Your Gut and Your Health

Did you know that the gut is responsible for breaking down and absorbing nutrients, makes the majority of brain neurotransmitters, hosts most of your immune system and has more cells than the rest of the body?! There is a lot going on there and should not be overlooked in your road to optimal health. 

Do you ever feel bloated after eating? Do you ever have undigested food in your stool? If yes, you probably have gut issues that need to be addressed. The gut is composed of mucosal cells that form tight junction that prevents food particles from leaking out of the gut. Leaky gut is when there is intestinal permeability and particles leak into the bloodstream. This can be caused by factors such as stress, poor diet choices, toxins, inflammation, improper digestion, infections, medications and microbiome issues. 

Leaky gut can then lead to thyroid problems, autoimmune disease, hormone imbalance, anxiety and food sensitivities. 

The gut hosts over 100 trillion living organisms, making up whats called your gut microbiome. There are so called bad bacteria, good bacteria and neutral bacteria hanging out there. The microbiome protects us from viruses, bacteria and other invaders. It maintains the structure of the mucosal barrier in the gut lining. It is responsible for the production and metabolism of vitamins and nutrients. 

The bacteria fight over territory in the gut and the rest of the body. Your good and harmless bacteria prevent the bad bacteria from growing out of control. There is only so much "gut real estate" so the more friendly bacteria the less room for the bad bacteria that make us sick. Some of the bacteria, parasites and fungus create a shield called a biofilm around themselves to protect themselves from the immune system. Similar to the plaque that accumulates on our teeth if we don't brush and floss them, internal bacteria create a similar type of shield. You can't manually brush these away though. There are however other things to take to destroy these biofilms. Oregano oil, galbanum oil, black walnut hulls, citrus seed extract, goldenseal, echinacea, artemisinin, berberine and certain enzymes are just some of the biofilm smashers that you can take.Bad bacteria live off sugary and starchy foods, so cutting out these foods can help you balance your microbiome health. 

If your gut is giving you warning signals, you want to avoid processed foods, sugar, chlorinated water and conventionally raised meats (because of the antibiotics used). Focus on eating greens, low glycemic foods, fermented foods like sauerkraut and get lots of fiber. The fiber is a prebiotic, food for your good bacteria and also helps move your stool. Apples and jerusalem artichokes are good options for their fiber content. There are also probiotic and prebiotic supplements that you can take. However if you are taking probiotics, try to rotate and switch brands and formulas. You don't want to overpopulate with one specific strain. You want to keep a healthy a diverse balance. 

Good luck fixing your gut.Gut health is probably one of the most important things for overall health. Check out this Natural Leaky Gut Cure.