Study shows: This is how junk food damages our intestinal flora

Junk food intestinal flora

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Burgers, kebabs and the like are unhealthy - we all know that. Nevertheless, many people can hardly keep their hands off them. But this has fatal after-effects. With every bite, we permanently damage our intestinal flora, says a study.

Anyone who has already studied the subject a bit knows: The intestine is responsible for so much more than just digestion. It influences our emotions, how we absorb nutrients and whether we have a healthy immune system.

That's why it's also so important to keep him fit and provide him with healthy foods.

If you regularly indulge in junk food, you need to be strong now.

Because with junk food grows not only the belly, but also the number of "bad" bacteria in intestine. Which has a very negative impact on our health. This is the conclusion of a recent study from the Netherlands.

This is what the study investigated

The researchers from the University of Groningen investigated what effects different food groups have on the gut microbiome.

A healthy microbiome consists of about 39 trillion microorganisms that have nested in our intestines. It is a mixture of bacteria and fungi that are perfectly coordinated with each other.

However, when we eat a very unhealthy diet, it gets out of balance. "Bad" bacteria and fungi multiply, while the "good" ones decrease. The result can trigger allergies, intolerances and digestive problems of all kinds.

"The microbiome directly affects the balance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses in the gut," one can read in the study. Or in German, the microbiome influences the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses in the gut."

The bacteria in our intestines feed on what we provide them. The researchers investigated the influence of our diet on the microbiome using 1425 volunteers.

871 were shown to have healthy bowel. 331 suffered from inflammatory bowel disease. 223 were previously diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome.

The volunteers provided a stool sample, which was examined for microbes. They also had to fill out a questionnaire and indicate which foods they eat and to what extent - 25 food groups were available to them for this purpose.

This is shown by the study

The Dutch researchers were able to establish 38 associations between ingested foods and existing bacterial groups.

It also showed a relationship between 61 foods and nutrients, and 61 bacterial species and 249 metabolic processes.

Especially between meat and soft drinks a connection between harmful intestinal bacteria could be proven.

"Without fiber in the diet, bacteria feed on the mucus layer of the gut," the study says. The problem with this, it says, is that the intact intestine is eroded.

So if you want to do something good for your intestines, you should eat plenty of dietary fiber. And you won't find it in meat or soft drinks.

The effect of food on the intestine

So some foods have a positive effect on our microbiome and others have a negative effect. Here's a quick overview of what you should be eating for a healthy gut. But let's start with the bad foods right away.

This promotes the growth of bad intestinal bacteria

  • Meat in any form
  • Mayonnaise
  • Soft drinks
  • and fries

Food groups that promote chronic intestinal inflammation

  • Sugar
  • Alcohol
  • all processed foods such as fast food

Good for the intestinal wall

  • Nuts
  • Fruit
  • Vegetables
  • Buttermilk
  • Natural yoke belt
  • Coffee
  • Cereals
  • Red wine in small quantities
  • oily fish

This promotes the growth of good bacteria in the intestine

  • Bread
  • Fish
  • all kinds of vegetable food
  • Legumes such as lentils, peas and chickpeas

The study does not show how long it takes for a change in diet to have an effect on the intestines. What is clear, however, is that anyone who wants to do something good for their intestines should eat healthy, unprocessed foods.

Sugar, alcohol, meat, fast food should be replaced with vegetables, fruits, nuts and fish if you want to maintain a healthy gut flora.

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