Intestinal flora refers to the set of bacteria, viruses and fungi that populate the digestive tract. A poor balance of this microbiota (due to a poor diet) would be responsible for various diseases. Discover the foods that are harmful to the intestinal flora.
What is intestinal flora?
The digestive tract contains millions of microorganisms. This assemblage of bacteria, viruses, parasites and (non-pathogenic) fungi constitutes what is called the intestinal flora. Its role is increasingly known, and researchers continue to work to identify and understand the links between its imbalances and certain pathologies.
According to INSERM, the intestinal flora is mainly located “in the small intestine and colon, distributed between the lumen of the digestive tube and the protective biofilm formed by the intestinal mucus that covers its inner wall. Since gastric acidity is not unfavorable to the presence of most microorganisms, the stomach hosts one hundred million times fewer commensal bacteria than the colon.”
The intestinal flora is the most important of the body, it colonizes the walls of the stomach, the intestine and is especially concentrated in the colon.
What does gut flora do?
After years of research and study, scientists can now explain the role of gut flora. It even plays a role in digestive, metabolic, immune and neurological functions. Thus, the dysregulation (dysbiosis) of the intestinal microbiota is a serious reason to explain certain diseases.
What foods are harmful to intestinal flora?
Thus, diet can strongly influence overall health, as it is able to modify the intestinal microbiota. The impact can be beneficial or harmful depending on the foods consumed.
To take care of the intestinal flora, it is advisable to eat cooked or raw vegetables such as spinach, leeks, asparagus, tomatoes or carrots. But also fresh whole fruits (apples, raspberries, bananas, oranges), legumes (lentils, beans, chickpeas) or whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat, oats. Dried oleaginous fruits, foods rich in good fats or fermented foods rich in probiotics such as fermented milk, yogurts or miso are also recommended.
On the contrary, food can be harmful to the intestinal flora. This is the case of processed foods (ultra-processed or fried), refined sugars found in juice or baked goods, hydrogenated fats, deli foods, red meats, fish with a high mercury content, artificial sweeteners or alcohol. Therefore, it is preferable to limit the consumption of these foods because they are generally associated with disrupting the good health of the intestinal flora. Also, these foods tend to decrease the diversity of intestinal flora.
Source: Tabu.RO
2023-05-03 05:14:07
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