Among the diverse population of the Fort Lewis College student body, there is something that everyone has in common: everyone needs to eat.

But what happens to the body when food is not easily accessible? That is what two student researchers intend to find out.

Mikayla Leighton, a molecular biology major and political science minor, and Hannah Gallegos, a public health major, are working together on a research study focusing on the connection between food security and its effect on the gut microbiome.

“Think of it as its own ecosystem within your body,” Leighton said. “It’s a mix between bacterial species, fungi, and different proteins and enzymes all being broken down.”

The gut microbiome serves as a proxy indicator for overall health, Gallegos said.

It is fundamental to the ability to metabolize and is reflected based on lifestyle factors like diet, smoking, drinking, and antibiotic use, Leighton said.

The gut microbiome does not just affect metabolism, however.

“The microbiome has a big effect on the brain and how your brain works, how tired you are, how well you can think,” Gallegos said.

Brain fog can become an issue from an unbalanced microbiome, Gallegos said.

This connection is called the gut-brain axis, which is the most prevalent due to 90% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut and has a heavy influence on mood, Leighton said.

The microbiome also has an influence on hormone production and the skeletal system because it helps with the breakdown of nutrients and essential enzymes that are important in helping other organ systems function properly, Leighton said.

The gut microbiome can also be linked to other health conditions like obesity and cardiovascular disease, Gallegos said.

It is not known what exactly a healthy gut microbiome looks like, Marnie Clay, a Health and Human Performance assistant professor at FLC and registered dietitian nutritionist, said.

“We can see differences in individuals and that’s all we can say for now,” Clay said. “We have a good idea of what seem to be helper bacteria that are in our gut, but we don’t know what that optimal composition is.”

Leighton wanted to do a project that looked at food insecurity with a focus on preventative care towards health, rather than other research that was more treatment-based and profit-based, she said.

Food insecurity is defined as the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food, according to the GrubHub’s Spring 2024 Basic Needs Survey. 

The survey assesses food security by using the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 10-item module.

Of the 459 participants, the survey recorded a food insecurity rate of 52%.

“From a preventative approach, nutrition is such a big factor of being a healthy individual and that’s something we all hear,” Leighton said. “‘Oh, change your lifestyle factors to be healthy,’ but that doesn’t take into account the amount of systemic pressures that are making it so that people can’t have these individual lifestyle changes.”

It comes down to food choice, Clay said.

When an individual is food secure, they have the purchasing power to go to the grocery store, think about healthy choices and get them, Clay said.

People who are food insecure may rely on food pantries, which do not always have the most beneficial foods stocked because they use what is available, Clay said.

It also depends on where the food pantry is located and what they have access to, Clay said.

“We’re very fortunate here with GrubHub that we have a lot of access to very nutrient dense foods because we are partnered with local farmers,” Clay said.

FLC’s Student Well-Being Impact Report from the 2024 Academic Year states that 87% of the GrubHub’s pantry inventory is produced in Colorado, with half the inventory purchased directly from producers.

A hot lunch served at Grub Hub.

Access to fresh produce becomes trickier this time of year, so many available items will be canned and processed, Clay said. 

It is not impossible to choose healthy options when reliant on food assistance, but it can be difficult along with an individual’s nutrition knowledge, Clay said.

It is recommended that all adults across the board aim for three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit a day, Clay said.

For vegetables, a serving is a cup of raw vegetables and half a cup of cooked vegetables. For fruit, a serving is a whole piece of fruit the size of a tennis ball or half a cup of cut up fruit, Clay said.

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables are going to be where the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber are found to keep the gut healthy, Clay said.

Whole grains like oatmeal, whole wheat bread, or brown rice along with plant-based sources of protein, like beans, are also beneficial because the fiber found in them will help the gut microbiome along with being more economical, Clay said. 

Eating foods that are fermented, like kimchi or sauerkraut, are also beneficial because of their live and active cultures, Clay said.

Despite this, fermented foods are more expensive for students and are not usually found in food pantries, Clay said.

The Basic Needs Survey reports that 71% of respondents are not able to afford balanced meals and 64% worry about running out of food before having the money to buy more.

People spend a lot of time at school so there is not much time to work, therefore people do not have as much money to spend on food so there is a balance of convenient and cheap, Leighton said.

Additionally, College students usually have difficulties keeping up with three meals a day and meal skipping because of their schedules, Clay said.

19% of Basic Needs Survey participants report they lack consistent access to a kitchen in their residence, according to the survey.

“I think there is some baseline understanding that obviously nutrition impacts your diet,” Leighton said, “but I think bridging the gap just a little bit more so that people understand how it’s doing so helps people actually care for their health in a more meaningful, productive, and intentional way.