Your Microbiome Makes Vitamins?

A biome is a unique ecosystem defined by its environment and inhabitants. Your gut — within your intestines — is essentially a small-scale biome, home to trillions of microscopic organisms. These microorganisms encompass over a thousand species of bacteria, along with viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Your gut microbiome is personal to you. Infants acquire their initial gut microbes during vaginal delivery or breastfeeding. Over time, your diet and other environmental factors introduce new microbes to your biome.

Some of these exposures can also beneficial to your microbiome, or very harmful to it (high fructose corn syrup for example)

Why is the gut microbiome important?

The majority of microorganisms in our intestines have a mutually beneficial relationship with us, their hosts. This means that both sides gain from this partnership. We offer them nourishment and a place to live, and in return, they perform vital functions for our bodies. These helpful microbes also assist in controlling potentially harmful ones.

Imagine your gut microbiome as a varied native garden that you depend on for nourishing foods and medicines. When your garden is flourishing and healthy, so are you. However, if the soil becomes exhausted or polluted, or if pests or weeds overtake the beneficial plants, it can disrupt your entire ecosystem.

But did you know the microbiome also houses 80% of our immune system, it makes vitamins, neurotransmitters, hormones biochemicals necessary for other important functions, and amino acids?

Turns out, the microbiome does some pretty heavy hitting.

We've been discussing the Cycle of Illness and how to break it and bring the elements of health back into homeostasis so you can heal. The immune system is a main player to your overall health and mental well being. The microbiome is a key component to your immune system, and it does most of the heavy day-to-day lifting to keep you healthy. If your gut isn't healthy - YOU will not be healthy. There's no way around it.

If the gut isn't healthy, there will be far more health issues and your mitochondria and methylation an can function properly. On top of that, you'll have more inflammation, and with all of this comes higher histamine levels.

This paper is a brief excerpt from the comprehensive Cycle of Illness: Immune System. My aim here is to demonstrate the symbiotic connection between the microbiome, essential vitamins, and functioning of both your mitochondria and methylation - and the overall cycle of Illness.

When you combine this with the other topics in the Cycle of Illness that we have discussed so far, there's nothing you can't solve that's taking place in your body. It'll help you to HEAL. This is a lot of information to try and grasp and see the overall larger picture of how its all integrated - so I pulled this section out of the Cycle of Illness: Immune System to make it easier to find, but also highlight the importance of this information alone.

The gut microbiome produces many B vitamins, including biotin, cobalamin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, riboflavin, and thiamine. These vitamins are essential for the host and the bacteria in the gut. 

Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, is a water-soluble B vitamin. It's one of eight B vitamins, which are also called B-complex vitamins. 

What does thiamine do? 

·Helps the body convert food into energy

·Helps keep the nervous system healthy

·Helps the body metabolize fats and protein

·Helps strengthen the immune system

·Helps the body withstand stressful conditions

Where can I get thiamine?

·Thiamine is found in some foods, including pork, nuts, eggs, trout, and black beans 

·  ·  Thiamine is available as a dietary supplement, often in multivitamin tablets 

·  ·  Thiamine is available as a prescription medication 

· 

Who might be deficient in thiamine? 

·Older adults

·People who are dependent on alcohol

·People with HIV/AIDS, diabetes, or malabsorption syndrome

·People who have had bariatric surgery

What conditions can thiamine treat? 

·Beriberi, which causes tingling and numbness in the hands and feet, muscle loss, and poor reflexes

·Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which causes tingling and numbness in the hands and feet, memory loss, and confusion

Thiamin plays a vital role in the growth and function of various cells.

Riboflavin is vitamin B2. It's a B vitamin that's involved in many bodily functions, including the development of the brain, blood cells, skin, and digestive tract lining. 

