The medical community has long recognized the numerous risk factors associated with unhealthy diets. The food we eat plays an important role in determining our susceptibility to many potentially life-threatening diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
But recent nutrition research is looking at the link between diet and chronic disease from a promising new angle: the interaction between the bacteria in our food and our gut.
The key to disease prevention may lie in how we feed the bacteria that live in our gut, according to revealing findings in a new documentary, “Gut Response.” For many years, the scientific community has viewed bacteria in much the same way as the general public. Bacteria are considered evil and dangerous parasitic life forms that must be avoided and protected at all costs. However, just a few years ago, modern technology allowed us to peer into the inner workings of the microbial world like never before.
Through extensive research that is still ongoing, we have learned about the many benefits associated with the bacteria that live in our bodies. These “good” bacteria regulate our immune system and determine our defenses against potentially harmful bacteria from outside. It also plays a vital role in physical and mental health.
Gut Reaction shows us how nature can get us used to the presence of good bacteria in the first place. Through the process of vaginal delivery, the newborn is inundated with the mother’s healthy bacteria, which creates a safe haven from which to build defenses against harmful environmental influences. Researchers now believe that an alarming increase in the number of C-sections has robbed many babies of this sense of security, leading to increased rates of asthma, allergies and other chronic diseases. This dynamic continues into adulthood and is often reflected in the foreign and unhealthy bacteria found in many of the foods we eat.
Could our bacteria be the ultimate barometer of our risk of developing the world’s most catastrophic disease? Gut Response captures the promise of this exciting new field of nutritional research and suggests a new way to treat diseases that limit our longevity as a species.
