THE MICROBIOME
Where are the bacteria located?
Our bacteria are mainly gathered in the intestines, which we now know play a major role in maintaining our immune system. We talk about intestinal microbiota or intestinal flora to define the bacteria that are located in this area.
We also find bacteria on our skin, we then speak of cutaneous microbiota or cutaneous flora.
Finally women have bacteria in the vagina. This is the vaginal flora, essential for the health of infants!
But what are these bacteria for?
The majority of these bacteria are good bacteria. They have several functions: they help us digest, make vitamins, protect us from disease. They even act on our brain and therefore our mood. Their role is to protect our body and our skin from external aggressions. When our microbiome is balanced we are healthy. In case of imbalance, appear diseases, sensitive skin, redness, irritation.
However, we now know that our microbiome is weakened by our contemporary way of life. According to a recent study*, in the West, 1 in 4 individuals out of 100 people studied have an impoverished microbiome.
It is therefore very important to strengthen our microbiome to stay healthy and maintain beautiful and healthy skin.
What are the factors that can unbalance our microbiome?
Antibiotics, a diet both low in fiber and high in chemical preservatives, cesarean sections and the use of cosmetic products with harmful ingredients are the 4 factors implicated in the weakening of our microbiome.
1. ANTIBIOTICS:
BIO means LIFE in Latin. ANTI-BIO-TICS (anti-LIFE) kill everything in their path. Both good and bad bacteria and some good bacteria never regenerate after taking antibiotics. However, their consumption has steadily increased over the past 60 years. Too much antibiotics, especially in young children, can therefore weaken our microbiome.
2. CAESAREANS:
The child's microbiome would be formed at birth by passing through the vaginal flora of its mother. The use of caesareans therefore weakens the child's microbiome.
3. A DIET RICH IN CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVES AND LOW IN FIBER:
A study on mice demonstrated that a diet rich in additives causes the depletion of the microbiome. Millions of people consume additives in industrial food every day.
An average French person consumes 4kg of additive per year!
Fiber is food for our good bacteria. The less we consume, the less we feed our bacteria and the more fragile we are.
4. COSMETIC PRODUCTS WITH HARMFUL INGREDIENTS:
Chemical preservatives are anti-bacterial. As their name suggests, they kill bacteria, good or bad, weakening our skin microbiota. On the other hand, an acid PH naturally helps preserve the skin from bad bacteria. However, most of the cosmetics and hygiene products that we consume have an alkaline pH favoring the development of bad bacteria. Soaps, for example, have a pH of 10!
It is therefore necessary and urgent to preserve our microbiome through a healthy diet, a healthy lifestyle and the use of healthy cosmetic products enriched with probiotics and probiotics.
Our tips for maintaining a balanced microbiome:
Adopt a healthy lifestyle!
1. A DIET RICH IN FIBER:
Some researchers speak of 25 fruits and vegetables per week to restore an unbalanced flora.
2. A DIET RICH IN PROBIOTIC STRAINS:
Opt for fermented drinks or foods such as yogurts, olives, pickles, kombucha, kefir, kimcha….
3. SUPPLEMENTATION OF MICROBIOTIC STRAINS:
This type of supplementation can be provided via food supplements rich in pre&probiotics such as those from DEMAIN®.
4. COSMETICS THAT ARE FRIENDLY TO YOUR SKIN MICROBIOTA:
This is the choice we have made with DEMAIN® with products with 100% natural formulas, without chemical preservatives, enriched with pre&probiotics and with a pH close to 4 to best preserve your body and your skin!