5 Factors Impacting Gut Health and Inflammation You Need to Know

5 Factors Impacting Gut Health and Inflammation You Need to Know

In this article, we will look at 5 factors impacting gut health and inflammation so you can make proper adjustments to your diet and lifestyle. But first, how does inflammation in the gut happen?

What Is Inflammation?

Inflammation is your body's attempt to heal itself by fighting against things that hurt it, such as infections, injuries, and toxins. When your cells are damaged, your body releases substances that cause your immune system to respond. We tend to think of all inflammation as bad and something we should get rid of immediately. That may be true, but at the most basic level, inflammation is a normal response from the body to alert us that something is wrong.

The production of antibodies and proteins and increased blood flow to the area of concern are all part of this reaction. In acute inflammation, such as a cut on the knee or a cold, the entire process typically lasts a few hours or days.

Chronic inflammation occurs when this response persists, leaving your body on high alert. Chronic inflammation has the potential to harm your tissues and organs over time. According to research, chronic inflammation may play a role in a variety of diseases, including cancer and stroke.

Although intermittent increases in inflammation are necessary for survival during physical injury and infection, recent research has revealed that certain social, environmental, and lifestyle factors can promote systemic chronic inflammation (SCI), which can lead to a variety of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Pain, redness, and swelling are all common symptoms of acute inflammation. The symptoms of chronic inflammation, on the other hand, are usually far milder. As a result, they're simple to overlook. Some common symptoms of inflammation are fatigue, body pain, abdominal pain, depression or anxiety, gastrointestinal complications (diarrhea or constipation), weight gain, weight loss, and persistent infections.

If you have read my story, you know I am well-acquainted with inflammation. 6 years ago, my face started swelling and felt like my skin was burning off my body. I had been on an antidepressant for years. This drug can cause a disease called Steven Johnson's syndrome that makes all of your skin fall off. Super helpful.

The important thing to recognize is that any inflammation in the body points to a deeper chronic issue that likely resides in the gut itself. Gut inflammation is a condition that forms throughout one's life.

The intestinal barrier and the gut microbiota are two interconnected factors determining gut health. Changes in either of these components can cause gut inflammation, setting off a chain reaction of harm that starts locally and spreads throughout the body.

Intestinal epithelial cells, proteins, protective mucus, and immune cells make up the multilayered intestinal barrier. Enterocytes are absorptive cells that make up most of the intestine's epithelial cell layer. Goblet cells are found among enterocytes and secrete a protective mucus that acts as a home for commensal bacteria (or the gut's typical inhabitants) while also preventing pathogen infection. Enterocytes and goblet cells work together as gut "gatekeepers," regulating bacterial interactions with the immune system.

The gut microbiota is a complex colony of bacteria that perform various functions that influence your body's overall health. Nutrient metabolism, immune system modulation, and natural infection defense are among them.

Inflammatory molecules are linked to the presence of specific bacteria, which can cause inflammation in various bodily tissues. Many chronic multi-system diseases, such as obesity, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease, are caused by inflammation. Inflammation can be initiated by structural components of bacteria, which can set off a chain reaction involving interleukins and other inflammatory cytokines.

The gut microbiota makes up the total of the microorganisms inhabiting your human gastrointestinal tract. Species from the prokaryotic domain (bacteria and other unicellular organisms without specialized organelles) and, to a lesser extent, fungi, parasites, and archaea, make up this dynamic community. 

Viruses, too, are a part of this ecology. 

The gut microbiome is the genetic and functional profile of microbial species. Compared to the human genome's 23,000 genes, the resident gut microbial species collectively have 3.3 million genes in a single individual, demonstrating the sheer quantity and potential effect of these species on human health. Furthermore, there are almost as many bacterial cells in the human body as human cells.

In other words, think about your gut microbiota as a diverse group of species of bacteria—the more extensive and more varied the scope, the better. Your gut microbiota is formed early in your life and is impacted by several factors.

Are you new to understanding how the gut works? I have a FREE 30-minute webinar on the gut that is a very helpful primer on how our digestive system works.

5 Factors That Impact Gut Health and Inflammation

1. How You Entered the World

Were you a c-section baby, or did your mother give birth vaginally? Your answer immediately affects your gut microbiome and future susceptibility to gut inflammation.

Microbiota species that participate in the initial colonization of the GI tract vary depending on how a child is born. Cesarean section and vaginal delivery expose patients to microbes, although there are distinctions in their source. 

