Natural Foods and Remedies

Feed your friendly bacteria

The human body is like a hotel that is host to trillions of microbes. In fact 90% of the body is made up of these microbes and only 10% is human.

There are around 500 various species of microbes, known to science so far, which can be found in the gut. These microbes live in a highly organised micro-world with certain species dominating and controlling others.

Beneficial intestinal bacteria

  • Bifidobacterium longum
  • Lactobacillus bulgaricus
  • Lactobacillus casei
  • Lactobacillus salivarius
  • Neisseria cinerea
  • Neisseria flavescens
  • Neisseria lactamica
  • Neisseria mucosa
  • Neisseria sicca
  • Neisseria subflava
  • Streptococcus thermophilus

When this gut flora world becomes imbalanced, the pathogens that are present, and others that are ingested or inhaled or enter through injury, can take a foothold and increase in numbers rapidly because the barriers of the commensal (friendly) bacteria have been compromised.

Like so many of his sayings, Hippocrates was not far from the truth when he wrote “all disease begins in the gut” 2000 years ago. Gut health is critical to overall health.

Humans would not function at all if it wasn’t for the friendly bacteria in the guts, where battles are fought, essential substances are manufactured, and the immune system is bolstered. Most of the ‘friendly’ bacteria live in the colon.

What processes are intestinal bacteria responsible for?

  • Constructing many nutrients and helping with the absorption of minerals.
  • Lowering the levels of toxins and toxicity from nitrites added to processed foods
  • Producing enzymes which enable digestion of various types of food
  • Manufacturing natural antibiotics which help control or destroy the harmful bacteria
  • Manufacturing short-chain fatty acids, most are absorbed into the bloodstream, but some are used to feed the cells of the colon.
  • Crowding out the pathogenic bacteria that cause acid indigestion, leaky gut, salmonella, stomach ulcers and lead to cancers of the colon and various organs in the intestinal system
  • Protecting the intestinal mucosa tissues from harmful fungus or yeast infestation – mainly by crowding out the yeast and fungus organisms and preventing them from adhering to the tissue where they could grow and spread.

What nutrients do friendly bacteria produce in the body?

Gut bacteria also promote further absorption of some minerals that have escaped the small intestine, including calcium and magnesium and vitamin K2 which is vital to direct calcium to the bones and is needed in conjunction with vitamin D. 

This is why it is very important to consume both prebiotic and probiotic foods throughout life and especially when suffering from any kind of infections or health disorders or recovering from alcohol damage.

NOTE: Vitamin B12 is manufactured in the colon by bacteria but because it is below the ileum where B12 is absorbed into the blood stream this B12 is only used by the bacteria themselves or excreted. Drinking alcohol causes the body to excrete the B vitamins, including vitamin B12.

What are the symptoms of an imbalance of microbes in the guts?

  • A change in bowel movements and colour, size, consistency, odour and shape of the stool.
  • Acid indigestion and heartburn
  • Bloating
  • Burping, can be painful and loud
  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • Flatulence
  • Insomnia
  • Irritability
  • Hiccups; recurring
  • Nausea
  • Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
  • Stomach and pelvic pain; especially before or during bowel movements
  • Stomach ulcers
  • Weight loss or weight gain

Leaky gut is a condition where the intestinal walls has become compromised by inflammation or damaged by various factors including an imbalance of the intestinal flora leading to bacterial, viral and yeast overgrowth in the guts.

The correct balance of the gut bacteria is vital to life and health. Many factors can upset this fragile intestinal flora such as medications, especially antibiotics, recreational drugs and medications, stress, toxins, too much alcohol and excessive amounts of sugar and protein. Once the equilibrium is upset many health issues can develop.

Beneficial bacteriaare essential in digesting food. For example, the helpful Lactobacillus bacteria produce lactase enzymes which digest the lactose found in milk and dairy products (and may also aid in reducing migraine attacks). Other lacto bacteria digest carbohydrates. Without probiotics to digest foods, humans could not get enough nutrition to survive.

When the food passing through the small intestine and is not properly digested and the nutrients are not well absorbed, people tend to eat even more food in an attempt to get the missing nutrients they need to survive. This is one of the causes of weight gain as people age and build up more and more mucoid plaque.

These bio-friendly bacteria displace those harmful pathogenic micro-organisms (the bad bacteria, parasites, yeast and fungus) that cause constipation and diarrhoea and vaginitis and do not leave them room to attach themselves and multiply on the inner surface of the colon and small intestine. Those which cannot attach themselves to the lining would normally end up being excreted from the body in the faeces, but when the intestines have a build-up of mucus and waste material sticking to that lining, it provides a perfect place for pathogenic bacteria, yeast, fungus and parasites to reside, feed, reproduce and multiply, and produce their poisonous toxins.

