Could the Microbes in Your Gut replace Your Supplements?

Picture this: deep in your gastrointestinal tract, there is a bustling metropolis of microscopic life - bacteria, archaea, and fungi, all going about their business. We have known for a while that these tiny tenants help with digestion and support our immune system. They also make neurotransmitters, like serotonin.  But scientists have discovered something truly mind-blowing.

These microbes are not just passive residents. They are miniature vitamin factories.

Research dating back to at least 1997 has shown that certain gut microbes can produce vitamin K and the B-vitamins, like riboflavin and folate.  In fact, microbes can produce all the b-vitamins according to more recent research.  Microbes are internal vitamin factories that can produce vitamins which are crucial for energy production, DNA synthesis, bone health, blood clotting, mood, sleep, and healing. 

This revelation that we have miniature vitamin factories inside our GI tracts raises an intriguing question:

If our microbes can make B-vitamins and vitamin K, what other vitamins might they be capable of producing? 

Now, you might be thinking, "So what? I get my vitamins from food and supplements."  So many people supplement with b-vitamins now!  But here is where it becomes even more interesting.

Despite our seemingly abundant food supply, many Americans aren't meeting their recommended nutrient intakes from food alone. In fact, according to the National Research Council, a staggering 80% of people consume a diet deficient in vitamins and minerals.

Let's break that down further.  84 percent of Americans falling short on vitamin E, 45 percent on vitamin A, and 46 percent on vitamin C, according to a 2020 article in Nutrients.  And in clinical practice, if using accurate functional testing, most people present with at least one nutrient deficiency.

These inadequacies, while not as severe as outright deficiencies, can still undermine our health. They may manifest as subtle symptoms like general fatigue, reduced ability to fight infections, or impaired cognitive function, according to a 2006 article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Over time, they can increase the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes.

What if the rise in micronutrient deficiencies and subsequent chronic disease is partly due to a decrease in our own ability to make vitamins in our GI tract?

Our modern lifestyles are characterized by energy-dense but nutrient-poor processed food, overuse of antibiotics, and chronic stress—all of which reduce GI microbiota diversity, according to a 2021 article in Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Perhaps the well-established link between chronic disease and reduced microbial diversity is partly because we are missing the vitamins produced by beneficial microbes.

We often hear about declining nutrient levels in our food due to soil depletion. But what if we are thinking about this all wrong - or at least from a perspective that could be too narrow?

What if we are not as dependent as we think on outside sources, like specific foods, to directly provide us with vitamins?  What if our microbes just need an energy source and the raw materials, like carbon and nitrogen, to make the vitamins themselves?

This perspective flips our understanding of nutrition on its head. Instead of focusing solely on consuming specific nutrient-rich foods, we might need to shift our attention to providing the right environment and resources for our gut microbes to thrive and produce these vital nutrients for us.

If this is true, the implications are huge. It suggests our own bodies can provide what we need to thrive nutritionally.  It suggests that by restoring and maintaining a diverse, healthy microbiome, we might be able to prevent nutrient deficiencies naturally. We could potentially reduce our risk of chronic disease and even lessen our reliance on supplements.

This theory might also help explain why some people seem to thrive on diets that, on paper, look nutritionally incomplete. Take the carnivore diet or the Lion Diet, for instance. These diets consist of animal products, with no plant matter – no fruits, no vegetables, no legumes, no grains, no nuts, and no seeds.  On the Lion Diet you only consume ruminant meat – not even eggs or dairy products.  Modern nutritional wisdom would suggest these diets lack essential vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients typically found in fruits and vegetables. 

But if our gut microbes can indeed manufacture vitamins from basic building blocks, it could partly explain why some individuals report feeling healthier and healing from all sorts of diseases on these seemingly restricted diets. Their gut bacteria might be stepping up to fill the nutritional gaps, producing necessary vitamins from the raw materials provided by the animal-based foods.

Could this theory be scientifically plausible?

96.2 percent of the mass of the human body is made up of just four elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen?

Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins all contain oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. But proteins are “special”. Scientists believe that proteins are the only macronutrient that also contains nitrogen as part of their core structure.  Nitrogen is needed to make amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins.  Nitrogen is also required to build the b-vitamins. 

When we think about diets like the Lion Diet or carnivore diet, we are talking about food sources rich in these crucial elements. This might explain how microbes can obtain the energy and building blocks they need from these seemingly restricted diets; They are receiving the raw materials necessary to potentially manufacture vitamins and other micronutrients.

This does not mean we should all rush to adopt these diets. That is an individual decision that only you can make based on your individual needs.  But it does highlight the incredible adaptability of our gut microbiome and opens possible new avenues for understanding nutrition and health.

If this theory is true, then it is not just about what we eat, but about cultivating the right microbial community in our gut to make the most of what we eat. It suggests that the path to optimal nutrition might be more individualized than we have previously thought, depending on each person's unique gut microbiome.  It also drives home the point that there is NO PERFECT DIET; no one size fits all.  You need to get to know your microbiome to determine your needs.

The Catch!

But here is the catch - and it is an important one.  You need to first have the microbes that can build those vitamins and other micronutrients. It is not just about the raw materials; it is about having the right microbial "factory workers" to put those materials to use.

So, the next time you are enjoying a meal, remember - you are not just feeding yourself. You are nourishing a community of tiny allies that might be brewing up your daily vitamins from the inside out.