Defined as a tube that runs approximately 20 feet long throughout the body, from the mouth to the rectum, the gastrointestinal tract also consists of the lower part of the alimentary canal known as the intestine that passes food from the stomach into the intestine for enhanced digestion and absorption.
This highly uninteresting and vacuous concept of intestinal function, combined with its undeniable deficiency of charm, is reason enough for most people to not give any kind of significance to intestinal health or even an afterthought to it. Unfortunately this mentality is not only disastrous but can also prove to be dangerous in the long run, which is why there is a need to change how we view intestinal health and how its importance can help in greatly improving one’s health. Realising the magnitude of intestinal health by all those who desire good health can greatly impact the future of one’s well-being. Understanding the importance of optimum intestinal health can help in adjusting individual lifestyles into conjunction with the discernment on intestinal health.
The intestine is a highly protective barrier that prevents the penetration of any harmful substance in the body. Coated with thousands of various species of micro-organisms and bacteria, millions of healthy as well as unhealthy bacteria reside in the intestine. The dense, shield rampart of micro-organisms acts in accord with the cell lining to work as a physical barricade that helps in safeguarding the body through a crucial filter-like protective covering. Harmful substances such as detrimental bacteria, poisonous substances, harmful chemicals and waste by-products are constantly separated out and eradicated from the body. At the same time, critical elements needed for good health such as nutriments and water are absorbed and circulated throughout the system and made available to the millions of cells within the body that require them.
Unfortunately over the years, human beings have adopted harmful habits that are causing imbalances within the body and in the intestinal tract. For instance, greater consumption of sugar in recent years has created a host of disorders from diabetes to obesity among people. In addition, diets high in trans-fat, refined food products and processed foods are causing the body to become deficient in certain types of nutrients. This kind of lifestyle tends to tip the intestinal balance towards the overgrowth of harmful bacteria and proliferation of yeast, fungal and other harmful micro-organisms.
Here are some constructive ways of accomplishing optimum intestinal health. These include:
- Avoiding inordinate consumption of alcohol and processed foods rich in sugar and poor in fiber.
- Avoiding consumption of broad-spectrum antibiotics and antacids for an extended period of time.
- Consuming a diet rich in wholesome, raw and nutritionally sufficient foods in fiber.
- Drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
- Following a diet high in fibre and supplementing it with probiotic proteins through natural produce. Specific globulin proteins such as lacto peroxidase and lactoferrin proteins can help in supporting a balanced and healthy population of good bacteria in the intestine.
- If possible, supplement the daily diet with high-quality healthy bacterial probiotic products such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria.
