By Aria Drexler, Community Cancer Center
They lurk within the depths of the darkest corners of our insides, and feast on the leftovers of our foods. They control the processes of our body, from our immunity to our organ function. No, I’m not talking about the movie Alien, but about the bacteria, both good and bad, that live inside our gut. Did you know that 9 out of 10 cells in our body are actually bacteria cells? Most of those cells live inside our digestive tract, which adds up to about 3 pounds of bacteria!
Sounds kind of gross, right? Bacteria get a bad rap for making us sick, but we actually need bacteria for our very survival. They make essential nutrients including vitamins K, B12, and biotin by fermenting the foods we digest. Good bacteria crowd out bad bacteria that can make us sick. Up to 70 percent of our immune system is based in our gut, including mechanisms responsible for autoimmune diseases! Gut bacteria influence body systems as far-reaching as brain health, liver and detox function, cancer development, insulin resistance, and heart disease through the different byproducts they produce. Research has even found that bad bacteria can cause obesity and cravings for unhealthy food to support their growth.
So where do all these bacteria come from? We are “infected” from the moment we are born. As we travel through the birth canal, we pick up good bacteria from our mothers, which helps build our immune system. Births by Caesarian section do not impart us with these bacteria, but we also pick them up from breast milk and from eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. By age 3, our gut ecosystem has stabilized, and our food supports either the good or the bad bacteria. There are three major ways to support a positive ecosystem: prebiotic foods, probiotic foods, and probiotic supplements.
The best way to support good bacteria is to fuel them properly! Prebiotics are foods that feed the good bacteria, and include those rich in fiber like vegetables, whole grains, and fruits. Some great examples include beans, oats, barley, whole wheat, greens, asparagus, and bananas. Foods with naturally occurring probiotics are also a great way to get your daily dose of the good bugs. Yogurt, miso, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, and other fermented foods are rich in good bacteria, and have been eaten for thousands of years by cultures around the world for health.
Choosing a Probiotic Supplement
Sometimes things like antibiotics, infection, or a diet rich in fatty foods and sugar can wipe out our good bacteria, and they might need a little extra help to come back. In this case, you might benefit from taking a probiotic supplement for a few weeks. Look for a probiotic from a company that has sponsored their own research, which shows they are serious about their product. A product with 10 billion or more live bacteria will generally be effective. Studies have shown that single-strain probiotics are just as effective as multi-strain, so it may not be necessary to purchase a multi-strain product. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria are beneficial species to look for. Pretty soon you will be on your way to excellent health, with the help of your teeny tiny bacteria friends.
For more information about the Community Cancer Center, you can visit their website at www.cancercenter.org or like them on Facebook. Aria Drexler is a dietetic intern and graduate student at Illinois State University interning at Community Cancer Center in Normal, IL.
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