Gut Health: It's More Important Than You Think!
Did you know that approximately 70% of the body’s immune system resides in the gut? Seriously! Since the immune system is important to suppressing disease, paying attention to the health of your gut is one important key to keeping your body holistically healthy. But what does it really mean when you hear friends, or your doctor, refer to “the gut” or “gut health”? Let’s take a look
First of all, when we say “the gut”, what do we mean? Well, we mean the digestive system components of the stomach, the small intestine, and the large intestine (aka the colon). There are other organs associated with the digestive system, but these are the major players.
The gut is like a playground for all sorts bacteria; some good and some bad. This bacteria, also called microbes, flourish in the digestive tract. We each have a varied grouping of these microbes that make up our own individual bacterial profile (or microbiome). Some of each profile is inherited, while some is a result of a person’s lifestyle choices. Many doctors now believe that the bacterial balance of the gut has a greater impact than previously believed on many diseases; from irritable bowel syndrome to cancer.
The bacteria in the digestive tract need to have a balance of good over bad. Gut bacteria plays an important role in protecting the body from disease and for playing all of the roles that they do and to keep the body healthy. Bacteria is responsible for producing certain vitamins the body needs and for sending important microbial messages to the immune system and the brain.
Some biologists believe that in the future, your bacterial profile will be able to be determined by something as easy as a blood test. If your profile is found to be one that is prone to disease, they predict an individualized probiotic “cocktail” of sorts could be prescribed that can even out some of the bad bacteria that the body produces to promote long-term gut health. Until then, there are some good things that we can do to promote good overall gut health through our dietary choices today.
The gut is very central to our bodies and connected to many vital organs. Poor digestive health can compromise the immune system and cause inflammation in the body. It is important to have the right balance to keep a strong immune system, eliminate waste well, and have good digestive functioning. A healthy gut will work well to eliminate dangerous toxins and to metabolize nutrients that are essential.
Several in the medical profession are predicting that we will be hearing much more about restoring the integrity of the gut as therapy for all kinds of diseases in the next 5-10 years.
An unhealthy digestive tract can be linked to a variety of health problems as previously mentioned above. Some might be rather obvious, but some will possibly surprise you. What are some good indications that some extra attention should be paid to your gut?
And more....
So if you if you suffer from any one of these things, looking into what you can do to heal and restore your gut is one of the first places you should look for relief. But how? Where should a person start?
Start this way:
Let us know in the comments section below how you plan to eat your way to better health and improve your own gut health!
Chicken Meal Prep Recipes are crowd-pleasers and these 23 of our favorites will keep away…
These vitamin-rich spring rolls are full of raw veggies like watercress, protein-rich tofu and a…
Meal Prep Menu 2024, Week 13! Bring on the planning and break out your pots…
Meal Prep Menu 2024, Week 12! Bring on the planning and break out your pots…
Meal Prep Menu 2024, Week 11! Bring on the planning and break out your pots…
Meal Prep Menu 2024, Week 10! Bring on the planning and break out your pots…
View Comments
This is a very good tip particularly to those new to the blogosphere.
Simple but very accurate info... Thank you for sharing
this one. A must read article!