Because the newborn is exposed to maternal vaginal germs after vaginal delivery, its microbiota compositions reflect this location. These bacteria belong to the Lactobacillus, Prevotella, and Sneathia genera. 

Children born through cesarean section, on the other hand, are heavily influenced by their mothers' skin flora and have less diversified microbiotas. As a result, they have a more significant percentage of skin-dwelling bacteria such as Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium, and Propionibacterium.

The microbiome of a developing newborn is drastically altered by C-section birth, which seeds the microbiome with microbial species from the surrounding environment rather than beneficial microorganisms from the mother's vaginal canal. Antibiotics given to their mothers to prevent postoperative infection are also passed through the placental blood to infants delivered by C-section. Antibiotic exposure during infancy skews the formation of the newborn gut microbiota, predisposing a kid to gut inflammation and chronic inflammatory illnesses such as asthma and obesity later in life.

2. Milk Source

The type of milk taken early in life and the delivery route have an impact on the gut microbiota. Breast milk differs from formula milk in that it contains bacteria, bioactive substances, and unique nutrients. Specific bacteria species may be better adapted to intestines rich in their preferred food, like dietary fiber, because they can absorb energy. As a result, Bifidobacterium species dominate the microbiota of breastfed babies, but Enterobacteriaceae species are more common in formula-fed babies.

Intestinal permeability and total bacterial load increase due to formula feeding, which encourages the proliferation of inflammatory gut bacteria. On the other hand, breastfeeding improves anti-inflammatory Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria colonization of the infant's gut, lowering the risk of gut inflammation and chronic inflammatory disorders.

Human breast milk is considered the best source of nutrients during infancy and early childhood, ensuring optimal growth. Breast milk also contains various unique and dynamic bioactive components that aid in the immune system's development. 

Essential microorganisms, human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, and dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids are among the bioactive components. These variables all interact with intestinal commensal bacteria and/or immune cells, regulating intestinal inflammation and gut health during early life and playing a vital role in developing the intestinal microbiome.

Formula feeding causes intestinal hypertrophy and accelerates hydrolysis capacity maturation, and increased intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation. Formula feeding raises basal blood glucose and decreases plasma ketone body concentrations. Still, there are no apparent differences in postprandial glycemia, insulin, or incretin responses in both human and experimental trials.

That being said, if you are a mother who could not breastfeed, I don't want you to feel ashamed. 

While there is strong evidence that nursing benefits both newborns and mothers, the fact that millions of adults have been fed formula shows that women who are unable to breastfeed can nonetheless produce normal, healthy children. 

Women frequently feel terrible for not being able to nurse their babies or not being able to nurse them. However, there are several instances in which they are unable to do so. A woman's inability to make enough milk might be due to a multitude of physiological factors. They may be experiencing latching issues, pain, or medical challenges, or they may need to return to work early and decide not to breastfeed. Some babies are adopted, and their mothers are unable to provide breast milk.

I induced lactation and breastfed my adopted son, but because of his gut dysfunction, my diet couldn't support him and he ended up on a hypo-allergenic formula. I breastfed my daughter as long as I could, but she was incredibly tongue-tied, so eventually I had to put her on the bottle as well. Both my kids have had inflammation in their guts, partly because they were not breastfed long enough and partly because of other prenatal realities.

The good news is that we can support a gut that lacks diversity in the gut microbiome through supplementation and diet.

Want to learn more about supporting the gut microbiome? Schedule your FREE consultation!

3. Antibiotic Exposure

If antibiotics and I were in a relationship on Facebook, it would say "it's complicated." 

Antibiotics have been used to benefit public health, agriculture, and medicine, among other things. Antibiotics have also been studied for their efficacy in treating IBD, particularly for potentially harmful and invasive bacteria, such as Enterobacteriaceae. 

On the other hand, antibiotic use has been discovered to affect the taxonomic, genetic, and function of gut microbiota, with potentially long-term consequences. Antibiotic therapy alters the composition of microbial communities, creating disruptions in species-to-species interactions. Antibiotic-treated animals, for example, had higher levels of host-derived free sialic acid in the stomach, which was then used by opportunistic pathogens including Salmonella typhimurium and Clostridium difficile.

Antibiotics may have long-term impacts on gut microbiota composition; clarithromycin, metronidazole, and omeprazole were all found to have broad effects, but recovery was poor, and the effects lasted for lengthy periods. 

