Written by: Alexander Moroz
Edited by: Ingrid Teng
Edited by: Ingrid Teng
When considering important factors for healthy living, people often bring up a healthy diet, exercise, and plentiful sleep. However, there is a system in all of our bodies that silently controls our health. It is called the gut microbiome, and it is directly affected by every one of our lifestyle choices. The gut microbiome is made up of trillions of bacteria and microbes located in the intestines that help carry out and regulate vital bodily functions. Bacteria living on and within us outnumber human cells in the body and yet most people do not know how crucial they are to overall health. Though the word “bacteria” comes with negative connotations, there exist both “good” and “bad” bacteria that work to affect our bodies in different ways. These bacteria have unique effects on digestion, weight gain, immune response, and health risks such as heart disease.
However, some lifestyles work to harm microbiome health. For example, college students who lack sleep and excessively consume alcohol can see the negative consequences of their choices build up over time. The good news is that the gut microbiome is a dynamic and fluid system that can be actively improved with a conscious effort to develop better habits. This paper will examine how and what the microbiome specifically affects in the body, why people, specifically college students, often neglect the condition of their microbiomes, and how to actively work on increasing “good” bacteria while diminishing “bad” bacteria levels.
The gut microbiome has far-reaching effects in the body and impacts the digestive, immune, nervous, and cardiovascular systems. An imbalance of “good” and “bad” bacteria is called gut dysbiosis and can lead to weight gain, intestinal discomfort, and a disability to digest fiber. Gut microbes contributing to dysbiosis produce gas and harmful chemicals, which irritate the entire digestive system leading to diseases like irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. Contrarily, healthy microbes like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli found in probiotics prevent disease-promoting bacteria from sticking to intestinal walls and seal gaps between cells to prevent intestinal hyperpermeability, the leakage of intestinal lining to allow bacterial products to cross its barrier. Lastly, “good” bacteria help control blood sugar and can lower the risk of developing both types of diabetes (Bull et al, 2014).
In the cardiovascular system, gut bacteria are vital in the production of beneficial HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, thus lowering harmful LDL cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease. However, toxic bacteria present in gut dysbiosis are capable of synthesizing trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) from choline and L-carnitine, nutrients found in animal food sources like red meat. TMAO works to block arteries by depositing oxidative species. It increases blood pressure, which stiffens and strains the arterial walls over time. These factors greatly increase the risk of atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and stroke (Robertson, 2016).
The gut microbiome is also featured in cell communication throughout the body and is important for brain function and immune response. The vagus nerve is physically connected to the gut, allowing the microbiome to act as an intermediate that controls messages sent to the brain. Gut microbes can stimulate afferent nerves of the enteric nervous system, a part of the autonomic nervous system that controls motor functions, local blood flow, mucosal transport and secretions, and modulates immune and endocrine functions. This connection promotes communication between the gut and brain and is called the gut-microbiota-brain axis. It is crucial for the body to be able to maintain homeostasis and has been linked to depression, digestive diseases, and central nervous system diseases when not operating properly. Furthermore, gut microbiota are responsible for producing neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which is an antidepressant mostly made in the gut. Neurotransmitters carry chemical signals, or messages, between neurons and their target cells - other neurons, muscle cells (motor neurons), or hormone-secreting glands. The microbiome helps to optimize cell communication throughout the body in this way (Bull et al, 2014).
The immune system is also highly impacted by the gut microbiome. Gut microbiota directly communicate with immune cells, most of which originate in the gut, and control the body’s response to infection. This can be problematic if the gut is controlled by harmful microbiota that can also negatively affect our immune response to disease. In addition, the microbiome is involved in immunity by preventing diseases and infections before we feel their effects. However, this is only the case with a healthy balance of bacteria as gut dysbiosis will reverse all of its positive effects (Rooks et al, 2016).
After discussing the importance of the gut microbiome in the body, it is even more important to recognize habits and behaviors that lead to its destruction. The college lifestyle can be brutal towards the microbiome. Alcohol consumption, erratic sleep patterns, and stress can all negatively affect the gut microbiome and thus overall health.
Alcohol has a well-known link to increased oxidative stress. Excessive and consistent alcohol consumption can alter the composition and function of gastrointestinal tract microbiota. This can cause systemic inflammation in the body, intestinal hyperpermeability, and even damage organs such as the liver - alcoholic liver disease is a common alcohol-related disorder (Engen et al, 2015). Furthermore, study findings suggest a positive correlation between gut microbiome diversity and increased sleep and sleep efficiency - the percentage of time spent asleep while in bed. As a result, erratic sleep patterns disrupt the gut microbe community and risk inflammatory disease. Lastly, higher stress levels can also be detrimental to gut health because they produce cortisol, a hormone that acts as a gut microbe disruptor and negatively impacts the gut’s ability to manage stressors. Stress levels can also affect the quantity and quality of sleep (Smith et al, 2019).
