No this is not another hit by the Killers, this is just a legitimate question to ask ourselves.
Did you know that the human body has more bacteria than human cells?
In this case, one could argue that we are more bacteria than humans…
The reality is that trillions of bacteria from multiple strains live in each one of us, most of them on the skin and large intestine.
While some bacteria, called pathogens, are associated with disease, others are actually extremely important for our immune system, heart, weight and many other aspects of our health; and these are what we call good bacteria.
Humans have lived with bacteria from the beginning of time, and potentially even evolved from bacteria, but we just started to realise the importance of them.
Viruses, bacteria and parasites are all part of the gut microbiome, but scientists love to mostly study bacteria. And studies are showing that bacteria are strongly related to human health.
An imbalance of healthy and unhealthy microbes can contribute to weight gain, bloating and abdominal cramps leading to a condition called gut dysbiosis.
Interesting studies have revealed that some strains of gut bacteria may improve heart health through promoting the “good” cholesterol HDL.
On the opposite side, certain unhealthy species in the gut microbiome may contribute to heart disease by increasing a compound that blocks blood arteries.
Another study observed a lack of diversity in the gut microbiome of people with type 1 and 2 diabetes right before it’s onset.
Good bacteria do miracles in brain health too, by sending signals to the brain to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps fight depression. And by the way, did you know that 95% of serotonin is produced in the gut?
The good news is that you could prevent all these by keeping a few things in mind regarding your nutrition:
- Eat fermented foods: kefir, kimchi, kombucha
- Eat prebiotic foods: underripe banana, onions, garlic, apples, leeks
- Eat whole grain and pulses: oats, mung beans, lentils
- And don’t forget about chicory root, dandelion greens, chocolate, chia and flax seeds
#NutriFix #FixingNutrition #HealthAndLongevity #SmartEating #HealthyFood #OptimizeYourHealth #GutMicrobiome #Probiotics #Prebiotics #Modbiotics #Postbiotics #FermentedFoods
~Corina
