Some might think that the gut is simply a tube running through the body. Although this is functionally true, the health of this “tube” and the mix of organisms that live in it can have a huge impact on how the body responds to food and other stimuli.

Your gut is a battlefield

As the saying goes, “You are what you eat.” To be more accurate, it should be, “You are what you absorb from what you eat.” Or even better, “You become what you absorb” – especially when you consider that what you absorb from your food is what is incorporated into your body’s cells. In addition, you have a world of microorganisms – estimated to weigh between 3-6 pounds – that live inside your GI tract.

Actually, there is a fixed number of bacteria that can live in your gut, so the number stays relatively constant. What changes is the mix of “good” and “bad” bacteria, and it is changing constantly based on what you eat, plus a number of other factors.

Consider the gut to be a battlefield – the lining of the gut is the frontline – where a battle between the good and bad bacteria is constantly going on.

To maintain the integrity of the battle’s front line, and to enable us to absorb the nutrients we ingest, we need to ensure we have enough of the beneficial bacteria to win the war against the the not-so-beneficial bacteria.

Sending in reinforcements

We don’t create the bacteria in our gut – which, along with their genetic material are collectively known as the microbiome – the bacteria and the other organisms come from somewhere else. Our original bacterial mix came from our mother at birth. But after that, it’s our environment and our diet that supply us with the microbes that make up our microbiome.

The good bacteria can originate from a variety of food sources – for example, yogurt and other fermented foods; but sometimes we need reinforcements in the form of a probiotic supplement.

Probiotics are a concentrated source of different strains of beneficial bacteria that research has shown supports and promotes numerous functions in the body.*

When you remember that the number of bacteria making up the microbiome is fairly fixed – there can only be so many troops on the battlefield – then the more good bacteria you can introduce, the stronger the front line becomes.*

Protecting the youth

Dietary diversity plays a significant role in the health of the microbiome – when we eat many different kinds of foods, we encounter more strains of bacteria. Youth diets tend to lack the variety of a complex adult diet, which limits the number and kinds of beneficial bacteria children will encounter. This is where a probiotic supplement can provide benefit.

DNA testing of the microbiome is now available, and this testing can identify the amounts and the types of bacteria and other organisms that reside in the gut. And the amounts and types of bacteria that researchers are finding relate to a host of conditions in the body. For example, Yale University researchers found a significant difference between the microbiome of children who are lean and the microbiome of children who are obese. They observed that the microbiomes of obese children metabolize carbohydrates more easily, which contributes to their weight gain.

Probiotics and diarrhea

Multiple clinical trials have examined the beneficial role of probiotics for supporting gut health, such as the occasional diarrhea that can occur from dietary indiscretion, antibiotic use, or exposure to different foods and liquids while traveling.*

Probiotics and respiratory health

Recent research has investigated the potential positive impact of certain bacteria on the respiratory health of children and athletes.*

Probiotics and brain health

Have you heard the phrases, having "butterflies" in the stomach when doing something in public, or relying on a "gut feeling" when making a decision. This is actually true for a valid reason – the gut and the brain are connected via the nervous system and the biochemicals that  are made by gut bacteria.

The composition of a person’s gut bacteria can have a big impact on which messages the brain receives from the gut. Knowing this is allowing researchers to look at this exciting pathway – known as the gut-brain axis – and how it affects many outcomes in the brain. For example, research at Ohio State University has explored the impact of gut health on the temperament of young children.*

Looking ahead

As the availability of microbiome testing increases, researchers will learn more about which strains of bacteria can impact certain functions in the body. These advancements will lead to an even better understanding of the statement, “You are what you eat.”

Until then, you can provide your gut with an excellent mix of “good” bacteria through a variety of fermented foods and from a robust probiotic supplement that will help you win the battle of good versus bad in your gut.*

Try Thorne’s FloraSport 20B® – a probiotic blend of clinically studied bacterial strains – for you or your children. FloraSport 20B reduces GI discomfort in children and supports healthy immune function.* In adults, FloraSport 20B helps relieve gas and bloating, benefits GI health, and much more.* Plus, FloraSport 20B is portable and NSF Certified for Sport®, perfect for athletes and those who travel.*