Gut health and why it matters

A growing body of research shows that gut health affects more than just digestion.From skin to energy levels, a healthy gut plays an intrinsic role in the overall health of the body.

You’ve probably heard the term ‘gut health’ and wondered what it means – surely a healthy gut is just a gut that digests food effectively?While this is true, gut health affects the health of the entire body, and there is growing evidence that a healthy gut microbiome is important for our mental health as well as an effective immune system.

But what happens when our gut becomes unhealthy and how can we maintain a healthy balance?

01 What is gut health?

From the esophagus to the gut, gut health encompasses the health of the entire digestive system – the parts of our body responsible for breaking down food into the individual nutrients we use to run our bodies.Each part of the gut has a different job, and different colonies of microbes are responsible for breaking down food into a more digestible form.

Studies have shown that diet has a direct effect on the number of these colonies, with a high-fat or high-sugar diet encouraging bacteria to consume these nutrients, while a high-fiber diet encourages fiber-loving bacteria, which typically survive farther in the gut.So remember, when you eat, you’re not just feeding yourself, you’re feeding billions of gut bacteria, and your dietary choices will affect which bacteria do well and which die off.

There is evidence that these bacteria may have an impact on longevity, as indicated by the unique gut bacteria of people who live to be 100 years old.In addition, some gut bacteria may even give athletes an edge, allowing their bodies to thrive and improve their performance.

A healthy gut communicates with the brain through neural networks and hormones – that’s how we know when we’re hungry and what we might want to eat.Everyone’s gut microbiome is unique, so foods that help one person thrive may cause irritation in others.The most common food intolerances are gluten in wheat and lactose and casein in milk.Some people can digest these ingredients without any problems, while others will find themselves feeling intense discomfort and unpleasant symptoms when consuming these foods.

02 Why Improve Gut Health?

The intestinal tract is important for immune function, and the intestinal wall provides a barrier that, when functioning properly, prevents viruses, fungi, and “bad” bacteria from entering the bloodstream.Unfortunately, this barrier can sometimes become permeable, commonly known as “leaky gut,” which means these nasty things can break through and make us sick.Conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and Celiac Disease can make it easier for people to develop permeability in their intestinal walls, which in turn can make them more susceptible to illnesses or infections that enter the body in this way.

Research shows that gut health also has a knock-on effect on mental health.Known as the ‘second brain’, there’s a reason we feel so many emotions inside.Gut bacteria have the ability to stimulate our nervous system, sending messages to our brain via the vagus nerve.They can also release the same hormones that our own system releases, making them small pilots that have a major impact on our bodies and decision-making because they are small.This communication between the gut and the brain is known as the gut-brain axis.Stress also affects these bacteria because many of them are sensitive to hormones, which can lead to imbalances.

03 What are the signs of poor gut health?

With an estimated 60-70 million people in the United States suffering from digestive problems, accounting for 12% of hospitalized surgeries, poor gut health is a very common problem.There are many causes of compromised gut health, but the main signs that you may have a problem are:

bloating

insomnia

pyrosis

Nausea and vomiting

Other slightly vague symptoms may not seem to have much to do with gut health, but may actually be strong indicators of a problem.

Fatigue and poor sleep – A 2020 study found that imbalances in our gut health can lead to disturbed sleep patterns and low energy.

Skin Irritation – It may seem strange that you have an external immune barrier (skin) and an internal immune barrier (gut), but research suggests that skin irritation may be a symptom of poor gut health.

Bad Breath – It makes sense that symptoms of poor gut health would affect the mouth, as this is the gateway to the gastrointestinal tract, but what you may not realize is that bad breath can actually be a symptom of a digestive system that is not doing well with all the other symptoms.

It is advisable to look out for changes and symptoms that are unusual for you, as bowel health is very personal.Changes in bowel habits may indicate a problem, such as bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, heartburn or waking up at night with increased bowel movements.Sleep disturbances, increased fatigue, skin irritations, food intolerances and unintentional weight changes can all be associated with an unhealthy gut.

If you think you’re experiencing any symptoms, it may be worth seeing your doctor or a gut health specialist to discuss potential causes and treatments.

04 4 Ways to Improve Your Gut Health

Method 1: Take probiotics

You can get probiotics naturally from your diet, but some people choose to supplement.Probiotics are a combination of live beneficial bacteria or yeast native to our gut microbiome.Probiotics are made up of beneficial bacteria that keep us healthy and keep our bacteria balanced, as poor health and disease can get out of sync.

If you have symptoms of poor gut health, taking probiotic supplements may help rebuild your microbiome and support good gut health in the future.It’s important to choose the types that will live to make it to your gut; there’s not much point in taking them if they’re destroyed by your digestive system before they reach their destination.

Method 2: Consumption of prebiotics

So you’ve been taking probiotics, how do you make sure those good bacteria you’ve been eating stay energized and healthy?Studies have shown that consuming probiotic foods is an excellent way to support the gut microbiome because it feeds the beneficial microbes and increases their numbers, so the harmful microbes don’t have room to get food.

Prebiotic foods are recommended as part of a balanced diet.Eating garlic, onions, berries, oats, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds has been shown to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, including bifidobacteria, and some studies have shown that prebiotics reduce risk factors for certain diseases by lowering levels of insulin, triglycerides and cholesterol.

Method 3: Fermented Foods

You’ve probably seen a lot of discussion about the benefits of fermented foods, and things like fermented yogurt are readily available at the grocery store.

Fermented foods such as yogurt, kimchi and sauerkraut can benefit the microbiota by enhancing its function and reducing the abundance of pathogenic bacteria in the gut while promoting the growth of the beneficial bacterium Lactobacillus spp. It’s worth noting that the effects of probiotics and fermented foods are short-lived so the effects will wear off if you stop.

Method 4: Fiber-rich foods

High-fiber foods provide ample catabolic capacity for our gut bacteria to support their populations, as our bodies are unable to digest fiber on their own.According to a 2019 study, short-chain fatty acids produced from indigestible fiber are also important for immune function.

Fiber also acts as a filler, helping to move hard-to-digest foods through the digestive tract and out of the body as waste.It delays the digestive process by being difficult to break down, which means that the lower bacteria in our gut also have a chance to digest food into nutrients.Low fiber diets often lead to constipation because hard-to-digest foods stay in our system longer and have nowhere to go.