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) supports a healthy gut microbiome by acting as a crucial electron donor for certain beneficial bacteria, like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, allowing them to thrive and produce important metabolites like butyrate, which helps maintain intestinal health and reduce inflammation; essentially, B2 indirectly influences the gut microbiota by creating a favorable environment for specific bacterial species through its antioxidant properties and role in energy metabolism within the gut. 

 Key points about B2 and the gut:   

• Promotes beneficial bacteria: 

  B2 can stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, which are known for their anti-inflammatory effects. 

  
  

• Antioxidant activity: 

  B2 acts as an antioxidant by participating in redox reactions, helping to protect the gut lining from oxidative stress. 

  
  

• Butyrate production: 

  By supporting the growth of certain bacteria, B2 indirectly promotes the production of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid crucial for gut health. 

  
  

• Microbial metabolism: 

  B2 serves as a coenzyme in various bacterial metabolic pathways, contributing to their overall function

Sources

·Riboflavin is found in many foods, including meat, milk, eggs, nuts, green vegetables, and enriched flour. 

·  ·  The body's healthy gut bacteria produce some riboflavin, but more is needed for proper function. 

·  ·  Riboflavin supplements are generally safe, but pregnant and breastfeeding women should consult a medical professional before taking them. 

Symptoms of deficiency 

·Fatigue

·Slowed growth

·Digestive issues

·Sores and cracks around the mouth

·Swollen tongue

·Eye fatigue

·Throat swelling and soreness

·Sensitivity to light

Uses 

·Riboflavin is often used to prevent deficiency.

·It's also used to treat migraines and high levels of homocysteine in the blood.

·Some people use it for acne and muscle cramps, but there's little scientific evidence to support these uses.

Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, can help maintain the gut microbiome and intestinal health.

It can: 

Reduce inflammation: Vitamin B3 can reduce intestinal inflammation and promote mucosal healing 

Improve the intestinal epithelium barrier: Vitamin B3 can maintain the intestinal epithelium barrier by activating the D prostanoid 1 (DP1) receptor 

Improve the microbiota: Vitamin B3 can improve the microbiota and the concentrations of acetate 

Increase antimicrobial peptide expression: Vitamin B3 can increase the mRNA expression of antimicrobial peptide (pBD2 and PR39) 

Increase the abundance of Bacteroidetes: Vitamin B3 can increase the abundance of Bacteroidetes in the human gut 

Vitamin B3 can also help with other bodily processes, including: Converting nutrients into energy, Creating cholesterol and fats, Creating and repairing DNA, and Exerting antioxidant effects. 

Some foods that are high in niacin include: 

Legumes, Nuts, Seeds, Carrots, Chicken, Avocado, Eggs, Grains, Broccoli, and Red meat.

Niacin (vitamin B-3) is often part of a daily multivitamin, but most people get enough niacin from the food they eat. Foods rich in niacin include yeast, milk, meat, tortillas and cereal grains.

Pantothenic acid is vitamin B5, one of the eight B vitamins. It's a water-soluble vitamin that helps the body convert food into energy. 

What does pantothenic acid do? 

·Helps the body metabolize carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and alcohol

·Helps produce red blood cells and steroid hormones

·Helps the body synthesize coenzyme A (CoA) and acyl carrier protein

·Helps the body break down fats

Where can you find pantothenic acid? 

·Some foods contain pantothenic acid naturally

·Other foods have pantothenic acid added to them

·It's also available as a dietary supplement

Foods that contain pantothenic acid 

·Canned chickpeas

·Brown rice

·Oats

·Fortified breakfast cereal

·Cooked shitake mushrooms

·Sunflower seeds

·Roasted chicken breast

·Cooked bluefin tuna

·Avocado

· 2% milk

Pyridoxine is the chemical name for vitamin B6. It's a water-soluble B vitamin that helps the body convert food into energy. 

What does pyridoxine do? 

·Helps the body make energy

·Helps the body metabolize fats and protein

·Helps the body make neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine, and norepinephrine

·Helps the body convert stored energy into blood sugar

·Helps the body make red blood cells

Where can you find pyridoxine? 

