A new study suggests that the bacteria inside your gut can influence the size of your gut. As reported by Fox News, your gut flora not only may hold the key to your general health but can influence your weight and appearance as well.
The importance of your gut health cannot be overemphasized. Time and again, research has shown a link between gut health and weight. New research suggests that as much as 20 percent of the substantial weight loss achieved from gastric bypass (weight loss surgery), is actually due to shifts in the balance of bacteria in your digestive tract.
Your body is colonized by a vast array of microorganisms that modulate every aspect of your health and physiology, and you can optimize your health by nourishing and protecting the microbes in your gut.
Besides weight loss, improved gut health can even reverse type 2 diabetes! Researchers have also uncovered a direct link between the brain and the immune system, via lymphatic vessels that were not previously known to exist. Similar to blood vessels, which carry blood throughout your body, lymphatic vessels carry immune cells throughout your body.
Two key strategies to nourish and protect your microbiome are to limit your consumption of antibiotics to when they're absolutely necessary, and be judicious in terms of the foods you eat.
Ideally, opt for whole, raw, organic, non-genetically modified (GM) foods, along with traditionally fermented and cultured foods. Good examples include fermented vegetables of all kinds, including sauerkraut and kimchi, kombucha (a fermented drink), and fiber-rich prebiotic foods like jicama (Mexican yam), Jerusalem artichoke, garlic and dandelion greens.