What is the relationship between stomach condition and dietary fiber?
Dietary fiber decreases the volume of bad bacteria in the intestines and reduces harmful substances. The balance between good and bad bacteria determines the condition of your stomach.
Dietary fiber reduces the number of bad bacteria
When eight healthy adult men and women (six men, two women) took a beverage containing 15 grams of polydextrose once a day with a high cholesterol diet, bad bacteria counts in their stools were found to decrease.
Dietary fiber reduces harmful substances in the intestines
When eight healthy adult men and women (six men, two women) took a beverage containing 15 grams of polydextrose once a day with a high cholesterol diet, a decrease in putrefaction products (indole and paracresol) in their stools was observed.
Source: Endo K.et al.:Bifidobacteria Microflora 10(1),53-64 (1991)
The balance of good and bad bacteria determines your stomach condition
Modern lifestyles create an environment that tends to cause intestinal deterioration.
While age causes changes in the balance of intestinal bacteria, there are other factors that we can control that also affect it. Alcohol, stress, and an unbalanced diet reduce the number of good bacteria and increase the number of bad bacteria. Even young people can develop an intestinal environment that is close to that of an elderly person as a result of an unbalanced diet and stress. People who have a cold or a mouth ulcer have reduced Bifidobacteria and increased E. coli and Enterococcus. The same tendency is seen when people are constipated or have diarrhea.
Furthermore, taking antibiotics reduces intestinal bacteria, and if you do not have a well-balanced diet at that time, your intestinal flora balance may shift to having more bad than good bacteria.
It is now known that antibiotics, steroid hormones, immunosuppressive drugs, and radiation therapy increase pathogenic bacteria.
Because the balance of bacteria in the intestines is easily affected by factors such as whether you have a cold or how stressed you are, the state of the stomach also changes depending on your daily health.