"Critters!"
Part
2
BIO/TECH
NEWS
Inside
Information on Important Innovations in BioScience and Technology
What
Mom Never Told You
A
Brief Primer On Intestinal Flora
Mom
probably never told you this, but from the moment you began
passing through her birth canal during labor, your body
began coming into contact with, and picking up, a host of
beneficial bacterial microorganisms. These beneficial bacteria,
which are absolutely essential to proper human function,
entered your body through your mouth as you passed through
the birth canal. From there, they rapidly made their way
into your intestinal tract, where they established themselves
in large colonies. As you might guess, mother's milk contains
just the right ingredients to nourish these friendly bacteria
once they become established in your intestines. |
|
The above-described
event is the foundation of what you might call your "intestinal
flora." In short, these beneficial microorganisms, which
begin invading your body during the birth process, soon become
an integral part of your gastrointestinal ecology. Once established,
they go to work performing or stimulating a number of important
functions, including:
- Enhancing
the function of your entire gastrointestinal tract;
- Protecting
your body against pathogenic or otherwise harmful foreign invaders;
- Maintaining
the vital chemical balance of your entire gastrointestinal system:
- Producing
needed vitamins and hormones, and regulating their levels; and,
- Performing
a mind-boggling array of other essential tasks necessary to achieving
and maintaining proper human growth, function and immune response.
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