Our bodies are filled with trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microbes, living inside our bodies, and most are vital for our good health. They are mostly found in your large intestine, called the cecum. Collectively, these gut microbes are known as your gut microbiome. There are over 1000 species of bacteria in the gut. Each of these have their own functions. Most though have the function of digesting certain types of foods, also to control immune system and to produce chemicals like vitamin K2.
Not all the microbiomes in the gut are healthy, as they can lead to diseases, as well as hearth disease, cancer and obesity. In addition, the composition of the gut microbiome can be affected by diet, stress, and the use of antibiotics.
To correct the balance in your gut, you need to have more good bacteria, of which there are around 50 species, but one of these are Bifidobacteria.
The bacteria Bifidobacteria
One of these good bacteria is called Bifidobacteria. This is a y-shaped bacterium in your intestines. This type of bacteria is beneficial in digesting dietary fiber and other complex carbs, but also helps prevent our bodies from getting an infection, like those of E. coli type of infections, and aids in producing vitamins, like B vitamins, and other chemicals that our bodies needs.
Fiber is good for weightless, and decrease the chances to develop diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions. Bifidobacteria may assist reducing the danger of these diseases by digesting fiber. That is since when they digest fiber, these beneficial bacteria produce key chemicals named short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These compounds play a number of significant parts for gut health, and may aid regulator hunger.
A low presence of Bifidobacteria have been linked to different diseases. It is, therefore, important to have enough of these sort of bacteria in your gut for good health. As Bifidobacteria is so good for your gut, they are used as probiotics to supplement your own so we can make sure we have enough of these good bacteria in our guts.
Prevention of diseases with Bifidobacteria
Diseases like celiac disease, obesity, diabetes, allergic asthma and dermatitis all appear with people who has lower levels of Bifidobacteria in their intestines. The idea is therefore to use probiotic supplements to increase these bacteria in the gut and to mend the disease symptoms.
With irritable bowel syndrome, Bifidobacteria probiotic could reduce symptoms like bloating, cramps and abdominal pain that is normally associated with this condition, particularly if used for more than four weeks.
Bifidobacteria probiotic can also reduce inflammation in people with inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, chronic fatigue syndrome and psoriasis.
More so, if Bifidobacteria probiotic is used for more than 45 days, your body mass index can blood cholesterol can drop.
Bifidobacteria probiotic could also help with brain health, particularly psychological distress and negative thoughts related with sad mood in healthy people. Therefore, this probiotic could help people with depression.
Ways to increase Bifidobacteria in your gut
To get the benefits of Bifidobacteria you want to increase it in your intestines. There are many ways to do that:
- You can take probiotics that contains this bacteria
- You can eat high-fiber foods like apples, artichokes, blueberries, almonds and pistachios
- Eating prebiotic foods like onions, garlic, bananas and other fruit and some sorts of vegetables that help
- healthy bacteria grow
- Eating fermented foods, such as yogurt, kimchi, or natto
- Exercise more.
End note
Our intestines are packed with trillions of living organisms, actively busy keeping our guts healthy and one of these are Bifidobacteria. This bacteria works by digesting sugars, and fibers, but also to keep our immune system healthy. A lack of Bifidobacteria could lead to autoimmune diseases and other problems such as irritable bowel syndrome. However, by add these bacteria in a probiotic from could reduce the symptoms of these diseases.
The best ways to increase the levels of these helpful bacteria in the gut is to eat a varied type of fiber-rich fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and fermented foods.