“All health begins in the gut.”
Hippocrates, a man who is often credited to be the father of modern medicine, stated this more than 2000 years ago.
Yes, a lot of things have changed in the last few centuries, thankfully. But more and more current, reputable research is showing how very true this statement is now more than ever.
There is an entire universe that exists in your body that impacts your health in more ways than you may know. In a galaxy that isn’t so far, far away, I would like to take you through a space-time continuum to your gut microbiome!
First off, where is this universe and what do I mean by “the gut?” Well, you probably know that gastrointestinal tract or GI is an organ system that starts with the mouth and includes oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, pancreas, liver and gall bladder.
Each of these is responsible for various functions, but there’s one particular component within the gut that is thrilling for me, which is the thousands and thousands of bacterial cells that exist in the region, is collectively referred to as the gut microbiome.
Fact fact – our bodies are actually more bacterial than human. We are made up of around 100 trillion bacteria. And our gut contains 10 times more bacteria than all of our other human cells in our body combined!
So, our gut microbiome is basically a living ecosystem — an active universe of tiny, tiny particles that exists within you – basically, we each have our own gut galaxy and its success, or health, depends on whether the dark or light side will prevail.
Normally, we don’t automatically associate “good” with the word bacteria. But in this case, good bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus, are the Jedis of our microbiome.
They are our allies, friends and a really important part of the body’s defense system.
Here are some ways that they battle for us:
- Good gut health means your immune system is stronger. You can combat colds and other infections because your microbiome and immune system cells are connected.
- It means that you can eat without discomfort. Perhaps you know someone with Irritable Bowel Syndrome for example.
- They help with regulating metabolism and losing weight by producing bacteria that control hunger hormones.
- A healthy gut actually can improve your mood, by increasing neurotransmitters, like serotonin, to the brain, which can reduce anxiety and even depression. This is exciting research around the topic of the gut-brain axis, as there is actually a “second brain” located in the gut called the enteric nervous system (more to come on that one)!
- And lastly, they keep the intestinal lining strong, which I will explain more about.
You might be wondering why learning about the gut microbiome matters… thinking to yourself, that’s great! What’s happening in the gut is another miracle of our how bodies function. Let the Jedis do their thing!
Alas, there is a dark side we need to be aware of. Our decisions and actions influence the state of our gut galaxy, which in turns impacts our overall health.
The Imperial Forces of our world… poor diet, high stress levels, artificial sweetners, antibiotics, sodas, processed foods, and poor sleep can impair your microbiome, which is called dysbiosis. This means that bad bacteria outnumber the good and things are totally out of balance! [cue Imperial March!!! duh, duh, duh…]
So, what happens when our microbiome is weakened from these dark forces? Well, have you heard of the term Leaky Gut?
Here’s a the lowdown => our intestines digest the food and drink we consume, breaking it down into tiny nutrient particles that are absorbed into the bloodstream and circulated around the body. Yay!
When the bad bacteria outnumber the good bacteria and the gut is unbalanced, the walls of the intestines become inflamed and enlarged. The tiny holes that let the small digested nutrient particles through are now larger holes that LEAK larger particles that aren’t fully digested yet into the bloodstream. Booooo!
These particles don’t belong outside of the gut, and so the body mounts an immune response and attacks them because this is one of the most important functions of our GI – to prevent foreign substances from entering the body.
So, here is the key take away – a healthy gut microbiome means that your good Jedis can do what they’re supposed to!!!
Leaky gut and an unbalanced microbiome may manifest as digestive trouble, but it may not. It can show up as problems as diverse as a weakened immune system – meaning more colds and flus; allergies; asthma; depression; obesity; skin conditions; diabetes or thyroid problems and other autoimmunie diseases.
There is a cumulative affect with each generation having to deal with higher stress levels, more processed foods, and antibiotics at younger ages, which in turn exacerbates and increases health problems because of gut imbalance and endangered microbiomes. This is why there rates of these diseases are increasing!
This is a rally cry to give our Jedi bacteria a chance to come to their full power!!!
- Help them thrive by reducing or eliminating refined flour and sugar and processed foods.
- Decompress and minimize stress.
- Take a good probiotic supplement, which will increase the good bacteria.
- And if tolerated, eat high fiber vegetables (onions or cauliflower) or fermented foods like sauerkraut that have prebiotics that feed the good gut bacteria. (one of the benefits of Plexus Slim is that it contains a prebiotic!!).
There are both short and long-term benefits of creating a thriving gut microbiome. If I feel the sniffles, I’ll increase my probiotics to bolster my immune system.
Long-term, the goal is to keep those yucky particles out of the bloodstream, as I refer back to Hippocrates, the Yoda of this sotry – “health, begins in the gut it does.”
My interest in this topic goes beyond the typical rhetoric of “eating healthy,” to understanding the scientific ramifications of our food and lifestyle choices.
Improved gut health can increase immunity and metabolism, boost your mood, fight off leaky gut so the body has the power and tools to do what it’s supposed to.
Thank you for going on this journey with me to a fantastic and amazing world. I hope you are armed with new and valuable information.
May the force of your gut microbiome be with you.
Here are a few resources to check out, if you would like to read more:
US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Part 1: The Human Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4566439/
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