Do you know more than a trillion bacteria reside in the human gut? These bacteria are also called gut flora, and for your whole body to function properly, you must have a healthy gut flora. However, our lifestyle, eating habits, and other external factors might harm the gut bacteria. In such a case, the well-being of the whole organism suffers. Thus, in this article, we will tell you about eight habits that can harm gut bacteria.
Habits That Harm Your Gut Flora
Following is the list of habits you must quit, ensuring a healthy gut.
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Lack Of Variety Of Food
If there is varied intestinal flora, it is considered to be healthy. Thus, it would help if you also have a diet that has a wide range of options such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains for more varied gut flora. In fact, a change in diet can change the profile of the gut flora in just a few days.
This is because the food you eat contains nutrients that will help the bacteria in your gut to grow. Such a diet that is rich in healthy foods provides essential nutrients to the body and helps different types of healthy bacteria in the gut to grow.
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Drinking Too Much Alcohol
Chronic alcohol use can cause serious gut health problems, including dysbiosis. Several studies have been conducted to investigate the impact of alcohol consumption on gut health. One such study revealed that those who abuse alcohol are at higher risk of Dysbacteriosis, which is an imbalance of microflora.
Though moderate consumption of alcohol is good for gut bacteria; however, excessive consumption does the opposite. It reduces the gut bacteria and also causes inflammation in the stomach. According to experts, only by quitting alcohol one can restore the gut’s health.
Getting help to become sober is not something you should worry about as there are hundreds and thousands of rehab centers across America; however, one of the best is in Texas. Rehabilitation facilities in Texas are famous for their long-term recovery. So if you are residing in a nearby State, you now know where to go for help.
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Lack Of Prebiotics In The Diet
Prebiotics, a type of fiber, helps the gut bacteria to grow and function properly. If your diet lacks prebiotics, it is going to harm the digestive system as a whole. Here is the list of food items that are high in prebiotics:
- Lentils, chickpeas, and beans
- Oats
- Bananas
- Asparagus
- Garlic
- Leek
- Onion
- Nuts
Production of short-chain fatty acids is also promoted by the Prebiotics fiber. The colon cells get nutrients from these fatty acids. It can penetrate into the bloodstream, reducing gut inflammation, promoting healthy metabolism, and also reducing the risk of colorectal cancer.
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Use Of Antibiotics
Many of us use antibiotics to treat several infections. But the major problem with the usage of such medication is that it harms bad as well as good bacteria in the gut. With only a single antibiotic treatment, the density, as well as the composition of gut flora, can change.
With the regular use of antibiotics, useful bacteria like lactobacilli get reduced. Usually, the gut flora returns to the initial count after two to four weeks, but if you keep taking these medications, the numbers often do not return to their previous levels.
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Avoiding Physical Activity
Research reveals that those involved in regular physical activities have improved gut health as physical activities can alter gut flora. This does not mean that you have to get involved in tough workouts, even walking, swimming, or cycling will have a positive effect on your well-being. Experts believe the more you move around, the better will be the count of gut bacteria.
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Smoking Cigarettes
We all know that smoking damages the normal functioning of the body and increases the risk of several diseases, such as heart attacks and lungs cancer. Besides, smoking also increases the risk of bowel diseases. In addition, researchers believe that smokers are more likely to have bowl and gut problems than non-smokers. Thus, if you want a healthy body, you must quit smoking today.
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Lack Of Sleep
If you get a good night’s sleep, you will enjoy good health. However, if you are not getting enough sleep at night, you might develop several diseases. Many studies revealed the interconnection between gut health and insomnia. Researchers found out that disruption or lack of sleep negatively affects gut bacteria.
Besides, it also alters the balance of bacteria in the gut by destroying healthy bacteria. As a result, a person’s physical as well as mental health suffers. Thus, you must get enough sleep for your gut to stay healthy. However, if you are unable to do so, get help from your doctor.
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Too Much Stress
Your health is not limited to eating a healthy diet, doing regular exercises, and getting enough sleep; you also need to manage stress effectively to live a healthy life. No matter how healthy you eat but if you are unable to cope with stress, your well-being will suffer.
Chronic stress decreases the blood flow, alters the composition of the gut’s healthy bacteria, and increases sensitivity. Different level of stress impacts your gut flora differently, so know when you are under stress; there will be increased pressure on the gut too. As a result, the beneficial bacteria in the gut will decline, harming your overall health.
Take Away
The gut is home to both good and harmful bacteria; however, friendly gut bacteria are extremely important for the overall health of a person. But some of our habits, such as smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol, taking too much stress, physical inactivity, lack of sleep, reduce the gut flora. Thus, it would help if you give up these habits as disruption of gut flora causes several health problems. Have a happy gut and live a happy life!