User:Gcmxx/Healthy diet

Gut microbiome
Research suggests that the gut microbiome, which varies from person to person and changes throughout one’s lifespan, is involved with causing both beneficial and detrimental effects on human health. The human gut microbiome can be altered by lifestyle choices, including diet, in order to improve the state of health and disease. A healthy gut microbiome is just one aspect of overall gut health and it helps support the function of a healthy gut. There are microbes that are both good and bad for us and our dietary habits can influence whether we will have more of one kind than the other. The microbiota in our gut produce and regulate a variety of substances, including vitamins, neurotransmitters, enzymes, and amino acids, which all have either a direct or indirect impact on our health and are associated with mental health, heart disease, obesity, autoimmune diseases, and cancers such as colon cancer.

Effects of an unhealthy diet
Consuming a diet that is high in saturated fat and/or sugar can have a negative impact on the gut microbiome, and in turn, one’s overall health. Studies have shown that people that consume diets that are high in these types of nutrients can lead to a decrease in the diversity of the gut microbiome and an increase in the abundance of harmful bacteria–which will then negatively impact their health. As mentioned previously, an unhealthy diet can affect the gut microbiome in a way that can increase the risk of colon cancer. Colon cancer is a cancer that affects the large intestine, also known as the colon, and the rectum. It’s believed to be influenced by a variety of factors, with diet being a major one. Studies have found that dietary patterns can be associated with an increased risk of colon cancer, while others may be protective. A diet that is high in red and processed meats, saturated fats, and refined carbohydrates, which are carbohydrates that contain no bran, fiber, or nutrients, may increase the risk of colon cancer, while a diet that is high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables may protect against it. Consuming red and processed meats may promote the growth of harmful bacteria in the gut, which can lead to inflammation, damage to the gut lining, and the production of carcinogens, which may increase the risk of colon cancer.

Effects of a healthy diet
One major benefit of having a healthy microbiome is that it decreases the chances of developing intestinal permeability, also known as leaky gut, which is associated with chronic inflammation and a deficiency of short-chain fatty acids. Additionally, consuming a diet that is high in fiber can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. These bacteria are able to ferment the fiber and produce short-chain fatty acids, which are important for maintaining the health of the gut lining and can have anti-inflammatory effects throughout the human body. Diets that include prebiotics, probiotics, polyphenols, and omega-3 fatty acids are also beneficial for human health.

Foods to eat
One’s health can be improved by promoting beneficial gut bacteria through the use of prebiotics, probiotics, phenols, polyphenols, and synbiotics, all found in food and supplements. Eating foods rich in fiber and fermented foods will increase prebiotics and probiotics, which will then increase the production of postbiotics. Gut microbes feed on prebiotics, which are carbohydrates not completely broken down during digestion, such as fermentable dietary fibers, dietary starch, sugar alcohols, and some phenolics, which are plant compounds found in foods such as grapes, apples, pears, cherries, and berries. A healthy diet is also one that is rich in phenolic foods, which include berries, dark-skinned grapes, and pomegranates [8], and foods rich in polyphenols, which include foods such as nuts, flaxseed, and olives.

Probiotics are bacteria and yeasts whose goal is to replace “bad” bacteria. This goal is achieved through the consumption of fermented foods with live cultures like yogurt, a variety of cheeses, kombucha, fermented cabbage, and pickled vegetables. These foods can be beneficial in controlling body weight, and blood glucose levels. Because of limited research on probiotics, supplements (both prebiotics and probiotics) are not recommended for patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Synbiotics are a mixture of both prebiotics and probiotics, which are most often added as a supplement to foods. Research on synbiotics is limited. Postbiotics are vitamins, amino acids, and short-chain fatty acids, which are created in the gut when prebiotics are broken down by the gut microbiome, and then absorbed into the body. Postbiotics have an important role in colon health and an increase in them can have a positive effect on appetite and cardiometabolic health, which is why it is important to consume foods that are rich in nutrients that will increase the healthy bacteria in our microbiome, which improve overall health.