What relationship do they have? We know that mother nature has provided us with everything, but… a set of plant species in the intestine?
What is the intestinal flora?
The intestinal flora is a set of living beings, composed of bacteria and yeasts that inhabit our intestines. Obviously it is not plants, but microorganisms. The truth is that there are a large number of species, and we could consider it as a great botanical garden. Anyway, intestinal flora is a term that is not scientific, technically it should be called microbiota.
Millions of years ago a symbiotic relationship was created between microorganisms and animals (including humans). Microbes began to be able to live in the digestive tract of animals, and they benefited from harboring them in their bodies. Next we will see what its role is there.
Why is the microbiota important?
The microbes that live in our intestine are very numerous. There are, mind you, a hundred times more microbes than cells in the body! That’s 100 billion living things in our digestive tract . If we put them all together they represent approximately one kilo of our body weight.
It is not at all exaggerated to speak of one more organ. Unfortunately, the intestine has long been undervalued for its impact on the general health of the organism, and the quality of the intestinal flora is a very important indicator of it.
What types of microorganisms are in the intestine?
Most of the microorganisms that we find in our intestine are bacteria, which belong to more than 400 different species. Most are “good bacteria”, although there are also potentially pathogenic ones. The bacteria that give us benefits act mainly thanks to the action of their metabolism. An example of them are those belonging to the well-known Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families.
The amount and type of microbiota in our digestive tract varies . For example, in the intestine and colon we find more bacteria than near the stomach, since stomach acids are harmful to many bacteria.
How to help the good bacteria
As we have seen, there are different microorganisms in the intestinal environment. In general, these compete to survive and replicate. And this is where the metaphor of the botanical garden comes in handy again.
It is up to oneself if one wants to take care of this garden, plant it regularly, add fertilizer , etc. or leave it abandoned. In the latter case, the beautiful garden can become a not so nice place, with more weeds than we would like.
Factors that favor the microbiota
Playing sports and eating healthy food is very important to take care of the garden. Foods with fiber, without toxins, and with the capacity to harbor life, that is, with nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, etc. Those compounds that help our intestinal flora are called prebiotics.
And then there are the probiotics. These are like magnificent new plants that we put in our garden. These are living microorganisms that we find in foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, kombucha tea , etc. When we eat these foods we are helping a lot to control our inner health.
Factors that harm our microbiota
There are several factors that harm having a healthy intestinal flora. Leading a healthy life, in general, is the best way to avoid ending up harming our allies. Tobacco or alcohol, for example, spoil our microbiota.
A sedentary lifestyle too, since when we move when doing physical activity it helps to improve peristaltic movements. These are natural movements of our intestine to digest and improve intestinal transit. There is also release of favorable substances linked to sport.
On the other hand, you have to avoid stress, it has a lot of impact on intestinal health . Certain medications and chemical laxatives should also be avoided.
What health benefits do they bring us?
A disordered intestine carries the risk of a compromised immune system , because the intestinal flora normally acts as a protective barrier against external invasions. Therefore, there is a greater vulnerability to infectious and inflammatory diseases of the digestive, respiratory, urogenital apparatus, etc.
On a more intestinal scale, with a healthy intestinal flora, intestinal transit is correct. Constipation, bloating, diarrhea, various inflammations, etc., and even more serious diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome, bloody diarrhea or colon cancer are avoided.
On the other hand, it has been shown that there is a close relationship between the intestine and the rest of the body, and especially with the brain. Mood instability has a lot to do with the gut. To give an example, 90% of serotonin, a neurotransmitter related to good humor, is produced in our intestinal cells. That our intestinal cells have well cared for the mucosa, do not suffer from inflammation, etc. It is very important for them to do their job properly.
Bibliographic references
- Matveikova, I. (2011). Digestive Intelligence. A holistic view of your second brain (in Spanish) . Madrid: The Sphere of Books.
- Perlmutter, D. & Loberg, K. (2016). Feed your brain (in Spanish) . Barcelona: Grijalbo.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.