Gut Health And Oral Microbiome: Are They Connected?
Hi everyone. Welcome back to our channel.
The connection between gut health and the oral microbiome is a fascinating area of research and has significant implications on our overall health.
So in today's video, I'll be discussing:
What is the oral microbiome and what do these microbiota do for us?
What is the oral gut access and why is it important?
What factors affect oral and gut microbiome balance?
How does the oral microbiome impact our gut health and vice versa?
And lastly, what are some strategies for maintaining oral and gut microbiome balance?
[Video Transcript Below Video - it is the same information]
Hi, I'm Katie Bailey. I'm a gut health dietician at Oswald Digestive Clinic, where we help individuals improve and resolve their bothersome gut issues.
If you're interested in learning more about gut health, I've linked our free guide Five Ways to Improve Your Gut Health HERE.
All right, let's get started. On today's topic,
What is the oral microbiome and what do these microbiota do for us?
The oral microbiome refers to the diverse community of microorganisms residing in the oral cavity.
It's home to over 700 species of bacteria, yeast, viruses, and other microorganisms.
These microbes colonize on the teeth, the tongue, gums, cheeks, palate, and throat, and it is the second largest and most diverse microbiome in the human body after the gut microbiome.
The oral microbiome plays several roles in maintaining our oral health and preventing disease, transporting oxygen to our gums, protecting against harmful pathogens, aiding in tooth remineralization, nitric oxide production, as well as influencing our overall health through the connections to the gut and other body systems.
What is the oral gut access and why is it important?
So the oral gut access refers to the relationship and the communication between our oral cavity or oral microbiome and our GI tract or our gut microbiome.
While the oral and gut microbiome are distinct, they do share common bacteria and the gut microbiome can be influenced by our oral microbes.
So the oral cavity is the primary point of entry for these microbes entering our body. And under certain conditions, they can travel down to the gut, potentially impacting our gut microbiome.
The transfer of microbes can impact both our oral health and our gut health. And the oral gut access plays a crucial role in our overall health, as well as it has been linked to not only digestive disorders like inflammatory bowel disease, but also neurological disorders, immune function in systemic inflammation.
What factors affect oral balance?
So the balance of the oral microbiome can be influenced by various factors including genetics, saliva production as reduced saliva.
Production can disrupt that balance because saliva promotes and maintains moisture, a proper pH and has antimicrobial compounds.
Other factors include hormonal changes. Our diet diet's high and processed and high amounts of sugar can promote the growth of that harmful bacteria, smoking and alcohol consumption, medications like S, environmental factors like toxins and pollutants.
And then lastly, our oral hygiene practices. So flossing, brushing and having regular cleanings can help to prevent plaque formation. Any of these factors can lead to oral dysbiosis, which is that imbalance of good to bad bacteria in the mouth.
And dysbiosis can lead to various oral issues such as cavities, gum disease, bad breath, as well as other systemic issues.
So maintaining a balanced oral microbiome is crucial for our oral health as well as our overall health.
How does the oral microbiome impact our gut health and vice versa?
So the oral microbiome has a significant impact on our gut health through several mechanisms. The first is through bacterial migration.
So oral bacteria can migrate to the gut through swallowing, food and saliva, oral microbes, microbes can potentially survive our stomach acid and colonize in the gut.
So the second mechanism is through microbiome composition changes. So studies have shown that oral bacteria that colonize in the gut can potentially change the gut microbiome, and this can lead to dysbiosis and inflammation.
Now, it's important to note that not all bacteria that does colonize in the gut is going to cause problems. Other ways that the oral microbiome can influence our gut health is through inflammation and barrier function.
So there has been research to show that oral bacteria can potentially trigger inflammation and impair gut barrier function.
It can also cause systemic effects. So there's research that's showing that an imbalance in our oral microbiome has been linked to conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
And then lastly, it can make gut conditions worse or worsen symptoms. So oral bacteria colonizing in the gut may worsen existing gut conditions or gastrointestinal conditions that you already have, like inflammatory bowel disease. So now that we've learned about the connection between the oral microbiome and gut health.
What are some strategies for maintaining oral gut microbiome balance to improve your oral microbiome and benefit your gut health?
Some things you could consider are practicing good oral hygiene, number one.
So brushing and flossing regularly using a tongue scraper, avoid overusing mouth washes, especially ones that have alcohol as this can really disrupt that oral microbiome balance.
You could try oil pulling. This can help to boost that oral microbiome and reduce inflammation.
In regards to diet, you want to adopt a balanced nutrient dense diet that's going to be rich in fiber and polyphenols while limiting your consumption of processed foods and sugary foods as this is going to promote the growth of that harmful bacteria and disrupt that balance.
You want to consume more prebiotic and probiotic foods as well, or add in supplements that are going to be beneficial for your oral health.
And lastly, you want to make sure that you're breathing through your nose when you're sleeping because this is going to help boost that saliva production and prevent dry mouth, which is going to help maintain a healthy pH in the mouth, creating an environment that is going to be helpful for these bacteria to grow.
So by implementing these strategies, you can really help to improve your oral microbiome, which in turn is going to impact your gut health because of the close connection between these two systems.
To wrap up our topic for today,
The intricate connection between the oral and gut microbiomes have a profound influence on our overall health.
The oral gut access highlights the importance of maintaining balance, a balanced microbiome in both environments to promote overall wellness.
So by adopting a balanced diet and really limiting those processed foods and sugary foods, practicing good oral hygiene, as well as considering prebiotics and probiotics when needed, you can really promote a healthy oral microbiome and influence your gut health in the process.
So that's it for today's video. If you like this video, please hit the like button and subscribe for more nutrition videos.
If you're interested in working with our clinic, you could click the link HERE to schedule an appointment.
We do take insurance and you can find more information about that on our website.
Thank you for watching. I'll see you next time.
Bye.
If you'd like to explore any of this information further or obtain an individualized nutrition plan, you can schedule an initial appointment at our clinic. We also take insurance and some of our clients get full coverage, which is great.
Or you can just start by downloading our FREE GUIDE: 5 WAYS TO IMPROVE GUT HEALTH