In a healthy digestive system, there should be about 80 to 85 percent bio-friendly bacteria (like Acidophilus and Bifidus) and only 15 to 20 percent yeast and fungus. In a healthy body, there will three pounds of probiotic bacteria in the digestive tract, bacteria which help to digest and absorb the nutrients in food. There will be about four pounds of good and bad bacteria in the whole body. There should be more individual probiotic bacteria organisms in the gut than there are cells in the lining of the digestive tract.

However today, processed foods, alcoholic beverages and antibiotics fed to the animals humans eat means the number of probiotic bacteria that survive to do their job in the human gastrointestinal tract is getting less and less. Taking antibiotic drugs kills the good probiotic bacteria along with the pathogenic bacteria. The chlorine in tap water helps kill toxic bacteria in the water supply but can also kill the probiotic bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract. A charcoal filter can remove the chlorine from tap water.

Chemical preservatives in processed foods keep bacteria from growing in the products and obviously when ingested will also affect the bacteria which are supposed to be growing in the digestive tract. With less of the good protective probiotic bacteria in the human system it is no wonder the pathogenic bacteria, yeast, fungi, and parasites are proliferating and causing so many health problems today.

A lack of good bacteria can also allow yeast infections such as candida to take hold. It has also recently been discovered that the imbalance of the macrobiotic flora in the guts can cause even more serious health issues such as dementia.

Changes in gut bacteria communities are associated with a decrease in vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and vitamin B7 (biotin) in people with Parkinson’s disease.

What causes an imbalance of intestinal bacteria?

  • Antibiotics cause an immediate upset as they kill all bacteria in the guts not just the pathogenic ones. This is why many individuals have digestive issues after taking antibiotics.
  • A high-sugar diet will upset the balance as sugar tends to feed the wrong types of microbes such as yeasts.
  • Food allergies cause inflammation and can lead to a ‘leaky gut’.
  • Medications can have a profound effect upon the fragile eco-system in the guts. Steroids and hormonal treatments, sedatives and others will have an effect upon these microbes.
  • Nutrient deficiencies will starve the commensal (friendly) bacteria as they rely upon certain nutrients to survive such as vitamin B12.
  • Stress causes excessive amounts of acid.
  • Lack of fibre can also causes an imbalance as some foods, such as meat protein, can stagnate in the guts.

Prebiotics and probiotics

Probiotics and prebiotics should be included in the diet for optimum health and they cannot be sourced from meat or fish.

  • Prebiotic food feeds the good bacteria in the gut.
  • Probiotics foods contain good bacteria.

Prebiotic food

Prebiotic is a fairly recently coined name to refer to food components such as oligosaccharides, resistant starch and fermentable fibre that feed certain kinds of bacteria in the colon (large intestine). These bacteria have an important influence on the rest of the body.

The human digestive system has a hard time breaking down many of these carbohydrates. Almost 90% escapes digestion in the small intestine and reaches the colon where it performs a different function: that of a prebiotic.

Which foods are prebiotic and feed beneficial bacteria?

Making a rich soup with any of these ingredients and consuming daily can help to restore the balance of the intestinal flora. Add plain yoghurt, spices and herbs for added benefits.

Why is fibre in the daily diet so important?

Both insoluble and soluble fibre are responsible for keeping the cells of the colon healthy and preventing such conditions as ulcerative colitis, colon cancer and diverticular disease.

The intestines needs both soluble and insoluble fibre in balanced amounts to gain maximum benefit and digestion. Soluble fibre dissolves in water. Insoluble fibre does not. These differences determine how each fibre functions in the body and benefits the health.

Women should consume at least 25g of fibre per day, while men should consume 30 to 38 g per day. Eat more vegetables and whole fruits instead of juice and add whole grains, pulses and legumes to meals, for baking and for breakfast.

Inulins (Oligosaccharides or fructans) are a group of naturally occurring carbohydrates produced by many types of plants and are not found in meat or fish. They belong to a class of soluble dietary fibres known as fructans. Oligofructose is a subgroup of inulin.

Prebiotic inulin supports bone health, immune function and gut balance, encourages a healthy intestinal environment to benefit probiotic intestinal flora which helps to produce many nutrients required by the body.

It also promotes normal development of epithelial tissue, supports absorption of calcium and magnesium, supports immune cell function and antibody production in the gut, promotes a healthy pH in the lower gastrointestinal tract and promotes healthy waste elimination.

Unlike other carbohydrates, which are broken down in the small intestines and turned into fuel for the body, inulin passes through the small intestines to the colon where it stimulates the growth of “good bacteria” and is fermented by bacteria.

A diet that mainly consists of meat will seriously lack the soluble fibre inulin required to balance the intestinal flora in the guts.

Why is starch in the diet so important?

Starch is a prebiotic that provides food for the colon bacteria. Different ‘bacteria food’ produces different kinds of short chain fatty acids and other products, so it’s important to consume a wide variety of fibre and starch in food.

Foods rich in a carbohydrate called resistant starch pass through the body without counting calorically because they “resist” immediate digestion while still giving a full feeling. Plus, they help burn fat fast, improve digestion and fight disease.

