A Surprising Risk of Mouth Breathing!

Do you tend to breathe more through your mouth or your nose? 👄👃

Your mouth has a microbiome of its own, but did you know that the oral microbiome depends on how you breathe?

A study of children found that mouth breathing had an adverse effect on the oral microbiome by increasing the number of pathogenic (bad) bacteria in the mouth 😬

Here are 5 ways to support a healthy oral microbiome:

1️⃣Nasal (rather than mouth) Breathing 👃

2️⃣Tongue Scraping 👅

3️⃣Flossing 🦷

4️⃣Replacing Toothbrush Heads Regularly 🪥

5️⃣Avoiding Antiseptic Mouthwash 🚫

Optimizing the oral microbiome can support the health of your teeth, gums, & digestion.

❤️Like this post if you learned something and follow for more tips on improving your health naturally!

Reference

Fan C, Guo L, Gu H, Huo Y, Lin H. Alterations in Oral-Nasal-Pharyngeal Microbiota and Salivary Proteins in Mouth-Breathing Children. Front Microbiol. 2020;11:575550. Published 2020 Oct 9. [link]

Tribble GD, Angelov N, Weltman R, et al. Frequency of Tongue Cleaning Impacts the Human Tongue Microbiome Composition and Enterosalivary Circulation of Nitrate. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2019;9:39. Published 2019 Mar 1. [link]

Microbiome Diversity: Top Tips!

📍Save this post!

You’ll want to come back to it whenever your microbiome needs a reset—especially when you want to rebuild microbial diversity.

My top tips:

1️⃣ Consume probiotic-rich foods or drinks, like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut.

2️⃣ Increase prebiotic-rich foods, like artichokes, asparagus, onions, and bananas.

3️⃣ Focus on diversity in your diet, emphasizing colorful whole foods rather than processed ones.

4️⃣ Stay hydrated with water and tea, keeping alcohol to a minimum.

5️⃣ Exercise at least 30 minutes a day at least 3 days a week.

6️⃣ Follow a regular sleep schedule for a healthy circadian rhythm.

And remember: You are unique!

If you feel like you are doing everything “right” but still struggle with gut health, I can help.

🌱 Get started at our practice through the link in our bio!

Can the Microbiome Affect Metabolism?

🤔Ever thought of this?

Here’s how your gut microbiome affects metabolism (and why to fix it!):

1️⃣ Glucose Metabolism

An altered gut microbiome can increase the amount of insulin released in response to blood glucose, a pattern associated with insulin resistance.

2️⃣ Ghrelin Production

An altered gut microbiome can increase the secretion of ghrelin, a hormone that signals the brain it is hungry.

3️⃣ Calorie Uptake

The composition of microbiota associated with obesity increases the absorption of calories from ingested foods.

What does this mean?

It means that there is more to metabolic health and weight loss than just counting calories and exercising 🤯

We get better results because we look at correcting the metabolism from a whole-person perspective, including gut health and the microbiome.

Curious to learn more?

🔗 Follow the link in our bio to get started!

Reference

Asadi A, Shadab Mehr N, Mohamadi MH, et al. Obesity and gut-microbiota-brain axis: A narrative review. J Clin Lab Anal. 2022;36(5):e24420. [link]

Want Clear & Glowing Skin? Open Up.

☀️ Want clear & glowing skin? ☀️

Not many people realize this, but your skin has an ecosystem of its own (the skin microbiome), which can be nurtured or harmed just like the gut microbiome.

Studies have shown that the composition of bacteria on your skin directly correlates with skin hydration and texture, which in turn affect how your skin looks and feels.

You can support your skin microbiome from the outside (by what you put on it) and the inside (through the gut-skin axis!).

For example:

1️⃣ Use gentle skincare products rather than harsh and alcohol-based products. 🧴

2️⃣ Eat a microbiome-friendly diet, rich in antioxidants, fiber, and probiotic-rich foods. 🥦

3️⃣ Work with a practitioner to identify the root cause of any skin concerns you have. 👩‍⚕️

Have you ever thought about healing your skin from the inside out?

🌱 Get started at our practice through the link in our bio!

Reference

Hwang BK, Lee S, Myoung J, et al. Effect of the skincare product on facial skin microbial structure and biophysical parameters: A pilot study. Microbiologyopen. 2021;10(5):e1236. [link]

Gao T, Wang X, Li Y, Ren F. The Role of Probiotics in Skin Health and Related Gut-Skin Axis: A Review. Nutrients. 2023;15(14):3123. Published 2023 Jul 13. [link]

5 Surprising Things that Disrupt the Microbiome

Check out this list ⬇️⬇️

If you want to support your digestion, immune system, metabolism, and brain…

…you’re going to need to have your gut microbiome on board. 

So it’s important to avoid (or at least minimize) exposure to the things that most directly disrupt microbiome balance. 

These include:

▪️ Antibiotics

▪️ Glyphosate (an herbicide residue on conventionally grown foods)

▪️ Artificial Sweeteners

▪️ Processed Foods

▪️ Stress!!

There are also plenty of things you can do to support a healthy microbiome, such as eating a variety of plant foods and exercising outdoors. 

It’s all about tipping the scales in favor of health.

Wondering if microbiome balance could be an issue for you?

We can help you find out. 

🌱 Get started at our practice through the link in our bio!

References

Ahmad SY, Friel J, Mackay D. The Effects of Non-Nutritive Artificial Sweeteners, Aspartame and Sucralose, on the Gut Microbiome in Healthy Adults: Secondary Outcomes of a Randomized Double-Blinded Crossover Clinical Trial. Nutrients. 2020;12(11):3408. [link]

Beurel E. Stress in the microbiome-immune crosstalk. Gut Microbes. 2024;16(1):2327409. [link]

Juul F, Vaidean G, Parekh N. Ultra-processed Foods and Cardiovascular Diseases: Potential Mechanisms of Action. Adv Nutr. 2021;12(5):1673-1680. [link]

Patangia DV, Anthony Ryan C, Dempsey E, Paul Ross R, Stanton C. Impact of antibiotics on the human microbiome and consequences for host health. Microbiologyopen. 2022;11(1):e1260. [link]

Walsh L, Hill C, Ross RP. Impact of glyphosate (RoundupTM) on the composition and functionality of the gut microbiome. Gut Microbes. 2023;15(2):2263935. [link]