Unleashing The Power Of Gut Health
- Do you ever keep wondering how these celebrities and athletes can be in such good health or how they are always so high-spirited or is your doctor suggesting you add probiotics or prebiotics to your diet when visiting him/her with a complaint of stomach ache? If yes, then the answer to all the above is good gut health. Yes, you have read it right. Lately, researchers and the general public are delving into the world of gut health and finding some astonishing facts that are changing everyone’s perspective of healthy living. Despite being just an organ, you’ll be quite surprised to know that the gut is capable of many more things. In this blog, we shall explore the same. So, all the health enthusiasts out there, grab a cup of coffee and get ready to delve into the realm of gut health.
The saying “The way to the heart is through the gut” isn’t confined to table talks anymore but has found a more profound meaning in the world of science and human health in particular. Research has revealed that an unhealthy gut is associated with a number of health problems, including depression and anxiety (no wonder why we feel low when our gut is upset). In fact, every year millions of people suffer due to health problems related to the gut.
Studies show that a happy and healthy gut is said to elevate the mood and is essential for the overall well-being of the human body. The human gut is home to 100 trillion microbes, which are collectively referred to as the gut microbiota. These microbes are the driving wheels of the gut. In recent times, the gut microbiota has been under the spotlight and is found to be affected by several factors like diet, host genetics, lifestyle, and immune status. Any kind of alteration in the composition of the gut microbial community and functionality (also known as dysbiosis) is found to be one of the leading causes of diseases like inflammatory bowel diseases, diabetes, neuropsychiatric diseases, autoimmune diseases, and also problems like obesity, allergic disorders, and even tumors in extreme cases. Therefore, now you understand why it is not obnoxious to choose a bowl of salad over a plate of overloaded cheese pizza. To make you understand better, let’s learn how the above-mentioned factors influence our gut health, how you can know if you have a healthy gut or not, the role of probiotics and prebiotics in gut health, and at last, we’ll also share some bonus tips for you to nurture your gut.
Table of Contents
ToggleWatch Out For These Factors Influencing Gut Health
Diet
It is very well said that “We are what we eat. There’s a reason why nowadays doctors suggest their patients follow a healthy diet, and that food and nutrition brands are tremendously switching to curated healthy products. And the reason is diet. Diet is one of the most crucial factors that causes dysbiosis. A healthy diet consisting of dietary fibers, fruits, green vegetables, and fermented food promotes the growth of healthy microbes in the gut, contributing to good gut health. Whereas diets that are high in sugar, oil, processed food, and artificial additives have been found to affect the gut microbiota, resulting in an imbalance in their composition. This imbalance can lead to health problems like obesity and diabetes.
Lifestyle
The number of diabetes and heart attack cases is rising expeditiously across the globe. And the credit for this goes to the unhealthy lifestyles of people. What people don’t understand are the adverse effects that an unhealthy lifestyle can cause to the gut. The gut microbial composition is sensitive to the chemical changes in your body. These chemical changes are induced by several factors, like sleep, regular exercise, and stress. Proper management of these factors has been shown to contribute positively to gut health. However, excess stress, lack of exercise, and a warped sleep schedule can significantly cause dysbiosis, leading to many problems like diabetes, heart diseases, neuropsychiatric diseases, and mood disorders like anxiety and depression.
Medications
The advent of Google has made everyone a know-it-all home doctor. But what people are not aware of is the effect that their misdiagnosed medications using Google or the overuse of certain medications with expert guidance can have on their gut. Research shows that overuse of medications like antibiotics indiscriminately reduces the number of good bacteria in the gut, leading to an overall alteration of the gut microbiota. These good bacteria are beneficial for effective digestion. Any alteration in their composition thus leads to digestive issues affecting their overall well-being.
Environment
The gut microbiota is highly responsive to the external environment. When you come in contact with any kind of toxin or pollutant, it has an impact on your gut health. These toxins and pollutants, upon entering your body, can alter the gut microbial diversity, leading to a disruption in their optimal functioning. This can indirectly contribute to gut health problems.
These factors significantly influence your gut health. However, optimally maintaining these factors can contribute to good gut health.
This Is How You Can Know You Have a Good Gut
Now that you know of the influencing factors of gut health, here are some signs that can help you recognize if you have a healthy gut or not. Once you recognize these signs, you can accordingly plan your guide to maintain and improve your gut.
- The first sign of a healthy gut is smooth and regular digestion. If you don’t suffer from issues like frequent bloating, indigestion, gas, or constipation, then it’s an indication that your gut microbes are in healthy condition and functioning properly.
- Another sign of a healthy gut is having strong immunity. Eating mineral- and vitamin-rich food contributes to a healthy gut as they are disease-fighting nutrients. These nutrients enhance the functionality of the gut microbiota, which in turn boosts the immunity of your body. A healthy gut means you are less susceptible to diseases.
