Although discoveries about the human intestinal system are occurring all the time, it’s not exactly new news that a healthy gut is very important to your overall well-being.

So, what is this “flora” everyone is talking about?

Your gut — and everyone else’s — is filled with microscopic bacteria, also called flora, that make up what is called the microbiome in your intestine. Flora generally keep your organs running smoothly and specifically help to break down food into nutrients and chemicals that every body needs. When your gut is out of balance, you probably don’t have as much energy and you could be more likely to get sick.

Seriously, an out-of-balance microbiome may contribute to chronic illnesses including diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Our gut is definitely connected to our brain, as well, with 90% of feel-good serotonin produced by bacteria in our intestine.

For most of us, it’s fairly easy to help our intestinal environment stay in shape by eating helpful foods and supplements like Flora-Protect from NuEthix.

The foods provide the nutrition that the bacteria live on. What they really like is fiber — so it’s a double benefit! Much of the fiber in fruits and vegetables travels through your body after you eat it, helping you to stay regular.

But bacteria love fiber. They consume it and actually ferment it as part of the process that produces the chemicals and nutrients we need to live. When you treat your bacteria well, they treat you well. If you want to geek out on it, read about the “profound implications for diet and disease” that our microbiome exerts on us.

Here are some fruits and vegetables always recommended for good gut health.

1. Bananas. Easy to eat although for maximum benefit, look for bananas on the green side. They have more “resistant starch,” a favorite of many of your gut bacteria.
2. Apples. Yes, one a day provides a good dose of pectin, which helps bacteria quiet down inflammation.
3. Blueberries. A superhero fruit that attacks several dietary villains at once. The polyphenols in blueberries reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, and also help you lose weight.

Vegetables known to provide bacteria that your gut bacteria love include:

• Green peas
• Broccoli
• Chickpeas
• Lentils
• Beans

Fermented foods, yogurt being highest on the list, add beneficial bacteria, including the helpful Bifidobacterium and Lactobacilli, directly to your gut. These also reduce a bad bacteria called Enterobacteriaceae, which is known to cause inflammation. Not all yogurt you find in a grocery store contains live bacteria, so check the labels.

Now, it is well-known that some people don’t like yogurt, vegetables or even fruit. How can they keep their gut healthy?

They’re lucky, because they can buy supplements that deliver bacteria to their intestine as well as probiotics that help to keep the bacteria happy. In fact, even if you enjoy a well-balanced diet of starch-filled plant products, your gut will probably benefit from the boost that supplements can offer.

You will see by checking the labels of NuEthix products like Flora-Protect, that they provide huge doses of beneficial bacteria including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacilli and others. There may be a trillion bacteria in a healthy gut. To make a difference, you need to add significant amounts of additional bacteria. One dose of Flora Protect, for instance, contains 5.9 billion CFUs (Colony Forming Units) of Lactobacillus paracasei and 5.2 billion CFU of Bifidobacterium lactis.

That’s a lot of bacteria in one easy-to-swallow capsule.

NuEthix provides several products that promote good gut health, ranging from probiotics to food supplements (including some you can add to your morning fruit shake) that offer physical and mental health benefits.

Flora-Protect has strains shown to improve immunity and reduce inflammation in long-term studies. This comprehensive probiotic blend has multiple positive neurological, anti-inflammatory, gynecological, and immune health implications with long term use.

Compare against supplements from other companies and notice the amount of CFUs in every dose (in the billions is good), as well as the type of probiotics so you are getting a balanced mix of bacteria that thrive together.

Combining a good diet with NuEthix probiotics could just be the answer you need to gaining and maintaining a healthy life.