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The trillions of bacteria in your gut may seem like unimportant little creatures, but these microorganisms are essential for your health. In fact, your gut microbiome has been called the “hidden brain” or “second genome” because it has more cognitive capacity than your conscious brain does, as well as a separate immune system and its own neural network—not to mention it produces about 1/3 of your serotonin and other neurotransmitters .
What is Good Gut Health?
The gut is where most of your immune response happens, including detoxifying substances and destroying bad bacteria or harmful pathogens. So, poor gut health can lead to allergies and autoimmune diseases, as well as a weakened immune system, making you more susceptible to infections, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, hormone imbalances, joint and muscle aches, and many other chronic health conditions. When it comes to healthy gut health, you want to promote a bacterial environment where there is both a good amount of beneficial bacteria and not very much bad bacteria or pathogenic organisms. This is called a healthy gut microbiome.
How to Achieve and Maintain Gut Health
There are many ways to promote and maintain healthy gut health. This can include avoiding harmful substances and eating foods that help promote gut health and encourage good bacteria to grow. Avoiding Harmful Substances that Impair Gut Health - Some substances have been shown to impair gut health and promote harmful pathogens that damage the gut lining and make you more susceptible to autoimmune diseases and allergies. These include: • Sugars - Studies have shown that fructose, a type of sugar that is often added to foods, causes significant damage to the gut lining. Other common types of sugars like sucrose, glucose, dextrose, maltose, and lactose have also been found to damage the gut lining. • Processed Foods - A significant number of harmful chemicals and additives are used in the processing of most conventional foods. They have a negative effect on gut health. • Antibiotics - These medications destroy both bad and good bacteria, leading to poor gut health and increasing your risk of allergies and autoimmune diseases.
Foods That Help Promote Gut Health
Some of the best foods for promoting gut health include fermented foods, probiotic-rich foods, and foods high in prebiotics. Fermented Foods - Fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh, and yogurt, contain probiotics and help promote healthy gut bacteria. Studies have shown that fermented foods are more effective than supplements at promoting gut health. Probiotic-Rich Foods - Foods like fermented vegetables, unpasteurized fermented milk, kefir, kombucha, and other fermented foods can help promote gut health. But, it is important that they are unpasteurized and unprocessed in order to retain their probiotic content. Unpasteurized fermented dairy - Although cultured dairy products like yogurt, kefir, and other fermented dairy products are often promoted as healthy foods that promote gut health, they can actually be harmful for those with a sensitivity to dairy.
Foods That Harm Gut Health
Some foods that harm gut health include unfermented dairy products, refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, and certain grains. Unfermented Dairy Products - These have been pasteurized or homogenized to remove their beneficial bacteria. They also have a chemical make-up very different from their naturally fermented counterparts, making them a poor choice for promoting healthy gut bacteria. Refined Sugar - Studies have shown that eating too much sugar damages the gut lining and impairs healthy gut bacteria. Artificial Sweeteners - Studies have shown that certain artificial sweeteners, like saccharin, have the tendency to increase inflammation, which impairs gut health.
Conclusion
Your gut health is a powerful indicator of your overall health. It is important to understand how to promote and maintain healthy gut bacteria. This can help prevent allergies and autoimmune diseases and help you stay healthy and happy for years to come! The trillions of bacteria in your gut may seem like unimportant little creatures, but these microorganisms are essential for your health. In fact, your gut microbiome has been called the “hidden brain” or “second genome” because it has more cognitive capacity than your conscious brain does, as well as a separate immune system and its own neural network—not to mention it produces about 1/3 of your serotonin and other neurotransmitters .
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