How Does Gut Health Affect Your Body & Why It Matters?

How Does Gut Health Affect Your Body & Why It Matters?

Your stomach digests meals and absorbs nutrients to keep your body functioning.

In the medical field, there is a growing research on the significance of the gut to our general health. According to research, every organ in our body is impacted by our gut microbiota. Millions of bacteria inhabit our bodies, and while some are linked to illness, many others are crucial for maintaining a healthy immune system and other bodily functions.

This article provides an overview of the gut microbiome and explains its significance for overall health.

What Is the Gut Microbiome or Good Gut Bacteria?

A unique ecosystem defined by its surroundings and population is called a biome. Your intestines, or gut, are tiny biomes that are home to millions of microscopic species. These microorganisms include fungi, viruses, and parasites in addition to more than a thousand kinds of bacteria.

The trillions of microbes that inhabit your stomach influence many aspects of your overall health. Among the diverse inhabitants, good bacteria play a crucial role, aiding in digestion, bolstering the immune system, and maintaining intestinal health.

Why is Gut Health Important?

As mentioned before, everything starts with your gut. It facilitates food digestion, takes in nutrients, and uses them to sustain your body. Therefore, it will be harder to maintain your health if your immune system and gut are out of balance or aren't functioning properly. Your body eliminates pollutants and metabolic waste from your gut, it will be difficult to get rid of those poisons if you have a sick stomach. This can lead to various problems, such as infections,  inflammation, diarrhoea and constipation.

Therefore, it's crucial to recognize the warning signs and symptoms of poor gut health.

Signs Of An Unhealthy Gut

Stomach Disturbances

While stomach issues are common, symptoms like gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, and heartburn can be signs of poor gut health. These disruptions suggest difficulties in breaking down food and getting rid of waste. Such problems are generally not experienced by a balanced gut.

Skin Conditions

Indications of a poor gut extend beyond the inside. Skin disorders such as psoriasis may be related to the kinds of bacteria that live in your digestive system. Lack of good bacteria may impact your immune system, which in turn may impact other organs, such as your skin.

Unexplained Weight Changes

If you are gaining or losing weight without any significant changes to your diet or exercise routine, you might want to check on your gut health. An unhealthy gut can affect the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, regulate blood sugar, and store fat. 

Food Intolerances

In contrast to food allergies, which result from an immune system response to specific foods, food intolerances are caused by problems with food digestion. Studies indicate that certain intolerances, which include well-known ones like lactose intolerance, may be caused by low-quality gut bacteria. Distressing symptoms like gas, bloating, diarrhoea, abdominal discomfort, and nausea may result from this.

If you frequently suffer from bloating, try The Good Bug’s Bye Bye Bloat

Sleep Disturbances and Chronic Fatigue

Do you struggle to get a good night's sleep or constantly feel tired? Research indicates a potential link between an imbalanced gut and fragmented sleep. The underlying causes are still a bit murky but seem tied to factors like inflammation, metabolic functions, and even mental health.

Autoimmune Conditions

There is an intricate relationship between the immune system and the gut. Numerous studies indicate that a poorly functioning gut may increase systemic inflammation and impair immune system performance. Autoimmune illnesses, in which the body unintentionally targets itself, can be caused by this kind of disturbance.

Inflammation 

Poor gut health may be indicated by inflammation. The common cause is the regular use of processed foods and added sugars, which can contribute to an increase in inflammation by reducing the diversity and amount of beneficial bacteria in the gut. As already mentioned,  inflammation is a major contributor to several other illnesses, including cancer.

Increased Frequency Of Infections 

Gut health is closely related to the strength of your immune system, as mentioned. You may have low immunity as a result of decreased gut health, which increases your vulnerability to illnesses like the common cold. 

Bad breath

Poor gut health can cause gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which can potentially cause bad breath. 

Migraines

According to research, migraine and gut health are closely connected. Patients with poor gut health often suffer from persistent headaches or migraines. 

What factors affect the health of your gut?

The gut microbiome is affected by various factors such as:

  • Stress
  • Lack of adequate sleep
  • Sedentary Lifestyle
  • Consumption of ultra-processed food
  • Smoking
  • Alcohol consumption

Link Between Gut And Overall Health

Your health and important body functions can be impacted by the gut microbiota in several ways:

 Brain Health

Because of the close relationship between the brain and the gut, stress can make some people feel sick to their stomach. In reality, there is constant communication between the brain and the stomach. This is why digestive issues or imbalances in gut microbiota can exacerbate stress, anxiety, or depression. 

Heart Health

According to research, eating items that consist of choline can cause digestive tract issues. Choline is a food that some types of gut bacteria transform into trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a hazardous chemical. Unfortunately, increased TMAO levels may increase the risk of blood clots, stroke, and other illnesses.

Digestive Health

Good bacteria that aid in digestion, food absorption, and other processes make up a large portion of your stomach. But you may have a range of gastrointestinal issues if the bacteria in your stomach fall out of balance. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can be a result due to a fall in the number of good bacteria.

If you are bothered by IBS, check out The Good Bug’s IBS Rescue to help you manage the symptoms. 

