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Intestinal flora: Secret key to beauty

Is it true that we have some sort of flower garden inside our stomach?

I’ve been hearing this term “intestinal flora” recently.
It apparently has something to do with the health of our stomach. Large numbers of bacteria supposedly inhabit our intestines if we are healthy.

＜Different types of bacteria living in the intestines＞

These are bacteria that have useful functions such as facilitating digestion and absorption, and improving our immunity against disease. Notable good bacteria include bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactobacillus gasseri. They feed on oligosaccharides and lactose found in cow milk, yogurt, and other dairy products to enable them to grow and propagate.

These are bacteria that are harmful to the body by causing inflammation and producing carcinogens. Notable ones are Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus, and other putrefactive bacteria. They propagate by breaking down protein and producing harmful substances in the process.

These bacteria are neither particularly beneficial nor harmful to the body. They are relatively calm in an environment where good bacteria are dominant, but could cause negative effects if the population of bad bacteria grows.

Make good bacteria the dominant force

As the total population of all bacteria in one’s intestinal microbiota is basically fixed, increasing the number of good bacteria means there are fewer bad bacteria, and vice versa. What happens when bad bacteria become dominant?

Constipation

As more harmful substances get absorbed through the intestines, rough skin and acne might occur.
It could also accelerate aging and cause colorectal cancer and other serious diseases.

Compromised immunity

The risk of enteritis and infectious disease increases. Research also indicates a relationship with pollen and other allergies.

Opportunistic bacteria also produce harmful substances.

In an environment where bad bacteria are dominant, the decay in the intestines progresses and the risk of getting infected with pathogens increases. Aging also occurs at a faster rate.

It is important to consume yogurt and manage stress better.

As you age, the number of good bacteria such as bifidobacteria in your intestines falls while E. coli and Clostridium perfringens increase. Consuming yogurt is an effective way of disrupting this negative cycle. If you eat at least 100 g of yogurt every day, the number of good bacteria inside you increases.
Another noteworthy point about bifidobacteria is that they tend to become weak if the host is experiencing a lot of mental stress. So it is important to manage stress properly to allow the intestinal flora of good bacteria inside us to flourish.