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Darmflora Promote good intestinal dwellers better
The intestinal flora (microbiota) influences the health stronger than long suspected. Whether positive or negative, depends mainly on the diet: abundant vegetables, legumes and whole grains promotes a favorable microbiota with a broad spectrum of bacteria and a high proportion of protective (protective) germs. On the other hand, a typical Western diet rich in fat and protein, which is low in fiber, favors the growth of bacteria that produce toxins, cause inflammation and weaken the intestinal barrier.
Which ingredients the intestinal bacteria react to, has been intensively researched in recent years: "Fiber is the key to a healthy microbiota," says Dr. med. Maike Groeneveld, practice for nutritional counseling in Bonn. Water-insoluble fibers such as cellulose bind a lot of water and thus promote the exchange of substances and "teamwork" between different types of bacteria. Soluble fibers such as pectins are broken down by the gut bacteria into short-chain fatty acids, which have a positive effect on the intestinal environment. Some dietary fibers such as inulin and oligofructose specifically stimulate the growth of beneficial bifidobacteria. Whole grains with a naturally high fiber content have increased the proportion of bifidobacteria in a study with 80 healthy obese people, at the same time decreased the inflammation marten.
Protect intestinal flora. Image: Printemps - fotolia Polyphenols such as anthocyanins in berries or flavonoids in apples and onions also promote the growth of bifidobacteria. "These phytochemicals are absorbed in the small intestine only to 5 to 15 percent, the lion's share enters the colon," explains Groeneveld. And there they unfold their positive effect.
Negative effects on the microbiota may have certain additives. This is supported by some studies, but the data are still too thin for clear conclusions. "Nevertheless, the influence of additives on the microbiota should in future be included in the risk assessment," Groeneveld says.
Clearly pathogenic (pathogenic) germs have a profound effect on the microbiota. Especially the common cause of diarrheal diseases Campylobacter jejuni acts long after - even months after the disappearance of an infection, inflammatory cells in the intestine are detectable. In the long term, the risk of inflammatory bowel disease may increase following infection, and irritable bowel cancer patients may also experience gastroenteritis before diagnosis. The aggressive germs are often transmitted by insufficiently heated, contaminated food, mostly poultry. "Infections can be avoided with careful hand and kitchen hygiene," advises Groeneveld. Fermented milk products such as yoghurt, probiotics and kefir, on the other hand, contain protective bacteria. Their daily consumption contributes to a stable microbiota. Dorothee Hahne, aid