This is called a “forgotten organ”. What is this “organ” and where in the body would one find it? What does “microbiota” mean?
It denotes the trillions of single cell organisms which act in a symbiotic relationship with the human body – without it, we will not be able to live.
The Institute of Science in Society said the following:
“The rapidly progressing study of the human microbiota is revealing that humans are not individual self-contained beings, but instead hugely complex super-organisms that blur the distinction between where ‘we’ end and ‘they’ begin.
The human microbiota consists of an estimated 100 trillion cells, at least 10 times the number of human cells, and new research is revealing how this symbiotic relationship determines human health and disease.
A person’s body can be viewed as a “Super Organism”. There are literally trillions of bacteria cohabiting inside a human being. They colonise on the skin—both on the outside and deeper beneath the surface layers— also in the mouth, saliva and other places.
For example, six different tribes of beneficial bacteria have been found to reside in the crook of the elbow, where they moisturize the skin by processing raw fats.
The bacteria in the intestines, the gut, are probably among the most important due to their wide-ranging health effects. Altering the balance of bacteria in the digestive tract can weaken the immune system, for example. And once that happens and the immune system is compromised, the body becomes far more vulnerable to all sorts of foreign invaders, inflammation, and disease.
Gut bacteria have also been found to influence the processing and utilisation of dietary nutrients; they help protect against food borne disease, and can even have a profound impact on the efficacy of drugs like chemo therapy.
Bacteria have also been identified as major players in the distribution of body fat, metabolism, and the regulation of mood and memory. Research actually shows that problems in the gut can directly impact mental health, leading to issues like anxiety and depression. They also help educate the immune cells—telling them which pathogens to fight off and which ones to leave alone.
A new word has been created: a “psychobiotic” is a live organism that, when ingested in adequate amounts, produces a health benefit in patients suffering from psychiatric illness. These live organisms are comprised not only of probiotics but also other bacteria known to produce psychotropic signals such as serotonin and dopamine. Some authors suggest that even severe and chronic mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), might be eliminated through the use of certain probiotics.
Researchers have identified specific types of gut bacteria that correlate with the development of rheumatoid arthritis—a chronic autoimmune disease that affects thousands of people.
How to Optimize Your Gut Flora
Consistently reseeding your gut with healthy bacteria may be crucial for the prevention of virtually all disease, from colds to autoimmune disorders, to psychiatric disturbances and even cancer. In light of this, do the following to optimise your gut bacteria.
- Fermented foods are the best route to optimal digestive health, as long as one eats the traditionally made, unpasteurized versions. Healthy choices include lassi (an Indian yoghurt drink, traditionally enjoyed before dinner), fermented, grass-fed organic milk such as kefir, various pickled fermentations of cabbage, turnips, eggplant, cucumbers, onions, squash, and carrots, and natto (fermented soy). Some of the beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods will also have a beneficial health effect by reducing your toxic load. As an added bonus, they can also be a great source of vitamin K2 if you ferment your own using the proper starter culture.
- The majority of your nutrients should come from food but probioticsis an exception if you don’t eat fermented foods on a regular basis.
In addition to knowing what to add to your diet and lifestyle, it’s equally important to know what to avoid, and these include:
- Antibiotics, unless absolutely necessary (and when you do, make sure to reseed your gut with fermented foods and/or a lot of probiotic supplement)
- Conventionally-raised meats and other animal products, as many animals are routinely fed low-dose antibiotics, plus genetically engineered grains, which have also been implicated in the destruction of gut flora
- Processed foods (as the excessive sugars, along with otherwise “dead” nutrients which feed pathogenic bacteria)
- Chlorinated and/or fluoridated water
- Antibacterial soap
- Agricultural chemicals – glyphosate (Roundup) in particular. It is now a days found in all genetic engineered foods like grain, soya, etc.
Herbal help
One of Nacare’s Herbal Combinations can help the body to change from dysbiosis (imbance as result of uncontrolled negative bacteria) to eubiosis – the healthy balance between good and bad bacteria:
Digestiveo Plus
Nacare herbal products can be ordered at marius@drmarius.net and by practitioners (wholesale) at info@nacareherbals.org.