4 Steps to a Healthy Intestinal Flora
The intestinal flora (also called microbiota) plays a crucial role in our digestion and a healthy function of our immune system. Why it’s so important and how to rebuild it when it’s out of balance due to antibiotics or illness is what we’re talking about this time.
The most important facts in brief:
- The intestinal flora significantly influences our digestion and the function of our immune system.
- A disturbed intestinal flora can lead to digestive complaints, abdominal pain, an increased susceptibility to infections, but also skin problems, allergies or psychological problems.
- Causes for a disturbed intestinal flora can be, among others, medications such as antibiotics, diseases, stress or a wrong diet.
In order to bring a disturbed intestinal flora back into balance, an intestinal rehabilitation can be useful. Here, the intestinal flora is specifically built up with selected microbiological preparations (Probiotics).
Gut Flora: What is it actually?
Build up intestinal flora after antibiotics and illness
The “intestinal flora”, is strictly speaking not a flora (plant world), because it refers to the totality of all bacteria in the intestine of humans. Therefore, it is now also called intestinal microbiome or microbiota in professional circles. The largest part, namely 99% of the intestinal flora, is located in the human large intestine.
Trillions of bacteria are said to be found here, which corresponds to approximately 5,000 times more bacteria than there are people on earth. Even more bacteria, but fewer than in the large intestine, are found in the small intestine. It is only in the stomach that conditions are so inhospitable that only a few bacteria feel at home here. However, the stomach is not sterile either.
Why is the intestinal flora important?
1. Digestion:
With the help of enzymes, the bacteria of the intestinal flora break down and process the mostly indigestible food components in such a way that we can properly absorb and utilize the vital nutrients from the food. Only if the composition of the intestinal flora is healthy can digestion be guaranteed without problems.
The so-called intestinal barrier ultimately decides, like a bouncer, which substances are allowed to enter the blood and which are not. Foreign substances (e.g. toxins, foreign substances) and pathogens are naturally rejected.
If the intestinal flora is disturbed, this intestinal barrier sometimes no longer functions properly — this is then referred to as “leaky gut” — whereby substances can also enter the body that would normally have been rejected. Inflammatory reactions and secondary diseases can be the result.
2. Immune System:
Our intestinal flora is part of a large protective shield against invading bacteria, viruses, fungi and environmental toxins — 80% of our immune system is said to be located in the intestine. If our intestinal flora is disturbed (also called dysbiosis), we become more susceptible to allergies such as hay fever, inflammation-related diseases such as rheumatism and gastrointestinal problems such as flatulence, diarrhea or constipation.
Skin problems such as acne and neurodermatitis can also be the result of an attacked intestinal mucosa. Our body’s defenses and the healthy functioning of the immune system are therefore also dependent on the condition of our intestinal flora.
3. Mental Health:
Scientific studies indicate a connection between neurological and mental illnesses such as depression and a disturbed intestinal flora. It is now known that the gut and the central nervous system (brain) are in constant communicative exchange via the so-called gut-brain axis. It is also said that mood can be influenced by the state of the intestinal flora. Research on the intestinal-brain axis is still young — it will remain exciting to pursue this further.
Disturbed intestinal flora: Causes and Risks
Drugs such as antibiotics, stress, and a poor diet with too many processed foods, damage the intestinal flora in the long run. The problem: If the intestinal flora is out of balance, you enter a dangerous downward spiral, because the weakened immune system gives pathogens an easy time.
Disturbed intestinal flora: Symptoms
If a disturbed intestinal flora remains untreated, it can bring long-term complaints that can develop into chronic diseases. Indications of a disturbed intestinal flora include:
- Bowel problems such as constipation, diarrhea, gases and bloating
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Food intolerances and allergies
- Susceptibility to infection
- Rheumatic diseases
- Mental illness
- Skin diseases
- Fungal diseases
- Constant fatigue
Do you have to build up the intestinal flora after antibiotics?
We often hear that antibiotics affect the intestinal flora, but why is that?
Antibiotics are active substances that specifically inhibit the growth of bacteria or destroy them. But in their work, these quite important drugs cannot differentiate between pathogens and the “normal” species of bacteria naturally living in the intestine — all bacteria that respond to the particular type of antibiotic are killed. Because of their broad spectrum of action, broad-spectrum antibiotics are therefore particularly dangerous for intestinal bacteria.
The result: Without the “good” bacteria, among other things, the digestive processes are altered and bacteria that are important for maintaining the intestinal barrier are missing. Ultimately, this can lead to the intestinal mucosa becoming more permeable and pathogens now have free rein to pass through the intestinal wall and into the body, triggering infections or ailments.
The intestinal flora (also called microbiota) plays a crucial role in our digestion and a healthy function of our immune system.
So our defenses suffer when we take antibiotics — and possibly for the long term. In one study, scientists showed that after taking antibiotics, the microbiome almost fully recovered within 1.5 months. But only almost: some known bacterial species that were present in the body before the drug were permanently lost. Another study showed that a single dose of the antibiotic clindamycin changed the intestinal flora to such an extent that it had not recovered even after 12 months.
Even if no symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps or other intestinal complaints are present after taking medication, it is in the interest of our intestinal barrier and immune system to become active ourselves and strengthen the intestinal flora at an early stage. The same applies, of course, when disease-related dysbiosis is present, such as in irritable bowel syndrome and neurodermatitis.
The aim of this is to rebuild the intestinal flora to such an extent that it can regulate itself again independently in the long term. The rebuilding of the intestinal flora is recommended with selected microbiological preparations (e.g. with the food supplement probiotics).
4 Steps to a healthy intestinal flora after antibiotics and illness
The following 4 steps bring the disturbed intestinal flora back into balance.
