Your gut and microbiome are the foundation of your health. Good gut health occurs when you have the right balance between the good (helpful) and bad (potentially harmful) bacteria and yeasts in your digestive system. Furthermore, the gut holds 80% of your immune system and also a huge store of serotonin – a neurotransmitter that plays a vital role in the communication between your gut and brain, as well as in the proper functioning of your gut. This means if your gut isn’t healthy, then your immune system and other neurotransmitters won’t function correctly, and you may get ill. Gut health is a major determinant of overall physical and mental health.
Why is Gut Health Important for Our Overall Health and Well-Being?
Your gut aids in the digestion of the foods you eat, absorbing nutrients, and using it to fuel and maintain your body. So, if your gut is imbalanced and your immune system isn’t working properly, neurotransmitters such as serotonin and other hormones won’t work properly, making it more challenging to stay healthy. Your gut is also where your body gets rid of metabolic waste and toxins. However, if you have an imbalanced gut, your body will struggle to rid itself of those toxins. This can cause many issues, including chronic fatigue, chronic illnesses, and inflammation throughout the body. Symptoms of an unbalanced gut include: brain fog, diarrhoea, constipation, gas, and joint pain.
The Gut and Brain Link
The brain has a direct effect on the stomach and intestines, as they are intimately connected. For example, the thought of eating can release digestive juices before food gets there. This connection goes both ways. A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression.
What Factors Affect the Health of Our Gut?
While several factors can contribute to poor gut health, some of the most common can include:
· Poor nutrition: Processed foods and sugars can harm the beneficial bacteria in your gut and contribute to or cause inflammation throughout the body.
· Stress, overuse of alcohol and NSAIDs (ibuprofen): This increases intestinal permeability (leaky gut), tipping the scales toward an imbalance and increase in bad over good bacteria in the gut, plus robbing the body of essential gut healthy nutrients.
· Long-term use of antibiotics and antacids: Theses decrease vitamin B12 within the gut, which is essential for cell production, DNA replication, brain function and energy. They also destroy the good bacteria that live in your gut. However, it’s important to note that there is a time and a place for these medications, but it’s best to consult with your doctor before using them, especially in the long-term.
What are the Signs of an Unhealthy Gut?
An unhealthy gut can appear as gas, bloating, constipation, and diarrhoea, but it can present itself in many other forms as well. Brain fog, headaches, poor concentration and memory, fatigue, chronic pain, trouble sleeping, and issues with cravings or bad moods are also symptoms and critical indicators of a poor microbiome. Autoimmune disorders such as Hashimoto’s (Thyroid) Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can also be signs of an unhealthy gut.
How can we Support Digestive Health Through Food?
A greater diversity in types of gut bacteria is an important indicator of the health of your microbiome. Many factors, including the foods you eat, can impact the type of bacteria found in your digestive tract. Gut microbiome research has discovered that people who eat 30+ different plant foods per week have a far more diverse gut microbiomes compared to those who eat less than 10. This is important, as a more diverse gut microbiome is associated with better gut health – that is more capable and resilient.
Nutrients that Support Digestion
· Vitamin D is needed for many gut factors including: maintaining gut integrity; controlling calcium and absorption, and supporting immune cells. Sunlight on your skin is the only solution. Use an oil-based supplement through the darker months, or all year round if you have darker skin.
· Vitamin C helps your body produce enough collagen to maintain the tissues of your digestive tract. Choose brightly coloured fruits and veggies.
· Vitamin A nourishes the surface of the digestive tract, helping to ensure that each organ can function properly and secrete the compounds that help with digestion. Choose orange, yellow and red fruits and veggies.
· Minerals; potassium, sodium and calcium aid digestive function, helping the gut muscles push food through your system. Choose leafy greens, beans, nuts, bananas and starchy vegetables for potassium. Choose dairy and green leafy vegetables for calcium. There is enough sodium in our diet without adding to it.
· Essential omega fats may be associated with increased beneficial gut microbiota growth and help to produce bile and for us to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. They are also anti-inflammatory. Choose oily fish, walnuts, flax seeds, green leafy vegetables and marine algae.
· Fibre feeds the gut and aids in digestion. It also acts as a mild laxative, increasing peristalsis and helps to clean the walls of the intestines, preventing toxins from settling in the colon. Choose wholegrains, starchy vegetables and pulses.
· Fermented food such as kimchi, sauerkraut, or kefir are the ultimate prebiotics, as they are full of lactic-acid-producing bacteria that help maintain a healthy gut.
· Pulses are packed with oligosaccharides (large carbohydrate molecules) that feed good gut bacteria, and fibre that helps keep the gut clean and healthy.
· L-Glutamine (amino acid) protects the integrity of the gastrointestinal barrier. Choose protein-rich foods, or supplement.
Other supportive herbs and spices
· Ginger aids digestion by stimulating digestive enzymes. Sipping ginger tea before or during a meal can reduce intestinal gas and bloating.
· Peppermint is a natural antispasmodic that will help calm an irritated stomach.
· Fennel helps keep your digestive system working and may reduce intestinal gas, bloating, and nausea.
· Anti-inflammatory compounds such as turmeric help to calm inflammation in the gut.
· Water plays an essential role in partnership with fibre to get solids through your system.