What is 'Leaky Gut' and Why Should I Care?

Did you know that some types of bacteria are good for you? I know, it sounds counterintuitive - especially because we're told to get rid of "germs" all the time.

By Katerina Mountanos

April 30, 2018

Dear Kosterina Family,

Did you know that some types of bacteria are good for you?

I know, it sounds counterintuitive - especially because we're told to get rid of "germs" all the time. Apparently, most digestive, emotional and autoimmune diseases start because we don't have enough good bacteria.

There are trillions of bacteria living in our bodies (we're made up of 5 - 10 times more bacteria than human cells!). And most of it, about 80%, lives if our guts. No wonder gut health has been an extreme area of interest in the wellness world today. Some doctors even think that brain-based diseases like Alzheimers begin in your gut.

Since our guts regulate everything from our immune systems to our happy hormones like serotonin, here are a couple of ways to keep them in check:

Cut the sugar: sugar inflames the gut, which leads to issues such as leaky gut
Eat fermented foods: these foods, like kimchi, kefir and kombucha add good bacteria to your blood stream. (But if these sound too obscure, you can turn to cauliflower or asparagus, two veggies with strong prebiotic qualities).
Use non-toxic products at home: toxins from makeup, cleaning materials and plastics impact our gut health

Want to learn more about gut health? These are some of our favorite news sources: check out this podcast with Dr. Josh Axe on Leaky Gut and Our Gut Microbe, or this course by Mindbodygreen about gut health.

And of course - we'd love to hear from you with any other bacteria knowledge!