Think Youve Got Food Poisoning?
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But what does gut healthreallymean, and how can we achieve it?
Well, thats nottotallywrong.
The word flora is actually Latin for flower.
What is gut flora, aka your microbiome?
chief pediatric gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and member ofViomeScientific Advisory Board
And when your gut flora is balanced, its connected to better health overall.
Talk about a diverse community!
How do gut flora develop?
As soon as babies are born, their microbiome begins to develop, he adds.
Turns out, the first moments of a babys life are crucial to developing a healthy microbiome.
Often, this can depend on how a baby is birthed.
In fact, a September 2019 study inNature1compared the microbiota of babies born vaginally versus C-section.
The study also found that babies born vaginally had more bacteria diversity after the first few weeks of life.
And remember: A more diverse microbiome tends to be a healthier microbiome, per Dr. Lamb.
chief pediatric gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and member ofViomeScientific Advisory Board
As we grow up, the microbiome changes based on our behaviors.
Factors like diet, exercise, your environment, and taking antibiotics can all shape your microbiome.
This is often when we see food tolerances and digestion functions change.
That includes your mood,energy levels, and immune health.
It also allows your gut to influence your brain, specifically your cognition, mood, and mental health.
So if we want to live our best lives, it helps to treat our gut flora well.
How can you improve your gut flora?
And the bestdiet for gut health?
Ultimately, its best to find the right eating style for you.
Theres no one-size-fits-all approach, says Dr. Fasano.
They can wipe out illnesses like strep throat, UTIs, skin infections, and more.
Using antibiotics too often or for too long can potentially harm your gut health by wiping out essential bacteria.
(Dont forget, we need both goodandbad bacteria for our overall health.)
With so many supplements out there, picking a probiotic may feel intimidating.
Dr. Lamb suggests choosing aprobiotic with a broad spectrumof different bacterial strains.
Prebiotics basically serve as food for specific groups of healthy bacteria, says Dr. Lamb.
The most well-known prebiotic is fiber.
This allows them to out-compete other bad bacteria and improve microbiome health, he adds.
While both probiotics and prebiotics are effective, prebiotic fibers take a little longer to start working.
Vu says its best to see your doctor to get treated properly.
FAQ
What kills gut bacteria?
Lifestyle choices and medications can kill gut bacteriaboth good and bad bacteria, says Dr.
The same is true if you take antibiotic medications for prolonged periods of time.
What is bad bacteria in the gut called?
There are several strains of unhealthy bacteria.
Bad bacteria in the gut can be categorized as staphylococcus, streptococcus, and clostridium, says Dr. Lamb.
These strains are harmful and can cause a number of severe illnesses if left unmanaged.
You may have an underlying infection that needs to be treated with specific antibiotics.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1560-1
Yang, Beibei et al.
Effects of regulating intestinal microbiota on anxiety symptoms: A systematic review.General psychiatryvol.
2019, doi:10.1136/gpsych-2019-100056
Zhang, Yu-Jie et al.
Impacts of gut bacteria on human health and diseases.International journal of molecular sciencesvol.
2015, doi:10.3390/ijms16047493
Imhann, Floris et al.
The influence of proton pump inhibitors and other commonly used medication on the gut microbiota.Gut microbesvol.
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