Did you know?
“In an adult human body, there are approximately 10x more bacterial cells than human cells.”
You will be surprised to learn that from the moment we are born, we have been living in a symbiotic, mutualistic relationship with trillions of microorganisms that create what is known as the Human Microbiome in our bodies. Being hosts, we provide them with a place to live and thrive and, in the bargain, depend on them for onsetting some of the most vital processes for our functioning and survival.
99% of the microbiome resides in our gut, essentially the large intestine. The role that it plays in our body makes it crucial to keep our gut health in check. To begin with the basics, we all know that indigestible fibers reach our long intestines, while the rest of the nutrients get absorbed along the course of the digestive tract. From here, the microbes of our microbiome act upon units of fiber and ferment them to extract energy from them for colon cells to use.
Moreover, the byproducts of fermented fibers are directly linked with our immunities, weight management and colon health. The healthier the gut, the better our metabolism and the easier it is to maintain our body weight. Leaner, fitter people have proven to have a more diverse microbiome compared to those who suffer from obesity. Speaking of diversity, having more gut microbes in our system leaves less space for the ones that cause ailments, resulting in better immunity.
Interestingly, these microbes are also responsible for manufacturing 95% of Serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for regulating our moods and feelings. It controls sleep and keeps anxiety and depression at bay. Along with managing metabolism, immunity and mental health, it also looks into the well-being of our hearts and brain. If these aren’t reasons enough to maintain a healthy gut, we don’t know what are!
But how do we do that?
Nutrition! What we eat is most important in governing our gut health. Eat what suits the microbiome. Research has shown that diets rich in prebiotics and probiotics foster flourishing microbiomes. Certain species of microbes only exist in the presence of these foods.
Prebiotics are non-digestible food components that put gut bacteria into action, an example being fibers. We have already touched upon the role of fibers, but what are these probiotics? They have become a part of our discussions only in the past couple of years. We have also started seeing probiotic-rich products like kefir and kombucha on supermarket shelves. Let’s find out what that’s about.
Probiotics and the role they play
Just like prebiotics get our systems working and onset the production of microbes within, probiotics are foods that already contain living microorganisms and introduce them into our systems externally. Yogurt and fermented foods are the most common natural sources of probiotics known to us. Names like Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces boulardii (yeast) might ring a bell. Although, this is just scraping off the surface.
Many times despite consuming the best nutrition, exercising regularly, supplementing workouts with protein powders and doing everything right, our bodies don’t show significant results. Sometimes our foods and protein supplements can be especially difficult for our bodies to absorb. That’s where probiotics step in. They enrich our gut flora, by introducing microbes that help break complex matter into simpler, digestible units so that we can extract maximum benefits from the nutrition we eat.
By diversifying the gut flora, they enhance immune responses, support the production of vital vitamins, keep our blood pressure in check, provide younger-looking skin, and much more! Various microbes perform various functions, and with probiotics we can help these microbes flourish.
Our microbiomes are highly sensitive to our diets. Prolonged consumption of foods rich in fats, salt and sugars can lead to a condition known as dysbiosis, meaning an imbalance in the microorganism communities in our systems. This can lead to fatal ailments like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety and depression. Hence maintaining a stable, healthy, internal environment is of utmost significance and can only be achieved by getting our nutrition right.
How do we get nutrition right?
Now that is a million-dollar question. Something that might seem as obvious as eating fresh, natural foods, cutting down on processed foods and getting our macros and micros right, is easier said than done. Reasons being professional, hectic lives, ease of preparing ready-to-eat foods and mass production leading to GMO, chemical-based, inorganic fruits and vegetables. Pretty sure most of you can relate to at least one of these.
So let’s talk about fixes. A great chunk of the population does not have time to track the nutrition they consume. Despite consciously picking healthy and organic options in the market such as fresh fruits and vegetables, we are still likely to include nutrition supplements. Although, consuming tubs of proteins is pointless if it’s not being absorbed. This is where probiotics come into play. Foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, or probiotic supplements give a boost to the microbiota, they improve digestion and help you make the most of the nutrition supplements you consume.
At Terra Origin, we create premium nutrition supplements; keeping in mind holistic wellness, convenience and optimum health. Our protein supplements - 100% grass-fed whey protein and plant based protein provide protein in the most biologically available form and are easily digestible. Despite them being easy to absorb for every gut, we recommend coupling them up with Terra Origin greens superfoods to reap maximum benefits. Its formulation of 35+ natural greens and probiotic blend is a treat for your microbiome. It diversifies the microbiome and acts as a natural immunity booster.
Feed your microbiome fresh and nutritious food so it can thrive, and so can you. Be a good host, and your tenants shall reciprocate just the same. Make the most of every ounce of the nutrition you consume.