The Microbiome & Regenerative Organic Certified Farming
By Cathy Rosenbaum PharmD MBA RPh CHC CDP CFNC
The Microbiome
What is the human microbiome? It’s a complex set of genes within a group of natural microorganisms that live in and on the body. Our first exposure to these microorganisms happens in utero and during birth through the birth canal. From 2008-2012 The Human Microbiome Project identified factors affecting the human microbiome’s composition including a person’s living geography, health status, stress tolerance, diet, age, gender, and everything he/she touches. Each of these aspects influences microbiome functions.
The gut microbiome contains a constantly changing list of over 40,000 species of microbes. This specific microbiome controls much of our immune system which mostly resides in the gut. The gut microbiome weighs about 4.5 pounds and is composed of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa and contains at least 150x more genes than the human genome.
When the gut microbiome is negatively impacted (e.g., we eat overprocessed foods, don’t manage our stress well, etc), paths between the gut and brain are out of sync occasionally resulting in abnormal absorption of food from the gut into our circulation, a process called leaky gut syndrome. This process may lead to inflammation and altered permeability of the blood-brain barrier and can sometimes trigger mental and neurologic changes.
The gut-brain-microbiome axis is the bi-directional ‘second brain’ in our body. Gut microbes talk with the brain through the vagus nerve and the secretion of neurotransmitters (e.g., serotonin, dopamine). Communications between the gut and our entire nervous system may affect one’s mood as well as the body’s response to drug therapy. The gut microbiome can also manufacture short chain fatty acids to help maintain the gut barrier and may have an anti-inflammatory effect on the brain.
Certain medications can influence the gut microbiome, altering both their wanted and unwanted effects. Much of our research is based on preclinical laboratory studies with animal models and human observational studies. More human clinical trials regarding the influence of the gut microbiome on drug pharmacokinetics (e.g., absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination) have yet to be designed.
As research evolves, the sciences of pharmacomicrobiomics and nutrigenomics will offer more insight into the nutritional management of mental health conditions. In the years ahead, many professional disciplines will be needed with expertise in whole-food nutrition to maximize gut health and help treat anxiety, depression, or other mental illnesses (e.g., probiotics, prebiotics, fecal transplants, and other ‘food as medicine’ therapies).
Regenerative Organic Certified Farming (ROC)
Concerned about reduced nutrient density in conventionally grown food sourced from big box groceries/centralized industrial farmers? You are not alone. Conglomerate farmers typically focus on replenishing three soil nutrients (e.g., phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen). By contrast, ROC is focused on sustainable soil health. Farmers add back 18 different soil nutrients for optimal plant growth. Is it time to change our global approach to farming for better health?
For perspective, ROC can include, but is not limited to:
- Minimized tilling of croplands to maintain soil moisture and reduce soil disturbance/erosion (an estimated 57 billion metric tons of topsoil have eroded in the USA Midwest over the past 160 years)
- Crop rotation for weed and pest control and less chemicals
- Use of cover crops like alfalfa to return more nutrients to the soil and reduce risk of erosion
- Composting in place of synthetic fertilizers to improve soil microbes
A great time to learn more about ROC is during the summer months while shopping at your local farmer markets. Alternatively for more information, you may contact USDA @ Farming | USDA or https://www.usda.gov/topics/organic or Regenerative Organic Alliance @ https://regenorganic.org/ .
As consumers, we have a responsibility to purchase whole nutrient dense foods properly grown for our health and the planet’s viability for generations to come. Check out the Farm to Table Movement @ https://farmtotablemagazine.com/2024/03/07/understanding-the-farm-to-table-movement-a-comprehensive-guide/ . Finally, check out Community Supported Agriculture for year-round crop purchasing plans @ https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/growingsmallfarms-csaguide/.
References
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- Del Toro-Barbosa. Psychobiotics: Mechanisms of action, evaluation methods and effectiveness in applications with food products. Nutrients 2020;12(12):3896.
- Rutsch. The gut-brain axis: How microbiota and host inflammasome influence brain physiology and pathology. Front Immunol 2020:11:604179.
- Chen. Antipsychotics and the microbiota. Curr Opin Psychiatry 2020;33(3):225-230.
- Qian. A guide to human microbiome research: study design, sample collection, and bioinformatics analysis. Chin Med J (Engl) 2020 Aug 5:133(15):1844-1855.
- Meyer. Association of the gut microbiota with cognitive function in midlife. JAMA Netw Open 2022:5(2):e2143941.
- Walsh. Drug-gut microbiota interactions: implications for neuropharmacology. Br J Pharmacol 2018;175(24):4415-4429.
- Malan-Muller. The gut microbiome and mental health: implications for anxiety-and trauma-related disorders. OMICS 2018;22(2):90-107.
- Mayer. Alive.com July 2024 pp. 61-64
