Microbiome - The Human Ecosystem
The Human Microbiome is a complex internal ecosystem of bacteria located within our bodies, and the vast majority of these bacterial species live in our digestive systems. The billions of beneficial bacteria that make up our microbiome benefit our gut health and the immune system. As nearly 80% of our Immune System is located in our gut, the microbiome is crucial for boosting immunity, keeping our digestive systems running smoothly, our hormone levels balanced and our brains working properly. It has even been said by some researchers that up to 90 percent of all diseases can be traced in some way back to the gut and health of the microbiome!
Why is it so important to boost your Immune System and maintain a healthy balanced gut flora?
The digestive system comprises of cells, proteins, tissues and organs which work together to defend the body against harmful bacteria, infectious diseases and toxins. In fact the gut connects with the largest population of immune cells in the body.
The friendly gut flora that reside within our intestines are also critical for overall immunity. These guys act as mighty warriors for the immune system, and are dependable allies for immune cells; helping them to defend the intestinal walls to prevent pathogens and infections being absorbed.
This is just one critical reason why maintaining a healthy balance of good bacteria in the gut is so important. Without them, your immune system cannot do its job effectively.
What Causes Imbalances to Our Gut Health?
Even in a perfect world, our gut has a hard time keeping things balanced. But in the world we have created for ourselves today there are many things that knock our digestive system off balance. Those include:
A junk filled diet
This nutrient-poor diet makes all the wrong bacteria and yeast grow in the gut, leading to a damaged microbiome. And new studies show the microbiome of your gut can determine the types of foods you crave, by swaying how full you feel and tapping into the nerve pathways that link your stomach and your brain. Not only can they tell your brain what to crave, but they can also change your taste receptors, making some foods seem more appealing than others. So eating too much junk food can create a cycle of increasing the bad bacteria that in turn crave more junk.
Medication overuse
Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, acid blocking drugs and steroids damage the gut or block normal digestive function. Antibiotics kill off good bacteria along with the bad, leaving your microbiome severely damaged.
Infections and gut imbalances
These include small intestinal bacteria overgrowth, yeast overgrowth and parasites.
Toxic overload
Including mercury and packaged foods (tins, plastic) toxins, additives, preservatives, alcohol and smoking.
Inadequate digestive enzymes
Stress, acid-blocking medications and zinc deficiencies can all contribute to lack of adequate digestive enzyme function.
Stress
Chronic stress alters your gut nervous system, creating a leaky gut and changing the normal bacteria in the gut.
How to Help Your Microbiome
Even a healthy person will lose up to 50mls of good bacteria each day. Top up your gut microbiome with multiple strains of "good" bacteria to assist in eliminating the "bad" ones and to ensure you have a diverse microbiome of the "good" ones. And of course maintain a balanced, healthy diet, and try and have at least 3 days a week of no junk foods.
Immunity Fuel is 100% natural, Certified Organic, and has multiple strains of probiotics, including 13 strains of live lactobacillus and 2 strains of Saccharomyces yeasts. This diverse multiple strain formula helps to restore the balance of good bacteria by all working together as a team, meaning it is much more effective than single strain probiotics. A daily dose of 1 teaspoon is all you need to maintain a healthy ecosystem within your body!