Three points about eating habits to maintain a healthy intestine

Daily meals regulate intestinal flora

There are more than 1,000 types of intestinal bacteria in humans, which is said to number 100 trillion. Intestinal bacteria exist in the intestine forming groups according to type. This population is called the "intestinal flora."

The reason why intestinal bacteria live in the intestine is because it is rich in dietary fiber and oligosaccharides that serve as food, making it a comfortable place for bacteria to live.

In addition, the acid produced by intestinal bacteria has the function of cleaning the intestinal flora, and humans are also grateful for the existence of intestinal bacteria.

Intestinal flora changes depending on daily life rhythms such as diet, exercise, and sleep.

In other words, it can be good or bad depending on your lifestyle.

Among these, diet has a particularly large impact on the balance of intestinal flora, and it is possible to improve intestinal flora by reviewing the way you choose ingredients and the combination of foods you eat.

Aim for a healthy body with a diet that focuses on adjusting your intestinal flora.

When the intestinal flora is in order, the body changes.

It is said that when the intestinal flora is in order, the whole body becomes healthy.

1, Relieve constipation

The intestines and stool are closely related. If your intestines are not working properly, it will be difficult to pass stool. When bowel movements become poor, unnecessary substances accumulate in the body, which can affect other parts of the body, such as rough skin.

2, Increases immunity

We humans unconsciously try to protect ourselves by eliminating harmful bacteria, viruses, dust, and pollutants. That function is immunity.

When your immune system weakens, your allergic symptoms may worsen and you become more susceptible to illness.

It is said that more than half of immune cells live in the intestines, and increasing the function of intestinal bacteria is thought to lead to increased immunity.

3. It becomes difficult to gain weight

The reason you gain weight is because the energy you ingest is stored in your body as fat when it cannot be used up.

Intestinal bacteria called Firmicutes have the property of taking in a lot of energy from food, so it is said that people with large numbers of Firmicutes living in their intestines are more likely to become obese.

In other words, it is thought that reducing Firmicutes may make it difficult to gain weight.

By adjusting the balance of bacteria in the intestines, the number of Firmicutes may also be reduced.

The first point I introduced about ``relieving constipation'' is also related to making it difficult to gain weight.

If constipation continues, your basal metabolism will drop, making it difficult to lose weight.

3 key points to eat to balance your intestinal flora

What kind of food should I eat to maintain my intestinal flora?

Although there are over 1,000 types of intestinal bacteria, there is no need to worry about each individual bacteria.

What you should be careful about is eating a ``balanced diet,'' which is generally considered healthy. However, for people who don't usually cook or who have never paid attention to ingredients, I think they don't know what to watch out for.

Therefore, I would like to share with you three key points about eating to balance your intestinal flora.

Point 1: Eat dietary fiber and oligosaccharides as a set

“Dietary fiber” and “oligosaccharides” serve as food for the beneficial bacteria among the intestinal bacteria. In fact, it is said that it is difficult to deliver the beneficial bacteria lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria to the intestines while they are still alive.

Therefore, the idea is to increase the number of good bacteria in the intestines by eating dietary fiber and oligosaccharides.

<Foods containing a lot of dietary fiber>
Barley, vegetables (burdock, carrot, okra, broccoli, spinach), beans (natto), potatoes (satoimo, konnyaku), seaweed/mushrooms, fruits

<Foods containing a lot of oligosaccharides>
Vegetables (onions, burdock, green onions, garlic, asparagus), fruits (bananas), beans (soybeans)

Point 2: Eat a variety of foods on the set menu

When it comes to single-item menus, the ingredients used tend to be uneven. In other words, the food for intestinal bacteria is also a factor.

Even if you have a busy lunch time between work, try choosing a menu based on the number of items, such as choosing a set meal that includes a main dish, main dish, and side dish instead of a bowl of rice.

Even if you're busy and end up having a convenience store lunch, add some side dishes. Recently, there has been a wide variety of small deli cup menu items such as okara salad, marinated vegetables, and Japanese hijiki seaweed.

Point 3: Eat fermented foods

Fermented foods contain many beneficial bacteria such as lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, and yeast. Make it a habit to add one item to your daily meals.

<Ingredients containing a lot of good bacteria>
Yogurt, bran pickles, natto, kimchi, miso, cheese

summary

In order to maintain the intestinal flora, it is important to actively consume foods that increase the number of good bacteria from a well-balanced diet.

It's important to continue, so don't think too hard and keep the three points I introduced above in mind when choosing what to eat so as not to get stressed. Let's change our body little by little, starting with our intestines, through daily efforts.