Helpful Bugs: How The Bacteria In Our Gut Keeps Us Healthy
It might sound like a surprising and ironic tidbit of information, but not all bugs are bad for your health. Issues of hygiene and sanitation aside, some bugs actually keep you healthy — specifically the ones inside your gut.
Inside what, you say? As it turns out, two Stanford researchers present a case for the microbiota, or the microscopic creatures that reside in the human body, mostly in their favorite hangout, the large intestine. The average American adult gut is discovered to contain approximately 100 trillion of these bacteria in 1,200 different species. Sounds pretty swell, right? After all the care you took to avoid those germs from the outside world, it seems pretty ironic to find out you actually have more of those things living from deep inside of you.
But not to worry, as these “good” bacteria actually help you to process indigestible plant material, otherwise known as dietary fiber. Microbiota help your digestive system transform this fiber into more usable molecules that can help keep gut inflammation at bay, and also help to protect it from pathogens such as salmonella.
So the next time you complain about bacteria, remember that not all of them are bad for you. Grab a glass of fermented food like yogurt or pickles so you can intentionally ingest some of these good bacteria for yourself. Instead of hating bacteria with all your guts, increase the amount of that body-friendly, good bacteria in your system to safeguard your gut instead.
