Your gut is a hive of activity, but most people are unaware of just how busy it is down there even when you are not having anything to eat or drink.
On average, your gut contains over 400 different strains of bacteria, but thankfully, most of them are good guys. However, all of this bacteria generally weighs in the region of 3 pounds, which is in itself pretty impressive.
The scary part is that if your body failed with its natural protection, the bacteria in your gut would end up completely consuming you in next to no time. Actually, it would effectively eat you from the inside out and do so within 48 hours of your body halting its natural job.