Wellbeing

The Gut Microbiome – your partner for life

Keeping your gut microbiome happy could be the key to life-long wellbeing

From birth, we are colonised with a host of microorganisms that mainly live within our gut – and so begins the life-long relationship between your gut microbiome and you. It is estimated that there are 39 trillion bacterial cells in your body compared to only 30 trillion human cells meaning you are technically more bacteria than you are human… but what does this relationship mean for us and our health?

The early stages of the relationship

How you are born is the first key milestone for your gut microbiome. When born naturally, the initial composition of bacteria comes as the baby leaves the uterus. Under a c-section, the baby doesn’t travel through the same way and so doesn’t gather the bacteria from their mother, instead they are colonised by the bacteria in the room and environment they arrive into. The development of the microbiome is then shaped by the infant’s diet. Breast feeding is the natural and best way of feeding an infant to promote their development and health. Breast milk provides the ideal balance of nutrients for the infant, and significantly contains human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). These unique complex sugars feed the good gut bacteria, such as bifidobacteria, which helps to shape the infant gut microbiome. By the age of 3 the gut microbiome has developed to an adult-like composition. And so concludes the first chapter in the relationship between your gut microbiome and you.

The honeymoon period

Luckily, the rest of your life is the honeymoon period for your gut microbiome and you. Your gut microbiome has many interactions with your overall health, with the potential to influence a number of areas including:

– Immunity
– Weight management
– Digestion
– Mental health

A bad relationship with your gut microbiome could come from poor lifestyle choices. Eating a diet low in fibre, and lacking variety, as well as smoking and alcohol consumption, are all likely to have a negative effect on your gut microbiome. Other factors that might negatively impact the gut microbiome include lack of exercise, mental health related issues, such as lack of sleep and high stress levels. Although not a lifestyle choice, antibiotic usage can also disrupt the gut microbiome.

How to build a good relationship with your gut microbiome

Somewhat linked to the points made above, the opposite behaviours will be beneficial for the gut microbiome. Getting a sensible amount of sleep, managing stress levels and exercising regularly will lead to a healthier you and a happier gut microbiome. The easiest way however to show your gut microbiome some TLC is through diet. Although there is no consensus in what the perfect gut microbiome looks like it is widely accepted that a diverse microbiome is beneficial for health. A diverse diet contributes to a diverse gut microbiome and therefore adding a wide a variety of fruits, vegetables, wholegrain cereals, nuts and seeds to your diet helps to keep your gut microbiome happy. As a way to complement a heathy lifestyle, probiotic or prebiotic supplement can be explored on top of a balanced diet.

This is where Bimuno DAILY comes in… The multi-award winning Bimuno DAILY is the most widely studied prebiotic product on the market. It is created using a naturally occurring enzyme and works by feeding the bifidobacteria in your gut. When taken daily it works in just 7 days*. The taste-free, convenient sachets effortlessly fit into your daily routine alongside a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. It is also suitable for vegetarians and is gluten-free. The product comes in powder form and can be mixed into any food or drink – hot or cold. The product has almost 3,500 reviews on Trustpilot which rate it as excellent.

For as little as 30p a day you could be feeding the beneficial bacteria in your gut, by subscribing today you’ll receive a 25 percent discount on your first order of Bimuno Daily.

* Scientific data shows that daily use of Bimuno increases bifidobacterial levels within 7 days, results may vary.