Are there "indigenous people" in the intestines? Not only that, but if they become a mess, it can be very troublesome!

In our daily life

The intestinal flora is often mentioned

However, familiarity is familiarity

What exactly is it? What is it used for?

I'm afraid many people don't know

If the intestinal flora is disturbed

What should I do?

What are the health effects?

As we all know, the intestine is actually a very large area. When the intestine is fully expanded, it is even larger than our body surface area.

Image source: Photo Network

How is it possible that there are no "indigenous people" in such a large area?

Intestinal flora refers to the collective name for all microorganisms that live in the intestines.

According to statistics, the number of microorganisms contained in the intestinal flora is approximately 10 to the 14th power to the 15th power, which is more than the total number of cells in our human body.

Image source: Photo Network AI

Although the word "bacteria" suggests that they are "uninvited guests" from outside the body, they actually understand your body better than you do.

After all, intestinal flora has been present in your body since you were born.

If the delivery is normal , when the fetus comes out of the mother's birth canal, it will bring some bacteria in the mother's birth canal into its own body, forming the basis of the child's entire future bacteria.

If it is a caesarean section , the fetus will begin to build intestinal flora after coming into contact with the outside air, food and water.

The intestinal flora established at the beginning is very important and can even be said to be the foundation of the entire human body environment.

Image source: Photo Network

Intestinal flora is not just a place where we live in our stomachs. It has many positive effects on our immune system:

Helps build the first intestinal mucosal barrier

The intestine is an organ that can directly contact the outside world . Food and water will directly enter the intestine after passing through the stomach, including some bad microorganisms.

When intestinal flora colonizes the intestine, they form the first barrier on the intestinal wall , making it difficult for foreign "bad" microorganisms to settle.

Image source: Photo Network

Promote lysozyme production and kill "bad bacteria"

After some special bacteria on the intestinal wall are engulfed by macrophages, they will promote the maturation of B cells at the distal end of the intestinal wall and transform them into plasma cells.

Plasma cells will gradually migrate to the damaged intestinal wall and release lysozyme into the intestinal mucosa.

If the intestinal wall is damaged at this time and some "bad" bacteria gather there, lysozyme can kill these bacteria.

Repair the intestinal wall and reduce the probability of disease

Intestinal flora can induce macrophages to mature . In addition to the function of phagocytizing bacteria, macrophages can also fill and repair damaged intestinal walls, greatly reducing our chances of getting sick.

Image source: Photo Network

Regulates inflammatory responses in the intestine

The intestinal flora can regulate the body's regulatory T cells , thereby allowing the inflammatory response in the intestine to develop in a direction that is beneficial to our body.

In daily life, our bodies often produce some abnormal cells, some of which may even be precursors of cancer cells.

So why don’t we get cancer right away? In fact, it’s because the immune system is at work, destroying abnormal cells in the earliest stages.

If the immune system is not healthy, mutated abnormal cells may remain dormant and gradually grow and form tumors.

The intestinal flora is closely related to the immune system, so it is crucial to ensure the health of the intestinal flora.

Taking cancer patients as an example, when they undergo chemotherapy, it may cause intestinal flora disorders and the following symptoms:

Diarrhea, abdominal pain;

Loss of appetite

Pathogenic bacteria cause secondary infection.

Ordinary people will also have similar physical reactions if their intestinal flora is disrupted due to medication, poor diet, chronic stress, aging , etc.

Image source: Photo Network

So what should we do to adjust the intestinal flora?

The most important thing is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, such as regular diet, no overeating, balanced nutrition, and relieving mental stress.

Image source: Photo Network

In addition, we can also regulate our intestinal flora by supplementing some probiotic preparations .

Clinical research conducted by Professor Zhu Jiang's team at West China University of Political Science and Law found that patients who took some compound preparations of probiotic supplements during chemotherapy had significantly better quality of life than those who did not take the compound preparations*.

Of course, if you really feel uncomfortable in your stomach, you should consult a doctor first and receive treatment under the doctor's guidance . Don't treat supplements as a "magic drug" that can cure all diseases.

Statement: This article is a medical-related educational popular science article. It does not involve specific treatment methods or medical behaviors and cannot replace hospital visits.

Experts collaborating on this article

References

[1] Zheng Yan, Xu Lingcong, Zhou Yongqiang, et al. Intestinal flora affects the occurrence of liver cancer by regulating the tumor microenvironment[J]. Chinese Journal of Basic and Clinical General Surgery, 2024, 31(04): 502-507.

[2] Ding Guiqing, Cheng Xiaodong. Immunological mechanisms of intestinal flora regulating the occurrence and progression of extraintestinal tumors[J]. Modern Immunology, 2024, 44(02): 170-173+179.

[3] Wang Muhua, Gong Junfeng, Zhang Guozhu, et al. Application of probiotic preparations in patients with intestinal flora imbalance[J]. China Dairy Industry, 2023, 51(01): 15-18+52. DOI: 10.19827/j.issn1001-2230.2023.01.003.

Content Production

Editor: Zhang Fuyao

Map: Eastern Zhou Dynasty