The Hindu Business Line : Friendly gut flora

Bacteria are usually associated with harmful pathogenic germs causing disease. But ‘gut flora’ or ‘probiotics’ are bacteria that are beneficial to our health and reside in the gut. In a healthy digestive system, the majority of bacteria should be of the “friendly” variety. There are also a number of bacteria that are not good for us, that is the pathogenic type, but if we have enough of the ‘good guys’, the ‘bad guys&# 8217; are unable to increase their numbers to a level that is detrimental to health.

Gut bacteria’s role

Manufacture of vitamin B and K

Increase minerals absorption

Enhance bowel function by promoting waste to pass through the large intestine efficiently

Help to maintain a healthy intestinal pH

Metabolising drugs, hormones and carcinogens

Producing short-chain fatty acids that contribute to a large proportion of our energy

Nearly 70 per cent of our immune system is in or around our digestive system.These friendly organisms in our gut play an important role in protecting our bodies against diseases caused by bad bacteria, viruses, parasites as well as fungus.

Dysbiosis is the term used to describe an imbalance of the bacteria in the digestive tract, that is when yeast, harmful bacteria, viruses or parasites outnumber the good guys. Contributing factors include:

Antibiotics destroy the good bacteria in the gut. As a result pathogenic bacteria begin to reside in the digestive tract. Once this happens, it is harder for the friendly bacteria to re-colonise to the required levels.

Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides sprayed on foods that are already nutrient-deficient, due to use of artificial fertilisers, are not selective about which bacteria they kill. They damage the soil ecosystem and the natural flow of bacteria found in the food chain.

Low levels of hydrochloric acid, which is produced to aid protein digestion. Elderly people and those with allergic conditions often have low levels of hydrochloric acid.

Stress: We are prone to developing intestinal diseases under stress. Stress can be nutritional (using fad or starvation diets to lose weight, minimal or unbalanced food intake ), environmental (very high or low temperatures, exposure to pollution), or psychological (stress at the office, home, school, etc).

Diet high in sugar and low in nutrients: Sugar feeds the bad bacteria encouraging their proliferation.

Diet low in fibre. The good bacteria feed on certain types of fibre which are known as Prebiotics

Warning signs of dysbiosis:

Acne, eczema, skin and foot problem

Allergies and chronic food sensitivities

Bad breath and gum disease

Chronic unexplained fatigue

Chronic yeast problems and candida albicans overgrowth

Faulty digestion including acid reflux

Frequent colds, flu and infections

Bowel irregularities such as constipation or diarrhoea

Dysbiosis can also have a role in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), ulcerative colitis, autism and bowel cancer.

Diet dos for a healthy gut

Home-set curd, buttermilk, fermented products such as idlis and dhoklas, commercial probiotic products (check the added-sugar and-salt content of such products). Increase your intake of prebiotic fibre. These mostly come from carbohydrate fibres called oligosaccharides. You don’t digest them, so the oligosaccharides remain in the digestive tract and stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria. Sources of oligosaccharides include fruits, legumes, garlic, onion and whole grains.

The author is a nutritionist. meghna@nutrinirvana.com