·Multivitamin and mineral preparations

·Vitamin B complexes

·Fortified cereals

·Fish

·Poultry

·Potatoes

·Chickpeas

·Bananas

What are the side effects of pyridoxine?

·Peripheral neuropathy 

A side effect of high doses or long-term use of pyridoxine. Symptoms include tingling, burning, or numbness in the hands or feet. 

·  ·  Interactions with other medications 

Pyridoxine can interact with amiodarone, phenobarbital, and medications for high blood pressure. 

· 

What are the health problems associated with low levels of pyridoxine? anemia, seizures, and numbness or tingling in the hands and feet

Biotin is vitamin B7. It's a water-soluble B vitamin that helps the body break down food and regulate gene activity. 

What does biotin do? 

·Helps the body produce fatty acids

·Helps break down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins

·Helps regulate gene activity and cell signals

·Helps with energy metabolism, glycogen synthesis, and amino acid metabolism

Where can I get biotin? 

·Biotin is found in some foods, but in very small amounts

·Biotin is also available in supplements

·The bacteria in your gut can also produce some biotin

How much biotin do I need? 

·The recommended daily amount of biotin varies by age and pregnancy status

·The U.S. Food and Nutrition Board recommends 6 micrograms for infants up to 6 months old, 30 micrograms for adults, and 35 micrograms for breastfeeding women

Are there any side effects to taking too much biotin? 

·No research has shown that taking too much biotin is harmful

·Excess biotin is flushed out in urine because it's water-soluble

Vitamin B9, also known as folate, affects the gut microbiome by: 

•Increasing probiotic bacteria: Folic acid can increase the number of probiotic bacteria in the gut, while reducing pathogenic bacteria. 

Regulating the amount of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs): Folic acid can regulate the amount of SCFAs in the gastrointestinal tract. 

Influencing bacterial diversity: A deficiency in vitamin B9 can decrease the richness of the gut microbiome. 

Supporting the growth of Roseburia intestinalis: Microbially-produced folate supports the growth of Roseburia intestinalis. 

Being a source of folate for the host: The colonic microbiota produces folate that can be absorbed and used by the host. 

Folate is also involved in: 

•DNA synthesis

•Epigenetic regulation

•Immune homeostasis

•Cell growth

•Red blood cell formation

Folate also helps in neutralizing free radicals by being substituted in certain functions within methylation, and regeneration of BH4 so you can make and metabolize neurotransmitters, which greatly aid in motor function, cognitive function, mood, and prevents neurological symptoms. Certain vitamin deficiencies like Vitamin D and A can affect folate receptors, and this starts a snow ball effect that affects mitochondria and methylation significantly. The symptoms to this would initially be like fibromyalgia, left untreated would wind up crossing into autoimmunity or chronic illness.

Vitamin B12 (there are several different types of B12, methylcobalamin, cobalamin, Adeno/hydroxyl B12) helps maintain a healthy gut microbiome by influencing the growth and metabolism of gut bacteria. It's a cofactor for many enzymes in gut microbes, which helps them synthesize nucleotides, metabolize amino acids, and produce secondary metabolites.  B vitamins is also very important in aiding running major portions of the methylation, and detox pathways, as well as being needed to make many biochemicals in the body, and in the gut.

How vitamin B12 affects the microbiome

Influences bacterial abundance: Vitamin B12 may cause changes in the relative abundance of bacteria in the gut. 

Influences metabolic processes: Vitamin B12 may affect the metabolic processes of gut bacteria. 

Influences growth and colonization: Vitamin B12 may influence how gut bacteria grow and colonize. 

Influences gut redox status: Vitamin B12 may alter the gut's redox status. 

Influences gut barrier function: Vitamin B12 may improve the gut's barrier function. 

How vitamin B12 is acquired

•Vitamin B12 is mainly acquired through diet, especially from animal protein and fermented foods. 

