From tons of turkey and roasted potatoes to mountains of tarts and logs galore, Christmas truly is a time to eat, drink and have fun.

However, all of this overindulgence can take its toll on our body, especially our digestive system, leaving us completely full.

But there is something you can do rather than just suffer in silence. If you take care of your bowels before the big day, you’ll be in the best position to have a good time without worrying too much.

Not only that, keeping your tummy in peak condition all year round can help your health in so many different ways, it is worth paying attention to.

WHAT IS TASTE?

The intestine is the common term for the gastrointestinal tract which runs from the mouth to the back. It is also called our digestive system.

Inside the intestine is a “microbiome” – a collection of bacteria that live in our small and large intestines.

In fact, our bellies are teeming with bacteria – we each have over 100,000 billion of them weighing about 5 pounds and outnumbering our human cells by ten to one.

They perform incredibly important functions, including helping our bodies break down food, absorb nutrients, and make cells and hormones. This is why it is so important to take care of your gut.

There are many different types of bacteria in the microbiome, and while we don’t yet know the best balance for our health, diversity seems to be a good thing.

However, there are many factors that affect the types of bacteria that live in our gut, including our lifestyle, genetics, and environment.

Unhealthy diets and lifestyles can increase the amount of “bad” bacteria in our microbiome, which can lead to disease. It is therefore important to eat a varied diet rich in plant-based foods to try and increase the amount of “good” bacteria in our stomachs. Regular exercise and good sleep can also help.

WHY DIGESTIVE HEALTH IS IMPORTANT

A happy gut has a huge positive impact on our overall well-being. More and more scientific research shows that what goes on in our belly affects not only our digestion, but a whole series of other biological processes in our body.

SO HOW CAN I TAKE CARE OF MY GUT AND DIGESTION?

In order for us to continue to feel better, we need the bacteria in our gut to thrive. And in order to do that, we have to feed them well.

So we have to eat a lot of foods like vegetables, beans and whole grains to give them something to snack on. Fermented foods like yogurt and kefir have also shown promising results. Alternatively, you can try taking a supplement.

Holland & Barrett has a slew of new tablets expertly formulated with calcium to support your digestive enzymes and bacterial strains to show your tummy a little love.

H&B Expert Triple Action Biotic Gut Formula, 60 Capsules, £ 29.99

This is H & B’s most advanced, triple-acting, high-resistance formula, which contains nine different strains of living “good” bacteria – 50 billion in total – specially developed to reach the living gut.

The capsules also contain kiwi fiber, a food source for the good bacteria, and calcium for maximum support.

Holland & Barrett Mighty Acidophilus (10 billion), 120 softgels, £ 29.99

New to H&B, it’s brimming with an incredible 10 billion friendly bacteria – from four living strains, including the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria families – that have been proven to reach the living gut.

If you don’t like to swallow capsules, these are the perfect formula for you.

Simply chew on the delicious strawberry flavored tablets and swallow them to get friendlier bacteria (three billion to be precise) in your gut.

Holland & Barrett Gut powered 100 billion, 30 capsules, £ 39.99

It’s hard to believe that such a small capsule could contain 100 billion living bacteria, but it does.

And there is also calcium to support the normal function of digestive enzymes.

No wonder this is the most potent formula in H & B’s Gut Powered line.

THE REFERENCES:

1. https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpgi.1999.277.5.g922

2. https://depts.washington.edu/ceeh/downloads/FF_Microbiome.pdf