The digestive tract microflora is a community of diverse intestinal bacteria that play a very important role in shaping the health not only of the digestive tract, but also of the entire body. With proper functioning of digestive processes, nutrient absorption, and regulation of intestinal function, we feel comfortable and able to function daily. More and more is being said about the importance of gut bacteria in preventing many diseases of civilisation, autoimmune diseases, and more.
It turns out that the bacteria populating the large intestine (and, to some extent, other parts of the digestive tract) have more properties than one might initially think. This is why it is currently so important to maintain the health and homeostasis of the digestive tract. It is not without reason that the gut is called our second brain. Learn about the relationship between the gastrointestinal microflora and the health of the whole body.
How does the gut microflora affect the health of the body?
According to the latest scientific reports, our intestinal bacterial flora harbours over 1,000 species. This means that each bacterial species has a different impact on a person's well-being. It is worth noting, however, that among these micro-organisms are fungi and various viruses present in this environment, as natural elements living in a kind of ecosystemic balance.
In other words, the bacterial/intestinal microflora environment must be in a state of equilibrium among the different types of micro-organisms for the health and well-being of our body to be at least good. However, as you might guess, in most people the balance of intestinal flora is severely disrupted, which can lead to various forms of inflammation and gastrointestinal dysfunction.
The intestinal bacterial flora is estimated to have a total mass of approximately 2 kilograms. This means it is very close to the brain's total mass. Moreover, many stimuli and neurotransmitters from the intestinal environment reach the brain, where the nervous system further processes this information into appropriate responses. We can therefore say that bacterial flora cooperates with our nervous system to determine our health status and individual responses to environmental stimuli.
As it turns out, nearly 90% of the nerve signals coming from the intestines reach the brain. In the opposite direction, this figure is about 10%. This only proves that there is a lot of truth in the saying 'Health begins in the gut'. How we behave and function comes largely from signals in the form of neurotransmitters synthesised in the digestive tract. They travel to the brain via the so-called vagus nerve, or the gut-brain axis.
Moreover, many compounds present in the intestinal lumen can be absorbed into the bloodstream and further metabolised in the liver, suggesting that intestinal homeostasis plays a greater role in shaping health and well-being than we think. This also means that, to keep your body and mind in very good condition, you should first take care of your nutrition and, consequently, the proper functioning of the digestive tract, where intestinal bacteria reside.
Currently, there is much discussion about the relationship between intestinal dysfunction and the tendency and increased risk of various types of psychophysical disorders and lifestyle diseases. The tightness and condition of the intestinal barrier largely depend on the qualitative and quantitative composition of our microflora. Therefore, great emphasis is currently being placed on the importance of daily diet and probiotic therapy in the prevention of the body.
Is the gut microflora the same in everyone?
A factor that further distinguishes the importance of the gastrointestinal microflora is its enormous diversity. Each person has a unique quantitative and qualitative composition of bacterial species. This phenomenon can be compared to the individual shapes of a person's fingerprints.
It is also noteworthy that the bacterial flora of the gastrointestinal tract influences the expression of individual genes, which is why there is so much talk about links between the quality of the bacterial microflora and the tendency and risk of developing individual diseases and disorders, including those dependent on genetic factors.
The diversity of the microflora means that each person reacts differently to specific elements of the daily diet, behaves differently, and has individual patterns and habits. This makes the science of the microorganisms in our digestive tract very extensive.
Factors that shape and distinguish each person's bacterial flora are:
- age,
- body weight,
- eating habits,
- geographical location,
- genetic factors,
- medication used,
- lifestyle hygiene,
- stress,
- past illnesses.
It is also important to note that more than 70% of the bacteria in the digestive tract reside in the large intestine.
Why is it important to take care of the gut microflora?
The bacterial microflora of the gastrointestinal tract plays a significant role in shaping everyday health and prevention. It is worth noting that disorders of the intestinal tract often lead to an imbalance in the intestinal microflora, resulting in various symptoms that can cause intestinal diseases, which, unfortunately, significantly affect our wellbeing and health.
Gastrointestinal disorders arise from an imbalance in the composition of the intestinal microflora. Disorders in the composition of the gut flora lead to the following diseases:
- Irritable bowel syndrome,
- Excessive constipation or diarrhoea,
- Chronic fatigue syndrome,
- Inflammatory bowel diseases (Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease),
- AD, acne and other skin problems,
- Numerous allergies,
- Lipid disorders,
- Reflux, heartburn and indigestion,
- Disorders of the internal organs,
- Neurological and autoimmune diseases.
As you can see, the tightness and state of the intestinal barrier, including the bacteria of the intestinal flora, play a huge role in shaping health and preventing disease. It is therefore worthwhile to begin repairing the body by improving gut function and regulating the qualitative and quantitative composition of gut flora.
