This very second, you have trillions of microorganisms living inside your body — so many that they make up one to three percent of your entire body weight! While you have a sizable combination of bacteria, fungi and viruses swarming around inside you, most microbial cells in your body consist of different types of bacteria, many of them residing in your gut. 

All those gut bacteria have a handful of important jobs to do, including protecting you against pathogens and helping you digest food, which can be especially helpful if you got a little too excited at the all-you-can-eat pizzeria last weekend. Prepare to thank all those tiny bacteria for their hard work as we discuss the important functions that gut bacteria play in our everyday lives and review some tips to help you improve your gut flora.  

What Is Gut Bacteria? 

While you have microbes living on your skin and throughout your body, most of them are bacteria that live in your large intestine, small intestine and stomach. Also known as gut bacteria, this gargantuan number of tiny organisms goes by several other names as well, including: 

• Microflora 
• Microbiome 
• Microbiota 
• Intestinal flora 
• Gut flora 

Regardless of which moniker you use, they all refer to approximately 1,000 species of bacteria that populate your gut, each responsible for various roles in your body. But you’re not born with all these microbes in your body. A baby in utero has an almost entirely sterile gut. It’s not until they make their way through the birth canal that they receive the mother’s vaginal bacteria. While this might not sound glamorous, it’s exactly what a baby needs to begin forming a healthy gut microbiome. 

What Are the Functions of Gut Bacteria? 

In recent years, microbiologists have spent an increasing amount of time determining the role that intestinal flora play in our health. With so many bacteria inside our intestines, it only makes sense that they are somehow significant, right?  

Scientific research shows that gut bacteria may be responsible for multiple roles in our bodies, including the ones listed below. 

Digesting Food 

Some of the first bacteria that babies grow in their gut are called Bifidobacteria. This type of microbe helps us digest the healthy sugars found in breast milk and promotes growth. As our gut flora become more advanced, they help us digest other forms of nutrients too, including:  

• Fiber 
• Complex carbohydrates (like whole grains and vegetables) 
• Proteins 
• Vitamin K

Supporting Your Immune System 

Some of the bacteria in your gut help line your large intestines to keep harmful substances — and leaky gut syndrome — at bay. Helpful bacteria may also work in tandem with your immune system to help fight against pathogen-causing bacteria and communicate with immune cells to control how your body reacts to infection. 

Influencing Brain Function 

Have you ever experienced a case of “the butterflies” in your stomach before a big test or a nerve-wracking first date? According to the American Psychological Association, your gut is tied to your mood, ability to learn, memory and emotions. So, when you find yourself “going with your gut,” it might be because you’re using your second brain — a.k.a. your gut bacteria’s independent nervous system — to help you make some of your decisions.  

In addition, your brain and gut are connected through neurotransmitters. Often produced in your brain, these chemicals are responsible for controlling your feelings and emotions. For example, serotonin is a neurotransmitter that provides feelings of happiness. Not to be outdone, your gut also produces serotonin as well as gamma-aminobutyric acids (GABA), which help regulate negative emotions like anxiety or fear.   

Gut Flora Can Contribute to Health Issues, Too 

Maintaining an unhealthy diet and not getting adequate sleep increases your risk of altering your gut flora’s composition. If you find yourself with an imbalance of the healthy microbes in the gut, it may contribute to certain health problems, such as: 

• Obesity 
• Diabetes 
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) 
• Inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS) 
• Metabolic syndrome

How to Improve Gut Flora: Quick Tips 

If you find yourself with more harmful than healthy bacteria, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. With a few changes to your diet, you can begin rebuilding the healthy bacteria in your microbiome. Below are a few tips to implement to get your gut health back on track: 

• Eat a healthy combination of macronutrients such as complex carbs, healthy fats and lean protein. 

• Opt for fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut and kimchi. They all contain the healthy bacteria Lactobacilli, which may lessen disease-causing bacteria in the gut. 

• Incorporate prebiotic foods like artichokes, asparagus, oats and bananas. They stimulate the growth of healthy gut bacteria. 

• Only take antibiotics when necessary. While they work to kill bacteria-causing infections in your body, they also kill good bacteria. 

You’re not the only one who takes gut health seriously — so does the University of Florida. Through our online Graduate Certificate in Medical Physiology you can gain a thorough understanding and mastery of the fundamental concepts and methodologies related to the various bodily systems, including a course dedicated to Medical Gastrointestinal Physiology.  

In addition to acquiring the skills that will provide a leg up against the competition, our 12-credit certificate offers multiple benefits for working professionals, including: 

• Entirely online courses 
• Classes available year-round 
• No GRE requirement 
• Affordable tuition 

Apply to our online Graduate Certificate in Medical Physiology program today.  

Sources:
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-human-microbiome-project-defines-normal-bacterial-makeup-body
https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/the-secret-world-inside-you/microbiome-at-birth
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gut-microbiome-and-health#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2
https://microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40168-019-0704-8
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/gut-feeling
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gut-brain-connection
https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-are-your-gut-flora-1944914