Читать книгу Peak Nutrition. Smart Fuel for Outdoor Adventure онлайн

61 страница из 87

The large intestine contains the most significant number of bacteria in the gut, making it the most metabolically active organ in the body. These bacteria are responsible for the fermentation of certain nutrients, such as fiber, carbs, and sugars. Bacteria play other vital roles, such as preventing harmful bacteria from colonizing the gut, removing carcinogens, boosting the immune system, preventing allergies, and preventing inflammatory bowel disease. The gut (your entire body, in fact) is inhabited by trillions of genetically diverse microorganisms. Keeping a healthy diversity of bacteria in the gut is especially important so that your gut can adapt quickly to any diet or lifestyle changes. The composition of bacteria in your gut is dictated primarily by what you eat and how much stress you have in your life. Everyone’s gut bacteria are unique, which could explain why some folks do better on specific diets than others. Research has shown that people can change their food intolerances by eating and supplementing with the right combinations of food and probiotics, ultimately influencing the bacteria in the gut. This means you can potentially improve your lactose or gluten intolerance. Of course, there is still a lot of research to be done, but you can read about this exciting, groundbreaking research on the Human Microbiome Project website (see the Resources section).