While bacteria are commonly associated with disease, most bacteria in the body are essential for the proper functioning of the immune system. Useful bacteria play a role in the heart functioning, weight of the body and many other aspects of your health by keeping your gut in check.
Many people know the gastrointestinal system as a tract only responsible for food digestion. However, the system hosts over two-thirds of the immune system that the body has. As a result, a good immune system in the body is majorly dependent on a healthy gut which can be accomplished using Morning Complete ingredients.
In case of any impairment of the immune system in the gut, the body is heavily compromised. The gut also controls sleep, memory, mood, temperature, sex drive and the appetite the body has through serotonin which is produced in the gut. A healthy gut is therefore vital to the overall health of the body.
What is the Gut Microbiome?
In the large intestines, the cecum hosts viruses, fungi, bacteria and other microscopic living things which are known as microbes. These microorganisms make up the gut microbiome. The most studied microbiomes are the bacteria in the gut. Bacteria in the gut microbiome exist in their millions and are more than the human cells in your body.
According to https://microbeformulas.com/blogs/microbe-formulas/are-gut-microbiome-tests-accurate-or-worth-it, there are over 1000 species of bacteria where each species plays a role in the immune system. The microbes in the gut microbiome weigh roughly 2 kilograms in weight. This is roughly the same weight the brain has. Together, the microbes act as an extra organ and remain to be a crucial element of your health.
What causes an unhealthy gut?
Many diseases can be directly or indirectly be attributed to poor gut health. The gut is responsible for the entry of nutrients in the body and at the same time, it is responsible for hindering harmful germs and toxins in the body.
Useful bacteria in the gut grow right in proportion to ensure there is no space for harmful toxins to grow. If the harmful toxins grow out of proportion, it leads to an unhealthy gut. This leads to a lack of essential vitamins, proteins, and iron in the body. In some cases, an unhealthy gut can lead to an inflammatory response in the body.
What are the symptoms and effects of an unhealthy gut?
An unhealthy gut can manifest itself through:
- Stomach upsets which involve diarrhea, bloating and heartburns
- Increased sugar cravings and inflammation which is caused by a high sugar diet
- Constant fatigue
- Losing or gaining weight without working on it
- Irritations of the skin, eczema and skin allergies.
An unhealthy gut has also been linked directly with various complications like:
- Obesity, diabetes type 2, and heart disease due to disruptions in the metabolism
- Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease which is caused by low anti-inflammatory gut bacteria
- Autism
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
Where did you get your Microbiome?
Microbes have existed outside the gut longer than humans. Thousands of species still live outside the human body even today. When a fetus is in the womb, it inherits most of the gut microbiome from the mother through the placenta. The microbiome helps the fetus to start developing immunity early enough.
More helpful microbes get into the child during the childbirth process at the vaginal canal. This is one of the primary reasons why normal childbirth plays a huge role in the immunity of the newborn. After birth, skin to skin contact, breastfeeding together with other factors like the environment and diet adds to the microbiome of the child.
Just like the natural biome in different environments, each individual has his unique type of microbiome. It also varies as the individual grows. Just like a natural biome, how rich it is can be compromised by aggressors and invaders. It is every individual’s responsibility to ensure the microbiome remains rich in useful microbes.
How can I keep my Microbiome Healthy?
Increasing fiber intake
For a healthy gut, having more than 40g of fiber a day will boost the efficiency of the microbiome. Fiber intake has been linked to reducing cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Fiber intake acts as a ‘work catalyst’ for bacteria in the gut microbiome. This helps the bacteria to break down carbohydrates into short fatty acids like butyrate, acetate, and propionate. This helps in the nourishment of the cells in the gut, which stops any inflammations and regulate appetite.
Eat foods and take beverages that are high in Polyphenols
Polyphenols are compounds that are derived from plants. They are further subdivided to sub-compounds like anthocyanins, anthocyanidins, flavones, and flavonols. In plants, anthocyanins contribute to plant colors and are used to determine if a plant has polyphenols.
Only 10% of the polyphenols are digested in the small intestine. The rest is digested in the colon by the gut microbiome.
Acting like antioxidants, the polyphenols help to nourish helpful bacteria in the colon like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. This increases the number of useful bacteria which in turn hinders the growth of harmful bacteria like Bacteroides and Clostridia. Common foods with Polyphenols are coffee, tea, seeds, berries, nuts, Olive oil, and Brassicas.
Take small amounts of plant-derived alcohol
Many plants that are used to make alcohol have antioxidants like resveratrol. These antioxidants are common in red grape berries. Resveratrol boosts the activity of bacteria which scavenge free radicals and inhibit the growth of fat cells. This, in turn, increases immunity, keeps blood vessels in good shape, and controls glucose and blood pressure in the body.
However, too much alcohol and alcohol that is not plant-derived harms the gut microbiome. Alcohol, especially which is not plant-derived brings about an imbalance in the gut microbiome. This makes the gut microbiome weaker as useful bacteria decrease and as a result, promoting the growth of harmful bacteria in the gut. In advanced cases, high levels of imbalance have been linked to the Crohn’s disease
When the microbiome is strong and healthy, infections in the body are rare. It is also important to note that conditions that cannot be linked directly to an unhealthy gut can be caused by the gut microbiome
