Healthy Gut Microbiome: Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatments

Do you experience symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome? Luckily, there are irritable bowel syndrome treatments available in Newport through Deimler Chiropractic! Our registered dietician can help you identify healthy habits that you can form to help you prevent IBS symptoms from flaring up. Learn more about how your gut microbiome can affect your overall health!

Maintaining a healthy digestive tract is the beginning of making sure your body absorbs the nutrients it needs from the foods we eat. Our gut microbiome is the community of microorganisms (including bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.) that live in or on a particular part of the body such as our skin or in our intestinal tract. This community is considered an additional organ in the body, same as our heart, lungs, and kidneys. This microbiome significantly impacts our overall health by stimulating or suppressing our immune system, assists in digestion of foods, creates certain essential nutrients such as B vitamins, amino acids, and short chain fatty acids. One of the biggest responsibilities of this organization is to maintain the health of the intestinal lining to optimize nutrient absorption. Without taking proper care of our gut microbiota, it can lead to an imbalance of organisms called gut dysbiosis.

The symptoms of gut dysbiosis can include both short term and long-term concerns. Short term symptoms may include stomach discomfort, gas, bloating, diarrhea, and bad breath. Long term symptoms can include Inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, and more.

Our diet choices directly affect our microbiome health. Diets higher in saturated fats, sugar, and excessive protein negatively affect the microbiota balance and increase gut inflammation (which affects nutrient absorption) and increases risks for cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, and cognitive decline. Diets including probiotics and adequate fiber have been proven to improve insulin sensitivity, reduce gut inflammation, and improve lipid metabolism. 

Food sources of probiotics include yogurt, kefir, Kombucha, tempeh, and other fermented foods such as miso, kimchi, sauerkraut. Prebiotics are fermentable fibers in foods that feed the probiotic bacteria to keep them healthy. Foods that include prebiotics are artichoke​s, onions​, garlic​, leeks, bananas​, asparagus, oats, dry beans, and whole grains. Our diet choices in addition to our eating behaviors can contribute to taking good care of our gut microbiota. Eating at appropriate intervals, practicing good posture, chewing foods thoroughly, and eating slowly can also ensure that our body uses the nutrients we consume efficiently.

A healthy diet alone does not support a healthy microbiome, it is only one piece of the puzzle. A regular exercise routine, adequate and good quality sleep, stress management, smoking cessation, limiting alcohol intake, and limiting/avoiding certain over the counter or prescription medications are also important factors in maintaining a healthy microbiome. 

If you would like to work towards these healthy habits but aren’t sure where to start with making changes, we are happy to help. If you experience symptoms of IBS, we can also work with you to identify small lifestyle changes to provide irritable bowel syndrome treatment. Call Deimler Chiropractic today at (717) 567-3158 to schedule an appointment with our registered dietician!