Having a healthy gut leads to a healthier, and a happier life. The two main keys to a healthy gut is a good diet, low in sugars, and a healthy Microbiome. Our microbiome begins to develop at birth. Passage of the baby through the birth canal, infects the baby with the mother’s bacteria, virus and fungi, which enter the mouth, and respiratory tract, starting the infants symbiotic relationship with the world.
Breast milk is composed of colostrum, which is thick and concentrated and full of fats, proteins, carbohydrates and bacteria to establish the microbiome in the gut.
When we eat a diet too high in carbohydrates, the gut becomes inflamed, we get excessive bloating and gas production and diseases like leaky gut, IBS, Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis may develop. Excessive carbohydrates change the bowel flora, and the bowel cannot properly digest all the vegetable matter.
We’re not like other animals..
The human gut is shorter than most plant eating animals, and is not as suited to digestion of large volumes of vegetable material. Adding certain supplements may be helpful, but there have not been any studies to confirm the benefits of consumption of pre or probiotics.
Our gut bacteria adjust very quickly to what you put in there.
Our Microbiome is affected by the environment that you create.
If you have a diet high in starches and sugars, more fermentation will occur, resulting in more gas production, bloating and flatulence.
Fats and proteins are quickly broken down by our digestive enzymes, from the pancreas and the liver, and is mostly absorbed to be used for energy, and cellular growth and repair.
Taking a Pre or a Pro-biotic may be useful after you have been on antibiotics, as antibiotics will alter and destroy your microbiome. They may also be useful after a bout of gastro/vomiting and diarrhoea caused by food poisoning.
Most times, if your diet is a healthy Low Carb diet, these supplements are not required, and there have not been any studies that confirm the benefits of consumption of pre- and pro-biotics.