How the Crosstalk Between Your Gut and Your Cells Keeps You Healthy - Probiotics
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How the Crosstalk Between Your Gut and Your Cells Keeps You Healthy

Did you know that there’s a conversation going on inside of you that affects every single part of your body? While you can’t hear it, it’s one of the most important dialogues you’ll ever experience. It’s the crosstalk that occurs between your mitochondria and your microbiome, and it has the potential to affect everything from your immune system to your brain. It can even impact how well you age.1

Meet the Players

You’ve likely heard of your microbiome—that collection of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that live in your gut. Over the past decade, scientists have linked the state of these gut bugs to a variety of systems in the body, including your cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, immune, and neurological systems.2,3,4,5,6  But more recently, researchers have dialed in on the connection the microbiome has with mitochondria and how it can influence whole body health. 1

Mitochondria are the energizer bunnies of the cellular world. Found in nearly every cell in the human body, their primary job is to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP provides the energy to drive and support many processes in living cells.7  Not surprisingly, large amounts of mitochondria are found in high-energy organs like the heart and brain.8 Along with producing energy, your mitochondria also play a role in regulating calcium inside your cells, generating heat, and triggering cell death.9,10,11

How Your Microbiome and Mitochondria Work Together

When your microbiome and mitochondria talk to each other, they influence each other’s function and contribute to many body functions through a complex network of signals. One of the primary drivers of this conversation are short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are produced by the bacteria in your gut. One of the most important SCFA is butyrate, which is produced when gut bacteria ferment dietary fiber.12 Butyrate plays a critical role in gut health by acting as a primary energy source for colon cells. It also supports a healthy gut barrier and regulates gut motility. What’s more, butyrate has body-wide effects, potentially impacting inflammation, immune function, and even mental health.13 

This particular SCFA also has a positive impact on your mitochondria by enhancing its function. Butyrate can be used by mitochondria for energy production and can modulate mitochondrial activity through various signaling pathways. It also promotes the expression of your genes and the “birth” of new mitochondria.14 But dysbiosis—an imbalance between the beneficial and harmful bacteria in your microbiome—can alter mitochondrial metabolism, disrupt the creation of new mitochondria, and increase damaging oxidative stress. This can lead to impaired energy production, increased inflammation, and potentially contribute to the development of various diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. 15

On the flip side, APT and a type of free radical called reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced by your mitochondria. These can influence the microbiome, potentially affecting bacterial growth and function. But if your mitochondria aren’t working properly, it can disrupt the balance of bacteria in your gut, affecting your microbiome’s bacterial diversity and composition. Faulty mitochondria can also negatively affect the production of butyrate and other SCFAs.16 This, in turn, can trigger inflammation in the gut, which can then contribute to mitchondrial dysfunction.17 It can also negatively affect the immune system and the gut-brain axis.18,19

How to Optimize the Microbiome-Mitochondria Conversation

There’s a lot that researchers still have to learn about the two-way conversation between your microbiome and your mitochondria. Fortunately, you don’t have to have all the data to benefit from the findings so far. The following steps can help to improve both your gut and those tiny enegy factories in your cells.

Adopt a Mediterranean diet. According to findings in the journal Pharmacological Research, eating a Mediterranean diet can beneficially change the composition of gut bacteria in the elderly, and those changes can translate to an improvement in cognition and inflammation. 19 This type of eating revolves around whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains, and extra virgin olive oil. It also includes moderate amounts of fish, eggs, dairy, and lean meats.

Focus on fiber. Dietary fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains provide the fiber that gut bacteria needs to ferment and produce SCFAs like butyrate.20 Strive to consume a minimum of 35 grams of fiber daily.

Try intermittent fasting. Recent evidence suggests that intermittent fasting—an eating pattern that cycles between periods of eating and intentionally abstaining from eating (fasting) on a regular schedule—can alter the composition of the gut microbiome and increase bacterial diversity while supporting mitochondrial function. This then may help improve cognition and insulin resistance. 19

Add probiotics. It’s no secret that probiotics can help balance your gut microbiome. But recent research suggests that probiotics can positively impact mitochondrial function, potentially improving energy metabolism and supporting overall health. Studies report that, not only do probiotics encourage the production of SCFAs like butyrate, they improve the creation of energy within mitochondria, promote the formation of new mitochondria, and encourage the removal of damaged mitochondria (mitophagy).21,22  Look for a shelf-stable probiotic that contains various Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains and is guaranteed to be viable through the expiration date and not simply when it was manufactured. It’s also smart to search out a supplement that contains strains that have been identity-verified using DNA sequencing to ensure you’re getting the probiotic strains listed on the label.

And don’t forget prebiotics. Prebiotics supply your beneficial bacterial with the “food” it needs to thrive. They are made up of non-digestible fibers that stimulate the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. Prebiotics can also indirectly support mitochondrial health, potentially leading to improved energy production, mitrophagy, and overall cell function.23 Prebiotics can be found in many foods like apples, asparagus, bananas, barley, beans, cocoa, garlic, leeks, oats, and onions. You can also find them in synbiotics—comprehensive supplements that combine probiotics with prebiotics.

While there’s still a lot to learn about how the microbiome and mitochondria work together to enhance health, you don’t need to wait until all the intel is in to reap the benefits of this internal conversation. Eating a diet filled with nutrient- and fiber-rich foods and adding a daily probiotic/prebiotic supplement to your supplement routine can help your microbiome and your mitochondria perform at their best.

References

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  2. Tang WH, Kitai T, Hazen SL. Gut microbiota in cardiovascular health and disease. Circulation Research. 2017;120(7):1183-96.
  3. Oliphant, K., Allen-Vercoe, E. Macronutrient metabolism by the human gut microbiome: major fermentation by-products and their impact on host health. Microbiome. 2019;7: 91.
  4. Neuman H, Debelius JW, Knight R, et al. Microbial endocrinology: the interplay between the microbiota and the endocrine system. FEMS Microbiology Reviews. 2015;39(4):509-21.
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  6. Ullah H, Arbab S, Tian Y, et al. The gut microbiota-brain axis in neurological disorder. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2023;17:1225875
  7. Dunn J, Grider MH. Physiology, Adenosine Triphosphate. [Updated 2023 Feb 13]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-.
  8. Veltri KL, Espiritu M, Singh G. Distinct genomic copy number in mitochondria of different mammalian organs. Journal of Cellular Physiology. 1990 ;143(1):160-4.
  9. Demaurex N, Poburko D, Frieden F. Regulation of plasma membrane calcium fluxes by mitochondria. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – Bioenergetics. 2009;1787(11)1383-94.
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  12. Pryde SE, Duncan SH, Hold GL, et al. The microbiology of butyrate formation in the human colon. FEMS Microbiology Letters. 2002;217(2):133–9.
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This article is for informational purposes only. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice.