What is the gut microbiome
Each person’s body is home to a large number of bacteria and microorganisms that together affect health. The gut microbiome is a complex environment with more than 5,000 species of bacteria. There are lactobacilli as well as bifidobacteria and others. We tell you all about what the microbiome is, how it affects your well-being and give you helpful nutritional advice.
Impact of the gut microbiome on health
The microorganisms inside can significantly affect a person’s health for better or worse. The cluster performs many important functions:
- Milk digestion. Special bifidobacteria develop in the gut and allow you to digest the beneficial sugars that your body needs to develop;
- digesting fibre. Internal bacteria digest fibre and create short-chain fatty acids. This helps to improve intestinal function and prevent the development of various diseases;
- control of immune function. An important part of the work of the microbiome remains the interaction with immune cells. This helps to ensure an appropriate response from your body to various viruses or infections.
There can also be an impact on a person’s psychological health. Therefore, it is important to monitor the correctness of your diet, so as not to affect the gut microbiome in a negative way. With this question, it is best to consult a specialist.
Nutrition tips
Here are some useful recommendations from experts that will help you to maintain a stable microbiome and improve its efficiency:
- it is necessary to diversify your diet with various foods that will carry value to the body. Among these, legumes stand out;
- eat fermented foods like yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut;
- reduce the amount of sweeteners you consume;
- increase the availability of whole grains in your diet. Fibre and healthy carbohydrates will help reduce the risk of diabetes and obesity;
- add more foods that contain polyphenols in high amounts. These can include green tea, red wine, and dark chocolate.
It is also recommended that you stop taking antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription. Not only can this be dangerous to your health, but it also destroys your gut microbiome, which negatively affects your well-being. Therefore, you should only drink such medications under the supervision of a specialist.
The best recommendation is to make a professional diet with a variety of foods. A nutrition programme will allow you to take into account all your needs and peculiarities of your body, add the right elements and vitamins.