Why stomach health dey important and how you fit improve your own

Research dey suggest say di health of pesin stomach fit get link wit evertin from cholesterol levels to mental illness.

And as knowledge about our stomach dey grow, na so too appetite for good stomach health dey grow too.

Di world probiotics market reach around 60 billion US dollars per year for 2021, and e dey expected to grow more dan 7% each year until 2030, according to data from Polaris Market Research.

But why good stomach health important and how you fit actually improve your own?

Wetin be healthy stomach?

Becos of im complicated structure, to identify healthy stomach no easy like e be for oda organs, and e no get any single tool wey we fit take measure how healthy di belle dey.

Na microbes full our belle. In fact, e contain plenty sotey, if we fit put dem togeda, dem go weigh more than 1.8 kg.

E get up to 100 billion bacteria for every gram of content inside di intestine.

Healthy stomach dey get more diverse community of microbes, Dr Katerina Johnson, wey dey research di relationship between di stomach and di brain for University of Oxford, tok.

However, microbiome science still be very young field, she add, meaning say we never fit sabi di details of wetin healthy stomach look like.

She say: “Our microbiomes dey so individual and different, with thousands of different species (and different strains within species), many of which we no even sabi wetin dia work be.”

Why e important to get healthy stomach?

Di stomach fit affect “almost every organ for di body”, Dr Johnson tok.

Di brain and intestine get strong communication system wey dem sabi as gut–brain axis.

One dey important to di oda – studies don show say di brain development go dey abnormal if di microbiome for di stomach no dey.

Dem dey sometimes call di stomach di second brain becos di bacteria fit influence our behaviour through di 100 million neurons wey dey di belle.

Neurons na cells wey dey for our brain and central nervous system, wey dey tell our body how to behave.

Our intestines fit play part in regulating our mood by producing neurotransmitters wey dey for di brain, like serotonin.

Di work wey dem sabi di stomach for pass na to collect nutrients from food.

“We no fit loss water and minerals for di shit,” Dr Venkatraman Krishna, gastroenterologist for India, explain.

Dr Megan Rossi, wey dem also sabi as Di Gut Health Doctor UK, say dem don link stomach microbe imbalance to more dan 70 different chronic health conditions - from cardiovascular and respiratory sickness to autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

Around 70% of our immune cells dey live inside our belle, and e dey “constantly communicate” wit di immune system, Dr Rossi tok.

Dis na why “e be like pipo wey get beta stomach health get more strong immune systems”, she add.

How you fit improve di health?

Following research by American Gut Project for 2018, experts begin recommend make pipo eat at least 30 different plants every week for more diverse stomach microbiome.

Dis one no be just fruit and vegetables but also tins like seeds, spices and nuts.

Dr Rossi recommend say e good to make small changes for recipes and to look for different orisirishi fruits for market to achieve more variety.

“You fit level up your morning porridge by switching half of di oats for cooked quinoa or top am wit mixed berries and seeds?” she suggest.

“You fit swap some meat for your weekly food for some fibre-rich lentils.”

Fibre-rich diet dey help us feel fuller, help digestion and prevent constipation, according to National Health Service of UK, wey recommend make adults chop 30g of fibre per day.

Choosing wholemeal or granary breads over white, and choosing brown rice or wholewheat pasta, fit increase di amount of fibre wey you consume.

Oda source of fibre include potatoes wit dia skins (eg baked potatoes) and pulses like beans, lentils or chickpeas, wey you fit add for stews, curries and salads.

Prebiotic foods (wey be some kain fibre and carbohydrates) dey encourage di growth of friendly bacteria for belle.

Some examples na bananas, onions and spring onions, garlic, cabbage, leeks, oats, asparagus, nectarines, blueberries and grapefruit.

Dr Hanisha Khemani, consultant gastroenterologist for Pakistan, say establishing “balanced, nutrient-rich diet” for our twenties dey “important for long-term health”.

“Di dietary choices wey you make during dis period fit influence di risk during of developing chronic diseases, impact mental and cognitive health, and shape overall physical well-being for later years,” she tok.

Intermittent fasting or leaving gap of at least 12 hours between dinner and breakfast fit also benefit gut microbes, Professor Tim Spector of King’s College London write for im book Spoon-Fed: Why Almost Everything We’ve Been Told About Food is Wrong.

Which food bad for stomach health?

Food wey dem over process, alcohol and tobacco use no good for your intestine, Dr Krishna explain.

Highly-processed food contain ingredients wey fit suppress 'good' bacteria or increase 'bad' bacteria.

Depending on wia you dey for world, you fit need to avoid street food sellers wey no dey hygenic, and wash your fruits and vegetables to avoid dangerous viruses or bacteria, Dr Krishna add.

Stress dey also affect our belle, and e fit increase acid reflux and ulcer.

Dr Johnson say pipo wey dey under more stress dey get less diverse microbiomes.

Probiotics and home stomach health tests dey work?

Experts say probiotics fit work wen dem use am for specific reason.

“You need to take di right strain, for di right condition, for di right length of time” Dr Megan Rossi add.

“E no get evidence say di probiotic product wey you see on top counter go support improved stomach health and, contrary to wetin dem dey sell give us, you no need to take am every day.”

For some kontris, companies dey offer stomach health tests wia you go post sample of toy shit for lab inspection.

Dr Rossi say dis tests no dey offer di benefits wey some of di companies dey claim say dem dey provide, but e fit give you small idea into di diversity of your intestines microbes.

British doctor and TV presenter Dr Xand agree say getting good value for money fit dey difficult wit dis kain products.

“Dem go give you general advice but e no dey based on evidence," im tok. "I go say, save your money and if you get stomach problems tok to your doctor.”