The role of the intestinal mucosa is far more complex than that of the skin. Understanding intestinal physiology is not simple, but grasping its key aspects is essential to maintain overall health.
The mucosa acts like a gatekeeper, deciding what enters the body and what stays out. By “enters,” we mean inside us.
The intestine is truly extraordinary and is often referred to as a “second brain,” even in traditional Chinese medicine. It contains the majority of nerve cells in the body, highlighting the close relationship of the gut-brain axis and showing how neurodegenerative diseases are linked to prolonged, often silent intestinal dysbiosis.
We are an ecosystem closely connected to this microbial heritage from birth. Our microbiota is shaped by bacteria transmitted from the mother during gestation.
The term microbiota refers to what was once called bacterial flora—the collection of bacteria inhabiting the gut. There are distinct bacterial families in both the small intestine and the colon. During pregnancy and vaginal birth, the mother also passes on metabolites from her blood. Therefore, a healthy mother provides “good” bacteria.
These metabolites include choline, oligosaccharides, amino
The role of the intestinal mucosa is far more complex than that of the skin. Understanding intestinal physiology is not simple, but grasping its key aspects is essential to maintain overall health.
The mucosa acts like a gatekeeper, deciding what enters the body and what stays out. By “enters,” we mean inside us.
The intestine is truly extraordinary and is often referred to as a “second brain,” even in traditional Chinese medicine. It contains the majority of nerve cells in the body, highlighting the close relationship of the gut-brain axis and showing how neurodegenerative diseases are linked to prolonged, often silent intestinal dysbiosis.
We are an ecosystem closely connected to this microbial heritage from birth. Our microbiota is shaped by bacteria transmitted from the mother during gestation.
The term microbiota refers to what was once called bacterial flora—the collection of bacteria inhabiting the gut. There are distinct bacterial families in both the small intestine and the colon. During pregnancy and vaginal birth, the mother also passes on metabolites from her blood. Therefore, a healthy mother provides “good” bacteria.
These metabolites include choline, oligosaccharides, amino acids, and more.
Although microbiome and microbiota are often used interchangeably, the microbiome specifically refers to the genome of the microbiota, i.e., the genetic material of the bacterial community.
At birth, the infant’s gut is sterile and in the process of developing. The bacteria present in our intestines later depend on diet, lifestyle, genetics, and other factors. Unfortunately, modern habits—excessive antibiotic use, stressful lifestyles, environmental factors, and the consumption of processed foods—can disrupt this balance, leading to dysbiosis, chronic and often silent inflammation, various diseases, and a weakened innate immune response.
The balance between dysbiosis and eubiosis consists in maintaining healthy bacterial families that protect us and defend us against pathogenic bacteria.
Dysbiosis is a state of imbalance that affects the individual, ranging from metabolism alterations to excessive intestinal permeability, which in turn triggers inflammation in various body regions.
Bacterial strains are distributed between the colon and the small intestine. In the small intestine, we find strictly anaerobic Bifidobacteria, which thrive in this environment and perform their functions effectively. In the colon, there are bacterial families belonging to Lactobacilli, which are strictly aerobic.
Approximately 70% of the body’s immune cells are located in the intestine, highlighting how fundamental the immune system is for overall health. Maintaining a healthy bacterial community is therefore essential.
Our energy, as well as the absorption of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, depends on gut health. It is crucial to support it by adopting a healthy lifestyle whenever possible.
Bacteria influence not only various body systems but also our mood.
CONCLUSION: DIET AND MICROBIOTA ARE STRONGLY LINKED!
Diseases Associated with Dysbiosis
The human microbiota consists of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, viruses, and phages, along with their genetic material. It represents the largest microbial compartment in the human body, followed by skin, oral, vaginal, and pulmonary microbiota.
While there are basic similarities, each individual has a unique microbiome that changes over time. Advances in sequencing technology have expanded our understanding of the human microbiome and metabolome, revealing more diseases linked to their imbalance.
Furthermore, the rising incidence of autoimmune diseases such as IBD, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), and systemic lupus erythematosus has paralleled the widespread use of antibiotics.
