Did you know your gastrointestinal tract has been called the 'second brain'? This second brain has many receptors and is a very complex system, sending and receiving information to and from your 'first' brain. It actually gathers information about what is happening in your digestive tract and sends the appropriate signal to your first brain which then uses the information to control all your digestive functions.
A World Within You
The gut 'microbiome' is like a world within you. It is an entire ecosystem made up of trillions of diverse organisms (including bacteria, fungi and viruses). This world, weighing in between two and six pounds, has major effects on your overall health.
Important Roles
The gut microbiome plays many important roles in protecting your overall health. A primary function is to break down dietary fiber because the human body lacks the ability to get the job done. It also supports the health of your immune system (much of which actually resides in your gut) and it helps keep out foreign invaders that could make you sick. Besides all of this it manufactures several essential vitamins.
Because the microbiome plays such an important role in protecting your overall health, it's important to pay attention to diet. The more diverse the population of 'inhabitants' in your gut, the better for your health.
The foods put into your 'gut' have a huge influence on maintaining this healthy balance of microbes in your gut, which in turn helps your two 'brains' to work optimally together.
The Good Gut Army
Consuming bacteria in your diet probably does not sound appealing. But consuming beneficial bacteria or 'probiotics' actually help maintain the proper balance of the micro-organisms that live in your digestive tract. These helpful bacteria keep the growth of other, potentially harmful bacteria at bay. I like to call them the 'good gut army'.
This good gut army also helps to break down foods that are resistant to normal digestion, which allows you to get more nutrients from the foods you eat. A healthy balance of the various intestinal 'bugs' is key to a healthy digestive tract. A great example of probiotic bacteria is 'Lactobacillus Acidophilus'. This bacteria is found in yogurt (please read the label to ensure it says 'active, live cultures').
Your Daily Dose of Balance
You can help protect your very important 'second brain' with a product created by the scientists and physicians at Herbalife. 'Simply Probiotic' is a daily, science-backed probiotic that provides 1 billion active probiotic cultures to promote digestive health. It is formulated with a powerful GanedenBC30®* strain that survives the gastric journey to get to where it counts, helping you feel your best every day.
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