The gut microbiome is in health news a lot these days, as more research indicates the important roles these microorganisms play in human health. You may take a probiotic supplement, or choose to specifically eat certain foods (such as yogurt) in order to benefit your gut microbiome. But did you know that tea has many beneficial effects for your gut microbiome as well?

Let's begin with an overview of what the gut microbiome is. Your gut microbiome is an ecosystem of beneficial and harmful microorganisms that populate your intestines, such as over a thousand species of bacteria, as well as fungi, viruses and parasites.

The bacteria are the most well-studied microorganisms inhabiting your gut. They carry out essential functions, such as breaking down dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates. Byproducts of this breakdown include short chain fatty acids, which are themselves important nutrients used elsewhere in the body. For example, short chain fatty acids have positive effects on the nervous system. Bacteria in your gut also produce the enzymes needed to synthesize vitamins B1, B9, B12, and K.

Your gut microbiome also plays an important role in immune system function. The short chain fatty acids produced by gut bacteria help prevent the bacteria from entering the bloodstream, and also aid in preventing inflammation. The beneficial bacteria compete with harmful bacteria for territory and nutrients, and disease results when harmful bacteria are not kept in check by helpful bacteria and the immune system.

Your diet plays an important role in the balance between helpful and harmful gut bacteria. A diet high in whole foods and fiber increases beneficial bacteria. By contrast, a diet high in sugar, preservatives, and saturated fat favors harmful bacteria.

So, how does tea affect your gut microbiome, and how does your gut microbiome affect the tea you ingest?

Notably, black and green teas increase beneficial bacteria and decrease pathogenic bacteria in mice with high blood sugar. So, if you are diabetic or pre-diabetic, here's yet another reason to drink tea. Moreover, EGCG from green tea has been shown to increase a beneficial microorganism associated with weight loss and metabolic health.

Interestingly, the bacteria in the gut also can beneficially affect the tea that you ingest. For example, gut bacteria have been shown to transform green tea polyphenols into forms that have increased antioxidant activity.

Drinking tea helps prevent cancer not only through tea's antioxidant compounds, but also by modulating the microbiome. For example, there is increased carcinogenic activity when oral bacteria colonize the gut. Green tea polyphenols inhibit oral bacteria from colonizing the gut, thus helping to prevent cancer.

Tea polyphenols also have antiviral properties. For example, tea ingestion aids in preventing cytokine storms, thus helping to block viral lung infections.

The bacteria in the gut also play a role in the anxiolytic effects of EGCG in the gut-brain axis.

Finally, EGCG increases liver antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity through the gut-liver axis.

These are just a few examples of the many ways in which tea is beneficial for your gut microbiome, and thus your health.

I hope you found this post to be informative and helpful.