Chapter 1 - Gut health: Why it's important
In this article, we'll explore the connection between our gut health and overall health.
Chapter 1 - Gut health: Why it's important
When we talk about the "gut," we’re referring to the gastrointestinal or digestive tract, which is the tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the bottom.
Here is where your food is broken down, nutrients are absorbed, and waste is eliminated
Meet the Gut Microbiome
Inside your gut, mainly in the large intestine, lives a community of 40 trillion microbes, including bacteria, yeast, fungi, parasites and viruses.
This is called the gut microbiome, and these microorganisms play a vital role in our overall health.
Factors that can upset the microbiome include:
- Illness
- Antibiotics
- Medications
- Lifestyle choices like diet, exercise, and sleep
When these elements are out of sync, it can lead to “dysbiosis”, which is an imbalance within the gut microbiome. Dysbiosis makes us more vulnerable to infections and is thought to be a key driver of inflammation and many chronic diseases. So, it's essential to maintain a healthy balance in the gut.
What Is Gut Health?
You may have heard the term "gut health" before, but what does it truly mean?
Good gut health means:
Proper digestion
No gut-related diseases
A good balance and variety of gut microbes
Research shows that these trillions of gut microbes not only look after our digestive health but can also influence our mental health and have roles in both weight maintenance and in hormone regulation.
They support healthy hair, skin and nails, and about 70% of our immune cells live in the gut, making a healthy gut crucial for a strong immune system.
While more research is needed to fully understand the gut microbiome’s relationship with cancer, evidence suggests that improving our gut health is one of the best ways we can support overall health.