Why Gut Health is Important?

What is Gut health?

The gastrointestinal (GI) system is referred to as the “gut”. Gut problems are caused due to the presence of unhealthy bacteria in the stomach and intestinal tract that primarily affects the gastrointestinal system.

A healthy gut may have noticeable effects on your immune system and mood.

The gastrointestinal system breaks down food into its simplest components during digestion. Due to this, the essential nutrients are absorbed through the gut wall and delivered via the bloodstream. The gut employs hormones, microbes and neurons to control this process.

Why is gut health important?

The human gut is more intricate and significantly influences overall health. A healthy gut supports a robust immune system, a healthy heart, a healthy brain, a better mood, restful sleep and efficient digestion.  

It may also help avoid some malignancies and autoimmune disorders. Your gut helps with food digestion, absorbs nutrients and utilises them to refuel your body.

The gut is crucial for immunological health because the gut wall acts as a barrier to keep viruses, fungus and harmful bacteria out of the bloodstream when it is working correctly.

Four types of food for gut health  

The following foods are regarded as proper food for good gut health:

High-fibre foods

Constipation can be avoided or relieved by eating enough fibre, which promotes the easy passage of waste through the body. It also supports a balanced gut microbiome.

It aids in encouraging regular bowel movements and shortens the amount of time waste remains in the intestines.

Garlic and onion

The prebiotic fibre in onions and garlic feeds the beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract. Eating this type of fibre increases the levels of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in the gut.

Fermented foods  

According to Stanford researchers, consuming a lot of fermented foods for ten weeks increases microbiome diversity and enhances the body’s immune responses. Fermented foods enhance the diversity of gut microorganisms, which helps for better body health.

Collagen-boosting foods

Consuming foods high in collagen such as meat, fish, chicken, eggs and dairy products can aid the body’s collagen production. Eating foods prescribed by a dietitian may also help the body produce more collagen.

7 Signs of an unhealthy gut  

The following are the signs of an unhealthy gut:

Stomach upset

Consistent discomfort, gas, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation and heartburn may indicate that your gut has trouble breaking down food and removing waste.  

You frequently experience fatigue. The intestinal imbalance may exist in those who have chronic fatigue.

A high-sugar diet  

Processed foods and added sugars can decrease the rate and quantity of good bacteria in your stomach. According to research, this might cause the body’s overall inflammation to grow.

Unintentional weight changes

It’s possible that an unhealthy gut can be detected if you gain or lose weight without changing your eating or exercise routine. An unbalanced gut can hamper your body’s capacity to absorb nutrients, control blood sugar and store fat.

Sleep disturbances or constant fatigue  

Chronic fatigue may result from sleep problems, including insomnia or poor sleep caused by an unhealthy gut. Gut damage can make it harder to get good sleep because serotonin (a hormone that influences mood and sleep) is produced there.

An increased risk of several significant health disorders is linked to poor sleep. According to research, your gut’s health has a significant impact on how well you sleep.

Skin irritation  

In particular, the appearance of your skin, including the presence of spots, inflammation, eczema and rosacea, can be significantly impacted by having a sick stomach. Your intestinal flora or gut microbiome affects your general health, particularly your skin.

Autoimmune conditions  

Multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis are some autoimmune disorders produced by common gut bacteria.

A protein generated by typical gut bacteria may cause autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis.

Food intolerance  

Food intolerances greatly impact the digestive system. Some foods are indigestible for those with intolerances or sensitivities. They experience difficulties like flatulence and diarrhoea. Food sensitivity or intolerance is uncomfortable but not life-threatening.

By inducing inflammation and changing gut permeability, bacterial and viral infections can potentially impair healthy immune responses, leading to food sensitivity.

Prevention of unhealthy gut

Following are the effective ways to prevent an unhealthy gut.

Reduce Stress

Stress can be reduced in the following four ways.

Exercise

Even light exercise can help lower stress and depression.

Reduce Caffeine

In high doses, caffeine can increase your anxiety level.

Breathing Exercises

Exercises that involve deep breathing can significantly improve your mood.

Avoid taking antibiotics unnecessarily

Taking antibiotics can lower the risk of diarrhoea and improve the health of your gut flora. Healthy gut flora may also be restored by eating high-fibre, fermented and prebiotic foods.

Exercise regularly

The gut microbiome can benefit from exercise in a variety of ways. It is associated with improvements in the diversity and number of advantageous microbial species, as well as improved glucose metabolism and short-chain fatty acid production.

Get enough sleep

Your hormones may become weak when you don’t get enough sleep. As a result, Cortisol (a stress hormone) may increase. A leaky gut or increased intestinal permeability is a condition where food and poisons can flow through the intestine and into the circulation.

Avoid smoking

There are several ways that smoking might hurt your digestive tract. People who smoke are more likely to get heartburn and peptic ulcers. Smoking makes it more difficult to address specific illnesses. Smoking raises the chance of gallstones and Crohn’s disease.

The gut microbiome significantly changes after quitting smoking. Positive changes in heart rate, systolic blood pressure and C-reactive protein levels are linked to improvements in bacterial diversity.

Eat a vegetarian diet

A plant-based or vegetarian diet is good for human health because it encourages a variety of gut flora, which are crucial for maintaining gut health. A vegan diet has been demonstrated to promote more stable and diversified microbial communities.

Another crucial element of the diet for regaining digestive health is vegetables. We must not lose sight of fibre fermented to provide good colon bacteria and encourage intestinal microbiota growth. The majority of the bacteria in our intestines feed on fibre.

Conclusion  

Human digestion is intricate. Although further research is needed, it is evident that the gut microbiome impacts overall health. A robust immune system, a healthy heart, a healthy brain, better mood, restful sleep and efficient digestion are all widely influenced by gut health.

Some autoimmune disorders and malignancies may be prevented through proper care. Changing your food and lifestyle may have a good impact on both your gut and overall health.

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