8 Ways To Improve Gut Flora

If having a good mixture of healthy bacteria is as important as research seems to indicate, just how do we best tend the garden in our digestive tract? Here are ten ways that you can love your gut as much as you should.

1. Be done with sugar

Refined sugar is like fuel for bad gut bacteria. A study out of Oregon State University found that a diet rich in sugar caused changes to the gut bacteria of mice. This change in gut bacteria had a negative impact on the mice’s long-term and short-term memory. Also, the mice were less able to adjust to changing situations, a condition called “cognitive flexibility.”

Mice began to experience a drop in mental and physical function just four weeks after starting a high fat and sugar diet. Foods containing a single molecule of glucose and fructose disrupt gut flora because they are easily digested and absorbed into the small intestine without any help from the bacteria. The bacteria become hungry, and they start to munch on the mucous lining of our intestines. The wall is permeated, and particles of food enter the bloodstream. As mentioned earlier, when this happens, our immune system notifies our brain and other organs of the foreign invaders. This causes inflammation which is the precursor to many serious health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Also, sugar feeds Candida Albicans, a fungus that grows in your gut and attacks the intestinal wall.

2. Eat more veggies

One of the easiest and quickest ways to change your gut bacteria for the better is to eat more vegetables, especially green leafy ones. A diet rich in vegetables helps to build a diverse microbiome which leads to clearer thinking and overall health and wellness. For best results, eat 39 grams of dietary fiber per day.

3. Play in the dirt

We are obsessed with cleanliness, and it is making us sick. Although this sounds ironic, it is very true. A 2013study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that children whose parents cleaned their dirty pacifier by sucking on it instead of boiling it were less likely to develop eczema than those who did boil it. Also, researchers have also discovered that kids who grow up in a home with a dog are less likely to develop allergies and asthma. Having a dog in the house creates a type of dust that exposes us to very important strains of bacteria including Lactobacillus. If you love to garden, you are in luck. People who spend time with their hands in the dirt are likely to develop a strong immune system.

Note: Gut experts recommend choosing natural cleaning products, not those that are chemical based. Many of the household cleaners that are sold commercially to disinfect behave like antibiotics in that they annihilate everything including helpful bacteria. Consider nontoxic cleaners such as vinegar, castile soap, and lemon juice. Also, avoid antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers.

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