Antibiotics and chronic fatigue
Energy is produced in cell organelles called mitochondria. Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell and by extension body. They contain a different DNA to DNA found in the nucleus of your cells and this mitochondrial DNA is inherited exclusively from your mother. The reason for this separate DNA is because they are in fact a type of bacteria, therefore every time you take antibiotics some of your mitochondria are destroyed. This leads to a reduction in energy production, fatigue and damage to the body due to less fuel to repair the system. Overuse of antibiotics can result in chronic fatigue. Is this relates to you then mitochondrial therapy would be the best approach to take, you can read more about it here
The powers of butyric acid
- Butyuric acid – a potent antioxidant produced by our beneficial gut bacteria. It can migrate to the brain where it fights free radicals making sure that the brain is not damaged by excess stress it may incur.
- It can calm down the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, making you feel more relaxed and less stressed.
- The mitochondria can use it to produce energy in the form of ATP.
- Eat the stalks of brassicas, such as broccoli and cauliflower to increase your butyric acid levels
Secretory immunoglobulin A and Probiotics
If you have a weak immune system, probiotics are a great option as they stimulate secretion of secretary immunoglobulin A (sIgA), which lines your digestive tract and is your first line of defence.
Low levels can be reported in stools tests of those with a weak immune system – if you suffer with constant colds or pick up flu bugs easily this could relate to you. A recent client picked up the flu bug this year and last and was ill for several weeks, so I checked her levels and sure enough they were low. One thing that reduces secretary immunoglobulin A is stress, which made sense in this case.
Probiotics can stimulate sIgA production more so than fermented foods and drinks.
Keep your gut moisturised
Short Chain Fatty Acid’s (SCFA’s) act as a lotion for our mucous membranes lining the digestive tract. They help to prevent leaky gut, read more about leaky gut here
Just as you would moisturise chapped skin to protect it, you also need to protect your internal skin too. This is the job of the SCFA’s which are produced by gut bacteria.
SCFA’s improve the connection between the gut and the brain too.
Processed foods wreak havoc
Emulsifiers, which are found in many if not all processed foods, inhibit the krebs cycle (energy production) in beneficial bacteria which therefore die. This drastically damages the gut microbiome causing a whole host of knock on effects to the rest of the body such as reduced immunity, weight gain, leaky gut and systemic inflammation.
Did you know that 5% of mayonnaise is cellulose, which is basically paper?! This again hugely disrupts our gut bacteria. The answer is to make your own mayo!
Thickeners such as cellulose have a negative impact on the microbiome by decreasing the diversity.
In short, processed foods reduce the diversity of the gut bacteria, which in turn reduces the production SCFA’s which means less protection at the absorption sites on the mucous membranes, leading to leaky gut and increased inflammation and mood disorders.
Some number facts
- 90% of all disease can be traced in some way back to the gut and health of the microbiome
- There are more than 10,000 different microbe species researchers have identified living in the human body
- The genes in our microbiome outnumber the genes in our genome by about 100 to 1!
- There are 10 times as many outside organisms as there are human cells in the human body
If you would like anymore information please email me naomi@gutnutrition.co.uk or call 07850897304