The bacteria also produce gas (flatus), which is a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, with small amounts of the gases hydrogen, methane and hydrogen sulphide. These result from the bacterial fermentation of the undigested polysaccharides.

What are the natural sources of starch?

  • Apple skins
  • Bananas (barely ripe)
  • Barley
  • Black eyed peas
  • Burdock root
  • Chestnuts
  • Chickpeas
  • Chicory root
  • Corn
  • Dandelion root
  • Flax seeds
  • Garlic
  • Jerusalem artichoke
  • Legumes (beans that have been dried)
  • Lentils
  • Mung beans
  • Potatoes
  • Onions
  • Rice
  • Whole grains
  • Yacon root
  • Yams

What are probiotic foods

Probiotic foods are rich in live bacteria and yeast from fermentation processes so can help to replenish the beneficial bacteria that have been lost through any of the means previously mentioned.

What are the probiotic foods that contain beneficial bacteria?

  • Brine pickles (eggs, fruit, nuts, seeds and vegetables that have been fermented by lactic acid bacteria)
  • Kefir (fermented milk drink)
  • Kimchi (a fermented, spicy Korean side dish)
  • Kombucha (fermented black or green Asian tea)
  • Miso (a Japanese fermented seasoning made with soya beans, salt and a type of fungus called koji)
  • Sauerkraut (finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented by lactic acid bacteria)
  • Tempeh (fermented soya beans)
  • Yoghurt (plain with live cultures)

NOTE: During and after any treatment with antibiotics, it is advisable to include more probiotic foods in the daily diet to replenish the friendly bacteria that are wiped out by antibiotics.

It is advisable to consume probiotics at least an hour before other foods to enable enough beneficial bacteria to survive and pass through the strong stomach acids.

See how to make your own brine pickles>> Brine pickling for health

Why you should eat less meat and more plant-based foods

If grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables are missing from the diet, the friendly bacteria will be destroyed and pathogens will take over.

Nutrients that are lacking in a diet of meat only

Without the consumption of carbohydrates, such as fibre and starch, the friendly bacteria in the gut, that feed on these prebiotic foods, would starve to death. Then the body would become deficient in vitamins A, B1, B3, B7, and K2 and severely lacking in calcium, magnesium and antibodies. Deficiency of any of these nutrients will lead to ill health.

The cost of living well crisis

It seems people are very happy to ingest anything they like the look and taste of without knowing what exactly is in the food or what the result of ingesting it will be.

Because of this ignorance, the (mostly) profit-led food industry has made it very difficult for many to afford the organic and nutritious foods their body needs.

People have now become reliant on processed and fast foods which, not only do not provide the correct balance of nutrients, but also contain vast amounts of sugar.

Food, nowadays, is also tainted with toxic chemicals like pesticides to increase crop yield and preservatives added to increased shelf life. This allows them to store and transport their products for longer periods of time. Then they can sell their products further afield and make vast profits which is at the expense of people’s health plus there is an added cost to the environment.

Cheap unhealthy foods, with little nutritional value, are constantly pushed at everyone everywhere by the brutal advertising industry and the result is a society that is gradually becoming sicker, obese and mentally ill and unaware that their diet is the root cause of all their health issues.

People have also become convinced that synthetic medication works better than naturally medicinal foods. It can lead to detrimental consequences when drugs and supplements are depended upon for health and the diet is ignored.

Adding just a few of the foods mentioned on this page to the diet and greatly reducing the ingestion of products containing sugar, meat and toxic additives can help to provide all that the body, and its commensal bacteria, needs to live a longer and far healthier life.

Bacterial and fungal overgrowth is a very common condition and very often goes undiagnosed for many years as doctors do not seem to have the facilities to test for or understand the importance of an ideal balance of bacteria in the stomach. It may well be that this is because certain medications can be a cause of this imbalance and this complicates the doctor’s diagnosis and would inhibit their prescribing of medicines for other conditions.

Because the human body can withstand bacterial imbalances for many years without serious life-threatening complications and because many people are too embarrassed to get treatment for this condition it remains a taboo subject. But many are suffering in silence, and it does need to be addressed as it can eventually lead to nutrient deficiency, organ failures and cancer.

It is now known that conditions such as stomach ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome can be caused by certain types of bacteria proliferating in the intestines. It has also been discovered that some degenerative diseases such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease may be caused by imbalanced intestinal flora.

The root cause of a multitude of human ailments is a very simple one which involves the processes that take place initially from the mouth to the intestines.

When phytonutrients are missing a process depending upon them malfunctions. Then, like a domino effect, other processes that depend on those processes begin to malfunction. This is when bacteria, yeasts and viruses can easily enter the system and proliferate. Then the body loses its ability to fight off infections and cancerous growths.

What health issues can be caused by intestinal flora imbalance?

WARNING: People must stop feeding the frenzy of the profit-led food industry and feed their friendly bacteria instead.

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