Gut microbiota is communities of microorganisms that reside in our digestive tracts. Behaviors that could alter gut microbial communities include the type of foods we consume. Some examples that are beneficial includes eating fruits and vegetables high in fiber, eating foods with high polyphenol levels, and fermented foods that contain microbes. Eating fruits and vegetables with high fiber content will support different microbial communities that reside within us. Foods with high levels of polyphenols are also good for our gut microbes because they are antioxidants that nourish our gut flora. Probiotics are live microorganisms that when consumed, provides health benefits by improving gut microbiota. Fermented foods containing microbes such as Kefir probiotic drinks promotes digestion and prevents the growth of harmful gut bacteria. To reiterate, eating foods that promote gut flora health also has a variety of other benefits such as improving the immune system.
Activities such as consuming foods that lack prebiotics, using antibiotics, and not eating diverse foods could be detrimental to our gut flora. Prebiotics are essentially dietary fibers that promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria which is beneficial. Antibiotics are very useful when it comes to treating diseases such as urinary tract infections or cellulitis. Antibiotics fight bacterial infections and kill both good and bad bacteria. The good gut bacteria that we have also get negatively affected by antibiotic use. Lastly, diets lacking a diverse range of food could also be detrimental to gut flora because the food we consume provides nutrients that promote the growth of a variety of bacterias that reside within us.
