Have you ever wondered what exactly the large intestine is, and why it’s so important for our overall health? Answering these questions will also become clear why the best probiotics for the large intestine are so important to digestive and immune function.
Large Intestine: What it is
The large intestine is a fairly wide tube that is near the end of the digestive system. Food reaches the large intestine after most of the work has been done to break down the food and absorb nutrients. After the stomach, food moves into the small intestine - and that’s where the nutrients are absorbed. So why do we need a large intestine?
We need a large intestine because once your mostly-digested food finishes its journey through the small intestine, it’s very wet. The large intestine then absorbs liquid from the waste products, forming stool. While the large intestine is most often thought of as the organ that absorbs water and forms stool, there’s another important job it has: There are bacteria in the large intestine that play a critical role in the health of your immune system.
Large intestine: essential to your immune system
Of course, we think of the large intestine as being a necessary part of the digestive system. However, it’s also a necessary part of your immune system. The reason that the intestines are so pivotal in the way your immune system works, is because they are lined with bacteria. Some of this bacteria is bad, which can cause problems for our body. This is because of the effects of the bacteria itself, but also because bad bacteria is not protecting the body. On the other hand, some of the bacteria in the intestine is good. These good bacteria act as a defense system, keeping invaders - like viruses - from taking hold.
Large intestine: What if it doesn’t work well?
There can be several obvious results when the large intestines are not optimized or are not working well. First, you may suffer from constipation, which generally means someone has trouble passing stool, the process of going to the bathroom can be painful, and the stool is hard. It also generally means someone is not having bowel movements frequently. This is uncomfortable and can moderately to severely impact the quality of life. Constipation is caused by the large intestine removing too much water from the food waste as it passes through the digestive tract. This may be because the waste material is spending too long in the large intestine.
If the large intestine is not functioning at its best, there’s also substantial risk of an unbalanced immune response. Constipation and diarrhea may be the most obvious signs of intestinal trouble, but what you can’t see may be even more significant. If your intestines do not have the good bacteria they thrive on, they are not able to support your health the way you need.
When you think about boosting your immune system you probably know that getting enough sleep is important, as-is eating well. But do you know that taking the right probiotic is also a critical step in supporting the health of your intestine, and immune system? That’s because the right probiotic will deliver healthy strains of bacteria right to your intestines. Those bacteria will live on the walls of the small and large intestine, working hard to ensure your body has strong, balanced responses to any threats to your overall health.
A scary question about immunity: If you had 400 trillion viruses, what would that mean?
It probably sounds unreasonable to even ask how you’d feel about there being about 400 trillion viruses inside your body. But believe it or not, this is actually normal. It’s estimated that the GI tract can have about 400 trillion viruses at any time. You know who is responsible for stopping these from becoming major problems? Your intestines. The intestines are actively fighting to keep you safe, long after you think you’ve “gotten better” from whatever illness you had. Or long before you even know you have an active virus. It’s because of the beneficial bacteria in your intestines that the majority of viruses are silent or minimally bothersome. Without optimized intestinal health, these trillions of viruses could be substantially scarier.
Best probiotics for the large intestines
The best bacteria for the large intestine is called Bifidobacterium bifidum. Interestingly this is the second most popular bacteria found in the guts of healthy, breastfed babies. With B. infantis being the first. Scientists have found that it’s a type of bacteria that benefits adults to a substantial degree as well. Because of its ability to aid in digestive regularity, it’s often recommended to those with occasional constipation or diarrhea.
There has also been success reported in using Bifidobacterium bifidum in people with H. pylori, a bad bacteria that many have in their systems but don’t know about. According to WebMD, H. pylori is associated with ulcers, stomach lining inflammation, and even stomach cancer.
Bifido Factor is Natren’s precision supplement made specifically to be the best probiotic for the large intestine. Taken alone or as part of Healthy Trinity, Bifido Factor supplies your large intestine with a minimum of 2 billion colony forming units (cfus) of Bifidobacterium bifidum Malyoth super strain. Bifido Factor supports your body in producing lactic and acetic acids, which can lower the pH of the intestine - an important part of optimizing digestion. It also supports the production of B vitamins and works to optimize the health of your colon.
Not only does Bifido Factor come in our primary dairy form, but we also offer vegan powder and veggie capsule versions of Bifido Factor for those who do not include dairy in their diets.
What about the best probiotics for the large intestines for babies or young children?
This is a great question because babies - especially those born via c section and those not breastfed - are at risk of not having the right beneficial bacteria in their intestines. Natren’s Life Start line of products were created for pregnant women, nursing moms, infants, and young children. All Life Start products supply the best healthy bacteria for these particularly vulnerable people. Babies need time to build up their immune systems, and Life Start is one of the best ways to make sure they have the good bacteria they need. Even in babies, the intestines will end up getting lined in either good or bad bacteria. Natren probiotics are your way to make sure the good ones take priority.
Visit Natren to learn more about precision probiotics, and how to support the health of your large intestine, immune system, and entire body.
