How Genetics and the Environment Influence Your Gut

A great deal of research is being published on the subject of genetics and tailored wellness. Our gastrointestinal health is not only determined by the environment we live in but also by our genes. This is why no single diet is universally successful. Different people have different biochemical makeups, based on their genes, which determines how well they can tolerate different foods. The symptoms of indigestion can include an upset stomach, abdominal pain, nausea, gas, bloating, heartburn, constipation, and/or diarrhea.

This article will discuss how the environment sets the foundation for proper gut health, and the role of genetics as an influencer.

THE ENVIRONMENT

The environment a person is in can be comprised of many external stimuli. A discussion about gut health will always involve food. The environment is largely managed by food. You have to make choices three to four times a day. To maintain optimum gut health, it is important to consume nutrient-rich whole foods at every meal. Real food is not processed or packaged like the food-like products in the aisles of the grocery store. Food-like products tend to be highly processed and nutrient-devoid. The food that is considered to be “real” consists of plants and meat/fish that has not been processed to a point where it is no longer considered to be high quality. The following foods are packed with minerals that are key for healthy connective tissue and gut wall, amino acids that are precursors to neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin (both important for digestion), vitamins for optimal biochemical enzyme activity, and a host of other vital nutrients. Eating unprocessed, natural foods is necessary for good gut health.

FOOD SENSITIVITIES

Environmental factors such as food sensitivities and allergies can affect a person. [One’s] food sensitivities are not determined by [one’s] genetics, but by [one’s] environment. While food allergies can cause noticeable symptoms like hives, trouble breathing, and itching, food sensitivities can cause more subtle reactions that might not appear until 6-48 hours after you eat the offending food. There are a range of symptoms that can be associated with food sensitivity, including headache, fatigue, bloating and skin irritation. If someone has a food sensitivity and they eat chicken eggs, this will cause inflammation in the GI tract. Chronic inflammation in the gut can worsen the condition known as ‘leaky gut’ (or intestinal hyperpermeability), reduce nutrient absorption, and cause an imbalance in the ratio of bacteria in the gut. This can lead to the indigestion symptoms mentioned earlier.

ANTIBIOTICS

Antibiotics have a remarkable effect on the digestive tract. Antibiotics trigger large shifts in microbial diversity. The gastrointestinal tract can be thought of as a complex and diverse jungle, with a variety of plants, trees, animals, and insects working together to thrive. Now imagine a pesticide coming in and destroying certain parts of this ecosystem. Which plants and animals will thrive after this event? The speed of growth for weeds varies depending on the environment they are growing in. This is what happens when you use antibiotics: the good bacteria die along with the bad, which then gives the bad bacteria a chance to grow unchecked. Althoug over-prescribed and misused, antibiotics are useful and life-saving, according to public health officials. Probiotic supplements usually contain fewer than 10 species of bacteria, while the human gut contains around 500 different species. The destruction of a single species of bacteria by an antibiotic may have irreparable consequences for the gut microbiome as a whole. Even though probiotics are very helpful in reducing indigestion symptoms, some people still experience indigestion. This is usually because of post-antibiotic use.

What is the microbiome?

Now picture that same city, but the sidewalks are ghost towns. The city has become a ghost town. The microbiome refers to the trillions of microorganisms (also called microbiota or microbes) of thousands of different species that live inside our bodies.

This includes not only bacteria, but also fungi, parasites, and viruses. In a healthy person, microorganisms that live in the body coexist peacefully. The largest numbers of these microorganisms are found in the small and large intestines, but they are also present throughout the rest of the body. The microbiome is a community of microorganisms that live on and inside the human body. It is even labeled a supporting organ because it plays so many key roles in promoting the smooth daily operations of the human body, such as digesting food, producing vitamins, and protecting against infection.

Each person’s microbiota is entirely unique and determined by their DNA. An infant’s first exposure to microorganisms is during delivery, as they pass through the birth canal, and also through their mother’s breast milk. Infants are only exposed to the microorganisms that their mother has. one’s microbiome can be changed by later environment exposures and diet to be either beneficial to health or pose a greater disease risk

The microbiome is made up of microbes that can be both helpful and harmful. The vast majority of microbes living in or on the human body are symbiotic, meaning that both the human body and the microbiota benefit from the relationship. A small number of microbes are pathogenic, meaning that they promote disease. Both pathogenic and symbiotic microbes can exist in a healthy body without causing problems. If the balance of bacteria is disturbed, for example by an infection, certain diets, or the prolonged use of antibiotics, this is called dysbiosis and normal interactions between bacteria are disrupted. If the body doesn’t get enough sleep, it may become more vulnerable to illness.

How microbiota benefit the body

The bacteria in our gut play an important role in keeping us healthy. They help to stimulate the immune system, break down potentially toxic food compounds, and synthesize certain vitamins and amino acids, including the B vitamins and vitamin K. This is an example of how the key enzymes needed to form vitamin B12 are found in bacteria and not in plants and animals.

