Why is Gut Health so Important?

You may have been hearing more and more people talk about gut health in the last few years. But do you really know why it is so important for your health?

Before we jump straight in, let’s make sure we all understand what the digestive system (aka your gut) is made up of:

• Mouth

• Esophagus

• Stomach

• Small Intestine

• Large Intestine

• Anus

You see your gut is such a powerful system, you could think of it like your second brain, as it links to almost all parts of your body both inside and out. Your gut microbiome is made of billons and trillions of bacteria, archaea and fungi, all there to either help your body or devastate it. Most of this guy’s live in our large intestine, some in our stomach and small intestine.

You see you need a good balance of the good and the bad guys. How much good and bad bacteria you have determines how healthy your gut is.

Your gut microbiome helps:

• As a defence against harmful microorganisms

• It helps digest foods

• It helps in the absorption of vitamins and minerals

• It can influence our mood and behaviour due to its connection to our brain

• Digestion and nutrient uptake

• It influences our immunity

• Maintains a barrier and regulates inflammation in the body

• Hormones levels

• Fuels and maintains your body

• Helps with your weight, skin and other organs.

What does a Healthy Gut look like?

Having good gut health is about having the right balance of good and bad bacteria/species in your microbiome. You can never remove all the bad guys. Your gut microbiome protects you against your everyday environments. It can give you many health benefits not only to your digestive system, but to your skin, reducing inflammation in your body, energy levels and mind. In order to have a healthy gut microbiome you need to have diverse range of foods in particular plant-based foods. Everyday things such as medications, diet, smoking, alcohol, stress, exercise, age can all influence your gut microbiome for better or worse.

What does an Unhealthy Gut look like?

When your gut health is not at its best, you are going to see symptoms in your digestive system such as bloating, bowel changes, gas and abdominal pain. But more importantly you will start to see symptoms that are not in your gut, such as:

Such things as:

• Breakouts

• Brain Fog

• Sleep troubles

• Headaches

• More irritable

• Low Energy

• PMS

But don’t stress if you fall into this category, your gut health is always changing, so whilst you may be suffering with symptoms now, you won’t always be. You can realign that balance. The power is up to you!

Please know that gut health has so many variables and details that are specific to each individual. What I am saying here is what worked for someone to fix their gut symptoms may not work for you. You need to know that your gut symptoms can be fixed if you get to the root cause, rather than just fixing your symptoms.

Remember your gut health is for life and should never be compromised.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for your personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. It should not be considered as medical or professional advice. We recommend you consult with a GP or other healthcare professional before taking or omitting to take any action based on this blog. While the author uses best endeavours to provide accurate and true content, the author makes no guarantees or promises and assumes no liability regarding the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the information presented. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this blog are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this blog is done at your own risk.