The importance of friendly gut bacteria

The role of friendly gut bacteria in helping maintain a healthy digestive system

Poor digestion can be triggered by a number of different factors, ranging from stress to poor diet. In this page, our digestive expert Ali Cullen describes how our digestive system can be disrupted and how to improve our metabolism and digestion by increasing our intake of L+ lactic acid and using herbal remedies.

Ask our digestive system expert Ali your question.

An introdution to gut bacteria

Your gut should be buzzing with good bacteria, creating a healthy environment in which food can be broken down and nutrients absorbed, and where cells belonging to the immune system can happily go about their business.

Good bacteria produce L+ lactic acid, which helps to protect you from harmful bugs in your gut.

Good gut environment with L+ lactic acid

L+ lactic acid also creates an environment that unfriendly bacteria and opportunistic fungi such as Candida albicans don't like, and makes it harder for them to stick to the gut wall instead of being passed through with the stool.

Aids metabolism

With plenty of L+ in your gut, the pH (a measure of how acid or alkaline something is) will be nicely balanced, promoting the production of digestive enzymes and therefore allowing you to break down fats and sugars more effectively. The right pH balance also encourages a healthy stool.

Supports immune function

As over 70% of your immune cells live in your gut, a healthy immune system depends partly on intestinal health.

Taking a source of L+ lactic acid will promote an environment where good gut bacteria can thrive. Those bacteria then produce more L+, and your gut goes from strength to strength.

A few reasons why digestive symptoms are widspread

Poor diet
Including large quantities of refined sugars, highly processed foods, caffeine, and fizzy drinks.

Stress
This turns off the digestive process and exacerbates inflammatory reactions.

Under-production of digestive enzymes
This can be due to rushed eating and lack of chewing. Many people gulp their food down at speed, barely touching it with their teeth.

Tackling these issues will benefit digestion greatly.

Taking Molkosan^® to promote gentle daily cleansing of the intestinal tract is a simple first step to improved gut health.

Beat Digestive problems with Nutritional therapist Ali

#A.Vogel Talks Digestion

Join experts Eileen Durward and Ali Cullen in the beautiful A.Vogel garden as they talk all about digestion including their tips on how to improve your digestion and how bitter herbs can make a huge difference to helping your digestive problems.

Feeling sluggish? Tired? Lacking in energy?

Join today for lots of simple energy-boosting tips and advice from our nutritionist Emma and her team of experts sent to you over 6 days to help revitalise your energy levels, as well as a sample of our Balance Mineral Drink which is packed with energy-boosting minerals.