HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ABOUT INTESTINAL MICROBIOTA?
It is the set of symbiotic microorganisms that live in our intestine and allow the assimilation of nutrients, synthesization of vitamins , regulation of the expression of the immune system and the protection of the intestinal mucosa from external pathogens. The main microorganisms are bacteria as well as yeasts, parasites and viruses which, if they live in balanced communities, are said to be in eubiosis. Eubiosis is the condition that allows the various components of the microbiota to function effectively and be synchronized with each other. The main bacterial families that populate the intestine and represent about 90% are: Firmicutes and Bacteroides, in recent years research has shown how the varying ratio between these components facilitates and promotes a state of dysbiosis.
The intestine is often referred to as the " second brain " both for the quantity of microorganisms that inhabit it and for the close link it has with the central nervous system. There is a very close link between the intestine and the brain, where communication is based on neurotransmitters such as serotonin : the main hormone of good mood, 95% produced by cells distributed along the intestinal mucosa.
The relationship between the gut and the brain is two-way. If it is true that the state of health of the intestine affects the brain, the opposite is also true: particularly stressful periods or the inability to cope with anxieties , fears, decisions, can affect the normal functioning of the intestine with alterations in peristalsis and the production of acids, enzymes and hormones. Similarly, diet and intestinal disorders can have an impact on mood: this is what it means to somatize stress !
It is very important to take care of our "belly". Nutrition plays a fundamental role, paying close attention to which foods are good for us and which foods cause us adverse reactions. Eliminate "bad" foods and add foods that are beneficial for our body and for our person. There are foods that by their nature acidify the body and overload it such as foods rich in sugar, fat and too many fried foods.
If food were not enough, the microbiota can be supported with certified symbionts: prebiotics and probiotics . Prebiotics are non-digestible food substances, are water-soluble non-gelling fibers and non-digestible carbohydrates. Their task is to promote the growth of bacteria present in the intestinal environment by "feeding" them. Inulin is one of these, it is not decomposed by digestive enzymes and arrives directly in the intestine, guaranteeing a proliferative advantage to bacterial strains and maintaining the correct intestinal pH.
Probiotics are good bacteria that must have the following characteristics: be able to survive the acidic environment of the stomach, arrive alive and vital in the intestine, where they perform their real function, must be able to adhere to the intestinal mucosa and colonize it (reproduce), must be a "normal" constituent of the intestinal flora that is healthy and free from side effects. Beneficial effects of probiotics include improving immune defenses and regulating intestinal motility and digestive processes. Probiotics also have a positive impact on other systems and systems: dermal, urogenital.