Although their use is sometimes necessary to control infectious diseases, antibiotics can cause collateral damage to commensal microorganisms: the abundance of natural bacterial flora is reduced, leading to lasting changes in the diversity and function of the microbiota. This makes the host more vulnerable to pathological conditions, resulting in cellular damage and the subsequent inflammations across various body systems, including severe diseases such as colorectal cancer.
Maintaining balance means keeping our bacteria healthy and, above all, making use of prebiotics and probiotics.
Probiotics can serve as adjunct therapy in autoimmune diseases, supporting gut microbiota homeostasis and the immune system. Their mechanisms include mucus secretion, antimicrobial peptide production, enhancement of the intestinal epithelial barrier, and cross-talk with immune cells.
By “probiotics,” I refer to specific strains capable of colonizing the gut, reducing inflammation across multiple regions, and restoring balance among bacterial families.
OUR HEALTH DEPENDS ON IT.
Article by Dr. Monica De Felice, Naturopath acids, and more.
Although microbiome and microbiota are often used interchangeably, the microbiome specifically refers to the genome of the microbiota, i.e., the genetic material of the bacterial community.
At birth, the infant’s gut is sterile and in the process of developing. The bacteria present in our intestines later depend on diet, lifestyle, genetics, and other factors. Unfortunately, modern habits—excessive antibiotic use, stressful lifestyles, environmental factors, and the consumption of processed foods—can disrupt this balance, leading to dysbiosis, chronic and often silent inflammation, various diseases, and a weakened innate immune response.
The balance between dysbiosis and eubiosis consists in maintaining healthy bacterial families that protect us and defend us against pathogenic bacteria.
Dysbiosis is a state of imbalance that affects the individual, ranging from metabolism alterations to excessive intestinal permeability, which in turn triggers inflammation in various body regions.
Bacterial strains are distributed between the colon and the small intestine. In the small intestine, we find strictly anaerobic Bifidobacteria, which thrive in this environment and perform their functions effectively. In the colon, there are bacterial families belonging to Lactobacilli, which are strictly aerobic.
Approximately 70% of the body’s immune cells are located in the intestine, highlighting how fundamental the immune system is for overall health. Maintaining a healthy bacterial community is therefore essential.
Our energy, as well as the absorption of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, depends on gut health. It is crucial to support it by adopting a healthy lifestyle whenever possible.
Bacteria influence not only various body systems but also our mood.
CONCLUSION: DIET AND MICROBIOTA ARE STRONGLY LINKED!
Diseases Associated with Dysbiosis
The human microbiota consists of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, viruses, and phages, along with their genetic material. It represents the largest microbial compartment in the human body, followed by skin, oral, vaginal, and pulmonary microbiota.
While there are basic similarities, each individual has a unique microbiome that changes over time. Advances in sequencing technology have expanded our understanding of the human microbiome and metabolome, revealing more diseases linked to their imbalance.
Furthermore, the rising incidence of autoimmune diseases such as IBD, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), and systemic lupus erythematosus has paralleled the widespread use of antibiotics.
Although their use is sometimes necessary to control infectious diseases, antibiotics can cause collateral damage to commensal microorganisms: the abundance of natural bacterial flora is reduced, leading to lasting changes in the diversity and function of the microbiota. This makes the host more vulnerable to pathological conditions, resulting in cellular damage and the subsequent inflammations across various body systems, including severe diseases such as colorectal cancer.
Maintaining balance means keeping our bacteria healthy and, above all, making use of prebiotics and probiotics.
Probiotics can serve as adjunct therapy in autoimmune diseases, supporting gut microbiota homeostasis and the immune system. Their mechanisms include mucus secretion, antimicrobial peptide production, enhancement of the intestinal epithelial barrier, and cross-talk with immune cells.
By “probiotics,” I refer to specific strains capable of colonizing the gut, reducing inflammation across multiple regions, and restoring balance among bacterial families.
OUR HEALTH DEPENDS ON IT.
Article by Dr. Monica De Felice, Naturopath
