Greater Peoria Metro Area, IL

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Feeding Your Gut For Better Health

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By Candace Bell, OSF St. Francis Dietetic Intern, Hult Center for Healthy Living

Did you know you house 3-5 pounds of bacteria in your gut? For some time now, we have known our digestive tract contains tens of trillions of bacteria. We thought they only played a small role in our lives, but new research has been proving us wrong. Recent studies have found a link between our gut bacteria to obesity, our ability to fight off diseases, and colon health. We are finding that these bacteria play a huge role in our health.

What does our gut bacteria do for us? Our guts contain a balance of harmful and helpful bacteria. If the number of harmful bacteria grows too large, they can cause health problems. The helpful bacteria, on the other hand, help with digestion and break down food particles we cannot digest. These food particles can then be absorbed as food for the bacteria. The helpful bacteria produce Vitamin B12 and Vitamin K, both of which are important for our bodies. They form a wall on the lining of our gut and protect it from harmful germs. Finally, they help us ward off viruses and bacteria that could make us sick. We give these bacteria a place to live, and they help keep us alive!

How do the bacteria form in our guts? The bacteria in our gut start forming at birth. When we are in our mother’s womb, our guts are bacteria-free. From birth to about three years of age, our guts are in chaos as they are exposed to new foods. How the bacteria in your gut form depends on several things. It depends on how you were delivered, if you were breastfed or formula fed, and the foods you were given as a toddler. Our gut bacteria are always changing. It changes with diet, drugs (like antibiotics), and our environment. 

What is bacterial richness? Research has found that health and diseases are based on your bacterial richness. Bacterial richness is a term we use to express how many different types of bacteria live in your gut. High bacterial richness is associated with health, whereas low bacterial richness is associated with diseases.

Why is this important to me? Americans typically eat a lot of high-fat foods, sugary desserts, red meats, and white flour. These foods do not foster the growth of our guts’ bacterial richness; in fact, they hinder it. The bacteria in our guts need carbohydrates our body cannot digest, like fiber. These foods provide energy to those bacteria to help them grow and be healthy. Yet, instead of these foods, Americans typically eat processed foods with little fiber and few nutrients.

How can we keep our guts healthy? Eating many different kinds of fruits and vegetables everyday will help us get more fiber and nutrients that provide food for our bacteria. You should consume five cups of fruits and vegetables each day. Increasing your fiber with whole grains and beans are other ways to keep your gut healthy. Generally, men should have 30-38 grams of fiber, and women 21-25 grams of fiber each day. Also, prebiotic and probiotics promote the growth of helpful bacteria and prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria. Prebiotics have shown to promote the growth of helpful bacteria. Prebiotics are found in whole grains, bananas, onions, garlic, honey, soybeans, and artichokes. Probiotics are also good bacteria, found in yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and miso soup. Probiotics help regrow gut bacteria (if you are sick or have a chronic illness, check with your doctor before consuming probiotics). 

Current research is pointing to our gut bacteria to improve our health and prevent diseases. To obtain diverse gut bacteria, eat healthy by consuming a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. And try to limit your intake of processed foods, such as candy, desserts, sweetened drinks, fried foods, and chips. Eating more prebiotics and probiotics are also great ways to get more kinds of helpful bacteria in your gut. It is important to take care of your whole body, including the bacteria in your gut.

The Hult Center for Healthy Living has a variety of free cancer programs, including nutritional counseling for those in active treatment, healthy cooking classes, and nutritional seminars. For more information, visit hulthealthy.org or call the Hult Center at 309-692-6650.

Sources available upon request.
Photo credit: ttsz/iStock