WHAT ARE BACTERIAS?

Bacterias are unicellular organisms - that is, an organism that is composed of just one cell. They are found in all kinds of enviroments, from soil and water to the bodies of humans and other living beings. Although they are often associated with diseases, the majority of bacterias are inoffensive and beneficial to our health.

Bacterias are capable of reproducing rapidly by cellular division and can adapt to lots of different enviroments and conditions, which enables them to survive in diverse habitats and colonise new spaces. Bacterias also play an important role in various biological processes, including the decomposition of organic matter, the production of fermented foods, the production of antibiotics and other beneficial substances, and symbiotic collaboration with other living beings.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BACTERIAS IN OUR BODIES

The bacterias that live in our body, which form part of vast communities known as the microbiota, perform a series of important functions to keep us healthy, such as:

1. Digestion: The bacterias of the gastrointestinal tract help to break down foods and synthesise nutrients, such as B and K vitamins.

2. Protection: The microbiota in our gut act as a protective barrier against pathogenic micro-organisms that can cause infections.

3. Regulation of the immune system: Bacterias of the gastrointestinal tract can influence the regulation of the immune system, helping to prevent autoimmune diseases and allergies.

4. Production of neurotransmitters: Some intestinal bacterias can produce neurotransmitters like serotonin, which impact our mood and emotional wellbeing.

5. Maintenance of the integrity of the intestinal epithelium: Our gut microbiota also help to maintain the integrity of the layer of cells that cover the intestine, which prevent inflammation and intestinal diseases.

BACTERIAS OF THE MICROBIOTA 

The gut microbiota is the most widely studied of all the microbiota communities in our body, and comprises around 100 billion bacterias from hundreds of different species.

The bacterias of the microbiota are capable of fermenting non-digestible carbohydrates and dietary fibres producing short-chain fatty acids which provide energy to our body's cells and have beneficial effects on both our metabolism and our general health.

The microbiota in our gut are also involved in the regulation of our body weight, our resistance to insulin and the risk we face from chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

Other bacterias of the microbiota, such as those found in our skin and our buccal cavity (or mouth), also play an important role in protecting us from pathogens and modulating our immune system.

In short... keeping our microbiota healthy and diverse is essential, both for the prevention of diseases and our overall wellbeing.

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE HAVE MORE BAD THAN GOOD BACTERIA IN OUR GUTS? 

This may lead to an imbalance in our intestinal microbiota which, in turn, may negatively affect our health. An imbalance in our gut microbiota is known as dysbiosis and this may provoke digestive disorders, not to mention other diseases and pathologies.

Pathogenic or "bad" bacteria can cause inflammation and damage the intestinal coating, which can lead to symptoms like diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain, flatulence and poor absorption of nutrients. In addition, dysbiosis has been linked with inflammatory diseases of the intestine, metabolic conditions like obesity and diabetes, autoimmune diseases and neurological disorders like dpression and anxiety.

Once again, it's important to maintain balance and diversity in our gut microbiota. We can achieve this through a balanced, healthy diet, the consumption of prebiotics, probiotics or postbiotics, the control of stress and the responsible use of antibiotics and other medications.

HOW CAN WE REPOPULATE OUR BODY WITH HELPFUL BACTERIA? 

There are various ways to repopulate our body with beneficial bactria and promote a healthy microbiota in our gut. Here are some of the options:

1. Take prebiotics: Prebiotics are types of fibre that can't be digested by the human body, but serve as food for the good bacteria in our intestine.

2. Take probiotics: Probiotics are foods and supplements that contain helpful living bacteria that can colonise our gut and improve our microbiota.

3. Take probiotic supplements: Probiotic supplements can contain a variety of bacterial strains that can help to re-establish the balanc of our intestinal microbiota.

4. Consume foods with postbiotics: This is the case with our MIM breads, which are enriched with our patented postbiotic formula, MIM Complex.

5. Avoid the excessive use of antibiotics: Antibiotics can kill both good and bad bacteria in our gut, which can alter our microbiota and lead to dysbiosis.

6. Reduce stress: Chronic stress can affect our intestinal microbiota and reduce the number of helpful microbiota in our gut. So it's important to practice stress-reduction techniques like meditation, yoga and regular exercise.

It's important to remember that each person's intestinal microbiota are unique, and what works for one person might not work for another.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PREBIOTICS, PROBIOTICS AND POSTBIOTICS? 

1. Prebiotics: are types of dietary fibre that aren't digested in the small intestine and reach the colon intact. Once there, they are fermented by beneficial intestinal bacterias, enhancing their growth and activity. Examples of these prebiotics including inulin, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), pectin and cellulose.

2. Probiotics: are living micro-organisms which, when they are consumed in sufficient quantities, can provide benefits to the health of the host. The most common examples of probiotics are bacteria of the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genuses as well as yeasts of the genus Saccharomyces.

3. Postbiotics: These are metabolic products created through the fermentation of prebiotics by helpful intestinal bacteria. Postbiotics can include organic acids, enymes, polysaccharides, peptides and vitamins, among other bioactive componds. It has been demonstrated that certain postbiotics, like butyric acid, possess anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties and help to reinforce the immune system.

LET'S FINISH WITH SOME INTERESTING ABOUT THE HUMAN BODY: 

The bacteria that live in the human body are fascinating, as the following facts demonstrate…

1. The number of bacteria in our body surpasses the number of human cells: in fact, it is estimated that there are around 10 times more bacteria (around 100 million) in the human body than human cells.

2. The diversity of bacteria varies from one body part to another: for example, the skin is dominated by bacteria of the Propionibacterium genus, while bacteria of the Bacteroides genus are most common in the gut.

3. Bacteria can influence our mood and emotions: in fact, studies have shown a link between depression and dysbiosis (imbalance) in the intestinal microbiota.

4. Bacteria can protect us against diseases: certain helpful intestinal bacteria, like bifidobacterias and the lactobacilli, can protect us against infectious diseases and allergies by reinforcing our intestinal barrier and immune system.

5. Bacteria can be transferred from one person to the next: this happens through both direct and indirect contact (through food, for example). This can be helpful or harmful for our health, depending on the bacteria involved.

Over the next few weeks we'll come back to this hugely interesting topic and give you loads more tips, advice and information about the marvellous world of bacteria.