remember the dysbiosis from above? Unneeded antibiotics cause this. That’s why many people, especially women, must use a probiotic to replace what is being devastated from our bodies! Pray about using them BEFORE you take them. Third, the stress hormone cortisol is not our enemy…unless we become stressed all the time. Cortisol is meant to help us “fight or flight” when there are REAL dangers. Problem is our bodies cannot tell the difference between real and perceived threats. Every time, we turn inward and try to handle all the challenges of life on our own, we get stressed out and cortisol goes into overdrive. Here’s a quick fix: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.” (1Pe 5:7)

     There is no human way we can do everything perfect all the time, so don’t stress about this! (Especially because that stress will mess up your microbiome!) But learn what you can about this incredible symbiotic relationship we are supposed to have with these foreign creatures, and learn to make better life choices. That is my goal. How about you? Then won’t you join me?

     Until we meet again, keep lifting your eyes to God, He’s closer than you think.

<>< Peace, Diane