Best Probiotics for Gut Health? Marco van Es on Biodiversity in Our Modern Lives

Ripe apples hang from a tree branch, showcasing the potential natural source of probiotics for a healthy gut (Pexels, Photomix Company).

Looking for the best probiotics for gut health? Marco van Es of Bac2nature investigates how naturally grown food and biodiversity influence our health. The microbiome plays a role in this, not only through food, but all around us. Here's his story.

According to Marco, the introduction of those small probiotic yogurts in the supermarket helped contribute to changing our understanding of the influence of bacteria on health. We learned that, in addition to harmful bacteria, there are also beneficial bacteria that can improve our health, and that they work together with our bodies.

Today, Marco van Es is on a mission to emphasise the importance of naturally grown foods, believing they significantly impact both the earth's and our health. His foundation Bac2nature aims to connect biodiversity with human health, based on the idea that exposure to natural microorganisms promotes robust health.

Best Probiotics For Gut Health: Its All About Diversity

So, with the introduction of these little probiotic yogurts, we learned about the benefit of good bacteria into our digestive system. But, more importantly, we later also learned it's not just about numbers, but about a rich diversity of the bacterial community.

So, experts now emphasise that a rich variety of microbes is essential for overall health, and this is something Marco's own research has also confirmed.

Because is now understood that the microbiome, the collection of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms living in our intestines, skin, and lungs, which impacts our immune system and overall health, thrives on diversity.

In fact, researchers have found that a varied microbiome offers protection against allergies, chronic and inflammatory diseases, malnutrition, and obesity, while also supporting vital systems such as the nervous system. Marco states, "The more diverse the bacteria, the healthier and more resilient a person becomes."

"The more diverse the bacteria, the healthier and more resilient a person becomes."

From Soil To Gut

Sure, but when seeking the best probiotics for gut health, you might wonder why the difference between the types of fruits and vegetables we choose is so crucial for our health. Isn't all fruit and vegetables beneficial for us?

In a sense, they are, but Bac2nature is one of the leading research organisations exploring whether fruits and vegetables are more nutritious when cultivated in microbe-rich, untreated soil without pesticides. They investigate if microbial diversity is the factor that makes one piece of fruit healthier than another.

The foundation examines whether naturally grown crops have greater microbial diversity compared to conventional ones and how this influences our gut microbiome, by tracking the entire journey of beneficial bacteria from soil to gut health.

Marco highlights that earlier studies from Austria and Poland found similar results, indicating that organically grown apples and strawberries have greater microbial biodiversity compared to conventionally grown ones, which benefits health and the environment.

Marco points out that the opposite is also true: a lack of variety in our diet can quickly lead to health issues. He emphasises this by discussing the consumption of highly processed foods and referencing the insightful book "The Diet Myth" by Tim Spector. Spector, frequently cited in the media, is a leading UK authority on food and health. His advice on consuming dinners rich in colourful vegetables is gaining more attention both nationally and internationally.

How We Treat Our Food

It's not just about the soil and environment for crops, but also how we treat our food, Marco clarifies. He explains that during the industrial era, extending food shelf life had drawbacks. Prolonging shelf life reduces microbial diversity entering our body, affecting gut health. "Almost everything we consume has an extended shelf life due to pasteurisation or sterilisation," Marco says. "This process eliminates not only spoilage-causing micro-organisms but all micro-organisms."

"Almost everything we consume has an extended shelf life due to pasteurisation or sterilisation. This process eliminates not only spoilage-causing micro-organisms but all micro-organisms."

Do naturally grown apples offer us more health benefits? (Pexels, Photomix Company).

But That's Not All: Pesky Pesticides

Recently, concerns about food and health have increased regarding the health impact of consuming pesticides on crops. There is growing recognition of a potential link between pesticides and brain disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. This issue gained attention with reports of affected French wine farmers.

Luckily for consumers, the "clean 15" and "dirty dozen" lists (by the Environmental Working Group (EWG)) which help guide informed supermarket choices. Spinach and strawberries, often high in pesticides, are best bought organic. Conversely, conventionally grown avocados and kiwis are perhaps a better option if budget is a concern.

The Even Bigger Picture

Our perspective on microbial diversity and health has expanded, recognising that diverse microbiomes exist not only in our bodies, but also in our water, buildings, soil, plants, and animals, all impacting our health.

A global view now in fact highlights human fragility, noting that modern life reduces microbial diversity in our food and surroundings. "In Western societies, there is a decreasing variety of bacteria in our gut," Marco states, linking it to our growing distance from nature, and how this is contributing to illness.

A Return To How Life Was?

It is now understood that people living close to nature, such as the Hadza tribe in Tanzania, generally enjoy better health compared to many Westerners due to their greater intestinal biodiversity. Marco describes how these hunter-gatherers consume naturally grown foods rich in biodiversity, which contributes to their absence of autoimmune diseases.

Does this mean we must return to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle? Fortunately, Marco suggests modern ways to enhance microbial diversity in our diets. By choosing naturally grown fruits and vegetables and consuming crops from microbially-rich soil, we can introduce diverse micro-organisms into our gut. Experts like Spector argue that a balanced gut microbiome requires a variety of whole plant foods, especially brightly coloured plants rich in essential prebiotic fibers.

We can take further steps, such as doing our own research on how cooking methods affect beneficial bacteria in food, Marco explains. Choosing fresh, unpasteurised food and practicing food fermentation can also help. Fermenting food enhances its nutritional content, shelf life, flavour, and microbial diversity, he adds.

Playgrounds, Cities and Cats Too

In addition to food, we can boost the diversity of our home's microbiome by adding more houseplants. Letting our dogs and cats roam outdoors can bring a diverse microbiome into our living spaces, says Marco. Growing our own vegetables enhances our contact with soil. We can also spend more time in forests or local city parks. Lastly, we can make our playgrounds, cities, and buildings greener as a community.

Marco emphasises that experiments in urban green management in Australia, along with studies involving children at a daycare center in Finland who interacted with outdoor soil, have shown an enhancement in microbiome diversity and health.

Moreover, we need to rethink our approach to hygiene. As Marco states, "Hygiene has significantly improved our lives. Thus, we should keep using it properly by steering clear of harmful pathogens, while allowing for exposure to beneficial natural bacteria."

"Hygiene has significantly improved our lives. Thus, we should keep using it properly by steering clear of harmful pathogens, while allowing for exposure to beneficial natural bacteria."

Conclusion

In our quest to find the best probiotics for gut health and overall resilience, more experts, including Marco, stress the significance of being exposed to a diverse microbiome. Concludes Marco, "The evidence linking our decreased interaction with nature to our growing fragility is quite compelling and becoming more apparent." Consequently, biodiversity is crucial for human survival—in our diets, educational systems, architecture, and for the future of both the planet and nature.

"The evidence linking our decreased interaction with nature to our growing fragility is quite compelling and becoming more apparent."

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About Marco van Es and Bac2nature

Marco van Es established Bac2nature to assist companies, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and individuals in achieving health-promoting lifestyle objectives. The foundation's primary research goal is to link biodiversity with human health. Bac2nature strives to make scientific knowledge accessible and initiates research in necessary areas, focusing on four domains: BAC2PLAY, BAC2BUILDING, BAC2THECITY, and BAC2VEGGIE. The central concept is that exposure to natural microorganisms fosters robust health. Bac2nature is exploring whether fruits and vegetables are more nutritious when grown in microbe-rich, untreated soil, free from pesticides, and exposed to open air.