Gut health – an overview

When we speak of the ‘gut’, we’re referring to the digestive system in your body that starts from your esophagus and stomach and runs all the way down through your intestines to your rectum and anus. It’s basically a 30-foot long tube with a delicate ecosystem that can change any moment, depending on what you eat.

You’ll hear doctors refer to it as your gastrointestinal tract or GIT for short, or your alimentary canal, but it’s your gut they’re talking about. Its main function is the digestion and absorption of food and keeping everything moving along your GI tract.But your gut involves a lot more than just digestion. It also has the responsibility of taking care of your immune system. It does this via healthy gut flora or bacteria that stand guard fighting off harmful bacteria and disease.

The role of gut bacteria

With advances in microbiology, scientists are discovering just how complex your digestive system is and how crucial a role your gut microbiota play in your overall health:

The true diversity of microorganisms that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of humans (collectively referred to as the human gut microbiota) is being revealed and its contributions to homeostasis in health and to the pathogenesis of disease appreciated.

(Gut Bacteria in Health and Disease, 2013).

According to the American Psychological Association, gut bacteria:

  • Regulate digestion and metabolism
  • Extract and make vitamins and other nutrients from ingested food
  • Program your body’s immune system
  • Build and maintain your gut wall to protect your body from outside invaders
  • Block harmful microbes
  • Produce anti-microbial chemicals to fight off pathogens
  • Crucial in the gut-brain connection

Maintaining an optimum level of healthy bacteria or gut flora is what gut health is all about. Some people turn to supplemental digestive enzymes, prebiotics, and probiotics to help improve their gut bacteria. But it’s a delicate balance and many everyday stresses and medications can throw it off kilter.

Poor gut health

When your gut health is compromised, unhealthy bacteria will build up and create a hostile environment that can lead to health problems like arthritis, depression, IBS, and dozens of other autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.

Probiotics are known to help restore a natural flora to your gut and are something we all need to add to our health regimen.

With a healthy balance of gut flora, your digestive system will run like the well-oiled engine room of a ship, fueling your body with a steady stream of nutrients, helping get rid of toxins, and fighting off disease. These are all important reasons why your gut health is so important.

But there is another reason and it lies in the stomach-brain connection or the second brain.

The second brain

Besides trillions of microbes, your gut is also home to millions of neurons embedded along the walls of your GI tract, amounting to more nerve cells than your entire spine. Scientists have discovered that 90% of these neurons communicate with the brain, and can control mood and wellbeing.

‘The second brain’ is a term coined by Dr. Michael Gershon, who also wrote the book of the same name. Described as a “groundbreaking new understanding of nervous disorders of the stomach and intestine,” Gershon is pioneering the study of neurogastroenterology.

After working for 30 years as a medical doctor, Gershon has spent a lifetime studying the GI tract and found a connection between mental health and nervous disorders. Together with the discovery of dozens of neurotransmitters along the GI tract, Gershon has also found that 90% of serotonin and 50% of dopamine are found in the gut.

Both these neurotransmitters act as chemical messengers that are sent to the brain from the gut and can affect mood, energy and digestion. This is a revolutionary discovery because it was previously believed your stomach was dependent on your brain. Now we know it works independently, like a second brain.

Remember the last time you had an upset stomach, how lousy and low-spirited you felt? That’s the stomach-brain connection in action, and we all need to start listening to that ‘gut feeling.’ It could mean all the difference to your gut health.

Strangely enough, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, predicted this fact centuries ago. He said, “All disease begins in the gut.” Turns out, he was right. A healthy gut means a healthy body and a healthy mind.

References:

Last reviewed on 21-FEB-2018

The following two tabs change content below.
avatar

Ann-Mary Amber

Ann-Mary Amber has twenty years experience in wholistic therapies and specialises in nutritional and environmental medicine. She is an experienced group facilitator and lecturer and an integral part of the ACNEM education team.
avatar

Latest posts by Ann-Mary Amber (see all)