How can we take care of our gut microbiota?
A very important factor for the health of the gastrointestinal tract is a low-processed diet, rich in fermented products and high in fibre.
Dietary fibre is an element of individual foods that is not digested by our enzymatic system, but instead provides food for the intestinal bacteria in the digestive tract. For these bacteria, fibre is a prebiotic, i.e., an agent that promotes the growth of beneficial bacterial microflora. Its action contributes to the quantitative regulation of intestinal bacteria, which has a positive effect on the wellbeing and regeneration of the intestinal mucosa. The bacteria of the intestinal flora break down fibre into short-chain fatty acids, which are a component that helps regenerate the mucosa and intestinal barrier (including the intestinal villi).
The second ingredient beneficial to the health of the intestinal microflora is, and actually is, fermented products. These contain live cultures of probiotic bacteria, which, when regularly supplied to the body, help relieve inflammation and regulate the microflora.
By including these 2 ingredients in a low-processed diet, we can be assured that intestinal inflammation will be reduced, facilitating subsequent remission or complete resolution.
However, it is important to remember that diet is not everything. Providing natural probiotics and prebiotics has a beneficial effect on our health and bacterial microflora, but may be insufficient to address the disorders and symptoms we experience. In this case, probiotic therapy is mandatory, i.e., the regular administration of probiotics containing selected bacterial strains that improve health and regulate digestive tract function. The prerequisite, however, is that the probiotic bacteria are supplied in sufficiently large quantities, thereby inducing health benefits in the host organism. Such a comprehensive approach will contribute to much faster health effects along with improved wellbeing and comfort in life.
Which probiotic to choose for healthy gut microflora?
Among the probiotic preparations available on the market, there is a range of products that are divided into mono-strain and multi-strain probiotics. They differ in the amount of probiotic bacteria per capsule. Specifically, in multi-strain preparations, more than one species of bacteria is present and, consequently, a higher number of CFUs - colony-forming units - can be expected in these probiotics. In other words, the more bacteria there are in a given probiotic, the greater the amount of total bacteria that can be expected in such a preparation.
Multi-strain probiotics are more recommended for regulating the composition of the bacterial microflora, as they affect the diversity of the bacterial flora more comprehensively and restore the quantitative composition more quickly. Their regular intake provides faster health benefits, though some mono-strain preparations work brilliantly at alleviating specific ailments.
Among the best probiotic preparations available to anyone is BestBiotic. It is a multi-strain supplement containing the best-studied bacterial strains for health prevention and many functional gut disorders. What's more, BestBiotic contains more than 30 billion bacteria in 1 capsule, making it a great support for daily microflora and gastrointestinal health. It is believed that the daily dose of bacteria delivered to the gut should exceed 10 billion. BestBiotic meets these requirements, thereby improving the body's health, wellbeing, and regeneration.
BestBiotic is a multi-strain probiotic that is ideal for the following ailments:
- Infectious diarrhoea,
- Stool constipation,
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),
- Acne and other skin conditions (e.g. AD, psoriasis),
- Autoimmune diseases,
- Excessive stress and cortisol,
- Disorders of intestinal peristalsis,
- Reflux,
- Lipid disorders,
- Liver disorders,
- Excessive bloating, gas and abdominal pain.
Summary
The bacterial microflora of the gastrointestinal tract is an extremely important part of the body's daily functioning. The bacteria that mainly inhabit the large intestine actively participate in nutrient digestion, affect the proper synthesis of neurotransmitters, regenerate the intestinal mucosa and its nutrition, and regulate the homeostasis of many other tissues in our body. Caring for the state of the bacterial microflora should be done through a low-processed diet with adequate amounts of dietary fibre and fermented products. In addition, it is worth pursuing probiotic therapy, which actively supports the regulation of the qualitative and quantitative state of the intestinal bacteria, thereby positively influencing the body's homeostasis.
Bibliography
- Shi LH, Balakrishnan K, Thiagarajah K, Mohd Ismail NI, Yin OS. Beneficial Properties of Probiotics. Trop Life Sci Res. 2016 Aug;27(2):73-90.
- Thursby E, Juge N. Introduction to the human gut microbiota. Biochem J. 2017 May 16;474(11):1823-1836.
- Fijan S. Microorganisms with claimed probiotic properties: an overview of recent literature. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014 May 5;11(5):4745-67.
- Shreiner AB, Kao JY, Young VB. The gut microbiome in health and in disease. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2015 Jan;31(1):69-75.
- Quigley EM. Gut bacteria in health and disease. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2013 Sep;9(9):560-9.
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