The world is full of nasty bacteria. When we hear the word bacteria, we typically think of nasty ones that cause diseases like pneumonia, strep throat, whooping cough, tuberculosis, or gonorrhea. But the truth is, that while some bacteria can be harmful, even deadly, to the body, the overwhelming majority, over 99%, of bacteria that move around the body every day are good for you.
In fact, there’s no way we’d be alive without bacteria. Dozens of different bacteria live within our stomachs in a symbiotic harmony, meaning that we couldn’t live without them, and they couldn’t live without us. Much of the functionality of the digestive system, excretory system, and hepatic system (the liver and related organs) relies on bacteria and other microorganisms to do the dirty work of breaking down food and nutrients and cleaning out toxins. Without them, we’d be unable to process nutrients from food, and any toxins we ingest wouldn’t find their way out of our body.
And while these bacteria don’t exactly have the (in)famy of other less-pleasant bacteria like streptococcus or tuberculosis, they are nonetheless as important for the body as any other essential protein, vitamin, or nutrient. Here are some of the most important bacteria that make their way through your body every day.
Lactobacillus
A genus of bacteria commonly found in fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and cottage cheese is crucial for the digestion of numerous types of foods and nutrients, including lactose. The bacteria also help the body produce lactic acid, which aids the immune system and keeps out unwanted bacteria from the digestive system.
Bifidobacterium
Another genus of bacteria found in dairy products, Bifidobacterium bacteria, lives in the intestines and plays an important role in the digestion of complex carbohydrates, like the ones found in whole wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa, and oatmeal. A high level of Bifidobacterium is also beneficial to the immune system in combating harmful bacteria that may enter the body through food.
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