Bacteria, The Good & The Bad |
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One hundred trillion individual bacteria from over 500 different species live in our intestines, and together they are called our 'Intestinal Flora'. All the different species of bacteria maintain their own territories and together they form a balanced unity. These bacteria play an important part in maintaining our health. There are both beneficial as well as harmful bacteria.
| Good bacteria |
Harmful bacteria |
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| Lactobacillus |
Bifidobacterium |
Staphylococcus aureus |
Escherichia coli |
Did you know.
The bacteria that make up a person's intestinal flora weigh approximately 1kg? If they were all lined up side by side they would stretch twice around the equator!
Why do we need beneficial bacteria?
The beneficial bacteria in our intestinal flora help us function and can help keep us healthy by:
- Discouraging harmful bacteria and yeasts from setting up home
- Helping to stimulate the digestive process
- Neutralising some of the toxic products made during digestion
- Producing nutrients such as vitamins
A healthy intestinal flora is where the beneficial bacteria keep the harmful bacteria under control. When the good bacteria take up most of the available space in your intestines, the harmful bacteria have less opportunity to grow, form a thriving colony and possibly make you ill.
If the number of beneficial bacteria drop, the harmful bacteria grab the opportunity to take over. So as you can see, the balance is crucial.
The body's garden
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Think of a garden. A healthy one is well-stocked with flowers and the odd weed or two goes unnoticed. Weeds only become a problem in an untended garden when they are allowed to grow unchecked, competing with other plants for ground space and choking out the flowers.
This is also true of the body. A healthy intestinal flora is where the beneficial bacteria have control. When they take up most of the available space in your intestines, the undesirable bacteria have less opportunity to "put down roots" and form a thriving colony. |
What can upset the balance?
Diet - A poor diet of rushed, irregular meals containing too much alcohol, fatty food and too little fibre. Certain foods, especially those rich in fat and protein, can also encourage the growth of some harmful bacteria in our intestines.
Stress - Our brain and intestines are linked, so you can imagine what all those stressful situations are doing to your digestive system. Recent research shows that continued stress can upset your intestines.
Antibiotics - These don't just kill off the harmful bacteria that are making you ill but also the beneficial bacteria that are keeping you well.
Ageing - As we get older, the environment in our intestines changes, becoming less hospitable to the beneficial bacteria.
Travel - Travelling to different countries.
Infection by food-poisoning bacteria such as E. coli O157 and Salmonella.
In other words, factors that affect us daily in our busy modern lifestyles can affect our health by upsetting our intestinal flora.
How can I maintain a healthy balance?
With Probiotics! The idea is to keep the number of beneficial bacteria as high as possible so consuming beneficial bacteria is one way to help. Foods and drinks containing these beneficial bacteria are called Probiotics.
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