Effects of Probiotics on Gut Flora

There are a few unexpected signs that show you that you may have an intestinal flora imbalance and the difficulty of losing weight is one of them. The way this works is the intestinal bacteria emit several chemical and by-products that help regulate the appetite, digestion and metabolism.

 

If you have suffered from cystitis, allergies, mycosis or gastroenteritis or if you simply have diarrhea or constipation, it is because of the imbalance in your gut flora. If you consume a lot of bad- refined or processed foods that are high in simple carbohydrates, low in dietary fibre and trans fats that cause inflammation, you increase the amount of harmful bacteria in your gut.

If the bacteria balance is altered from good to bad, the signals that are sent to your brain and your body also become different. Then you start experiencing the consequences of distorted nutrition absorption and glucose metabolism, fat gain and obesity and inflammation that may lead to a variety of illnesses.

It is important to have a balanced diet of natural and unprocessed foods, including a variety of fruits and veggies of different colors, lean proteins from different animal and vegetarian sources, fermented foods, and good fats that are commonly available in butter, nuts, seeds and olive oil. And you may also want to try probiotic and prebiotic supplements to help balance the bacterial flora quickly.

Intestinal flora simply indicated the bacteria that are found naturally in your gut that help prevent potential infections in your body. And your body is often exposed to pathogenic bacteria through your diet- bad eating habits, antibiotics or other medication and your mental health- stress levels. When you have too much of these bad bacteria you’ll have an intestinal flora imbalance that will lead to digestive problems and viral infections with the weakened immune system.

Intestinal flora is very active in strengthening the immune system. And the probiotics- the micro-organisms that are available in the intestinal flora are the key to restored and better protected gut flora. The intestine is the second longest organ in human body after the skin and measures about 22 feet. Good bacteria or probiotics are responsible for the immune cells’ production in your body which will then navigate through your body including the respiratory and digestive systems.

You need to consume probiotics regularly and in adequate amounts for your body to really benefit from them. Probiotics can have different effects on different people and you need to know more about your body and the type of probiotics you need to take. Some research indicates a link between lactobacillus acidophilus intake and significant weight gain in animals. This means certain probiotics could possibly cause overweight and obesity, although not proven in humans. But generally speaking they are beneficial:

Active yeast probiotic can be beneficial for your skin, hair and nails. Bifidobacterium helps promote glucose tolerance and better digestion and improve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Lactobacillus Acidophilus is known to be good for reducing cholesterol, reducing diarrhea, improve IBS symptoms, treat urinary tract and vaginal infections, reduce cold and flu and allergy symptoms. L. Casei is good for preventing diarrhea and helping with the brain function. L. Plantarum may help prevent inflammation in your body, while L. Rhamnosus that colonizes the intestine helps prevent eczema and treat diarrhea.

You can get them as supplements and eat and drink more of the probiotic and prebiotic foods and drinks. Diet has an important role and impact on your intestinal flora and dietary fiber has a special place in your diet, both the soluble and insoluble fibers. When you eat and swallow foods they go straight into your tummy and get reduced to smaller pieces. Gallbladder and pancreas act on the protein and fat digestion. And the dietary fibers help with the transit to the intestinal wall.

Good bacteria feed on the soluble fibers (from chickpeas, lentils, peas, seeds, oats, barley, some fruits and veggies) in your colon that form a viscous gel for a slower sugar absorption and promote fat elimination. Insoluble fiber that is found in wholegrain bread, nuts, beans, wheat bran, potatoes and some cereals absorbs watering increases stool size and help with the treatment of constipation.

 

There are at least 100 billion bacteria in your gut flora or microbiota for nutrient assimilation, vitamin synthesis and immune system protection. Please note that up to 70% of your immune cells are located in your intestinal flora. And it is time for you to change your diet for the better and perhaps take probiotic/prebiotic supplements. While you switch to healthier eating habits you may also want to eat less of sugar, saturated fat, cheese and meat that have strong acidifying power. You want to eat more of natural sugar-free yogurt, kefir, miso, sauerkraut and other pickled and fermented foods and drinks.

Return to Glycemic Index home page