The choices that you make can have major affects on gut microbial life whether they are positive or negative. Listed below are 4 different behaviors that people can do that will have major affects on microbial life. The positive two choices are usually behaviors that are usually intention in that people eat better and take probiotics knowing that it will promote health within their bodies. The two negative choices below are behaviors that people usually do without intentionally knowing what the affects can be for their health.
These foods and products have a positive impact on gut microbial life:
- Whole foods/ fruits and vegetables: These types of food contain the nutrients that are important for bacterial health, which promotes different bacterial types, making your gut microbiota more diverse. This allows for the growth of beneficial bacteria verses bacteria that will cause ulcers or inflammation issues.
- Yogurt/ probiotics: Since some types of yogurts (greek and live cultured ones) contain live bacteria within them, they have the ability to insert those cultured bacteria within your gut. Fortunately, the bacteria within probiotics promote health and well being throughout your gut microbial communities. They even have the ability of decreasing the negative effect of exhibiting bacteria that may have already inhabited your body. This can lower the risks of ulcers or inflammation
These foods and products have a negative impact on gut microbial life:
- Drinking too much alcohol: The overuse of alcohol can have a very negative effect on microbial communities within your gut. Alcohol is very toxic, especially in high doses. It can leave your gut bacteria imbalanced or impaired which will not allow them to function normally. This may have a negative effect on your digestion of nutrients and stomach secretions within your gut.
- Overuse of Antibiotics: Using any types of antibiotics can have a chance of lowering or altering the amount of gut microbial life. Long term overuse of antibiotics can lead to a permanent damage to microbial life that affects both the good and bad bacteria. Antibiotics might also completely change the species of gut bacteria that your body has by killing the kind that was there before antibiotics. This allows for the invasion of bacteria that are resistant to the type of antibiotic used.
