The Intestines: What does the large and small intestine do in the digestive systems and how do probiotics help intestine gut health?

What does the intestine do?

The intestine’s main purpose is to digest food. But the intestine is not only there for digestion: it also produces various substances that carry messages to other parts of the body, and plays an important role in fighting germs and regulating the body’s water balance⁴³.

Your intestine is divided into two parts: the small intestine and the large intestine.

Go with your gut feeling.

People often talk about the “gut feeling” when meeting new acquaintances or making decisions. Well the mind-gut connection is not just figurative. There is a particularly high number of nerve cells in the wall of your intestine, making it possible for the intestine to reflect how you are feeling. For instance, you might get a stomach ache, diarrhea or constipation when stressed or upset about something²⁵.