1. A lot of people use the word ‘gut’ to refer to the intestines. However the gut generally signifies the entire passage between a human’s mouth and anus, including the oesophagus and stomach.
2. Good bacteria such as acidophilus is passed from generation to generation. A baby literally takes a gulp of bacteria as it passes through the birth canal, hence establishing a foundation for its natural probiotic levels! This is why it is so important for mothers to optimise their friendly bacteria levels before giving birth.
3. IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) will affect up to 1 in 5 of the people in the UK at some point in their lives.
4. Your digestive tract, or gut, is home to roughly 100 trillion bacteria, weighing 1.5 kg!
5. Traveller’s diarrhoea affects up to 60% of healthy travellers under tropical or hot climate latitudes. So think about taking some acidophilus with you on your next holiday!
Lactobacillus acidophilus Rosell-52
6. There are more neurons (nerve cells that transmit and process information) in your enteric nervous system, which includes the intestines; than there are in your central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord.
7. 66% of the body’s immune cells reside in the gut.
8. Every year in England over 1 million people are diagnosed with a digestive condition or disease.
9. Your digestive tract is roughly nine metres in length, about the same as a double-decker bus!
10. 95% of your serotonin is located within the small intestine. This is why people feel strong emotions in their gut as well as their minds. Follow your gut feeling!
