4 Things You Might Not Know Are Damaging Your Gut and What To Do About It
Dr. Megan Tantillo DNP
One of the most common complaints among members is IBS or irritable bowel syndrome. I’ve been there… constant bloating, sharp gas pain, constipation and diarrhea.
Eat more fiber and drink more water, they said. Try MiraLAX. I suffered without real solutions, and I know many of our members did, too.
Little did I know at the time, my diet and lifestyle didn’t exactly support my gut health. I had a history of asthma and allergies, was on long-term antibiotics (more on that later), hormonal contraception, and I’ll admit it, loves ice-cream. 😍
After completing a gut healing protocol and prioritizing nutrition, my gut and I have come a long way.
But had I known then what I know now, I could have avoided years of suffering with gastro symptoms.
Here are 4 things you might not realize are damaging to the gut and negatively influencing gut flora, and what you can do about it.
Antibiotics
I know better now but as a child, I looked forward to the bubblegum amoxicillin in the fridge when I was sick. In highschool, I took minocycline to treat acne for years unknowingly of long term side effects. In college, I was prescribed rounds of antibiotics for chronic sinus infections my provider thought was the right treatment.
It wasn’t until nursing school I started to put the pieces together. While antibiotics are life-saving, when used in excess or inappropriately, antibiotics can be extremely harmful. Antibiotics take the good bacteria with the bad, and have an overall negative impact on gut flora, reducing beneficial Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and raising harmful Clostridia and yeasts like candida.
What to do about it: Remember, antibiotics are only helpful when there is evidence of bacterial infection. Antibiotics simply do not treat viruses. Work with your healthcare provider to investigate and understand the root cause of your symptoms.
I believe acne is generally a reflection of internal health, and requires an inside out strategy to appreciate long term results. To start, I recommend replacing beneficial bacteria by supplementing with a multi-strain probiotic such as Seed.
Paid partnership with Seed
Sugar
When I was growing up the impact sugar has on the microbiome wasn’t as widely understood as it is today. Though we are still studying how sugar impacts the gut exactly, there is evidence sugar negatively impacts flora.
Sugar creates a favorable environment for pathogenic microbes such as yeast to overgrow, further driving dysbiosis or imbalanced gut flora, causing negative systemic effects such as IBS, brain fog, mood changes and skin eruptions.
What to do about it: Avoid added sugars and processed food as often as possible. Enjoy natural sugars such as whole fruit, dried fruit, honey, coconut sugar, etc. best paired with protein and fiber. Think: Tangy yogurt, fresh berries and a swirl of local honey.
Insatiable sugar cravings may indicate dysbiosis or an imbalance in gut flora. Work with a healthcare provider to assess microbial diversity and make the appropriate changes to correct dysbiosis.
Not eating enough fiber
Fiber is like miracle grow to beneficial gut flora. Our good gut bacteria need fiber to survive. Gut bacteria digest fiber resulting in the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
These SCFAs offer numerous benefits and are fuel for the enterocytes or colon cells. Not enough fiber = not enough SCFAs to reap the benefits and feed the gut cells to maintain gut wall integrity and digestive function.
What to do about it: Support the good bugs with a colorful diet of vegetables. The more diverse, the better! Many people benefit from prebiotic supplementation. I recommend Seed’s multi-strain probiotic as it’s outer capsule is made from prebiotic fiber! Two-for-one!
Stress
The mind-body connection is real. Stress negatively affects digestive function, absorption, and the integrity of the gut wall.
Stress weakens the gut wall allowing partially digested food and bacteria to enter into the bloodstream eliciting an immune response. This low grade inflammation is additional physical stress on the body, worsening damage leading to more negative systemic symptoms.
What to do about it: Start actively managing stress. Work with a mental health professional to build your tool kit. Some of my go-to tools are exercise, meditation and gratitude.
While emotional stress management is critical, physical stress on the body such as over-exercising, under-eating and a hidden infection or dysbiosis also contributes.
Megan is a doctorate prepared family nurse practitioner and lead health coach here at Holistic Health Code. Her passion is helping women and families reach their health goals and live healthier, happier lives.
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