The typical college student experiences several microstressors daily. Whether there is a midterm looming in a difficult class, extracurriculars that need to be balanced, an internship interview to prepare for, disagreements with a significant other, or this month’s rent needs to be paid, there are constantly dozens of stressors floating through our minds. However, this does not mean students have to sacrifice their health to stay afloat and maintain success.
Though it is easy to harm the health and diversity of the microbes living in the gut, it is also possible to improve and replenish “good” bacteria. In fact, there are several ways in which we can boost the microbiome such as through diet, exercise, and other lifestyle choices. Diet may be the most direct way to improve the health and diversity of microbiota because what you eat passes directly through your intestines and the majority of dietary microbes. Foods like fruits and vegetables contain lots of fiber, which cannot be digested but feeds the “good” bacteria in your gut and makes it less likely to develop “bad” bacteria. These beneficial microbes break up fibers into short-chain fatty acids that maintain gut health. Probiotics and fermented foods like yogurt and kombucha populate your gut with good microbes. Furthermore, simple sugars in processed foods like candy are digested too fast to feed your bacteria, and thus lead to inflammation when microbes instead attack the intestinal and stomach linings. Complex sugars like honey and dark chocolate can satisfy both your sweet tooth and gut bacteria (Allan, 2022).
In addition to food, exercise correlates with a boosted microbiome. This could be because exercise is also a de-stressor. It is critical to help your body manage the mental and physical stress that is put on it through activities you find best suit you such as lifting weights, meditation, and creating a good life-work balance. Lastly, as mentioned previously, increasing sleep to eight hours per day and consuming alcohol responsibly can also help maintain proper gut function.
When life becomes busy, college students and people in general often neglect sleep, healthy dieting, and alone time to re-energize. As we have seen, the lack of these elements, even temporarily, affects health more than one would think. It is critical to keep the gut microbiome healthy to keep both mind and body performing at the levels expected of them and enhance long term success.
References
Allan, Sophie. “10 Ways to Strengthen Your Microbiome.” Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, 15 Nov. 2022, https://cdhf.ca/en/10-ways-to-strengthen-your-microbiome/.
Bull MJ, Plummer NT. Part 1: The Human Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2014;13(6):17-22.
Engen PA, Green SJ, Voigt RM, Forsyth CB, Keshavarzian A. The Gastrointestinal Microbiome: Alcohol Effects on the Composition of Intestinal Microbiota. Alcohol Res. 2015;37(2):223-236.
Robertson, Ruairi. “Why the Gut Microbiome Is Crucial for Your Health.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 27 June 2017, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gut-microbiome-and-health.
Rooks, Michelle G, and Wendy S Garrett. “Gut microbiota, metabolites and host immunity.” Nature reviews. Immunology vol. 16,6 (2016): 341-52. doi:10.1038/nri.2016.42
Smith RP, Easson C, Lyle SM, et al. Gut microbiome diversity is associated with sleep physiology in humans. PLoS One. 2019;14(10):e0222394. Published 2019 Oct 7. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0222394
However, some lifestyles work to harm microbiome health. For example, college students who lack sleep and excessively consume alcohol can see the negative consequences of their choices build up over time. The good news is that the gut microbiome is a dynamic and fluid system that can be actively improved with a conscious effort to develop better habits. This paper will examine how and what the microbiome specifically affects in the body, why people, specifically college students, often neglect the condition of their microbiomes, and how to actively work on increasing “good” bacteria while diminishing “bad” bacteria levels.
The gut microbiome has far-reaching effects in the body and impacts the digestive, immune, nervous, and cardiovascular systems. An imbalance of “good” and “bad” bacteria is called gut dysbiosis and can lead to weight gain, intestinal discomfort, and a disability to digest fiber. Gut microbes contributing to dysbiosis produce gas and harmful chemicals, which irritate the entire digestive system leading to diseases like irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. Contrarily, healthy microbes like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli found in probiotics prevent disease-promoting bacteria from sticking to intestinal walls and seal gaps between cells to prevent intestinal hyperpermeability, the leakage of intestinal lining to allow bacterial products to cross its barrier. Lastly, “good” bacteria help control blood sugar and can lower the risk of developing both types of diabetes (Bull et al, 2014).
In the cardiovascular system, gut bacteria are vital in the production of beneficial HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, thus lowering harmful LDL cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease. However, toxic bacteria present in gut dysbiosis are capable of synthesizing trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) from choline and L-carnitine, nutrients found in animal food sources like red meat. TMAO works to block arteries by depositing oxidative species. It increases blood pressure, which stiffens and strains the arterial walls over time. These factors greatly increase the risk of atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and stroke (Robertson, 2016).
The gut microbiome is also featured in cell communication throughout the body and is important for brain function and immune response. The vagus nerve is physically connected to the gut, allowing the microbiome to act as an intermediate that controls messages sent to the brain. Gut microbes can stimulate afferent nerves of the enteric nervous system, a part of the autonomic nervous system that controls motor functions, local blood flow, mucosal transport and secretions, and modulates immune and endocrine functions. This connection promotes communication between the gut and brain and is called the gut-microbiota-brain axis. It is crucial for the body to be able to maintain homeostasis and has been linked to depression, digestive diseases, and central nervous system diseases when not operating properly. Furthermore, gut microbiota are responsible for producing neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which is an antidepressant mostly made in the gut. Neurotransmitters carry chemical signals, or messages, between neurons and their target cells - other neurons, muscle cells (motor neurons), or hormone-secreting glands. The microbiome helps to optimize cell communication throughout the body in this way (Bull et al, 2014).
