The human body is composed of many microorganisms that help fight infections and other pathologies. In the case of a microbiota imbalance, your body can fall prey to these pathogens, which is why it is important to take care of its microbiota…
What is the human microbiota?
A microbiota is a set of microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses and microfungi, that live in a specific environment. In the human body, there are several microbiota, also called “flora”. An imbalance of these flora can lead to more or less serious pathologies, which is why it is essential to take care of them. Mainly distributed between the digestive system (intestinal microbiota), skin (skin flora) and vaginal mucous membranes (vaginal flora), these millions of bacteria participate in the digestion or fermentation of food, limit infections, degrade harmful toxic waste and protect us against certain pathogens. The field of action of the microbiota is particularly extensive, in fact, it can have an impact on:
- Immunity;
- Metabolism;
- The mood…
The consequences of an imbalance in the gut microbiota
As the microbiota acts on many aspects of our body and brain, an imbalance of the latter can manifest itself in various ways such as:
- Depression, anxiety, irritability, nervousness…
- Diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, bloating…
- Sleep disorders;
- Bad breath;
- Skin problems;
- Disorders of the ENT sphere;
- Vaginal disorders, mycoses, irritations …;
- Memory and concentration problems, migraine, fatigue;
- Joint pain…
Taking care of your gut microbiota
Also called “intestinal flora”, our digestive microbiota is essential for our immune system. Also essential for the digestion of food, the intestinal microbiota participates in the assimilation of certain nutrients and participates in the synthesis of vitamins. Here are our tips for taking care of your intestinal flora:
Consume fiber
The bacteria that make up your microbiota feed mainly on fiber. That’s why it’s important to make sure you get fiber in your diet. It is advisable to ingest 30 g per day. If you could consume a large portion of spinach per day to ensure a sufficient fiber intake, it is still better to diversify the origin of this fiber as much as possible. Here is a list of the foods richest in fiber:
- Almonds and dried fruits;
- Wholemeal pasta;
- Wholemeal bread or cereal;
- The raw sound;
- Blackcurrant;
- The lawyer;
- Dried beans;
- Oatmeal;
- Peas;
- Artichoke;
- Lentils;
- Coconut;
- Wild rice;
- Black olives;
- Dark chocolate;
- The spices…
Consume dairy products
Processed dairy products contain probiotics. These bacteria, also called lactic ferments, strengthen the intestinal microbiota. If dairy products have the reputation of not being the most digestible, they nevertheless maintain a diversity of the intestinal microbiota. Yogurts, cow, goat or sheep cheese can therefore contribute to the proper functioning of your intestinal flora, as can fermented milk preparations such as ribot milk or lassi. If you digest dairy products poorly, know that there are alternative solutions:
- Lactofermented products : sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi…
- Products worked in brine : pickles, black olives…
- Fermented beverages : kombucha, kefir…
- Probiotics in the form of dietary supplements.
Limit sugar intake
A diet high in sugar can have harmful consequences on the health of your gut microbiota by promoting pro-inflammatory bacteria. So try to avoid sugar as much as possible and prefer alternatives such as fruit, compote, honey or maple syrup. This also applies to sweeteners, whose regular consumption can unbalance the intestinal flora.
Taking care of your vaginal microbiota
The vaginal flora helps fight against the appearance of infections such as mycoses and other vaginal discomforts. The main way to preserve it is not to bother it too much! So avoid douching and too aggressive cleanings of your private parts and favor the use of a mild intimate soap, which will contribute to the good balance of your vaginal microbiota.
Taking care of your skin microbiota
In a delicate sanitary context, we tend to increase our hygiene in order to avoid bacteria and viruses as much as possible. However, not all bacteria are bad, the proof is with the microbiota. If we are not going to advise you to stop washing to preserve your skin flora, we can only advise you to use mild cleansing products. These will indeed preserve the balance of your skin flora! Avoid alkaline products such as soap, micellar water and sulfate-based cleansers and opt instead for vegetable oils or cleansing milks and lotions and rinse your skin with clean water.
