Another holiday feast is among is! Not only this, despite all odds, you’ll probably shove more food in your face than you ever thought you could, even breaking last year’s record. It’s always a short-lived joy though, because soon after, your body starts talking back to you, voicing its disapproval for what you’ve just done with its underbelly of gurgles, garbles and objectionable smells.

Part of what causes the embarrassing and uncomfortable effects of overeating is the stress that is caused to your gut bacteria. Your gut is home to hundreds of trillions (yes, you read that right - hundreds of trillions) of various strains of beneficial bacteria that keep everything working properly from your digestion, to your appetite, to your immunity, to your mental health. They truly are amazing and stunningly numerous. After monstrous holiday dinners and the stress of dealing with your family, they are clocked in overtime.

But let’s get honest here: holidays aren’t just one day of overeating. Open up your fridge. How much Tupperware and makeshift foil-wrapped containers of turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy and cranberry sauce and pie - oh my! - do you now own?

Where’s that conscience when you need it? Well, recent research shows that the little voice in our heads might not be coming from our heads at all, but from our gut flora, despite the fact that we’ve been assaulting it for days now.

In a study conducted at Rouen University in France under the eye of Dr. Serguei Fetissov, he and his team studied proteins released by the gut bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli). We know what you’re thinking. Yes, it is that E. coli. There are strains of it that live peacefully in our gut and are extremely beneficial. Other strains (there are hundreds) are the bad ones we need to avoid.

Dr. Fetissov and team saw that about 20 minutes after eating, E. coli switch the proteins they release as a byproduct of eating. They then took this latter, alternate protein and gave it to rats. They witnessed that the the little guys actually ate significantly less - whether they had eaten beforehand or not.

Much research agrees with the fact that various gut bacteria actually do affect appetite – not just E. coli. A University of Copenhagen study undertook researching a certain strain of Lactobacillus paracasei showing that it was able to increase the release (we’re poets and don’t know it) of peptides called GLP-1 and GLP-2, which slow down your digestion, and more quickly increase the feeling of fullness, as well as the brain signals related to this.

Surprise! You’ve just been scienced!

The gurgles and garbles you feel are not only your stomach working overtime, but apparently your gut bacteria screaming to your brain, “For the love of all that is holy, stop them!”

Our gut is sage-like in its knowledge of what we need, what to do, and when to stop. Wouldn’t it be wise of us slow down, take a minute, be gut-positive, and listen to the signal? And if we take a day to stress it to its max, shouldn’t we make sure to take care of it before and after, throwing in some other good bacterial reinforcement so it can do its job?

So maybe you want to make sure you’ve chugged some ‘booch and bombarded your clever little gut with an entire chorus of voices in your head that know better, for when you open your fridge this week? Seek North Kombucha is New York’s premium kombucha. Our booch is certified organic, certified kosher, and always 100% raw, all-natural, and undiluted. To find Seek North near you go -here-.

How Kombucha May Lend A Helping Hand This Holiday