MANILA, Philippines ? What you put in your gut?which is mainly the intestine?may dictate the difference between having a healthy body or one that is prone to ailments.

?Our gut is a complex system that processes the fuel we need to keep ourselves fit and healthy, while eliminating toxins and other waste products resulting from the digestive process,? said health researcher Mark Wilson whose business outfit, Spectrum Naturale Inc. developed a dietary supplement that supports natural intestinal ecology.

Wilson explained that our digestive system processes food over a period of between 12 and 48 hours (depending on the type of food ingested).

?The large intestine or colon contains bacteria to help process the final stage of the digestion in the gut. This is aided by the billions of ?good? bacteria that help in the digestion of food,? he said.

However, the colon also contains ?bad? bacteria, which could increase in number and overwhelm the good ones and cause ailments.

?Poor diet, stress, or antibiotics could cause these bad bacteria to increase in number. Did you know that arthritis, heart disease, auto-immune diseases and mental health disorders can be aggravated or even triggered by problems that originate in the gut? Keeping the gut healthy is one of the best things we can do for overall good health,? Wilson said.

Supplement contents

The dietary supplement he developed?called Fiber Health?contains psyllium husk, buckthorn bark and a host of probiotic bacteria culture (mainly lactobacilli).

?Fiber Health, manufactured by Growrich Manufacturing Inc., contains mainly soluble fiber that is found to help lower cholesterol, relieve both constipation and diarrhea, and is used to treat irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhoids and other intestinal problems,? Wilson explained.

He reminded that while taking the dietary supplement (one to three capsule taken daily), drinking water is most crucial as this will help the psyllium husk in Fiber Health to swell and form a gelatin-like mass that will help transport waste through the intestinal tract.

?The key to a healthy gut is remembering what you put into your body. The following reminders will also help you maintain a healthy gut aside from taking the supplement,? Wilson said.

Aside from drinking water and eating food high in fiber (whole grain breads or cereals, fruits and vegetables), exercise is also advised as the body functions better if a reasonable amount of physical exertion is performed.