1. Intestinal Rehabilitation
Intestinal rehabilitation can help to rebuild the intestinal flora and reactivate the self-healing powers, for example after taking antibiotics. However, intestinal rehabilitation is not always necessary: If you support your intestines with the appropriate bacterial cultures (Probiotics) when taking antibiotics, a complete intestinal rehabilitation is often not even necessary after taking antibiotics.
1.1 Intestinal Rehabilitation : Procedure
An intestinal rehabilitation takes place in three steps and can also be done at home:
- Clean intestines
- Detoxify with mineral earth (see also article intestinal & colon cleansing)
- Build up intestinal flora
1.2 Intestinal Rehabilitation: Precautions
If you want to do a colon cleanse yourself at home, you should seek individual advice from a doctor, pharmacist or alternative practitioner before using home remedies or homeopathic medicines. This is especially true in the case of existing intolerances, pre-existing conditions and the use of medications (including contraceptive pills). The respective phase of life (children / seniors) should also be taken into account.
2. Build up the intestinal flora through nutrition
How can you build up the intestinal flora naturally with the right diet? That’s how it’s done:
Fermented foods like kimchi are good for the intestinal flora
- The intestine and its inhabitants love fiber. They serve as food for the bacteria (prebiotics) and stimulate the intestinal movement in a natural way. Foods rich in fiber include flax and psyllium seeds, legumes such as lentils, and whole grains. Vegetables also contain lots of healthy fiber. So does fruit, but fruit also contains a lot of sugar (fructose) and should therefore only be eaten in moderation.
- Resistant starch is another treat for intestinal bacteria. This is contained, for example, in cooked and cooled potatoes. In our experience, it is best to cook potatoes the day before, allow them to cool and store them in the refrigerator overnight so that they are ready to eat the next day. For example, a potato salad with linseed oil and natural yogurt is delicious and very digestible. Why is resistant starch so good? This converted form of starch cannot be digested and thus reaches the large intestine as “bacterial food”. In addition, cold potatoes contain fewer carbohydrates than hot ones.
- When it comes to intestinal health, less is often more. After a meal, you should feel satiated, but not overfull. If you crave a digestive drink after a meal, you know: that was too much. Foods and drinks that unnecessarily irritate the gastrointestinal tract should be avoided — this includes foods that are too hot, too cold, too spicy, and meals with a lot of fat that are literally heavy on the stomach. Also too much coffee, alcohol and everything containing sugar including soft drinks should be avoided for the sake of the intestines. The best foods are as fresh and natural as possible; industrially processed foods such as convenience foods should be avoided as a matter of principle.
- It is not only important WHAT we eat, but also HOW we eat. Instead of gorging on food in front of the TV, it makes a big difference to sit down at a table without a screen and enjoy every bite, eating mindfully. Sufficient chewing also supports the digestive process — because by crushing and “salivating” the digestive process already begins.
- High-quality probiotic foods get a “pro”. This is because probiotic bacteria are also found in many fermented foods. This is because the bacteria are necessary for fermentation — a fermentation process during food processing. Fermented foods include fresh sauerkraut, natural yogurt, kefir, miso, kombucha, and the Korean dish kimchi. So there are a lot of probiotic foods, but not all of them are of the same high quality. To have a health effect, these foods should be consumed in the long term and not bought in a preserved form.
3 . Intestinal flora rebuild with sports and meditation
Stress is poison for our digestive system. It is not without reason that people say, “It hits me in the stomach”. Remedy is exercise in the fresh air such as walks or jogging, yoga, relaxation exercises and meditation. Because only if we feel in balance, then it is also our gastrointestinal tract.
4 . Build up intestinal flora : Preparations
As probiotics, certain living microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria (eg Lactobacillus ) denote that give the people a health benefit when administered in adequate amounts. The intestinal flora of adults is populated by a large number of different bacteria. Probiotics with living microorganisms are only effective if the right strains of bacteria in the right quantity and quality are selected individually for the human situation.
What quality criteria should one look for when selecting a probiotic?
- Best studied bacterial strains for existing dysbiosis condition
- Effect proven by published clinical studies
- Survivability of the microorganisms against gastric acid and bile juice
- High colonization and multiplication ability in the intestine
- Assured shelf life and stability
To rebuild the intestinal flora after medication or illness, in addition to the home remedies and nutrition mentioned here, there are also selected microbiological preparations from the pharmacy — as powder or capsules.
The intestine and immune system should be supported when taking antibiotics. In this way, the intestinal flora can be strengthened at an early stage, undesirable effects occur less frequently, and the intestine and immune system recover much more quickly. But even after antibiotic treatment or in the case of a dysbiosis caused by other influences, one can still do good by means of intestinal rehabilitation.
Those affected benefit during and after taking antibiotics, for example, from the bacterial strains in appropriate probiotics. Without support, it can take 12 months or more for the intestinal flora to recover from the effects of antibiotics. So if you want to rebuild your intestinal flora as part of an intestinal cleanse, it’s all about choosing the right preparations.
Recommended Probiotics Products
The recommended probiotics should be specialized in building up the intestinal flora in various diseases. They should contain selected, reproducible bacterial cultures whose effectiveness has been confirmed in scientific studies. The highly active intestinal bacteria, which also occur naturally in the healthy human intestine, act on all three levels of the intestinal barrier: the intestinal flora, the intestinal mucosa and the intestinal-associated immune system.
The best probiotics should also have specially compiled bacterial cultures for diet management in the case of irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and pouchitis, neurodermatitis, symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease or Clostridium difficile- associated diarrhea and antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
Resources
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/leaky-gut-what-is-it-and-what-does-it-mean-for-you-2017092212451
- https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1003726
- https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn3346
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-018-0257-9
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18043614
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31988871