Gut Microbiome and Autoimmune Disorders: All You Need to Know 

What Is the Gut Microbiome?

The term gut microbiome refers to a community of microorganisms, around 40 trillion bacterial cells, which resides in the gastrointestinal tract of the human body.

These microorganisms play a major role in essential functions of the human body, including digestion, absorption, immune regulation, and so on.

Neonates or infants are exposed to microbes for the very first time during childbirth itself or sometimes during first breastfeeding. The microbiomes evolve due to exposure to various factors such as medications, diet, lifestyle regime, and environment.

Functions of the Gut Microbiome

The gut microbiome has an important role in various vital functions of the body.

• Digestion: The gut microbiome helps break down complex carbohydrates and dietary fibres that are difficult to digest.
• Nutrient Synthesis and Absorption: The gut microbiome synthesises essential vitamins like B12 and K and helps to enhance the absorption of other nutrients.
• Immune Regulation: The microbiome prevents harmful pathogens or other harmful bacteria from entering the bloodstream by maintaining the gut barrier, thus promoting immunity.
• Promotion of Mental Health: A healthy gut microbiome influences the mental health of an individual through the gut-brain axis

Importance of a Balanced Microbiome

An unhealthy diet and overuse of antibiotics lead to an imbalance in the gut microbiome population. Imbalance in microbial populations leads to various health problems, including gastrointestinal disorders like SIBO, Ulcerative Colitis, and Crohn's disease, and various metabolic disorders like obesity, diabetes, and so on. It also affects an individual's mental health. This imbalance is called Dysbiosis.

A balanced gut microbiome is so crucial for an individual's overall health. To prevent dysbiosis and promote balanced gut microbiome which are healthy, you should consume a diet rich in prebiotics (which feed good bacteria) and probiotics (good live bacteria). Foods like yoghurt and fermented products help repopulate beneficial gut bacteria and improve overall health.

Signs of an Imbalanced Microbiome

An imbalance in the microbiome population is referred to as Dysbiosis. It can manifest as various physical and psychological signs and symptoms.

Common Signs of Microbiome Imbalance are :

• Digestive disorders: The most common digestive manifestations are constipation, bloating, gas, frequent diarrhoea, heaviness and fullness even after a light meal, sour regurgitation, and heartburn. These difficulties are due to improper digestion and metabolism and the inability to completely process food due to the imbalanced gut microbiome.
• Food Allergies or hypersensitivities: Dysbiosis can also cause exaggerated sensitivity to certain foods, which can be allergies, intolerances, or simple sensitivity. This occurs when the good bacteria in the gut are insufficient or not capable enough to break down that particular food effectively.
• Skin issues: Skin issues such as acne, dermatitis, and eczema may arise from inflammation due to imbalances in the gut microbiome. A healthy microbiome population is vital for skin health, as it ensures proper nutrient assimilation and absorption and reduces skin inflammation.
• Oral Health Issues: Symptoms like bad breath(halitosis), frequent mouth ulcers, inflammation inside the mouth, and gum problems indicate Dysbiosis in the oral microbiome. This happens when the pathogenic exogenous bacteria in the mouth outnumber the beneficial bacteria. So, it is essential to reduce the exogenous bacteria in the mouth.
• Frequent Infections: The Body becomes more susceptible to infections due to a weak immune system and improper immune regulation. Frequent infections stem from a weakened immune response due to Dysbiosis, as beneficial bacteria play an important role in immune function.
• Chronic Fatigue: Dysbiosis leads to improper metabolism and nutrient absorption, which in turn leads to inflammation's long-term persistence. This leads to chronic fatigue. Even with adequate rest and proper food intake, the individual suffers chronic fatigue because of Dysbiosis.
• Unexpected Weight Loss: In addition to improper nutrient absorption, an imbalanced gut microbiome causes metabolic disruptions and affects fat storage, leading to unexplained weight loss.

In addition to the above-mentioned physical symptoms, They also lead to physiological symptoms. The physiological symptoms include Cognitive Issues, Mood swings and so on.

• Cognitive Issues: Dysbiosis impacts cognitive function through inflammatory pathways and results in Difficulty concentrating or brain fog.
• Mood Swings: Dysbiosis affects the production of mood-regulating chemicals like serotonin due to gut-brain connection and leads to symptoms like anxiety, depression and mood swings.

It is very important to recognise the symptoms and causative factors of the above symptoms as early as possible so that effective treatment options can be started as soon as possible.

Link Between Gut Health and Autoimmune Disorders

Research claims that the gut microbiome has been recognised as a significant factor in the development and progression of autoimmune disorders.

