HOW TO HAVE GOOD FLORA IN GUT

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HOW TO HAVE GOOD FLORA IN GUT

Trillions of bacteria live in your digestive tract and play an important role in health. Of the thousands of species of gut microbes that live in your gut, however, some are healthy for your body—while others are not.

In fact, without the gut microbiome, it would be very difficult to survive. The gut microbiome begins to affect your body the moment you are born.

Good bacteria help our bodies digest food and absorb nutrients, and they produce several vitamins in the intestinal tract — including folic acid, niacin, and vitamins B6 and B12.

Three main types of flora live in the gut:

a. Beneficial flora

b. Opportunistic flora

c. Transitional flora.

Our age, health and diet affect the amount and type of flora in each part of the gut. Large intestine contains the largest bacterial ecosystem in the human body.

Beneficial flora: They are "good bacteria". They help us digest food and keep our gut healthy. It help us digest and absorb food and produce chemicals that kill viruses, bad bacteria and fungi. Two major types of beneficial flora are Lactobacterial and bifidobacteria

Opportunity flora: which are bad bacteria". They normally live in the gut, but if they are not managed, they Opportunity flora will find any opportunity to cause disease. Examples of opportunistic flora include Streptococci and yeast.

Transitional flora: which are found in everything we eat and drink. They pass through our GI tract along with the food. When the tract is healthy, the transitional flora pass through without causing any harm. However, if the intestines are weak or damaged, the transitional flora can cause disease.

The role of flora:

A. Digestion:

The gut and brain are connected by millions of nerve cells and the gut is often called the second brain for good reason.

Beneficial flora help us digest and absorb the food we eat. They produce enzymes that help break down foods in the intestines, this flora help nutrients, vitamin, and minerals pass through the gut wall into the blood to tissues in the body. Bifidobacteria, live in the colon. Among other things, they produce B vitamins, regulate bowel movements and produce antibiotics to kill bad bacteria. Lactobacteria, live in the small intestine, help digest lactose,

Digesting breast milk: Some of the bacteria that first begin to grow inside babies’ intestines are called Bifidobacteria. They digest the healthy sugars in breast milk that are important for growth

Digesting fiber: Certain bacteria digest fiber, producing short-chain fatty acids, which are important for gut health. Fiber may help prevent weight gain, diabetes, heart disease and the risk of cancer

B. The role of flora in our immune system

About 80 per cent of our immune system's activity is in the small intestines. The immune system protects us from these constant threats like harmful bacteria, fungi and viruses. Cooking kills most bacteria, but some still linger and harm the food afterwards.

In a healthy person, there is enough acid in the stomach to kill most harmful substances. In less healthy people, the substances reach the small intestine or colon.

C. Control weight gain, allergies, inflammatory, insulin resistance

what kills / suppress good bacteria in stomach

1. Antibiotics do not just kill bad bacteria but can also kill helpful bacteria in the gut. Some people chose to take probiotics when using antibiotics to help prevent side effects.

Avoid Unnecessary Antibiotics. ...Overuse of antibiotics can kill off healthy bacteria.

Natural defenses were very effective in reducing infection and unwanted inflammation -- and antibiotics can prevent such natural defenses

2. Foods containing antibiotics: Farmers, especially those with large scale operations, often treat animals with antibiotics to reduce the risk of serious infections, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimates that 80 percent of antibiotics are actually used in animal agriculture.

And we do include them in our diet.

3. Animal protein

Food from animals — including meat, dairy, and eggs, people who eat diets very high in animal protein may suffer harmful changes in their gut microbiome, meat may be especially unhelpful, as it raises levels of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). TMAO is a byproduct of gut bacteria. Researchers link high TMAO levels to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke

4. Fried foods are harder for the body to digest. People often cook them in oils rich in saturated and trans fats that may further irritate the stomach, causing diarrhea, gas, and stomach pain.

