Mostly made up of about 1,000 different species of bacteria, the microbiome is an incredible system of microorganisms that help keep your body healthy. Continue reading below to discover five in-depth reasons why it’s so important to help the microbiome flourish in your body.
1. Proper Digestion
The bacteria in your body work together to digest food and absorb the proper nutrients. By doing this the microbiome makes enzymes that can digest more complex nutrients that otherwise might just become waste. With the help of the microbiome, your body can take in 90% of the nutrients in food.
2. Immune System Maintenance
A good immune system allows your body to fight heavily against infection and disease. The microbiome plays a role in this by helping bolster the overall effect of your immune system. This is accomplished by reducing the number of bad bacteria multiplying within your body. In the microbiome of a healthy person, the good bacteria reproduce at a much faster rate than the bad, therefore keeping a healthier overall balance. Your microbiome can then instruct the immune system to create the antiviral proteins it needs to eradicate the infection spreading in your body.
3. Appetite and Weight Control
Scientists think that weight and the microbiome are heavily linked. Studies have shown that obese patients have fewer bacteria in their gut than those who are at a healthy weight. By eating certain fibrous or probiotic foods, you can promote more good bacterial and chemical growth in the body which in turn will lead to weight loss. For example, both Prevotella and Bacteroidetes are heavily present in the microbiome of people who consume more fire and protein. These people show a proclivity towards losing weight, especially those with higher amounts of Prevotella in their microbiome.
4. Mental Health Support
The microbiome and the brain share an integral relationship. The bacteria in the gut play a huge role in producing serotonin, a natural antidepressant and mood stabilizer. Not only does the gut help produce serotonin, but it can also manufacture the neurotransmitter GABA or Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid. GABA can act as a mood stabilizer as well as a stress reducer.
Furthermore, the microbiome is interconnected with many of the nerve pathways that connect to the brain. Scientists theorize that the microbiome can aid in healthy thought patterns, though this is still not fully understood.
5. Helps Sustain A Healthy Heart
Just as mounting evidence is showing that the microbiome could be a strong factor in the prevention of certain conditions such as obesity, diabetes, some cancers, and more, it is also showing that heart health can be drastically affected by the number of certain bacterias in your gut. TMAO or trimethylamine-N-oxide is the byproduct of an unhealthy gut. The Journal of the American Heart Association found that increased TMAO led to a 62% rise in heart attack risk and death. Overall, there was a 67% increased risk found in obtaining other or additional heart conditions from heightened TMAO levels. Read further to discover how you can promote a healthy microbiome.
How You Can Keep Your Microbiome Healthy
It’s important to do what you can to promote microbiome health since it’s such a strong contributor to preventing illness and maintaining homeostasis in the body. Fiber is an incredible accelerator of healthy gut bacteria. Consume fibrous foods such as lentils, avocados, beans, leeks, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, berries, whole grains, potatoes, and nuts. Make sure to eliminate as much processed junk food and red meat as you can, while adding in healthy, complex sugars that include: bananas, apples, dark chocolate, sweet potatoes, and more.
Probiotics and other supplements such as collagen gut health powder can promote the production of good bacteria in your system. You can find gut powder health in Australia to help get rid of abdominal bloating while also bolstering gastrointestinal and mucosal membrane health. Outside of diet and supplements, you should also factor in exercise and plenty of sleep. Continue reading to discover the five reasons why it is so important to incorporate these health measures to assist your microbiome in healthy bacteria maintenance.
Conclusion
The microbiome contains trillions of bacteria all working together to keep your body functioning healthily. This symbiotic relationship humans share with microbiome bacteria aids tremendously in the upkeep of human health. Promoting digestion, immune health, disease prevention, weight reduction, and mental health support the microbiome really gives you every reason to want to start taking charge of your health today!