The major causative factor of autoimmune diseases is due to the complex interactions between gut microbes and the immune system.

Autoimmune disorders such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Type 1 diabetes are linked to imbalances in the composition of gut microbiota. Dysbiosis leads to the immune system's ability to distinguish its own cells from foreign antigens, leading to autoimmune responses.

Supporting Gut Health 

A few dietary changes, Lifestyle modifications, proper stress management, and the intake of a few supplements (prebiotic and probiotic) can help support your gut health and protect it against Dysbiosis.

Dietary & Lifestyle Tips

Dietary inclusions

• Consume a fibre-rich diet because fibre acts as a prebiotic (that feeds and promotes beneficial bacteria in the gut), helps the gut microbiome, and prevents Dysbiosis.
• Include fermented foods into your diet as fermented foods are rich in probiotics (that promote and maintain beneficial bacteria in the gut.
• In addition to fibre, include polyphenol-rich foods like berries, green tea, and red wine (in a moderate quantity). Polyphenols support and maintain diverse gut microbiota.
• Include Anti-inflammatory foods and spices in your diet. As mentioned above, diets rich in fibre, polyphenols, etc., also help reduce inflammation. Anti-inflammatory herbs like turmeric and ginger help reduce inflammation, which is always associated with any type of autoimmune disease.
• Include animal and plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids in your regular diet. Fatty fish, Lean meat, Flax seeds, Walnuts, and Chia seeds support beneficial microbiota and prevent Dysbiosis.
• Stay hydrated because a well-hydrated body and gut maintain balanced gut microbiota.

Dietary exclusions

• Limit ultra-processed foods that are high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. Instead, include whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
• Limiting alcohol intake leads to Dysbiosis by causing an imbalance of the gut microbiome.

Lifestyle modifications

• Try to avoid overuse of  Antibiotics: Antibiotics are sometimes necessary to treat pathogenic bacteria and infectious diseases. However, prolonged or overuse of antibiotics kills the good bacteria in the gut, leading to Dysbiosis.
•  Good quality of sleep: Try to get uninterrupted and deep sleep for at least 6- 8 hours for better gut health
• Stress Management: High and consistent stress releases certain hormones, which badly affect gut health. Incorporating techniques such as meditation, yoga, exercise, and regular physical activity helps manage stress effectively.
• Health Check-ups regularly: Regular health check-ups help to identify food intolerances and other gut-related issues. This leads to personalised advice on common foods that trigger gut issues, relevant guidance on suitable probiotic strains that the body needs, and dietary advice for gut health to reduce dysbiosis-related autoimmune diseases.

Probiotic Foods

Probiotic foods contain live microorganisms that promote and maintain beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Probiotic foods play a significant role in modulating immune responses and potentially preventing autoimmune disorders.

• Probiotics modulate Gut Microbiota and restore its balance in the gut.
• Probiotic bacteria interact with immune cells (IgA and T-cells), increase the production of immunoglobulin A (IgA), and influence the immune modulating activity of T-cells, thereby preventing autoimmune reactions.
• Probiotic foods produce anti-inflammatory compounds and inhibit pathogenic microorganisms.

Types of Probiotic Foods

• Fermented Dairy Products like Yogurt and kefir
• Non-Dairy Fermented Foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha
• Probiotic Supplements offer a dose-specific and concentrated source of good microbiome.

Prebiotic Foods

Prebiotic foods are foods that feed and promote good bacteria in the gut and help prevent Dysbiosis.

Prebiotic foods cannot be broken down with digestive enzymes, so they ferment in the gut with the help of gut bacteria. This, in turn, helps in the production of short-chain fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties. This can greatly prevent autoimmune disorders (where inflammation is the key symptom).

• Prebiotic bacteria strengthen the intestinal barrier and help prevent conditions like leaky gut, Inflammatory bowel disease (which includes Crohn's disease and Ulcerative colitis ), and other autoimmune disorders, all of which stem from the gut.

Various sources of Prebiotic foods are:

Garlic, onion, asparagus, under-ripe bananas, wheat barley, oats and rye, peas, chickpeas, lentils, cocoa, and raw honey are well-known Prebiotic foods.

Conclusion

Incorporating Probiotic and prebiotic foods in one's daily diet helps enhance gut health and modulate the immune response, which can prevent autoimmune conditions.

In summary, nurturing the ecosystem of the gut microbiome helps maintain its balance. Dysbiosis helps modulate the immune response and prevent autoimmune disorders.