Antibiotic therapy can cause resistance in gut bacteria. The genes for that resistance can be passed on to other bacteria, as indicated by a rise in Enterococcus faecalis and Listeria monocytogenes after tetracycline treatment of drinking water. 

The change in gut microbiota composition and consequent surge in pathogenic bacteria proportions may raise the risk of barrier disruption and severe intestinal inflammation. In other words, antibiotic exposure may be used to cure intestinal inflammation, but it may also cause further intestinal inflammation.

My complex relationship with antibiotics can be summed up this way: "use only when necessary." They are often over-prescribed and not followed up on. 

In my own healing journey, I learned that I was going to have to do research on my own to learn the long-term effects of any antibiotics I was taking and to follow up with my doctor to make sure it was essential to remain on them.

Antibiotics diminish the diversity and number of commensal gut bacteria, allowing inflammatory pathogens like Clostridium difficile, as well as pathobionts like Escherichia and Candida, to thrive. These microbial changes can remain for months or even years after the antibiotic has been stopped. 

Their negative side effects are especially noticeable in newborns and young children, who are going through a vital period in the establishment of their gut flora.

4. Diet

Diet has an enormous influence on gut microbiota composition, encouraging the growth of organisms best suited to metabolizing widely eaten food groups. 

Western diets are high in simple sugars and high in a complex mixture of lipids, which substantially impact gut microbiome composition and frequently lead to the development of gut inflammation and other disorders, such as intestinal disease. 

Meanwhile, diets high in prebiotics and fiber, such as those found in vegetarian and Mediterranean diets, and Fermentable Oligosaccharides Disaccharides Monosaccharides and Polyols (FODMAP) diets support the formation of a healthy intestinal microbiota, lowering the risk of intestinal inflammation and disease.

Dietary habits can cause particular strains to predominate in the gut more than others, resulting in distinct phenotypic features in the host. Dietary changes will increase the availability of different nutrients, changing which strains dominate and contributing to the microbiota's dynamic nature. 

It has been discovered that those who consume more meat have drastically different gut microbiomes than those who eat primarily plants, owing to particular bacteria flourishing in the abundance of protein.

Food additives abound in ultra-processed foods, which account for nearly 60% of total energy consumption in the United States. Most food additives haven't been subjected to long-term safety studies, which is concerning given the mounting evidence of their adverse effects on gut inflammation.

Splenda, an artificial sweetener, promotes the proliferation of intestinal bacteria that cause inflammation. Carrageenan, a polysaccharide derived from seaweed that is used for thickening and emulsifying purposes, aggravates IBD. Maltodextrin, a synthetic carbohydrate used as a thickening and preservative in processed foods, increases biofilm development by enhancing the adherence of pathogenic bacteria to intestinal cells.

Intestinal permeability is increased by carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, two more common dietary emulsifiers. The whitening and brightening chemical titanium dioxide causes an inflammatory cytokine response in the intestines. 

Avoiding these common dietary additives should be a primary focus if you want to keep intestinal inflammation at bay.

Gluten causes gut inflammation in susceptible people by connecting to intestinal CXCR3 receptors, causing zonulin to be released. Zonulin is a protein that increases intestinal permeability and inflammation by facilitating the breakdown of tight junction proteins between intestinal epithelial cells. 

Gluten also triggers mast cells in the intestine, which release pro-inflammatory chemicals like histamine and tryptase, which contribute to gut inflammation.

I talk a lot about the relationship between inflammation and the gut in my FREE Leaky Gut Webinar. Download your copy below

5. Environmental Stress

Extrinsic stresses are common in our daily lives and can affect the composition and function of the gut microbiome population. 

Extrinsic stressors are divided into several groups based on specific activities such as exposure to the environment, antibiotic use, physical activity, sleep cycle, and psychological stimuli. 

These external stressors may interact with the gut microbiome, which is linked to inflammatory bowel disease.

The gut bacteria and the host have numerous bidirectional interactions. As a result, environmental influences may change the makeup and function of the gut microbiota, resulting in dysbiosis. Temperature, high altitude (HA), noise, toxicants, and pollution are among the factors that can influence gut microbiota.

Over the last 200 years, increasing urbanization has resulted in extraordinary increases in human exposure to xenobiotics such as air pollutants, hazardous waste products, and industrial chemicals that induce SCI8,161. 

Each year, an estimated 2,000 new chemicals are introduced into meals, personal care products, prescription medicines, household cleansers, and lawn care products that people use or ingest on a regular basis.

