Microbiota How to care for intestinal bacteria
Atlas and I have already told how the microbiota works , what bacteria live in the intestines of Russians and how the microbiota affects the development of diseases. Today we share information on how to take care of intestinal bacteria to stay healthy.
Illustration by Rentonorama
Cellulose is called complex carbohydrates or dietary fibers that are not digested by the body, but are fermented by intestinal bacteria. Nowadays, fiber is an affordable superfood that is proven to bring a lot of benefits to the human body.
')
Fiber consumption is associated with a low risk of developing diseases and death from various diseases. According to the results of a large meta-analysis published in the journal Lancet, a fiber-rich diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and mortality from various causes by 13–33%. There is also a positive effect of fiber intake on cholesterol and blood glucose levels. At the same time, the low-glycemic diet had more modest results than a diet rich in fiber.
On the effect of fiber on weight, there is controversy. Systematic reviews show that the body is faster saturated with the use of complex carbohydrates, which can affect the total number of daily calories and help get rid of weight. On the other hand, many studies use fiber supplements that saturate more than food.
The daily intake of fiber varies in different countries. In the US, women are recommended to consume 25 grams of fiber per day, and men - 38. The British Institute of Nutrition recommends that all adults consume at least 30 grams daily. This is quite a lot.
For example, an average pear contains about 5 grams, an apple - 4.4, a banana or an orange - 3, boiled potatoes with a skin - 4, a cup of oatmeal - 5. To follow the recommendations, each meal should contain 8-10 grams dietary fiber.
It is difficult to count how many grams of fiber you have eaten per day, since in Russia the total amount of carbohydrates is often indicated on products, and how much of them is fiber is unclear. The food diary can help in counting: write down what foods and in what quantity you ate in one day, and in your free time look at them in the proportion of fiber. To do this, you can use the table of the Canadian Nutritionists Community or a database of food products from Self magazine.
When processing complex carbohydrates, some bacteria produce fatty acids. They nourish the intestinal cells and support its protective functions. Fatty acids affect the production of mucus (mucus), which is the barrier layer between the intestinal walls and pathogenic bacteria. Mucus protects the intestines from the drop in acidity during food digestion.
Interestingly, different types of fiber act on the intestine differently. Soluble fibers absorb water and form a gel-like substance, which helps food to pass through the intestine faster, reducing the effect with the intestinal walls. Insoluble fiber does not interact with water and only a small part of it is digested by bacteria. However, such fibers help to form fecal masses.
Prebiotic - those types of fiber that bring the greatest benefit to the microbiota. It is these species that are mainly fed by intestinal bacteria, therefore, prebiotic products are recommended to be eaten regularly. Such types of fibers include fructo-oligosaccharides, oligofructose, inulin, beta-glucans, galacto-oligosaccharides, isomaltose, lactulose, resistant starch, xylo-and arabino-oligosaccharides.
Usually in one product may contain several types of prebiotics. You should not bother and choose certain prebiotic products, if you do not know the composition of your bacteria. To get all kinds of prebiotics, it is enough to have a varied diet and eat foods rich in fiber.
If the composition of bacteria is known and you know that you have a certain kind of bacteria less than in a healthy population, you can increase their numbers, including in the diet foods with prebiotics that feed on this kind. This is exactly how the “Genetics of microbiota” test from Atlas is arranged.
Several studies have shown that aerobic exercise has a positive effect on the composition of bacteria in the intestine. By aerobic include any physical activity for which you need to spend a lot of oxygen: running, swimming, aerobics, skiing, dancing, cycling.
According to the results of the American Microbiota Research Project (American Gut Project), people who worked more often than others had a more diverse microbiome. Another study compared the gut bacteria of elite rugby athletes and people with a sedentary lifestyle. It turned out that professional athletes have higher representation of Akkermansia muciniphila - bacteria that is associated with a low body mass index.
Animal studies also confirm the link between physical activity and intestinal health. In rats who loved to run, the concentration of butyric acid and the representativeness of the bacteria producing it were greater than those of passive relatives.
In another study compared the microbiota of people with similar diets, but different levels of physical activity. To measure the level of sports training, participants measured the maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max) - a value that is used to measure endurance. It turned out that the higher a person had the ability to consume oxygen, the more diverse his microbiome was.
The mechanism of the influence of sport on the microbiota is unclear. It is known that endurance exercise strongly influences oxidative stress, intestinal permeability, muscle damage and immune reactions, in which the microbiota is also involved.
The World Health Organization recommends performing at least 150 minutes of exercises of medium intensity or at least 75 minutes of endurance training per week.
Antibacterial hygiene products often contain triclosan, which adversely affects the health of the microbiota. A study in mice has shown that this substance increases the risk of developing ulcerative colitis and tumors in the intestine.
Scientists note that the antibacterial properties of triclosan can be the cause of this: in mice, because of its effects , the diversity and representation of beneficial bacterial genera such as Bifidobacterium has decreased .
In this case, the difference in effectiveness between conventional and antibacterial soap is not. Both remove contaminants well and reduce the risk of disease in the same way. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the addition of triclosan and 18 other antibacterial ingredients to soap in 2017. However, there were other compounds that were not banned.
If you wash yourself with ordinary soap, the balance of the microbiota most likely will not be disturbed, but it is better to choose a mild cleanser that will not wash away the natural fats. But without an enema is better to do. This procedure washes away the microbiota and protective intestinal mucus.