The immune system is also highly impacted by the gut microbiome. Gut microbiota directly communicate with immune cells, most of which originate in the gut, and control the body’s response to infection. This can be problematic if the gut is controlled by harmful microbiota that can also negatively affect our immune response to disease. In addition, the microbiome is involved in immunity by preventing diseases and infections before we feel their effects. However, this is only the case with a healthy balance of bacteria as gut dysbiosis will reverse all of its positive effects (Rooks et al, 2016).
After discussing the importance of the gut microbiome in the body, it is even more important to recognize habits and behaviors that lead to its destruction. The college lifestyle can be brutal towards the microbiome. Alcohol consumption, erratic sleep patterns, and stress can all negatively affect the gut microbiome and thus overall health.
Alcohol has a well-known link to increased oxidative stress. Excessive and consistent alcohol consumption can alter the composition and function of gastrointestinal tract microbiota. This can cause systemic inflammation in the body, intestinal hyperpermeability, and even damage organs such as the liver - alcoholic liver disease is a common alcohol-related disorder (Engen et al, 2015). Furthermore, study findings suggest a positive correlation between gut microbiome diversity and increased sleep and sleep efficiency - the percentage of time spent asleep while in bed. As a result, erratic sleep patterns disrupt the gut microbe community and risk inflammatory disease. Lastly, higher stress levels can also be detrimental to gut health because they produce cortisol, a hormone that acts as a gut microbe disruptor and negatively impacts the gut’s ability to manage stressors. Stress levels can also affect the quantity and quality of sleep (Smith et al, 2019).
The typical college student experiences several microstressors daily. Whether there is a midterm looming in a difficult class, extracurriculars that need to be balanced, an internship interview to prepare for, disagreements with a significant other, or this month’s rent needs to be paid, there are constantly dozens of stressors floating through our minds. However, this does not mean students have to sacrifice their health to stay afloat and maintain success.
Though it is easy to harm the health and diversity of the microbes living in the gut, it is also possible to improve and replenish “good” bacteria. In fact, there are several ways in which we can boost the microbiome such as through diet, exercise, and other lifestyle choices. Diet may be the most direct way to improve the health and diversity of microbiota because what you eat passes directly through your intestines and the majority of dietary microbes. Foods like fruits and vegetables contain lots of fiber, which cannot be digested but feeds the “good” bacteria in your gut and makes it less likely to develop “bad” bacteria. These beneficial microbes break up fibers into short-chain fatty acids that maintain gut health. Probiotics and fermented foods like yogurt and kombucha populate your gut with good microbes. Furthermore, simple sugars in processed foods like candy are digested too fast to feed your bacteria, and thus lead to inflammation when microbes instead attack the intestinal and stomach linings. Complex sugars like honey and dark chocolate can satisfy both your sweet tooth and gut bacteria (Allan, 2022).
In addition to food, exercise correlates with a boosted microbiome. This could be because exercise is also a de-stressor. It is critical to help your body manage the mental and physical stress that is put on it through activities you find best suit you such as lifting weights, meditation, and creating a good life-work balance. Lastly, as mentioned previously, increasing sleep to eight hours per day and consuming alcohol responsibly can also help maintain proper gut function.
When life becomes busy, college students and people in general often neglect sleep, healthy dieting, and alone time to re-energize. As we have seen, the lack of these elements, even temporarily, affects health more than one would think. It is critical to keep the gut microbiome healthy to keep both mind and body performing at the levels expected of them and enhance long term success.
References
Allan, Sophie. “10 Ways to Strengthen Your Microbiome.” Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, 15 Nov. 2022, https://cdhf.ca/en/10-ways-to-strengthen-your-microbiome/.
Bull MJ, Plummer NT. Part 1: The Human Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2014;13(6):17-22.
Engen PA, Green SJ, Voigt RM, Forsyth CB, Keshavarzian A. The Gastrointestinal Microbiome: Alcohol Effects on the Composition of Intestinal Microbiota. Alcohol Res. 2015;37(2):223-236.
Robertson, Ruairi. “Why the Gut Microbiome Is Crucial for Your Health.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 27 June 2017, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gut-microbiome-and-health.
Rooks, Michelle G, and Wendy S Garrett. “Gut microbiota, metabolites and host immunity.” Nature reviews. Immunology vol. 16,6 (2016): 341-52. doi:10.1038/nri.2016.42
Smith RP, Easson C, Lyle SM, et al. Gut microbiome diversity is associated with sleep physiology in humans. PLoS One. 2019;14(10):e0222394. Published 2019 Oct 7. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0222394
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