The contents
What is the intestinal microflora?
Intestinal microflora and age
How to maintain the proper composition of bacterial flora?
Conclusion
Inside the gut is a living ecosystem called the microbiome. This inner ecosystem is made up of 100 trillion bacteria. In the intestine of a healthy person should be at least 1.5 kg, preferably 2 kg of “good” bacteria. Magicforum figured out how to maintain healthy intestinal flora.
What is the intestinal microflora?
Like a fingerprint, microbios of the intestine is unique, and no one has exactly the same bacteria. Individual bacterial flora influences health in different ways. At the most basic level, “good” bacteria protect the digestive tract and affect its proper functioning. Microflora of the intestine, protects the digestive tract from the many harmful microorganisms that may enter our stomach with food. However, the intestinal bacteria have an impact not only on the digestive system, but also on the health of the whole body, including our mood.
It turns out that healthy gut bacteria is important not only for proper functioning of the intestines, but for 70% of your immune system. Moreover, the “good” bacteria affect mood, interacting with the enteric nervous system. Problems with intestinal flora often seen in people who are overweight, so doctors have always claim that extra weight is bad for the entire body. People overweight very small number of so-called “good” bacteria.
Gut bacteria may even play a role in developing it in human heart disease. Some bacteria produce a compound called N-oxide, trimethylamine, also known to scientists by the acronym TMA0. A high level ТМА0 in the blood is associated with a high risk of developing such diseases as heart attack and stroke. In addition, intestinal bacteria also influence the activity of the immune system, including inflammation, and, as we now know, inflammation is associated with almost every chronic disease.
Intestinal microflora and age
Intestinal bacteria support the entire body, therefore maturing the question is, do they play a role in the aging process.
The first contact of the child with bacterial flora occur during delivery, if it occurs in a natural way. Contact with the bacterial flora of the mother, it is extremely important for the child and allows it to develop its own microflora. Studies show that children born by artificial means, are more likely to suffer from autoimmune diseases and allergies, including type 1 diabetes and asthma.
Intestinal microflora affects the health status from birth to death.In infancy, in the micro biome is dominated by a group of bacteria called “Bifidobacterium”. In the first years of baby’s life, the microflora gradually turns into a typical set of microorganisms of an adult. Only the microflora of the2-year-old child is similar to the adult microflora. There is a gradual increase in the share of “Bifidobacteria” while reducing the number of “Lactobacilli”. The composition of the adult human microflora is relatively stable, however, in the elderly significantly reducing the number of Bacteroides, while increasing the number of bacteria with the Latin name “Enterococcus” and “Escherichia coli”.
What is the significance of these changes? This loss stems from the fact that seniors have a higher level of inflammation. The diversity of the populations of intestinal bacteria is associated with improved health and a potentially lower risk of disease.
How to maintain the proper composition of bacterial flora?
As mentioned above, the lack of diversity of microorganisms colonizing the intestine, due to problems of inflammation and health problems. For this reason, the preservation of the diverse flora of the intestine is extremely important.
As you might expect, what we eat, is of great importance. Healthy intestinal bacteria are developing, when our diet contains fibre, prebiotics and probiotics.
Prebiotics are mainly low molecular weight carbohydrates that can be found in foods such as onions, wheat, garlic and chicory root. Prebiotics like substances, stimulate the development of normal intestinal flora and thus, improve health.
Prebiotics, unlike probiotics, contain no microorganisms, their only stimulating substance (a kind of food for bacteria). The most popular prebiotics are inulin and oligofructose, which are often used as substitutes for sugar and fat. Prebiotics in food is dietary fiber.
The best sources of prebiotics are artichokes, asparagus, oatmeal, legumes, onions and bananas.
It should be noted of short chain fatty acid produced by intestinal bacteria, is butyric acid, which is the source of energy for intestinal cells and has anti-inflammatory action.
In addition to the prebiotics mentioned above, we also need to take care of probiotic means. Most often used as probiotics, the lactobacilli family of bacteria “Lactobacillus” and “Bifidobacterium” (lat.). Any microorganisms that are considered probiotic, must have documented prevention activities.
Probioticscan be found in yogurt, kefir and probiotic supplements that contain strains of bifidus and acidophilu. Numerous studies have shown that the number of bacteria in our gut can grow with the increasing consumption of probiotics, leading to increased functionality of the digestive system and increase the function of immune system and body resistance to food Allergy and food intolerance.
It is also important to avoid factors that damage the intestinal bacteria. Such factors are, for example, antibiotics.
Antibiotics are taken to fight the bacteria. In the case of viral inflammation antibiotics will not help us. Should be remembered and not to mindlessly take antibiotics. Antibiotics kill not only pathogenic bacteria but also beneficial bacteria that inhabit our intestines.
Lately, more and more doctors say about the harmful effects of antibiotics for our bacterial flora and the immune system and that antibiotics are definitely overused. However, there are times when an antibiotic becomes a necessity.
Conclusion
Intestinal bacteria do not play ice role in maintaining good health and aging. They affect health in many ways, the absorption of nutrients and the amount of energy consumed from food by bacteria, as well as on the functioning of the immune system. Intestinal bacteria also produce some vitamins, including b vitamins and vitamin “K”.
Make sure you eat a variety of foods rich in fiber include your diet products with prebiotics and probiotics. Gut bacteria is more important than you think.
Was previously named foods that improve digestion.