I think everyone has heard the saying ‘trust your gut’. It is also called a sixth sense or a hunch. Trusting the gut suggests that a person trusts their intuitive feelings, often in order to remain true to themselves. Gut feelings can often help us make good decisions. Gut feelings can be positive and negative. Sometimes you just know that something is not right, and sometimes you get positive sensations that confirm your decisions. There is also a scientific explanation behind it. Scientists sometimes call the stomach the “second brain.” There are 100 million neurons lining your digestive system. It’s more than in the spinal cord.
There are even more microbes living inside our intestines and on our skin—trillions of them. We have lived together with microbes our entire lives, and they play an important role in our body. For example, without the microbes in our cut, it would be impossible to live. Gut refers to the digestive or gastrointestinal tract, which begins in the month and ends in the rectum.
A healthy gut can mean many things. It can mean the overall health of the digestive system, but it can also refer to a healthy gut microbiome. There are more than 200 different types of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in your large intestine. To describe them, scientists use the word microbiome. Most of the microbiome in our intestines is found in a ‘pocket’ called the cecum. Your gut microbiome is the foundation of your overall well-being. Gut health is in balance when you have in your digestive system a balance between helpful and potentially harmful microbes. The microbiome in our stomach helps break down food and turn it into nutrients. It also helps to regulate the bile, vitamin levels, the immune system, and serotonin. There are also studies that say that our gut is also responsible for our mental health, depression, cholesterol levels, and obesity. Scientists still don’t know everything about gut health or what it is responsible for. But they know that it is responsible for our overall health.
Your health can be affected by different factors. Some of them are stress, poor nutrition, and the long-term use of antibiotics. Stress can lead to increased intestinal permeability. This can result in an imbalance because there are more bad bacteria in the gut than good ones. Nowadays, people are in a hurry all the time, so we consume more processed food. Processed food and sugar are harmful for good bacteria, and this can lead to inflammation throughout the body. Antibiotics decrease the amount of B12 in our gut. B12 is necessary for cell production, brain function, and energy. They also kill good bacteria. Nevertheless, it is important to note that these medicines have their own time and place, but it is always best to consult your doctor before using them.
There are many situations when you can notice that your gut is unhealthy or unbalanced. The most typical symptoms are gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, tiredness and problems sleeping, bad mood, brain fog, headaches, skin problems, food sensitivity, and so on. But an unhealthy gut can also be noticed when you suffer from autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. These things can also be caused by other things.
Our gut health can affect our weight. The imbalance between healthy and unhealthy microbes is sometimes called gut dysbiosis, and it can contribute to weight gain.
The microbiome also affects gut health. Unhealthy microbiomes can cause diseases like irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. People who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome may experience bloating, cramps, and abdominal pain due to intestinal dysbiosis. This is caused by microbes producing a lot of gas and other chemicals that contribute to the symptoms of gut discomfort.
Gut health can also affect our heart health. There is a study that shows that the gut microbiome helps to produce “good” HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Some gut microbiomes can also produce trimethylamine N-oxide, which is dangerous for our hearts by blocking the arteries.
Gut health affects our brain in many ways. Some bacteria can produce neurotransmitters. One of them is serotonin, and it works as an antidepressant. Serotonin is produced in our gut. Our gut is connected with our brain through millions of nerves. That means if our gut is unhealthy, it may also affect our brain functions. There are some studies that have shown that people with psychological disorders have different species of bacteria in their gut in comparison with healthy people.
In our gut, we have gut-associated lymphoid tissue, and there is a large proportion of the body’s immune cells. The gut microbiome helps to train and modulate these immune cells, allowing us to distinguish harmless substances from potential threats.
Like already said, our gut and brain are connected in the same way our gut and skin are connected. Microbial imbalances in the gut can contribute to the development of inflammatory skin diseases. Acne and rosacea are skin conditions caused by an overgrowth of bacteria in the gut, particularly in the small intestine. Imbalances in the microbiota have also been associated with the transport of unwanted bacterial metabolites, known as endotoxins, from the gut into the general circulation, causing inflammation.
In conclusion, there are some foods and a healthy lifestyle that can improve your gut health. You should add to your diet more fibre-rich and probiotic foods. Fibres can stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut. Some of the fibre-rich foods are spinach, carrots, fennel, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and so on. Probiotics can be found in different fermented foods, such as yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and so on. Exercise helps to improve our overall health, and it is also good for our microbiome. It doesn’t mean that you have to start to run. Just a daily walk can improve your gut health and also your stress level, which also causes gut problems. Too much alcohol can lead to gastritis, which leads to an inflamed gut. The inflammation causes heartburn, chronic discomfort, ulcers, and bacterial infections.
https://pixabay.com/photos/ibs-probiotic-gut-stomach-colon-5308379/
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/trust-your-gut
https://hbr.org/2022/03/how-to-stop-overthinking-and-start-trusting-your-gut
https://www.circlehealthgroup.co.uk/health-matters/your-body/why-is-gut-health-important
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/gut-health
https://www.parkview.com/blog/the-importance-of-gut-health
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gut-microbiome-and-health#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
https://www.theguardian.com/the-year-of-your-gut/2024/jan/02/digest-this-why-your-gut-health-is-key-to-your-overall-wellness
https://www.forbes.com/health/nutrition/how-to-improve-gut-health/