Trust Your Gut Instinct
My gut has been my moral compass throughout life, but what happens if my gut is unbalanced?
Did you know that we have over tens of trillions of microorganism in our gut? The gut bacteria (sometimes called gut flora) contains more than 3 million genes, that is 150 times more than human genes.
There is a whole universe of microorganism living inside of us, where 2/3 are unique to each one of us. It is in fact so unique that it is a more accurate way of identifying biometrics than with fingerprints.
My stomach is fine, therefore my gut is fine
A healthy gut is way more important than just helping you with your digestive system. The metabolic activities of the gut resemble the ones of an organ. Think of the gut flora as your “lost organ”. It produces vitamin K and some vitamin B, it turns fiber into short-chain fats and it strengthens your gut wall which helps prevent diseases while increasing your immune system.
A balanced gut bacteria helps prevent dangerous diseases such as Alzheimer’s, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer.
Where do I get all this gut bacteria from?
Well, you can thank your mom for that. Your gut bacteria is developed when you’re born and is made up of your mother’s microorganisms. As early as a baby’s third day, the gut balance has already been set, all depending on how the infant is fed. Already from the age of 3, the gut bacteria starts reaching stable levels and acts in a similar way as that of an adult.
So, from age 3 my composition for my gut is fully evolved?
Your gut composition is constantly evolving, from birth to old age! It is also very adaptable to environments. The first couple of weeks when visiting a new country, you might react to the food and might even get stomach aches. This is because the local population have adapted to the food they eat. Take for example the Japanese, they have developed a special enzyme in their gut to help digest seaweed, an essential ingredient in their daily diet. It doesn’t mean that people outside of Japan cannot digest seaweed, rather it might take them some time to adjust to it.
How do I help my gut reach the right balance?
Gut bacteria can be balanced as simple as with added probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics are basically the good bacteria for your gut, whilst prebiotics are the food that these bacteria requires. Prebiotics are found in different types of carbs — mostly fiber — that humans usually can’t digest. This is the food that your good gut bacteria will eat. To help with this balance in your diet, take a look here for what food contains probiotics and prebiotics.
I will dig deeper into probiotics and prebiotics in the next article.
In conclusion you literally are what you eat.
