Bacteria often get a bad rap. From ear infections to strep throat, many people associate bacteria with infections, a doctor鈥檚 visit and a possible round of antibiotics.
But in terms of gut health, the better the bacteria, the better you feel. The most ? The bacterial species that live in your digestive system, or听, according to the . Microbiome refers to a group of microbes that live in your gut to help with digestion, destroy harmful bacteria and help control your immune system.
One way to think about your gut microbiome is that it鈥檚 the gardener for your entire body. By tending the plants (good bacteria) and getting rid of the weeds (unhealthy bacteria), your gut contributes to your body鈥檚 bountiful harvest (other body system functions).
Here鈥檚 how a balanced gut microbiome impacts your overall health.
1. Absorbs nutrients properly
Your stomach doesn鈥檛 absorb the majority of the nutrients you eat. It鈥檚 the small intestine鈥檚 job to break down the essential nutrients. Your gut鈥檚 bacteria produce the enzymes that help break down indigestible carbohydrates.
When this process doesn鈥檛 work as it should, serious health problems, like food intolerances and allergies, can occur.
2. Boosts immunity
Our microbiome also nourishes the cells in the gut wall. Healthy and satiated gut cells work in tandem with the immune system cells to help ward off colds, allergies, joint pain and acne, as well as working to fight potentially more serious disorders.
3. Reduces inflammation
The gut is inextricably linked to inflammation because nearly听 lies within it. A balanced gut microbiome helps the immune system activate properly, in response to an injury or infection. A healthy diet, one that , works to increase good bacteria to fight off the triggers that cause your immune system to overreact.听
4. Decreases food cravings
Our gut microbiome sends our body signals on what food choices to make. According to a 2016听, 鈥淢icrobes have the capacity to manipulate behavior and mood through altering the neural signals in the vagus nerve, changing taste receptors, producing toxins to make us feel bad and releasing chemical rewards to make us feel good.鈥�
In other words, when our gut is healthy, we can make better food choices. There鈥檚 also a link between the gut and the pituitary gland 鈥� which means a healthy balance of gut bacteria can signal to your brain that you鈥檙e full.
5. Contributes to heart health
Since inflammation can be a main driver for serious health issues, there鈥檚 that a healthy gut microbiome plays an important role in heart health as well.
Past research has linked an unbalanced gut microbiome to increasing risk factors for ,听 and , as well as several cardiovascular diseases, including听,听听听 and听
Try these tasty options to improve your gut microbiome
The key to a healthy gut is diversifying your diet. Be sure to include a wide range of tasty things like:
Probiotic foods, including kimchi, yogurt, sauerkraut and kefir
Prebiotic foods like dark greens, apples, oats and bananas
Whole grains
Legumes
Polyphenol-rich foods like red wine, green tea, dark chocolate and olive oil