Many articles and much attention are paid to heart health, protecting your brain and lungs, and the importance of exercise, but little is mentioned about the importance of gut health and its effect on your well-being. It may be discussed in commercials on laxatives or mentioned in yogurt commercials promoting gut health, but aside from the discussion on constipation, diarrhea, and the occasional upset stomach, the major role it plays in your immunity, nutrition, and mood is seldom mentioned.
The gut is the second immune system.
Breakthroughs in understanding the role microbes play in health are discovered every year. A recent discovery led scientists to find the bacteria that produced a bile acid that caused a genetic change in T-cell activity. It resulted in autoimmune diseases like Crohn's or RA. Other studies show that if the gut microbiome is in balance, it helps the immune system identify real invaders to attack. If there are too many harmful microbes, it can trigger an attack on the body's cells and cause autoimmune disorders.
There is a theory that a leaky gut may be the problem.
Your gut has a mucous lining that prevents the leakage of toxins into the bloodstream. The leaky gut theory suggests the lining becomes permeable, allowing the toxins to enter. It can cause inflammation throughout the entire body. Scientists have found a link between diabetes, fibromyalgia, arthritis, asthma, and chronic fatigue. The theory got some backing when scientists discovered the intestine's permeability before discovering the disease. An imbalance of gut microbes, a deficiency in vitamins A and D, zinc deficiencies, stress, alcohol abuse, and yeast overgrowth may lead to a leaky gut.
Your diet plays a role in producing a healthy gut microbiome.
What you eat makes a difference. If you eat excess sugar, it can lead to an unhealthy increase in yeast or harmful microbes. If you consume food high in soluble fiber, it feeds the beneficial microbes and increases their colonies. The beneficial microbes break down food into nutrients the body can use and create hormones and enzymes that contribute to both mental and physical health. Several studies are investigating the role that gut health plays in disorders like depression, anxiety, bipolar disease, and schizophrenia.
- Problems with gut health may lead to diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and gas. Poor gut health may trigger weight gain and lead to chronic fatigue, skin irritation, and autoimmune disorders.
- An imbalance in the gut microbiome can affect how you handle stress. The reverse is also true. Stress can directly affect the balance of the gut microbiome.
- Including fiber-rich vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, and leafy greens in the diet can nourish and encourage populations of beneficial bacteria. Adding fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and yogurt also helps.
- Consuming collagen, amino acids, foods high in zinc, and L-glutamine can help repair the gut lining. Adding flaxseed, fatty fish, and avocados provides healthy fat to reduce gut inflammation.
For more information, contact us today at Habitat Health & Fitness
