There’s a lot of talk today about the importance of gut health. In fact, we talk about it quite a lot right here.
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When most people hear “bacteria,” they automatically assume it’s something that is harmful or bad. Our environment is filled with bacteria. Your body is in constant contact with bacteria, both inside and out. In fact, close to 500 different types of bacteria reside in your GI tract alone.
Under ideal situations, enough beneficial strains of bacteria exist in your body to rid any potentially dangerous and health-robbing strains of bacteria that enter. It’s only when enough of the bad take over that you begin to experience problems. It can be as simple as a mild case of diarrhea, or grow in complexity to severe infections.
There is no way to eliminate all bacteria; it wouldn’t be wise. We can exist without it.
The root of many of our problems today lies in our colon. It’s a nutrient-rich environment that lacks oxygen and strong digestive fluids, making it an ideal place for bacteria to grow and flourish.
If you eat correctly, everything stays in balance. But when you look at today’s food supply, it’s easy to see how this process can quickly slip away. As a whole, we eat little fiber, and eat sugar, salt, and processed foods in excess. This means the bad bacteria has a better than average chance of entering our bodies and staying.
To make matters worse, we’ve also reduced our consumption of the things that normally combat these issues. Vegetable consumption is at an all-time low. Beneficial fatty acids found in things like salmon and flaxseed are also low on the list.
And when your food intake isn’t where it should be, it throws your body out of balance. Pathogenic bacteria grows, which spews toxins into your system. This begins straining the way your systems are designed to work.
While healthier eating is a part of the solution, so is taking in probiotics. Fermented foods like sauerkraut and yogurt can help replenish bacterial flora. But that isn’t always convenient or possible. A good probiotic supplement can provide additional support to your system.