Much like a fingerprint, the gut microbiome is unique to each individual and is influenced by your genetic makeup, lifestyle and environment. Given its profound impact on our overall health, it’s important to take care of this microbial community so it can continue to take care of us. But what makes a healthy gut microbiome, and what can you do to improve the health of yours?
What shapes a microbiome?
Your gut microbiome begins to develop from the moment you’re born. Whether you were delivered vaginally or via caesarean section, whether you were breastfed or formula-fed, and the environments you encounter in your early years all contribute to shaping your microbiome1. This highly dynamic community starts to stabilise around the age of three, but your diet and lifestyle choices continue to influence it throughout your life. Things such as diet, stress levels, sleep patterns, physical activity, what medications you use and where you live all influence the diversity and abundance of microbial species in your gut. These lifestyle factors can vary even among your closest friends and family, so it makes sense that we each have a microbiome that is unique to us.
So, what does a healthy microbiome look like?
While it’s difficult to say what exactly makes up a healthy microbiome, the research has made it clear that that a more diverse microbiome is generally associated with better health2. This is because different bacteria perform different functions; having a wider variety of gut bacteria (and the right balance of these species) means your microbiome is better equipped to carry out the numerous functions that support your immune, metabolic, and nervous systems. Researchers now think that it is what your gut microbiome does—rather than exactly which species are there
—that holds the key to a healthy microbiome.
In addition to performing more vital functions, having a diverse community of beneficial bacteria can help protect your gut against disease-causing microbes3. Invading pathogens attempt to settle within the gastrointestinal tract, but if the niche is already occupied by diverse beneficial bacteria that are consuming all the nutrients, pathogens are more easily crowded out. This is why some people can get serious infections after taking antibiotics—broad spectrum antibiotics wipe out all bacteria (including the beneficial ones); with the newly evacuated space, pathogens have more room to set up camp.
A diverse microbiome is generally associated with better digestion, stronger immunity, reduced inflammation, and even improved mental health. Conversely, a less diverse microbiome has been linked to various diseases, including metabolic conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes, and immune-mediated conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and allergies4. Having the right balance and diversity of microbes can improve the resilience of your gut microbiome, supporting optimal health and well-being.
Tips for building a diverse microbiome
Luckily, you can improve the health of your gut microbiome with a few simple lifestyle choices.
Diversify your diet
Diet is one of the key factors shaping the composition and function of the gut microbiome, and it can change in response to a new diet in as little as a few days5. This means that every day you have an opportunity to build a more diverse and resilient gut microbiome.
Try incorporating a wide variety of plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds into your diet. These foods are high in dietary fibre, which are the primary fuel for beneficial gut bacteria. When microbes break down dietary fibre, they produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and other compounds that are beneficial for your health. Different bacteria prefer different types of food, so the diversity of plant foods you consume is also important for nourishing a diverse and healthy microbiome6.
Prebiotics and probiotics
Prebiotics are dietary compounds found primarily in plant-based foods that stimulate the growth or activity of gut bacteria that are beneficial to our health7,8. We can’t digest them ourselves, so the bacteria in the large intestine break them down and produce important health-promoting compounds in the process. Prebiotic fibres are associated with improved gut barrier function, improved immune function, and enhanced SCFA production. Try incorporating prebiotic-rich foods such as bananas, grapefruit, cashews and pistachio nuts, vegetables such as garlic, onion and Jerusalem artichokes, and whole grain wheat, oats and barley.
Probiotics, on the other hand, are ‘live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit to the host’9. These are living microorganisms found in some types of food that offer positive health effects. While evidence in humans is limited, it is thought that consuming probiotic fermented foods may help increase microbial diversity. Try out different types of fermented foods such as kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut and yogurt to introduce new beneficial bacteria to your gut microbiome.
Stay active
We know that exercise is good for us, but it’s also good for your gut. Research shows that undertaking moderate to high-intensity exercise for 30–90 minutes at least three times a week can lead to beneficial changes in the gut microbiome, including increased microbial diversity10. In some individuals, exercise can even increase the number of bacteria that produce the beneficial SCFA butyrate11.
Manage your stress
Studies in animals have shown that stress, whether it is psychological, environmental or physical, is associated with reduced microbial diversity and reduced abundance of beneficial bacteria12. This relationship is reciprocal—bacteria in the gut can produce (or stimulate the production of) neurotransmitters or other signalling molecules that are associated with mood and mental well-being.
While more research is needed to understand how stress affects the human gut microbiome, finding ways to reduce your stress may still lead to improvements in your overall health. Practice stress-reduction techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, yoga or mindfulness to support a healthy gut-brain axis and reduce the impact of stress on your microbiome.
The take-away
Diversity is key when it comes to the health of the gut microbiome. The good news is that simple lifestyle habits like eating a diverse diet, moving your body and reducing stress can help increase microbial diversity to support your overall health.
References
- Arrieta, M.-C., Stiemsma, L. T., Amenyogbe, N., Brown, E. M. & Finlay, B. The Intestinal Microbiome in Early Life: Health and Disease. Frontiers in Immunology 5, doi:10.3389/fimmu.2014.00427 (2014).
- Lloyd-Price, J., Abu-Ali, G. & Huttenhower, C. The healthy human microbiome. Genome Med 8, doi:10.1186/s13073-016-0307-y (2016).
- Spragge, F. et al. Microbiome diversity protects against pathogens by nutrient blocking. Science 382, doi:10.1126/science.adj3502 (2023).
- Mosca, A., Leclerc, M. & Hugot, J. P. Gut Microbiota Diversity and Human Diseases: Should We Reintroduce Key Predators in Our Ecosystem? Frontiers in Microbiology 7, doi:10.3389/fmicb.2016.00455 (2016).
- David, L. A. et al. Diet rapidly and reproducibly alters the human gut microbiome. Nature 505, 559-563, doi:10.1038/nature12820 (2014).
- Heiman, M. L. & Greenway, F. L. A healthy gastrointestinal microbiome is dependent on dietary diversity. Mol Metab 5, 317-320, doi:10.1016/j.molmet.2016.02.005 (2016).
- Slavin, J. Fiber and Prebiotics: Mechanisms and Health Benefits. Nutrients 5, 1417-1435, doi:10.3390/nu5041417 (2013).
- Davani-Davari, D. et al. Prebiotics: Definition, Types, Sources, Mechanisms, and Clinical Applications. Foods 8, doi:10.3390/foods8030092 (2019).
- Hill, C. et al. Expert consensus document. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 11, 506-514, doi:10.1038/nrgastro.2014.66 (2014).
- Boytar, A. N., Skinner, T. L., Wallen, R. E., Jenkins, D. G. & Dekker Nitert, M. The Effect of Exercise Prescription on the Human Gut Microbiota and Comparison between Clinical and Apparently Healthy Populations: A Systematic Review. Nutrients 15, doi:10.3390/nu15061534 (2023).
- Allen, J. M. et al. Exercise Alters Gut Microbiota Composition and Function in Lean and Obese Humans. Med Sci Sports Exerc 50, 747-757, doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000001495 (2018).
- Karl, J. P. et al. Effects of Psychological, Environmental and Physical Stressors on the Gut Microbiota. Front Microbiol 9, 2013, doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.02013 (2018).
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