Carbohydrates that are easier to digest, like table sugar and lactose, are absorbed more quickly in the upper part of the small intestine. Carbohydrates that are more complex, like starches and fibers, take longer to digest and may travel lower to the large intestine. The microbiota present in this area help to break down these compounds using their digestive enzymes. When indigestible fibers are fermented, short chain fatty acids (SCFA) are produced. These can be used by the body as a nutrient source, and they also play an important role in muscle function and in preventing chronic diseases such as certain cancers and bowel disorders. Studies done with patients have shown that SCFA may help improve symptoms for those with ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and antibiotic-related diarrhea.

The helpful bacteria in a healthy person’s gut will protect them from harmful bacteria that can cause disease.

Many different types of bacteria are present in the human gut, including Prevotella, Ruminococcus, Bacteroides, and Firmicutes. In the colon, you will find anaerobic bacteria such as Peptostreptococcus, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Clostridium. These bacteria thrive in low oxygen environments. It is believed that these microbes help to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria by taking up nutrients and attachment sites that would otherwise be used by harmful bacteria. This is significant because the gut is a major site of immune activity and production of antimicrobial proteins.

The role of probiotics

What can we do to make sure our microbiota is healthy? You may be familiar with probiotics or perhaps already using them. These food items and supplement pills contain microbiota or live active bacteria which are said to help with digestion and promote a healthy digestive system. Probiotic supplements sales are projected to increase from $35 billion in 2015 to $65 billion by 2024. Though you may think the health claims are false, they make up a large part of the market. This industry is growing along with the new research.

Dr. Allan Walker, a professor of nutrition at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School, thinks that probiotic supplements might be helpful in some cases, even though research on the topic is contradictory. Probiotics are effective at both ends of the age spectrum because that is when your microbes are not as robust as they normally are. The colonization process of bacteria can be more effectively influenced with probiotics during specific periods. He also mentions that probiotics may be helpful in reducing the severity of diarrhea after exposure to pathogens, or by replenishing the normal bacteria in the intestine after a patient uses antibiotics. ” Walker states that there are various conditions which cause an imbalance within the intestine. Probiotics will not have a significant impact on the health of a healthy adult or older child who is not taking antibiotics.

Since probiotics are considered supplements and not food, they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States. Unless the supplement company provides information on the quality of their product, there is no guarantee that the bacteria in the probiotic pill are alive and active.

GENETICS & YOUR GUT

Although the human genome project was completed in 2003, there has been a lot of new information from genetics research since then. This new research is happening at the same time as the research on gut health and the microbiome. Nutrigenomics is the study of how nutrition and lifestyle choices affect our genes. Nutrigenomics may detect that someone has a lower genetic ability to create certain enzymes, which may make them more likely to develop certain diseases. Nutrigenomics is not a treatment for genetic diseases.

New research has found that families have very similar microbiomes. The environment (air quality, water source, shared diets, and other lifestyle choices) play a role in this, but there is also a genetic influence that is independent from the environment. Gut microbiomes that come from familial genes that are put into different environments are still related to each other. This is a direct genetic influence on gut health. This phrase means that people tend to be similar to their parents in terms of personality and behaviors.

Patients with lactose intolerance have a direct genetic influence on gut health. This is a genetic issue relating to the production of lactase. Some people only produce a small amount of lactase and are mildly intolerant to lactose, while others produce very little lactase and are severely intolerant. Another inheritable digestive problem is fructose malabsorption. The ALDOB gene produces Aldolase B, an enzyme that breaks down fructose into usable glucose. There is a wide range of possible symptoms caused by low blood sugar, including vomiting, stomach pain, and liver disease. Although rare, there are other enzyme deficiencies that can impact digestion due to genetic mutations.

INDIRECT GENETIC INFLUENCE

There are many other examples of how genes can indirectly influence gut health. The HLA genes are an example of a gene that produces proteins that act as immune system regulators. Some patients may carry genes that make them more likely to develop autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and Celiac disease.

Genetic variants are not considered to be genetic mutations or genetic diseases. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been discovered to play a role in an individual’s health. SNP’s influence the functionality of a gene. Everyone has thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which differ in their influence and importance. Just because you have a SNP doesn’t mean you will get the disease. SNP’s can only be used as an indicator of risk. The environment is important because it can affect which genes are expressed. Some ‘normal’ genes may not function as well as a gene with several SNP’s when the environment is stressed or lacking in nutrients.

Other SNP’s (single nucleotide polymorphisms) can affect an individual’s ability to process different types of macromolecules, such as fat versus carbohydrates. indirectly affect our gut health by affecting overall disease burden. If someone is eating a diet that is problematic for their genes, they will have higher rates of chronic disease. Serotonin is important for digestion. It plays key roles in intestinal peristalsis (muscular movement that propels food through the digestive system) and secretion (the release of fluid and enzymes by the gastrointestinal tract). There are several genes involved in the creation of serotonin. Some of these genes may have SNP’s that are responsible for low serotonin levels. If a patient’s gene functions are optimized, they may experience improved digestion.

The environment and genetics are closely linked and dependent on each other. Lifestyle medicine is a branch of medicine that focuses on promoting a healthy environment and healthy genetic expression. Despite all the research in genetics, staying healthy still comes down to the basics. Whole foods, regular activity, stress management techniques, and adequate sleep are important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This means that nutrigenomics can be used to help understand a condition and optimize wellness.