Eating for a healthy gut

The presence of healthy microorganisms in our body is invaluable to our health.

Not only do they ensure good digestive health, they strengthen the immune system by fighting disease causing microorganisms, aid in mineral absorption, synthesis of some vitamins like Vitamin K and help to regulate hormone production.

However, like many living organisms, these healthy bacteria in our gut also need food for growth and normal optimal function.

Giving them proper nutrition ensures a healthy gut micro biota ratio, which helps to hinder growth of bad bacteria and in turn keeps disease at bay.

Probiotics are live bacteria found in the human gut, but they are also found in dairy products, yoghurt, kefir, sour cream and pills. The dietary forms are mostly recommended when it is suspected that the healthy bacteria population in a person’s system is depleted, such as when one takes antibiotics.

This is because antibiotics are not specific only to bad bacteria, they also kill the good bacteria. These probiotics are, however, very sensitive to heat and stomach acid. For them to function properly, they must be kept alive and it is therefore difficult to ensure proper growth of good bacteria when relying on probiotics only.

Prebiotics are an indigestible dietary fibre that provides food for intestinal bacteria to feed on. In other words, they provide food for the probiotics. They help to ensure that the good bacteria already in the system are well nourished and grow well to establish an excellent good-bad bacteria ratio. Prebiotics can be found in most raw fruits and vegetables, for example apples, bananas, garlic, asparagus, leeks, onions and baked wheat.

Let us therefore eat probiotics and prebiotics in a healthy balance for optimal health.