News Taffy

It has recently come to my attention that my body is overrun with bacteria. In fact, I understand I am as much as 90 percent filled with bacteria and only 10 percent or so of me is human cells. Your body is, too, but that’s good news. You might have noticed the prevalence of “probiotic” foods and supplements but have not taken the time to understand the sudden popularity of these items or how they can impact your health … but let’s get back to that bacteria.

Scientists have long known that our bodies are filled and covered with bacteria but largely ignored their presence. New research has revealed that our bacteria play a significant role in our health. At birth, we acquire most of our bacteria from our mother. That bacteria gets to work right away. The bacteria in our intestines helps us digest food and absorb nutrition and helps our immune systems work better, protecting us from germs and viruses. Healthy gut bacteria regulates our weight and prevents heart disease, constipation, diabetes, depression and even some types of cancer. But, if that is true, then why aren’t we all more healthy?

The answer is that we are busy destroying our gut bacteria with our terrible diets and overuse of antibiotics and household cleaners. We eat all the wrong foods and basically, our bacteria is starved to death and dies off. Gut bacteria needs plenty of fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients from plant-based foods or vegetables. I’ll bet you knew this would be a pitch for eating your veggies, but the truth is your body needs real, whole foods, not sugary, processed crap or “food-like substances.” Though the average American has more than 1,200 different types of bacteria in their intestinal tract, the average person living in a third world country has roughly 1,600. Incredible as it may seem, those in third world countries might be healthier in many ways because they eat a plant-based diet and are surrounded by germs. They don’t suffer from allergies, obesity, diabetes and autoimmune diseases like Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease nearly as much as Westerners do.

Your gut bacteria thrives on complex carbohydrates found in dietary fiber, so you need to greatly increase the amount of fruits, vegetables, legumes and unrefined whole grains you eat each day. You also need to cut back on the amount of meat you eat, especially meat high in saturated fats. You need to limit saturated fats in general and stick to healthier fats found in plant-based oils like olive and canola oil or avocados. The more scientists learn about our bodies, the more obvious it becomes that what we eat really does matter and makes a huge difference in our health.

You may have seen plenty of probiotics or similar supplements on the market, and these can help restore your gut bacteria. (Probiotics is another name for the healthy bacteria that live in your intestines.) However, it can be difficult to know just which one will work best for you and help your bacteria colony grow. Probiotics are not regulated as drugs, so manufacturers don’t have to prove their products work. It may be best to ask your doctor or pharmacist which one is right for you. You can also eat certain foods to help increase the bacteria in your belly. Fermented foods are high in beneficial bacteria and include sauerkraut, yogurt with live and active cultures, miso, which is a fermented soybean paste, some soft cheeses like Gouda, Kefir, sour dough bread, milk with probiotics such as acidophilus milk or buttermilk. Avoid probiotics that cause bloating, excessive gas or other problems after an initial adjustment period. You will know something works well when you have regular and easily passed stools.

Then there are prebiotics, or foods that feed the bacteria. If you grab some cereal or a granola bar for breakfast, a club sandwich on white bread for lunch with some chips and then eat a steak and baked potato for dinner, you haven’t fed your bacteria all day. Try adding whole oatmeal (not instant) legumes, bananas, polenta, broccoli, cabbage, kale and blueberries to your diet on a regular basis. These foods, among others, are full of the fiber your bacteria crave.

The more I have learned about a healthy diet over the last few years and how it affects my health, the easier it has been for me to make changes. I hope you will take the time to read more information on your own and make those changes for yourself.