The small intestine absorbs vitamin B12, but a healthy microbiome is needed to absorb the maximum amount into the bloodstream.  (the stomach also absorbs it and INF (Intrinsic Factor) is needed to do so. If a lot of stomach and gut inflammation it will damage the body's ability to absorb it)

Other roles of vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is also needed for red blood cell formation, DNA synthesis, and nerve cell function. 

It may help with tissue repair, such as restoring muscles or repairing nerves (Adeno/Hydroxyl B12)

B Vitamins are crucial for so many functions in the human body, and if you don't have enough, the very basic metabolic processes can not work; and these metabolic processes run everything.

Vitamin D can help regulate the gut microbiome by increasing beneficial bacteria and reducing harmful bacteria. It can also help with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and regulate the immune response. 

How vitamin D affects the microbiome

Increases beneficial bacteria

•Vitamin D can increase the amount of beneficial bacteria like Bacteroides and Parabacteroides in the gut. 

Decreases harmful bacteria 

Vitamin D can reduce the amount of harmful bacteria in the gut. 

Regulates immune response 

Vitamin D can help regulate the immune response in the gut, which can help with IBD. 

Maintains gastrointestinal barrier 

Vitamin D can help maintain the gastrointestinal barrier, which can alter the microbiome. 

How vitamin D affects IBD

•Vitamin D can help treat IBD by modulating the gut microbiome. 

Vitamin D can help regulate the immune response in the gut, which can help with IBD. 

How vitamin D affects cancer immunity 

•Vitamin D can regulate microbiome-dependent cancer immunity.

How vitamin D affects infection 

•Vitamin D can help the body regulate itself after an infection.

Also helps you absorb calcium

Reduces disease manifestation

How does Vitamin A affect the microbiome..

Vitamin A plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome by regulating the intestinal barrier function, influencing immune cell activity within the gut, and shaping the composition of microbial communities by promoting beneficial bacteria while potentially limiting the growth of harmful ones, essentially helping to maintain a balanced and diverse microbiome; a deficiency in vitamin A can lead to disruptions in the gut microbial balance and increased susceptibility to infections. 

Key points about vitamin A and the microbiome:

•Immune system regulation:

•Vitamin A is vital for the development and function of immune cells in the gut, helping to regulate inflammation and maintain immune tolerance towards commensal bacteria. 

Intestinal barrier integrity: 

Vitamin A supports the health of the intestinal epithelial cells, which are crucial for maintaining a barrier function and preventing harmful substances from entering the bloodstream. 

Microbial community composition: 

By influencing the immune system and gut lining, vitamin A can indirectly affect the types of bacteria that thrive in the gut, promoting the growth of beneficial microbes. 

Anti-inflammatory effects: 

Vitamin A has anti-inflammatory properties that can help mitigate excessive inflammation in the gut, which is often associated with dysbiosis (imbalance in the microbiome).

Still having troubles after addressing all the issues making you sick?? Then look to your microbiome. Remember, we said earlier that if the gut isn't healthy - YOU aren't going to be healthy.

We've learned that the gut microbiome, if you give it Vitamin D, it will give you Vitamin B. Many people are chronicially deficicient in Vitamin D. and if you live in a northern region - you can guarantee it if your not taking a supplement.

In my opinion, this is why so many people seem to feel so much better taking a B complex, cuz they're microbiome isnt balanced properly. Therefore, the microbiome isn't making as much B vitamins as the body may need.

We've also discussed throughout the series how the standard western diet is calorie rich and nutrient deficient. These deficiencies are going to impact your microbiome, your mitochondria, your methylation and your health in a major way.

Still having troubles after addressing all the underlying causes?? Then look at your Microbiome- adjust your diet and lifestyle accordingly.

We'll be discussing this more in the video Cycle of Illness: Immune System

(currently reworking, so you can see the connections easier).