If you're in doubt about how your gut health relates to the overall health of your body, don't miss this guide. We will explain to you exactly how the intestines and the intestinal flora work and how they contribute to your health.
You can also get tips below on how you can build up your intestinal flora. We hope that this guide will give you some clarity on the subject of gut health and that your gut is not just a digestive organ, but has many other functions as well. The questions answered are designed to clarify as many ambiguities as possible.
the essentials in brief
- In addition to an intestinal health-promoting diet, you can also take dietary supplements to build up your intestinal flora. These are available in the form of capsules, drops and powder.
- It is also important for children to have a healthy intestinal flora so that the development of the body runs smoothly. There are also special dietary supplements for children that help to build up the intestinal flora.
- How long it takes for your intestinal flora to build up often depends on your age and your symptoms. It doesn't take as long in younger people as it does in older people. And the more ailments you have, the longer it takes for you to achieve gut health.
What is gut health?
Intestinal health is spoken of when it comes to the condition of the intestines. The gut can be affected by many different factors. These can have positive or negative effects on the human body. In the following you will find out how you can determine which aspects are important for intestinal health and how exactly you can achieve a healthy intestine.
What is the intestine responsible for?
The human gut controls many processes that are considered vital. It is not only the food that is broken down and absorbed in the intestine. Because energy is also made available to the body here.
The intestine is also responsible for regulating the salt and water content in the body. Hormones and vitamins are also produced here. The gut is connected to our brain through the gut-brain axis and is therefore often referred to as the abdominal brain. With a length of 6 meters and an area of up to 400 square meters, the intestine also contains 80% of the immune cells that are present in our body.
means that the intestine plays an important role in protecting our immune system. Therefore, many different bacteria can be found in the intestine. We'll go into more detail on this later.
When is it important to strengthen the gut?
Strengthening or so-called intestinal cleansing is recommended in all situations, because it contributes to a better and, above all, healthier body feeling.
The regeneration of "good" bacteria helps to strengthen the intestines and thus the whole body.
In general, however, it is advisable to strengthen the intestines by means of intestinal cleansing, especially after taking an antibiotic. Because this removes toxins or deposits and thus minimizes the number of harmful bacteria.
But even after stress, heavy consumption of alcohol and gastrointestinal diseases, intestinal cleansing and thus strengthening the intestinal flora is recommended. Because the negative influence endangered the intestinal health.
How do I recognize that my intestinal health is at risk?
As previously mentioned, gut health is at risk if you've taken antibiotics, been under stress, had a gastrointestinal condition, or have been a heavy alcoholic. However, there are also signs that can indicate that your intestinal health and thus the intestinal flora is at risk. Such a disturbance of the intestinal flora is also referred to as dysbiosis. But medium- or long-term signs can also point to poor intestinal health.
However, you must know that the latter signs in particular can not only be signs of poor intestinal health, but can also have other origins.
The intestine is a true miracle organ. It is not only responsible for digesting your food, but also has many other important functions. (Image Source: Alicia Harper / Pixabay )
So you can try to achieve success through intestinal rehabilitation, but this is not guaranteed.
How is intestinal health established?
Now that you have learned what your gut and its health are important for and what the signs are that your gut is not doing well, you should now find out how the health of your gut is guaranteed.
What is the intestinal flora?
All microorganisms, which are mainly bacteria, in your intestine are referred to as intestinal flora. When people talk about the health of your intestines, it's usually about the intestinal flora.
Because the intestinal flora regulates many different processes in your body.
You have over 400 different types of these microorganisms, and a total of up to 100 trillion in your gut. They are responsible for the absorption of nutrients from food, form important vitamins, prevent the spread of pathogens and are responsible for balancing the immune system.
A diverse composition of bacteria in the intestinal flora ensures that it is healthy. Therefore, it is important that the health of the intestinal flora is restored in your body.
What diet is important for gut health?
When it comes to guaranteeing the health of the intestines and, above all, the intestinal flora, then you cannot avoid the topic of nutrition. Diet is the essential factor that decides how well your intestinal flora is doing.
