The bacteria in your intestines, your local bacterial flora, are important, fundamental, for your state of health or illness, actively acting on the functioning of the body and even your mind.
A study recently published in Science reached this and several other interesting conclusions, such as:
- Coffee, wine, soft drinks, smoking and even artificial sweeteners can profoundly affect the quality of your intestinal bacterial flora.
- High amounts of carbohydrates in a meal can do a lot of damage to your intestinal flora balance.
- Medicines can damage your flora, such as metformin and antacids.
- Your intestinal health affects your general immunity.
- One dose of antibiotics can “wipe out” your “normal” intestinal bacterial flora for up to a year!
- The “diet” that helps your intestines and bacteria the most, in simplistic terms, involves a low amount of carbohydrates and a high amount of fiber.
It's unfortunate that today antibiotics are one of the most prescribed categories of medication in the world, and often prematurely and even unnecessarily.
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