10 Quick Facts About Friendly Bacteria
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1. Gut bacteria outnumber the cells in your body by 10:1
2. There are both beneficial and pathogenic bacteria in your gut and it’s crucially important that the good guys outnumber the bad. When this balance is disrupted, physical, mental and emotional health can all suffer.
3. The gut bacteria are the frontline of your immune system – the 100 trillion bacteria that line your intestinal tract defend your body from outside invaders.
4. It’s not just your immune health that benefits from a thriving community of good bacteria – they neutralize toxic-by products of digestion, prevent the growth of harmful pathogenic bacteria, control our metabolism, reduce toxins and carcinogens, help to extract energy, nutrients and fatty acids from our food, support hormone balance and even have a significant impact on our mental and emotional health.
5. The gut bacteria can communicate with the brain and influence how we behave, think and feel. Poor gut health has been linked to ADHD, autism, CFS, OCD, Tourette syndrome, anxiety and depression.
6. There is a close relationship between stress-related psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome.
7. Hormones secreted during the stress response promote the growth of ‘bad’ bacteria.
8. Refined sugars found in sugary drinks and snacks feed the ‘bad’ bacteria, which are more likely to cause disease than promote health. Fresh wholefoods promote the growth of ‘friendly’ bacteria.
9. Fermented foods such as kefir, kombucha and kimchi are a great addition to the diet as they supply beneficial bacteria that are quickly incorporated into the gut population.
10. Take a daily high quality probiotic supplement to help to support an optimal balance of bacteria in the gut.
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Nutri Advanced has a thorough research process and for any references included, each source is scrutinised beforehand. We aim to use the highest value source where possible, referencing peer-reviewed journals and official guidelines in the first instance before alternatives. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate at time of publication on our editorial policy.
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