Your diet plays an important role in building your intestinal health, also known as intestinal flora. You should make sure that you mainly take prebiotics and probiotics to strengthen your intestinal flora. (Image source: silviarita / Pixabay)
Because if you do something good for your intestines, your intestines will give you something good in return. First, you should make sure you're drinking enough fluids. This can be unsweetened tea or preferably still water. You should drink at least 2.5 liters of this per day. You should also be careful not to eat too many carbohydrates.
You should therefore make sure that your diet is balanced but also varied. It's important not to overeat, but also not to starve. Make sure that you always eat fresh products and avoid ready meals.
What other tools can further strengthen gut health?
In addition to your food, you can also use other aids to improve your intestinal flora. Here you have various options that you can fall back on.
enema
One tool to help improve your gut health is an enema. About 2 liters of lukewarm water or chamomile tea are introduced into the intestine through the anus with an irrigator. An enema can help you to start the clean-up of your bowel and adjust it to the transition. Even if you decide to go on a fast, an enema will help empty your bowels.
probiotics
You cannot only take probiotics in the form of food. In pharmacies or online shops you can also get probiotic preparations without a doctor’s prescription. There are probiotics in the form of capsules, in the form of powder or in the form of drops. These enable you to take probiotics and thus support the consumption of probiotic foods.
prebiotics
Just like the probiotics, you can also take your prebiotics in capsule, powder or drop form. As already explained, these dietary supplements help to build up your intestinal flora and thus improve your overall condition. A combined intake of probiotics and prebiotics is recommended when building up your intestinal health.
psyllium husks
Flea seed shells can also help you to improve your intestinal health. Due to the fact that psyllium husks contain a lot of fiber and mucilage, they bind liquids very well. This means that the psyllium husks in the intestine soak up liquid and thus fill out the intestine.
They stimulate digestion and can also help against diarrhea. But watch out! While you are eating psyllium husks, you should make sure that you are drinking enough liquid, preferably in the form of water.
Does gut health contribute to weight loss success?
Yes, your gut health can also help you succeed in losing weight. By building a healthy gut flora, you have the "good" bacteria in your gut that help stimulate your digestion.
This also means that your body's metabolism is stimulated.
A good metabolism will help you immensely with your weight loss. However, you should make sure that you change your diet in the long term in order to maintain your new weight in the long term.
How long will it take to build up my gut health?
The construction takes between 2 weeks and 6 months. The development of your intestinal health or intestinal flora depends on various factors. Your age, for example, has an influence on the structure. It doesn't take as long to build up in younger people as it does in older people.
Then it also depends on your complaints. If your symptoms are greater, it will take longer for your intestinal flora to build up accordingly.
If you want to do something good for your intestines after a period of unhealthy eating habits, it is usually enough to change your diet for about 2 weeks.
After taking antibiotics, however, it can take up to a month for your intestinal flora to regenerate with the right diet. Depending on how many complaints and how severe your complaints are, it can also take three to six months for your intestinal flora to build up.
How do I guarantee intestinal health in babies and toddlers?
A healthy intestinal flora is also important for the health of children. In general, the same nutritional strategy applies to them as to adults. However, when it comes to dietary supplements, there are also preparations made especially for children. A study has also shown that the way the child was born has an influence on the intestinal flora of the child. It has been shown that children born by cesarean section do not have as good intestinal health as children born with natural birth.
It is therefore important to continue to build up the intestinal flora here. Unfortunately, it is often the case with premature babies that intestinal diseases or intestinal problems occur after birth. A recently published study from Switzerland showed that the oral increase in probiotics can also have a positive effect on intestinal health. After just two weeks, a significant improvement was seen as new microorganisms formed.
How do I guarantee gut health in pets?
You can also try to rebuild the intestinal flora in animals, for example after taking antibiotics. However, the build-up here depends on dietary supplements that are added to the animal's feed and not on a change in diet.
In animals, intestinal cleansing usually takes a week to six weeks. Again, it depends on the severity of the symptoms. In severe cases, however, it can take up to two months for the intestine to be completely healed.
Conclusion
Gut health is also an essential factor when it comes to overall body health. For this reason, your gut is also called the abdominal brain. Because it is responsible for the release of vitamins and hormones and at the same time protects the immune system.
It is therefore advisable to keep the intestinal flora in tact. The nutrition tips in this guide can help you to build up or maintain your intestinal flora. The studies listed show you the positive influences a healthy intestinal flora can have.
References
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