5. Lack of physical activities

6. Lack of sleep

7. Cigarette Smoking

8. GMO

9. Snacking

10. Sugar

11. Artificial sweetener

12. Frequent eating

13. Stress

Common Signs of an Unhealthy Gut

1. Weight gain: Weight gain or loss without even trying is one of the most common signs of gut imbalance

2. Increased Stress

3. Skin irritation

4. Bloating and gas

5. Diarrhea

6. Constipation

7. Sleep problems

8. Sugar cravings

How can I increase good bacteria in my gut?

1. Fill Up on Fiber. ...High-fiber foods feed the healthy bacteria that improve immune function, reduce inflammation and chronic disease, and even help regulate mood. Fiber has also been shown to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut by acting as a food source for that bacteria

2. Pick Prebiotic-Rich Foods. ...Prebiotics feed healthy bacteria.

3. Try Probiotic Foods. ...Probiotics are live bacteria or yeasts found in fermented foods that, when consumed, take up residence in the gut and improve health.

4. Avoid Animal Products. ...Red meat, high-fat dairy products, and fried foods all reduce the growth of healthy bacteria and enhance the growth of “bad” bacteria linked to chronic disease.

5. Limit Fats. ...Avoid fried foods, saute with cooking spray or broth instead of oil, and use low-fat salad dressings, especially if you have diabetes or prediabetes. Most plant foods are naturally low in fat.

6. Practice a Healthy Lifestyle.

Exercising, getting enough sleep, and managing stress can all have a positive impact on your gut microbes.

7. A plant-based diet can improve health and prevent disease by feeding the good bacteria in your digestive tract.

A healthful plant-based diet improves the health and diversity of your gut microbes, preventing and treating conditions like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases.

8. Vegan Diets Lead to Healthier Intestinal Bacteria, People who eat vegan diets have the healthiest intestinal bacteria. The more adherence to the healthy dietary pattern, the healthier the intestinal microbiota. Healthy gut flora are associated with decreased risk of disease.

Did you know we are only 10 percent human? Ninety percent of our cells are nonhuman, microbial cells. Since our diet influences our microbes, it’s true: "We really are what we eat. ”

9. Eating a Diverse Range of Foods variety of whole food, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, can lead to a more diverse gut flora.

What are probiotics and prebiotics:

Probiotics: Living strains of bacteria that add to the population of good bacteria in your digestive system. Prebiotics: Specialized plant fiber that acts as food for the good bacteria. This stimulates growth among the preexisting good bacteria.

Benefits of probiotics:

Probiotics are proposed to prevent and treat a

variety of health conditions, such as:

- diarrhea (including diarrhea caused by

antibiotics)

- irritable bowel syndrome

- ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease

- tooth decay, gingivitis, and periodontitis

- eczema

Healthy sources include sauerkraut, miso, tempeh,

kimchi, and water kefir. (see vitB12 for more

fermented foods)

Pickled cucumbers are a great source of healthy probiotic bacteria. (Cucumber pickles contain high levels of probiotics which feed the bacteria in the gut and cause it to thrive (which is often not the case with store-bought pickles, as they have usually been boiled)

Rice soak overnight: Resistant starch developed as a result of overnight, fermentation of rice is also rich in probiotics,

Sources with a high prebiotic content include:

Bananas. Bananas are beneficial for the gut and contain naturally occurring fibers that help increase good bacteria and reduce bloating

Custard apples, Watermelon, Grapefruit, Lentils, chickpeas and beans, Oats, Garlic, Leek, Onions,

Nuts, Jerusalem artichokes, chicory root, raw dandelion greens, asparagus, whole wheat, spinach, beans, and soybeans

Honey is also being recognized as a potential prebiotic, since it has oligosaccharides that can promote the growth of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria,

Mangoes contain malic acid, which improves digestion. They are also high in prebiotic fiber which helps the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Sweet potato being rich in fibre, they are good for microbiome of the gut. Fibre and antioxidants in sweet potatoes can repopulate microbiome of gut and also improves gut

health.

Okra: the fibers found in okra also promote the overgrowth of probiotics in the gut.

Aloe Vera: acts as a natural balancer in the intestinal sphere, where it tends to regulate the proportion of bacteria and yeast that reside there. At different times in life imbalances can occur for a variety of reasons, and just like probiotics, Aloe helps stabilize this situation.