What Is Gut Health & How Can You Improve Yours?
What is gut health? Explore the gut-brain connection, the signs of poor gut health, and the simple lifestyle changes that can boost the overall health of your gut.
4 minute readWhen thinking of gut health, people usually focus on the symptoms related to the digestive system, like abdominal pain, feeling bloated, and constipation. However, there’s much more to it, as gut health affects both our physical and mental health.
But first of all, what is gut health?
The “gut” stands for the gastrointestinal tract, which is the tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. The primary function of the gut is to break down food, absorb nutrients and get rid of waste.
The gut contains trillions of microorganisms, which form the so-called “microbiome” and includes 200 different species of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that live in our digestive tract.
What is good gut health?
Having a healthy gut means having a well-balanced range of these microorganisms in our digestive tract, which interact with several parts of our body, such as our brain.
“The gut is our second brain” is a well-known sentence, and there’s a reason for it. There is a strong link between our brain and our gut. More than 90% of the serotonin (the so-called “happy hormone”) is produced in our gut. It is shown that having a healthy microbiome helps not only physical health but our mental health too.
Imbalances in the microbiome have been associated with an increased risk of developing mental health disorders, such as stress and anxiety.
Poor gut health can manifest as digestive issues, inflammation, a weak immune system (roughly 70% of the immune cells live in our gut!), and an imbalance in the composition of the gut microbiome.
Signs of bad gut health
Signs of poor gut health include:
Stomach disturbances, such as bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and heartburn
Constant fatigue
Food intolerances
Unintentional weight gain or weight loss
Development of autoimmune conditions
Lack of sleep, the use of antibiotics, a poor diet, and being stressed affect our gut health negatively.
How can I reverse bad gut health?
The good news is that we can reverse bad gut health by improving our lifestyle choices, including:
Improving our diet by eating foods;
Rich in fibre, like fruit, vegetables and nuts
That contain garlic
That have been fermented, such as Greek yoghurt, kefir and kimchi
Containing collagen, like citrus fruits, meat and eggs
Staying hydrated
Managing stress by adding mindfulness, meditation, yoga, breathing techniques to your routine
Prioritising sleep
Regular physical activity, even a simple walk 3-4 times per week, can make a significant difference.
If we need an extra boost, we can add supplements like probiotics and prebiotics in tablet or liquid form to our diet. However, it is essential to look at the label to ensure that they are in date and that their colony-formation unit (CFU) is bigger than 5 billion.
Looking after our gut health is crucial for overall well-being and improved quality of life; make sure you start implementing these changes to feel your best!
