Microbiota in our gut is the new organ
It’s not only our DNA that makes us unique, but DNA in turn, defines our microbiota.
Our microbiota is the one to three percent of our body weight that is made up of bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses. The majority of this exists through the digestive system, and predominately in the small intestine.
The small intestine is anything but. If cut open end to end, and stretched out, it would cover an area the size of a tennis court.
If you want to see the whole of the digestive system, it’s been done for you and is available on social media as a video.
A man swallows a camera the size of an average pill that includes a light, every couple of seconds, it takes a picture.
The small intestine is where most of the action happens, Here the last part of the breakdown of food to release the nutrients occurs.
It’s impossible to find out for sure, just how many different strains of bacteria are at work, as no two researchers seem to agree, But researchers do agree the importance of a dozen or so,
They have been isolated and reproduced in laboratory conditions. This means that there are supplements such as Threelac, Sevenlac and Fivelac each containing the different numbers of bacteria as their name implies.
With the incredible diversity of our microorganisms in the gut, it is hardly surprising that we occasionally get some sort of imbalance that may cause one of those many minor problems during our life.
An ideal varied diet is the obvious way to prevent most outbreaks, but this is not always possible, particularly with a very busy life and a propensity to eat on the go.
One common sign that there is a gut problem, is an outbreak of one of our resident fungi called candida.
Oxygen is also an essential element in digestion. Every single cell in our body needs a constant top up of this in order to live. And most useful bacteria also survive on oxygen.
Gut bacteria and oxygen work together. Between them, they help to prevent any compacted static waste on the intestinal lining.
Colon cleansing is well worth contemplating. Many supplements help to achieve this with the release of oxygen in the small intestine. This feels like a gentle laxative and is far less aggressive than the usual prescription variety.
The study of gut life is becoming an expanding are of interest for researchers. All sorts of new facts are being discovered. One recent report has found a connection between an individuals gut microbiota and longevity.
The more that goes on, the better the chances of longer life. This is leading to the idea that it may be possible to artificially influence the microbiota of individuals in a medical capacity.
This is almost an indication that the bacteria within plays a much greater part in our lives than was ever thought before. It’s no wonder that that whole life of microorganisms is being called the newest organ of the body.
