6 easy ways to support your gut health

Did you know that you have about 100 trillion bacteria in your body?

That might sound a bit scary at first, because we associate the word bacteria with something negative. But bacteria are actually essential for our survival and take over important tasks in our body. Most bacteria are found in our intestines, more specifically in the colon. Intestinal flora or intestinal microbiota is the term used to describe the totality of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, etc.) that colonize the intestine.

We distinguish between good and bad bacteria: The good bacteria are enormously important for health. However, certain types of bacteria in your gut can also contribute to many diseases.

Studies have found that if you have too many of the negative bacteria in your body, you are more likely to suffer from certain intestinal diseases, such as Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

What's interesting is that the food you eat has a big impact on your gut flora. 

We'll tell you how to keep your gut flora healthy with a few tips.

But before we'll tell you why gut health is so incredibly important and how you can tell that something is wrong with your gut.

How to know if your gut is out of balance

You have over 500 different types of bacteria in your gut that help digest food, regulate hormones, eliminate toxins and produce vitamins and other healing compounds that keep your gut and body healthy. This ecosystem of good bacteria must be kept in balance for you to be healthy. On the other hand, the negative bacteria can have serious damage on your health. Also, 70% of all immune cells are located in the small and large intestines. Nearly 80% of all immune reactions occur in the gut. This makes the gut an enormously important part of our immune system. If the intestine is healthy, we are better protected against many different diseases. The brain also communicates with the intestine and the intestine even has its own brain. Scientists agree that the intestine influences our life, our feelings, decisions and our health much more intensively than we know and assume at the moment.

But how can you tell that your gut is out of balance?

Medication, stress and a wrong diet can bring the intestines out of balance. Flatulence, diarrhea or constipation are then usually the consequences. What many people don't know: neurodermatitis, rheumatism, immune deficiency, fatigue, allergies and depression can also be caused by a disrupted intestinal flora. 

Therefore, intestinal health should never be underestimated.

That is why we recommend you to pay attention to the following tips in your diet:

1. Make sure you eat a balanced and varied diet

There are up to 500 different types of good bacteria in your gut. Each type of bacteria needs different nutrients to grow. A diverse microbiota is considered very healthy and the more different types of bacteria you have in your gut, the healthier. A diet that consists of a variety of foods can lead to a diverse microbiota.

2. Eat lots of vegetables, legumes, beans and fruits

Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of nutrients for a healthy microbiota. They are rich in fiber, which cannot be digested by the body, but help the growth of bacteria in the gut. 

Try to incorporate these foods, which are especially high in fiber, into your daily diet:

- Raspberries

- Artichokes

- Green peas

- Broccoli

- Chickpeas

- Lentils

- Beans 

- Whole grains

3. Add fermented foods to your diet

Fermented foods are foods that have been altered by microbes. 

The process of fermentation usually involves bacteria or yeasts that convert the sugars in the food into organic acids or alcohol. Fermented foods are rich in lactobacilli, a type of bacteria that is good for health. 

Examples of fermented foods are: 

- Natural yogurt

- Kimchi

- Sauerkraut

- Kefir

- Kombucha

- Tempeh

4. Eat whole grains

Whole grains contain lots of fiber and non-digestible carbohydrates, such as beta-glucan. These carbohydrates are not absorbed in the small intestine and instead enter the large intestine. In the colon, they are broken down by the microbiota and promote the growth of certain beneficial bacteria.

Whole grain products not only provide a feeling of satiety but can also reduce inflammation and risk factors for heart disease.

5. Follow a vegetarian lifestyle

A number of studies have shown that a vegetarian diet can keep the gut microbiota in balance. The reason for this is most likely the high fiber content. Vegetarians eat automatically more vegetables by not eating meat. Studies found that a vegetarian diet significantly reduces disease-causing bacteria. Plus, vegetarians often follow a healthier lifestyle than meat eaters anyway. If you don't want to give up meat altogether, we recommend limiting your meat consumption and eating more vegetables in general. 

6. Take probiotic supplements

Probiotics are living microorganisms, usually bacteria. They can influence your gut health by changing the overall composition of the microbiota and supporting your metabolism. We recommend that you take a probiotic that contains a high enough amount of health-promoting bacteria. Many products available on the market contain only a small number of bacteria or bacterial cultures, which means that taking them will not have any significant effect.  

The human gut is the most densely populated place in the world and diversity is important for its health. Aavalabs has developed two probiotics supplements. One if them isPREMIUM PROBIOLAC - 30 BACTERIA + ZINC. It contains 30 different strains of bacteria, each with a different function in the intestine. The 120 billion colony forming units per daily serving make Premium Probiolac one of the most effective and diverse bacterial complexes on the market today.

The intestine is the center of health and well-being

It is really fascinating what influence the intestinal health has on our well-being. An intestinal flora that is out of balance can cause various diseases, such as: flatulence, constipation, neurodermatitis, rheumatism and immune deficiency. Make sure that you have as many bacteria as possible in your intestines through a balanced diet. A vegetarian diet, fermented foods, whole grains, vegetables, legumes, beans and fruits provide a great foundation for healthy gut flora.

Want to make sure you have enough different bacteria in your gut? 

Then check out Aavalabs Probiotics supplements and enjoy the numerous benefits of a healthy gut!