How many microbes (bacteria etc) live in our guts do you think? Well, researchers estimate at over a hundred trillion, weighing around two kilos, and outnumbering all our body cells by around 10:1 – wow. So let’s make sure this bug army is on our side, right?
Actually we’re living in exciting times, as we’re learning more every day about how these little critters influence our well-being – and it’s quite astonishing.
Maybe it’s no surprise that gut bacteria help us digest food and access important vitamins and nutrients and ‘bad’ gut bacteria can cause gastroenteritis, but did you know that gut microbes also influence our hormone production and nerve function? So they can actually influence our mood, our memory and learning capabilities. They can determine whether we’ll get certain diseases too, such as type 2 diabetes, cancers, heart disease and even allergies. They can also help our immunity, and, get this, they can even decide whether we get fat – who knew? Some fascinating studies show that faeces from fat rats can make skinny rats put on weight, and vice versa (apologies if you’re having lunch).
But can we influence our gut bug population? Well, yes, because like most armies, they march on their stomachs.
Our diet seems to have the greatest influence. The Mediterranean diet, with fresh and colourful fruit and vegetables appears to encourage good bacteria, and processed foods should be avoided. Interestingly, artificial sweeteners can discourage some healthy bugs, so it’s best to limit these too.
Probiotics (live bacteria) have become popular as supplements, but their benefit can be short-lived as without the right nutrients they’ll simply die off.
So now experts are favouring Prebiotics. These are soluble or insoluble fibres which our bodies can’t digest, but which good bacteria like, so they will take over and squeeze out any nasty bugs, creating a diverse gut population of good guys to keep us healthy and happy (and even slim).
Personally, I’m road-testing Bimuno Original which is a Prebiotic containing fibres and galactooligosaccharides (GOS) which are derived from milk sugar, and apparently good bacteria love it.
What I like is it comes in convenient daily sachets and the soluble powder can be mixed with juice, tea, or coffee, or sprinkled over cereal. Actually, being intrinsically lazy, I just sprinkled it directly into my mouth and, as it’s taste-free it was quite pleasant. It feeds and stimulates the good guys to grow within seven days, and people have noticed benefit, such as reduced bloating, within 4-7 days. You don’t need to store this Prebiotic in a special way and you could pop the small sachets in your handbag.
I’ve been taking one sachet daily for a few days now and after just a couple of days my tummy was noticeably less-swollen and more comfortable so I’m enthusiastic, but everyone is different.
You can buy Bimuno Original direct from the website, either £19.99 for a month’s trial – a good chance to check if it suits you – or save money with the Subscribe and Save Option at £39.99 for a three-month’s supply. At around 45p per day this is definitely worth a try. Give it a go – your bugs will thank you.
By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q
Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.