We’re all told to wash our hands to get rid of germs. But did you know, we’re full of bacteria anyway?

Bacteria, viruses and fungi are living inside you right now. They are in your gut, on your skin, and even under your nails.

The good thing is that they’re there to protect us. Many diseases can arise from a disturbance of your natural microbiome. For this article, we will focus on the organisms in your gut.

During school, we’re all taught that stomach acid kills bacteria. But some survive and colonise your intestines. Bacteria such as Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria are found in your large intestine, which is full of slow-moving, water-rich, fibrous food. The bacteria love these conditions and help break down the food and fibre further. Rarely, these bacteria can escape your large intestine and enter the small intestine, where they can cause inflammation.

What functions do they have?

Bacteria in your gut can help in digesting food, sending chemical signals and keeping bad bacteria out. Their full list of functions is a topic of huge debate and research.

To be effective, bacteria need to stay in their preferred habitat

If you eat something that kills your healthy bacteria, you might get bloating, constipation and general bowel upsets. Even worse, you may lose your natural defensive barrier and bad bacteria such as C. Dificile and H. Pylori could colonise your bowels.

How can student life affect it?

It’s not a huge surprise that being a student can take a toll on your body. The constant change of routine and food means your body has to work overtime to protect you. Many factors can affect your microbiome, here’s a few:

• Alcohol
• Takeaways
• Medicines/ drugs

Constantly changing the food you eat? You’re altering the environment in your intestines. This causes some bacteria to die. Bacteria love to live where the conditions are stable, changing your gut chemistry will affect them and leave you vulnerable to infections and bowel upsets.

3 Top Tips

So, you ask, how can we improve our microbiome yet continue living our student lives at the same time? Well give some of these top tips a go:

Tip #1

Limit your alcohol intake to once a day if necessary and try to drink with food. The harmful effects of alcohol can be diluted with a full belly and you’ll drink less if you have recently eaten.

Tip #2

Try to eat at least moderately healthy foods — don’t have unhealthy and spicy food too often. It’s best if you can make the food yourself, and limit the unhealthy ingredients used.

Tip #3

To boost your gut microbiome, eat cultured yoghurts like Kefir. These have been specially manufactured with living good bacteria in them, these will replenish your gut if you’re worried you may have damaged it. Dairy foods are also good in counteracting the negative effects of alcohol, spicy foods and more.

Take Home Message

Bacteria are all over your body, but not all are bad. The organisms in your intestine help to stabilise your bowels, digest food and defend you from an infection. To protect these tiny helpers, it is important to consider what you are eating and drinking.

Simple daily steps can ensure your miniature army’s survival and gut stability. Being a student is hard as it is, but taking care of your microbiome doesn’t need to be.