For my steam project I did an acrylic painting of the colon, or the large intestine. You can see how I painted the cuboidal epithelial tissue above the blood vessels with a layer of soil upon it. This soil represents bifidobacteria, which is the first layer of bacteria we feed probiotics to. Essentially, feeding the layers of healthy bacteria is necessary for a healthy gastrointestinal tract because it can prevent Irritable Bowel Syndrome. IBS causes uncomfortable symptoms such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea and cramping. I painted a garden through the colon because it is important to understand that we must eat a healthy and balanced diet to also be able to achieve this, and it cannot be done alone through probiotics. The epithelial barrier tissue, which absorbs nutrients, must yes, be healthy in the first place to do so. We must in turn feed them healthy nutrients full of balanced proteins, vegetables, fruits, and fats. If we do so our colon looks like this, happy and healthy! We then also give the barrier tissue the ability to block the entry and attacks of deadly pathogens, such as salmonella.

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  1. Maintaining good health of our colon is imperative to our overall well-being. When the good bacteria in our body gets overrun or unbalanced, it can lead to a series of infections and diseases, one specifically known as irritable bowel syndrome. Bacteria is not always bad, in truth, we need bacteria to help with all humanly processes, as well as keep us healthy. The layer of good bacteria in our colon is bifidobacteria, found on the epithelial tissue. It is essential in helping absorb nutrients as well as help fight off bad bacteria and other pathogens. However, bifidobacteria can easily be disrupted by other bacteria and pathogens, decreasing its ability to function and provide for our GI tract, leading to various gastrointestinal problems. Probiotics are a unique approach to maintaining good colon health and keeping bifidobacteria healthy and balanced, and is proven to improve symptoms associated with GI problems. Probiotics work by providing nutrients to bifidobacteria and enhancing their activity, enabling them to continue absorbing the food we eat and fight off pathogens. Probiotics alone cannot guarantee good colon health, but associating them with a healthy and balanced diet is a great way to reduce chances of gastrointestinal issues and diseases. In the piece above, you will observe the illustration of the colon, as well as the layer of bifidobacteria lining both sides of the colon. The various plants and flowers within the colon represent a nutritious diet, which in combination with probiotics, can promote efficient and good healthy of our GI tract.

    Sarah Elgin

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