In the next article we will describe in detail how drugs affect the composition of intestinal bacteria.
Illustration by Rentonorama
Cellulose
Cellulose is called complex carbohydrates or dietary fibers that are not digested by the body, but are fermented by intestinal bacteria. Nowadays, fiber is an affordable superfood that is proven to bring a lot of benefits to the human body.
')
Fiber consumption is associated with a low risk of developing diseases and death from various diseases. According to the results of a large meta-analysis published in the journal Lancet, a fiber-rich diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and mortality from various causes by 13–33%. There is also a positive effect of fiber intake on cholesterol and blood glucose levels. At the same time, the low-glycemic diet had more modest results than a diet rich in fiber.
On the effect of fiber on weight, there is controversy. Systematic reviews show that the body is faster saturated with the use of complex carbohydrates, which can affect the total number of daily calories and help get rid of weight. On the other hand, many studies use fiber supplements that saturate more than food.
The daily intake of fiber varies in different countries. In the US, women are recommended to consume 25 grams of fiber per day, and men - 38. The British Institute of Nutrition recommends that all adults consume at least 30 grams daily. This is quite a lot.
For example, an average pear contains about 5 grams, an apple - 4.4, a banana or an orange - 3, boiled potatoes with a skin - 4, a cup of oatmeal - 5. To follow the recommendations, each meal should contain 8-10 grams dietary fiber.
It is difficult to count how many grams of fiber you have eaten per day, since in Russia the total amount of carbohydrates is often indicated on products, and how much of them is fiber is unclear. The food diary can help in counting: write down what foods and in what quantity you ate in one day, and in your free time look at them in the proportion of fiber. To do this, you can use the table of the Canadian Nutritionists Community or a database of food products from Self magazine.
When processing complex carbohydrates, some bacteria produce fatty acids. They nourish the intestinal cells and support its protective functions. Fatty acids affect the production of mucus (mucus), which is the barrier layer between the intestinal walls and pathogenic bacteria. Mucus protects the intestines from the drop in acidity during food digestion.
Interestingly, different types of fiber act on the intestine differently. Soluble fibers absorb water and form a gel-like substance, which helps food to pass through the intestine faster, reducing the effect with the intestinal walls. Insoluble fiber does not interact with water and only a small part of it is digested by bacteria. However, such fibers help to form fecal masses.
Prebiotic - those types of fiber that bring the greatest benefit to the microbiota. It is these species that are mainly fed by intestinal bacteria, therefore, prebiotic products are recommended to be eaten regularly. Such types of fibers include fructo-oligosaccharides, oligofructose, inulin, beta-glucans, galacto-oligosaccharides, isomaltose, lactulose, resistant starch, xylo-and arabino-oligosaccharides.
Usually in one product may contain several types of prebiotics. You should not bother and choose certain prebiotic products, if you do not know the composition of your bacteria. To get all kinds of prebiotics, it is enough to have a varied diet and eat foods rich in fiber.
If the composition of bacteria is known and you know that you have a certain kind of bacteria less than in a healthy population, you can increase their numbers, including in the diet foods with prebiotics that feed on this kind. This is exactly how the “Genetics of microbiota” test from Atlas is arranged.
Sport
Several studies have shown that aerobic exercise has a positive effect on the composition of bacteria in the intestine. By aerobic include any physical activity for which you need to spend a lot of oxygen: running, swimming, aerobics, skiing, dancing, cycling.
According to the results of the American Microbiota Research Project (American Gut Project), people who worked more often than others had a more diverse microbiome. Another study compared the gut bacteria of elite rugby athletes and people with a sedentary lifestyle. It turned out that professional athletes have higher representation of Akkermansia muciniphila - bacteria that is associated with a low body mass index.
Animal studies also confirm the link between physical activity and intestinal health. In rats who loved to run, the concentration of butyric acid and the representativeness of the bacteria producing it were greater than those of passive relatives.
In another study compared the microbiota of people with similar diets, but different levels of physical activity. To measure the level of sports training, participants measured the maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max) - a value that is used to measure endurance. It turned out that the higher a person had the ability to consume oxygen, the more diverse his microbiome was.
The mechanism of the influence of sport on the microbiota is unclear. It is known that endurance exercise strongly influences oxidative stress, intestinal permeability, muscle damage and immune reactions, in which the microbiota is also involved.
The World Health Organization recommends performing at least 150 minutes of exercises of medium intensity or at least 75 minutes of endurance training per week.
Hygiene
Antibacterial hygiene products often contain triclosan, which adversely affects the health of the microbiota. A study in mice has shown that this substance increases the risk of developing ulcerative colitis and tumors in the intestine.
Scientists note that the antibacterial properties of triclosan can be the cause of this: in mice, because of its effects , the diversity and representation of beneficial bacterial genera such as Bifidobacterium has decreased .
In this case, the difference in effectiveness between conventional and antibacterial soap is not. Both remove contaminants well and reduce the risk of disease in the same way. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the addition of triclosan and 18 other antibacterial ingredients to soap in 2017. However, there were other compounds that were not banned.
If you wash yourself with ordinary soap, the balance of the microbiota most likely will not be disturbed, but it is better to choose a mild cleanser that will not wash away the natural fats. But without an enema is better to do. This procedure washes away the microbiota and protective intestinal mucus.
In the next article we will describe in detail how drugs affect the composition of intestinal bacteria.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/453852/
All Articles