Psychological stress and compromised mental health has been linked to a variety of intestinal illnesses and has been shown to have an impact on the gut flora. The gut microbiota of mice was altered when they were exposed to stressful stimuli that mimicked the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in people. 

Other psychological pressures, such as overcrowding stress, may impact the gut microbiota, causing an increase in Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Corynebacterium, and Enterobacteriaceae abundance. 

Additionally, when psychological stress became more severe, the abundance of Peptococcaceae, Bacteroidaceae, and Clostridium increased, whereas Lactobacillus decreased.

Long Term effects of Gut Inflammation

When chronic stress in the gut goes unaddressed, a person is at risk for a host of health conditions. The gut plays a key role in the overall health of the human body. When the digestive system gets out of whack, it can lead to an immune response from the body, causing autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases, and chronic pain.

Below is a list of common outcomes of gut inflammation:

Ulcerative colitis – an inflamed gut results in blooms of Enterobacteriaceae in patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis – Data from an RA mouse model and research into the preclinical phases of the disease further support the idea that changes in the microbiota occur prior to the development of the disease.

Irritable bowel syndrome – Inflammation likely contributes to IBS pathogenesis. In IBS, studies have found that mucosal inflammation persists at the microscopic and molecular level, along with greater activation of enteroendocrine cells. There have also been reports of significant parallels between IBS and inflammatory bowel disease.

Leaky Gut – The gut becomes more permeable as the tight connections of intestinal walls loosen, allowing bacteria and toxins to move from the gut into the bloodstream. The term "leaky gut" is used to describe this occurrence. When bacteria and poisons enter the circulation through a "leaky gut," it can cause widespread inflammation and possibly stimulate an immunological response.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) – A varied gut microbiome is necessary for behavioral abnormalities, microglia activation, and Alzheimer's pathologies. According to new research, the gut microbiome promoted pathologies in a mice model, and dysbiosis of the human microbiome could be a risk factor for AD.

Crohn's disease – In Crohn's disease, the microbiome is linked to a decrease in faecal microbial variation and plays a role in the disease's pathophysiology.

Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) – Chronic, severe inflammation of the colon in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) raises the risk of colon cancer. The conversion of a healthy colon to a dysplastic colon is aided by more mild inflammation in otherwise healthy colonic tissues.

Other health outcomes related to gut inflammation include Psoriatic arthritis, chronic pain, heart disease, celiac disease, gut dysbiosis, metabolic syndrome, and joint pain.

I work with clients with all types of gut disorders. Check out my new group coaching course to see if it might be a good fit for your needs

Improving Gut Health and Reducing Inflammation

To resolve gut inflammation and reduce the chances of an inflammatory response in the body, we need to diversify gut microbes in the digestive tract. 

We can accomplish this by taking a probiotic supplement, choosing specific foods with anti-inflammatory effects, and maintaining a healthy diet.

Foods to focus on include olive oil which contains monounsaturated fatty acids and bioactive phenolic compounds, which act as neuroprotective agents due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Also, whole grains (unless you have celiac disease or a panel registers it as a food sensitivity) help reduce inflammation.

It is critical to run tests to determine food intolerances, and see if any parasites or bacteria (such as e. coli or h. pylori) are present in the gastrointestinal tract.

Take a look at the different packages I offer to see the kinds of testing I use for diagnosis.

This may surprise you, but a high-fat diet is also beneficial. Healthy fats help the gut produce hormones correctly and modify microbial function, which helps with digestion. 

Healthy digestion reduces inflammation. 

This is why the messaging in our culture about reducing fat intake is misleading and unhelpful to those with gut dysfunction. By modifying microbial function, bacterial metabolites regulate the positive role of genera in reducing inflammation. 

For example, in a recent study, the formation of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) was altered under a high-fat diet, resulting in lower butyrate levels. Butyrate is one of the most significant SCFAs for the division of colonic Tregs, which help maintain intestinal homeostasis.

Food intake plays a critical role in transforming the gut. Healthy adults who make a simple change from inflammatory foods to an anti-inflammatory diet will promote good gut health and begin seeing positive changes immediately. 

It may be time to give up those soft drinks and fries from your favorite fast-food restaurant. There is a direct relationship between what we put in our bodies and our overall health outcomes. To promote good bacteria in the large intestine and small intestine, it is important to eat a whole foods diet with as many anti-inflammatory foods as possible.

Are you experiencing gut inflammation? I would love to connect with you through a consultation. It’s FREE and takes just 20 minutes. Don’t go it alone.