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The Role of Gut Bacteria in our health and well being

It has been found that approx 30 % of the young generation suffers from constipation in India and 50-60 % elderly people are constipated.  According to a recent study by AIIMS , India, 38 %, approx 1/3rd Indians have non alcoholic fatty liver which is also now known as Metabolic Fatty liver.

Above and multiple other health conditions especially all autoimmune diseases occur due to poor gut health.

What is Gut Health? 

Our overall digestive system from mouth to rectum is part of our gut. It also includes esophagus, small intestine, large intestine, stomach, liver, pancreas and gallbladder. 

Good gut health refers to a gut system which has more good bacterias than bad bacterias. Healthy signs of Gut Health are when one can easily digest the food eaten and is able to clear their bowels regularly everyday. Gut diet that is rich in probiotics and prebiotics, high fiber and right supplements can promote good gut health.

What are Gut Bacterias?

Trillions of bacterias reside in several parts of our bodies. Gut bacterias are microorganisms residing in the gastrointestinal tract of a human. Gut microbiota include bacterias, viruses, fungies and many other forms of microbiomes. Gut bacterias are crucial because it supports digestive health, immune system, metabolism, synthesis of various vitamins and minerals and our brain's chemical balance. Gut bacterias thrives on a gut diet that is rich in high fiber vegetables, fruits and fermented food.

Various types of Good Bacterias?

1. Biofodobacterium: They are important in maintaining healthy gut lining and produce short chain fatty acid. These short chain fatty acids created by bacteria help in managing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity. SCFAs as a major player in maintenance of gut and immune homeostasis. Biofodobacterium is mostly found in fermented gut diet food like kefir, sourdough bread, kanjis, yogurt and vinegar pickle.

2. Lactobacillus: This Good bacteria helps in breaking down a glucose called lactose, which is dairy sugar found in milk. Lot of kids are intolerant to lactose. Some of the food that can be added to the gut diet chart which includes Lactobacilus are bananas, watermelon, apples and yogurt.

3. Enterococcus: Enterococci colonize the digestive system and participate in the modulation of the immune system in humans. Enterococci are also seen as opportunistic pathogens. This problem is especially relevant in hospital environments, where enterococcal outbreaks often occur. Their ability to translocate from the gastro-intestinal tract to various tissues and organs as well as their virulence and antibiotic resistance are risk factors that hinder eradication. It is available in food like cheese, and its availability in soil and water makes it readily available in lots of vegetables. 

4. Akkermansia muciniphila: It has a positive effect on metabolic health like diabetes, weight loss, fatty liver, reducing inflammation and its response to cancer immunotherapies. Foods that are rich in Akkermansia Muciniphila bacteria are flaxseed, olives, healthy fat like nuts and seeds, and pomegranate.

It's important to note that the distinction between "good" and "bad" bacteria in the gut is not always clear-cut, and many bacteria can have both positive and negative effects depending on the context. A diverse and balanced gut microbiome, a gut diet chart that helps with right proportions of different bacteria, is generally associated with better health.      

How bad bacteria affects our gut system?

An imbalance in the gut system with more bad bacterias than good bacterias is called Gut dysbiosis. Some of the symptoms of gut dysbiosis in our body are:

•  Digestive problems- Constipation, SIBO, Acidity, bloating

•  Stubborn weight and slow metabolism- Diabetes, fatty liver, high cholesterol

•  Chronic Inflammation- Cancer, Ulcer Colitis 

•  Autoimmune diseases- hypothyroid, hyperthyroid, psoriasis, alopecia, eczema, rosacea, atomic dermatitis, fibromyalgia

•  Mental Health issues- Anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue.

• Hormonal issues- PCOD, PCOS, endometriosis, acne, fibroids

How Fasting with a Gut Diet chart helps starve bad bacterias? 
 

Research has shown that 16-18 hours of fasting can start autophagy. Autophagy is the process where damaged cells are reused by the body and it becomes part of cleansing. It allows cells to recycle damaged intracellular components to generate energy and provide building blocks to create new cellular structures. Fasting along with a right gut diet helps bring intestinal homeostasis, a dynamic balance of interaction between GI tract, nutrition and metabolism. 

What are factors that kill good gut bacterias?

1.Frequent use of antibiotics: It has been researched that 90 % of good bacteria gets killed after one course of antibiotics.

2.Lack of diverse balanced meals: Trillions of bacterias are found in the variety of food we consume. Therefore a balanced meals with lots of vegetables and fruits are important in a gut diet. 

3.Smoking, alcohol and drug abuse: Nicotine, alcohol and other drugs can affect and kill good gut bacterias

4. Medications like antidepressants, BP medication, and antacids have a negative effect on good bacterias. 

5. Non breastfed babies: It has been found that babies who were formula fed instead of breast milk have poor gut micro biodata in their gut system. 

6. Environmental factors like pollution, polluted water can have an adverse effect on their gut health.

Gut Diet Chart to increase good bacterias in gut naturally

1. Prebiotics: Food that is high in soluble and insoluble fiber and helps in growth of a number of good bacterias should be included in the gut diet. Banana, oats, apple, whole grain, vegetables

2. Allium vegetables: Vegetables like onion and garlic are high in allium and help in reducing inflammation.

3. Probiotics: Probiotics are mainly fermented food like  kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kanji, idli, dosa, dhokla, vinegar pickles etc.

4. Omega 3 rich food: Omega 3 rich food like walnuts, flaxseeds, cinnamon can help reduce inflammation.

If we want to stay healthy and reach our optimal weight, a healthy gut diet with flourishing gut microbes will reset the way we store fat in our body, it will make us insulin sensitive and balance blood glucose levels, regulate hormones better and satiate us well by restoring hunger hormones as well.