Obesity and Diabetes

The body's metabolism is significantly influenced by the composition of gut bacteria, and an imbalance in these microbes can elevate the risk of developing conditions such as diabetes and obesity.

Immune System

The gut helps build and boost the body’s immune system and even helps protect against infection by communicating with immune system cells.

How Can You Improve Your Gut Microbiome?

By implementing specific lifestyle and dietary modifications, you can enhance the health of your gut. The ways to improve gut health are as follows:

Have A High Fiber Meal

There are numerous reasons why fiber is crucial for gut health. Fiber has an impact on how our gut works, how nutrients are absorbed and digested, how quickly or slowly things pass through, and the consistency of our stools.Additionally, fiber lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.Leafy vegetables and fruits are rich sources of fiber.

Stay Hydrated

Water improves gut health. It also absorbs nutrients from meals and helps in the breakdown process. Additionally, water helps to soften faeces, which helps to ward off constipation. Increased variety of gut bacteria may also be associated with a high water intake.

Consume Polyphenols

Polyphenols are plant compounds which help in increasing the number of good bacteria in our gut. Coffee, dark chocolates, and black tea are foods rich in polyphenols.

Diet To Improve Gut Health

Healthy dietary changes can significantly improve your gut health and here's how:

  • Vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and kale and fruits such as apples, berries and bananas are rich in fiber. These foods feed the healthy bacteria in our gut.
  • Whole foods, such as legumes and nuts may prevent the growth of some bacteria linked to diseases and inflammation.

Exercises To Improve Gut Health

Research indicates that exercise plays a crucial role in enriching gut health by fostering the growth of diverse bacterial strains. The following exercises are particularly beneficial in enhancing gut health and promoting overall well-being.

  • Cycling
  • Yoga
  • Brisk Walk
  • Crunches
  • Tai Chi
  • Swimming

Here's How You Can Optimise Your Gut Health with Probiotics:

Probiotics play a significant role in optimising gut health. They can enhance health and help prevent disease by nourishing the good bacteria in your digestive tract.

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that have beneficial effects on your body. They help fight off the less friendly types and boost your immunity against infections.

Probiotics can help improve gut health in the following ways:

  • They lower pH levels. Probiotics may aid in the faster passage of stool through the colon by lowering its pH level.
  • They can help absorb protein. They might facilitate protein absorption. Probiotics can improve your body's ability to absorb other vitamins, minerals, and protein from your diet.

Here's a list of probiotic foods that you can incorporate into your diet to enhance gut health.

  • Yoghurt is one of the best sources of probiotics. It is created from milk that has been fermented by probiotics, primarily bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria.
  • Kefir is a fermented milk beverage. Kefir grains are added to cow or goat milk to make it. As it has more significant strains of yeast and friendly bacteria than yoghurt, it is a more potent and diversified source of probiotics.
  • Finely shredded cabbage that has undergone fermentation due to lactic acid bacteria is known as sauerkraut. Apart from its probiotic properties, sauerkraut also contains high levels of fibre and vitamins C and K. It has potassium, iron, and a high sodium content.
  • Kimchi is a fermented Korean dish. The primary ingredient in Kimchi is typically cabbage, but other vegetables can also be used. Vitamin K, riboflavin (vitamin B2), and iron are among the vitamins and minerals that are abundant in kimchi.

In addition to a gut-healthy diet, you can also try The Good Bug's prebiotics to optimise gut health.

The Link Between Probiotics Supplements And Gut Health

Through a variety of processes, probiotics enhance gut health. These mechanisms include modulating the gut microbiota by lowering pathogenic bacteria, increasing the colonisation of beneficial bacteria and yeast, and fostering microbial balance. Probiotic supplements from trusted and reliable sources, such as The Good Bug, are recognized for their ability to enhance gut health.

Myths About Gut Health:

Some of the common myths surrounding gut health are:

Gut health is only about digestive health

This is the most common misconception about the gut that it is only related to digestive health. Everything in the human body is interlinked. Thus a healthy gut along with enhancing the digestive system also impacts immunity and brain health.

Probiotics cannot fix all gut issues

Although probiotics are an excellent source to improve gut health, they alone themselves are not sufficient enough to solve all gut problems. Probiotics along with a healthy lifestyle and dietary changes can result in a healthier gut.

Grains are bad for the gut

Insoluble fibres from whole grains are a form of prebiotics. Prebiotics are “food” for gut microbes. Your microbiome metabolises fibre from foods such as whole grains into substances that are beneficial to the body.

The Bottom Line

A healthy gut is essential to overall body health. One can actively promote and enhance gut health by emphasising healthy eating habits and leading an active lifestyle. Fostering a robust and balanced gut microbiota requires consuming a wide variety of nutrient-rich meals, drinking plenty of water, and practising stress management. 

FAQs

Why is the gut important for health?

It's the most important organ that other organs depend on for life-supporting nutrition. That's why your gut health is so important. 

What causes poor gut health?

Diet and lifestyle factors, including poor sleep quality, alcohol consumption and inactivity, can harm your gut bacteria. 

What's the best drink for gut health?

Water: In addition to its importance for digestion, research indicates warm water may aid gut bacteria. 

References:

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