- You will find yourself in an elevated and stable mood if your gut is healthy. Studies have shown the correlation between a healthy gut and an efficiently functioning brain. In simple words, just imagine that the brain and gut are connected with each other via an axis, and this axis acts as a mediator between the two. So, any alteration in the gut will influence your mood and mental health, and vice versa. Hence, those who follow a healthy diet are found to be in an ecstatic and calm mood and also have better concentration power than those whose gut health is compromised.
- Getting glowy, glass-like skin is everyone’s dream, but did you know that instead of investing thousands of dollars in expensive beauty products, you can get a textured and even skin look just by maintaining a healthy gut? A healthy skin is a sign of a healthy gut. An imbalanced gut microbiota can be the underlying cause of a number of skin problems like acne and eczema.
- Dysbiosis leads to unpredicted spikes in the levels of inflammation throughout the body. So, the next time you get those pestering, uninvited acne on your skin, mind focusing on your gut health.
Probiotics And Prebiotics- The Powerful Allies Of A Healthy Gut
Due to the intricate relationship of the gut microbiota with several human metabolic functions and diseases, introducing positive changes in the gut microbiota is becoming an emerging option for therapeutic approaches to monitor several diseases. The introduction of supplements like probiotics and prebiotics in the diet has been shown to shift the paradigm of managing a number of health problems.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that help to enhance or restore health to our gut microbiota. The two most commonly classified probiotics are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. The microbiota dwelling in our gut shows a great extent of similarity to those present in probiotic food drinks and dietary supplements. Fermented dairy products such as yogurt are one of the best sources of probiotics. Besides, probiotics also play an important role in protecting the body from other infectious diseases by inducing changes in the functioning of certain immune cells.
Prebiotics, on the other hand, are foods with high fiber content, like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, peas, etc. These are fermented by host gut microbes and therefore act as their food. Certain substances found in packaged foods serve as a major source of prebiotics. Including prebiotics in the diet can potentially have a positive effect on patients suffering from diseases like Type 2 diabetes, as the latter shows a significantly low count of microbes. Upon metabolism of these prebiotics, the gut microbes produce certain substances called short-chain fatty acids, which nourish the cells that line the gut and are associated with reducing the risk for certain cancers like colorectal cancer, enhancing calcium absorption in the body, and relieving constipation and diarrhea. The short-chain fatty acids produced can also enter the bloodstream and travel to other organs, where they act as signals to communicate with the brain and also help in regulating the immune system and inflammation. Thus, it contributes to the overall benefit of health.
Bonus Tips To Nurture Your Gut
Understanding your gut health is not enough if you don’t maintain it diligently. Nurturing your gut with all the necessities required is another crucial step in achieving a healthy gut. Though there are already thousands of pre-existing resources on gut health, finding the right tips among those can be time-consuming. But we understand this; hence, we have compiled some bonus tips for you that will help you understand how to take care of your gut.
- The first and foremost thing you need to do is adopt a balanced diet. Having a healthy diet is key to achieving a healthy gut (as we have already discussed). Include prebiotics and probiotics in your diet. Consume more fruits, green vegetables, legumes, and grains. Add fermented foods to your diet like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi.
- Cut on your sugar and oil intake. Avoid consuming foods that contain artificial sweeteners and other non-beneficiary additives. Instead, include fruits in your diet. Fruits contain natural sweeteners, which are enough to fulfill your bodily requirements.
- People with poor gut health are found to have high inflammation in their bodies. This inflammation can be controlled by consuming omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods like fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts.
- Transforming your lifestyle can transform your gut health. Stop taking too much stress. Adopt holistic practices like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing, which help in managing stress levels tremendously.
- Go to bed early and get an adequate amount of sleep if you want your gut microbes to function properly. Have a good 7-8 hours of slumber each day. Getting good sleep not only has positive effects on your gut but it also positively affects your overall health.
- Exercise! Exercise! Exercise! It is needless to say maintaining a healthy exercise routine can have tremendous benefits for your body. Regular exercise promotes gut motility and keeps you and your gut microbes in an active state.
Though following the above-mentioned tips helps maintain a healthy gut, it is always advisable to seek assistance from a professional healthcare provider for any persisting issues related to your gut or overall health.
Gut health is more about just the food or beverages that you eat. It’s a holistic approach to living a healthier and happier life. To have good gut health all you need to do is understand the nuances of your gut health, nurture and maintain it, make necessary changes in your lifestyle, adopt a healthy diet, follow healthy regimes, fix your sleep schedule, manage stress levels and optimize factors that contribute to the disruption of the functioning of healthy microbes in the gut. So don’t wait until it’s too late. Start your life transforming journey by applying these gut health secrets and lead a life consisting of less medical bills and more smiles.
Disclaimer: This blog is written from purely an educational and informational perspective and does not intend to convey as a substitute for any kind of professional medical advice. The content of this blog is a reflection of the author’s opinions and should not be considered as medical instruction. If you have any medical concerns relating to the content, then kindly seek professional healthcare assistance. You thereby bear all liability for any reliance you may have on such material, and the author is not held accountable for any loss or damage that may arise from using this blog.