Why Is Gut Bacteria Important?

Did you know that you have at least 1 trillion gut bacteria hanging around your intestinal area? And it's a good thing.

Gut bacteria are an essential part of the human body and they do much more than you might think. They help keep digestion working properly. They break down fiber and starches so the body can absorb nutrients. They are critical for a healthy immune system.

You might be wondering why these microorganisms are so important. Here are five things to consider when thinking about gut bacteria:

1. They provide a protective barrier against pathogens in the digestive tract. If you look at your intestinal tract under a microscope, you will see that it contains nooks and crannies. It has microscopic openings where nutrients are absorbed. Gut bacteria fill in these tiny openings, providing a physical barrier to pathogens.
2. They are critical for the production of vitamins and metabolites. Gut bacteria can produce a range of vitamins, including several B-vitamins and the K vitamin. They also produce metabolites. A metabolite is an intermediate type of molecule used as fuel, signal, structure, or stimulation for enzymes throughout the body.
3. They can take elements in their environment and use them to adapt. For example, people from Japan eat a lot of seaweed. The bacteria in their digestive tracts have adapted to this seaweed-rich diet. The gut bacteria in the Japanese digestive tract have extracted genetic material from seaweed bacteria to enhance their ability to break down and absorb nutrients found in seaweed.
4. They appear to have a link to certain mind-related disorders, such as depression, anxiety, autism and OCD. Scientists know that many people with these mind-related issues also have gastrointestinal issues. Deeper research has found that disturbances in gut bacteria populations and health can cause noticeable changes in the mind state of research animals. The presence of such a link shows just how essential healthy gut bacteria are.
5. They are the superheroes vanquishing the anti-nutrients. An anti-nutrient is any compound which interferes with the absorption of nutrients. Phytic acid, found in the hulls of seeds, nuts and grains, is one of the most prevalent anti-nutrients. It binds strongly with calcium, zinc, copper, and iron. The human body lacks the ability to break down phytic acid, so the nutrients that are bound to it are unavailable. Certain gut bacteria can break down the phytic acid, making it easier to absorb the nutrients.

Those are just a few of the many reasons why having healthy gut bacteria is so important for your health and well being. This is one of many things you need to understand for a longer, healthier life. The experts at Matrix Age Management can help you learn even more.