How essential are bacteria to us nowadays? The authors of the new book Kombucha, Kefir and Natural Sodas give us the low-down
In recent years, there's been a growing trend of consuming kombucha, a type of fermented, slightly alcoholic and fizzy tea drink, typically for supposed health benefits. So... what’s the link between fermentation and health? Bacteria, that’s what!
They’re everywhere, from the start of the fermentation process to the insides of our stomachs during digestion. Bacteria are responsible not only for digesting things inside our intestines, but also things outside of them. Bacteria aren’t happy simply breaking down our food for digestion, they also reduce it into molecules that are more easily absorbed by our bodies. This is called bioavailability. Besides that, the microbial community makes vitamins, breaks up toxins and medicines, and strengthens our immune systems. And all those things are a big plus for our health!
The stomach, our second brain
Just as Giulia Enders tells us so brilliantly in her best-selling book Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ, we humans are inhabited. Yes, it’s true! And not by just anyone, thanks very much. Our intestines play host to around 100 trillion bacteria (or about 2kg of the average adult’s total body weight). Today, some scientists even consider our gut microbiota to be an independent organ. So, more than 95 per cent of the bacteria on our planet are harmless to humans. And a significant number of them are actually some of our best allies because they protect our gut, gathering in the exact places where pathogenic agents would like to do us harm.
All the microorganisms that populate our digestive tract are known as ‘intestinal flora’ or microbiota. Intestinal flora act like a barrier in our intestines and protect us from external attacks. Scientific research has also shown that a healthy gut positively influences not only our immune system but also our mental health. That’s why the term ‘second brain’ is increasingly used to refer to the stomach—or, more precisely, the gut, which reports directly to the brain on matters that are top secret and greatly affect our subconscious. Fascinating!