Illness has never been a stranger to anyone and medicine is still barely catching up to the amount of diseases out there. Another fact many should know about bacteria and viruses is that they are called microbes. Microbes are microorganisms that we cannot see with the naked eye because they're extremely small. These tiny organisms are bacteria that are everywhere on our bodies and on everything we touch, however, do keep in mind they are more helpful than bad. As of June 6th, 2016, Athena Aktipis and her team have been researching how microbes work in our guts and the war they have with each other depending on the nutrients we take in.
However, in the article, it doesn't entirely explain which foods would be best to help these good bacteria in our guts. Here are just three foods that are easily accessible within grocery stores to help the good microbes in our systems, there are always many more.
1. Beans: "Beans, beans, they'e good for you heart, the more you eat the more you fart." I hear this more times than I would like to count but the truth behind it is incredibly true. Beans are one of the best things we could eat since they are so vast and each type of bean helps our bodies in different ways. The farting part is less exciting but I heard a rumor that inhaling fart fumes could be beneficial to health as well, but again, that's an article for another time. Let me just spill the beans about how they can help our microbes. Beans have fiber, protein, folate, and B vitamins which all help our gut microbes to better improve the immune system. Not only do they provide us with these essential nutrients but they also strengthen the intestine cells and help with weight loss. Beans are definitely number one on this list for a reason.
2. Bananas: My dad has always recommended me to eat bananas whenever I was sick and to continue from that part to eating one a day. Unfortunately, they have never been my favorite fruit but after reading more about what they do for our bodies, they may just become that. Bananas help us in numerous ways besides the boosts in potassium. In our bodies, our microbes need to be fed by nutrients we take from food. One of these highly suggested nutrients is called fructooligosaccharides, it's a prebiotic that balances flora in our digestive system. Flora are the microbes in our digestive system that help fight off diseases such as yeast. Banana's are very helpful to our bodies in multiple ways, an example being the reduction of inflammation along with everything they do for our microbes.
3. Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower (Cruciferous Vegetables): The definition for cruciferous vegetables is too vague for me to decipher but once actually Googling, "Types of cruciferous vegetables" various lists pop up. These vegetables do much for our microbes since they give off various fibers and glucosinolates. Both of those nutrients increase the amount of good microbes in our guts to prevent cancer. As too many people know, cancer is a terrible disease and there are so many forms of it that treatment is difficult. However, eating cruciferous plants can reduce the risk of bladder, breast, colon, liver, lung, and stomach cancer. Like most things though, there is a catch to these amazing vegetables we have access to. It is best to eat them raw because cooking vegetables actually can reduce the enzymes within and thus reduce the levels of fiber and glucosinolates. It would probably be even better for those who can buy them from farmer's markets or from places that takes these vegetables right out of the ground into the shelves. This is because there are many theories on the preservatives we have in the soil on huge farms or in the stores for long duration until being sold that actually hurt us more than help us, but, that's an article for another time.
Microbes in our bodies are extremely important and can be detrimental as well. it all depends on how we fuel our bodies and the foods are endless. High fiber, natural sugars, and the vitamins in our lives are essential to preventing harmful diseases, obesity, and even improving small things like our eyesight. The foods we eat truly have an amazing effect on the microbes of our bodies and knowing this information will definitely change our diets for the better.
