There has been a lot of talk recently about what has become known as “gut health.” The Johns Hopkins Medical Center website, one of the most well-respected hospitals and Medical Schools in the United States, says there is a good reason for this.
Hidden within the walls of the digestive system is what is becoming more commonly called the “second brain”. It is changing the way that we look at mood, digestion, health and the way a person thinks.
Does All Disease Begin with Gut Health?
The short answer is “no”, not all disease starts in the gut. For example, it doesn’t apply to genetic or inherited diseases. But, there is evidence that the majority of chronic metabolic diseases do begin in the gut. We can reduce our risk or even prevent some diseases in the following ways:
# 1: Understand Why Your “Second Brain” Matters
This little “second brain” is Enteric Nervous System, or ENS, and it comprises two thin layers of over 100 million nerve cells that line your GI tract from your esophagus to the rectum. The role of the ENS is to control digestion, including swallowing and releasing enzymes that help break food down and also to control blood flow, aiding with nutrient absorption and elimination. The ENS communicates with the brain with significant results.
When a person has an unhealthy gut, the symptoms often manifest in other parts of the body. It’s the body’s way of telling you that something is wrong or out of balance.
Studies have found that improving gut health can also lead to improvements in:
- Immune function – 80% of our immune system is located in our gut
- Brain function
- Symptoms of anger, sadness, and depression
- Obesity
- Insulin and glucose regulation
- Toxin levels in the body
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Allergies
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
The ENS may sense things that our cerebral brain cannot. Evidence has been found that when the GI tract is irritated it sends signals to the central nervous system, which can trigger mood changes.
# 2: Get More Probiotics Into Your Body
Our bodies are filled with bacteria – both good and bad. There are more bacteria in a human body than there are cells, with an estimated 100 trillion microorganisms living in just the bowels alone. The good microorganisms are known as probiotics. Probiotics help to:
- Digest food
- Absorb nutrients
- Break down medications
- Kill some of the bad bacteria that leads to infection
Getting more probiotics into the body is one of the best ways to improve your gut health. The key is to have more good bacteria than the bad in the gut.
One of the easiest ways to get probiotics into your system is to take a probiotic supplement. There are many brands and type of probiotic strains, so it would be best to talk to your medical provider or a pharmacist to see which brand and type they recommend for you.
Another way to get more probiotics in your body is through the food you eat. There are many foods or drinks that are high in probiotics, including:
- Unpasteurized Cheese – such as Gouda, Cheddar, Provolone, and Gruyere
- Buttermilk
- Kefir
- Miso
- Sauerkraut
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Kombucha
- Yogurt – be sure and read the labels
#3: Stress Less
Stress, especially long-term stress, not only affects gut bacteria, but it also affects the production of hormones and neurochemicals that communicate with the brain. With long-term stress, these chemicals and hormones can change permanently unless you specifically work to change them.
Long-term stress may also lead to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach ulcers, IBD, IBS, and food allergies.
Laughter can really sometimes be the best medicine because it helps to reduce stress and floods the body with happy hormones and chemicals. A recent study compared the gut flora of healthy people to those with atopic dermatitis (a disease often associated with imbalances in gut bacteria) and found that after one week of watching funny videos daily, the participants with atopic dermatitis had their gut flora positively improve, resembling the gut flora of the healthy participants.
#4: Play in the Dirt
One productive way to play in the direct is by gardening. Gardening is good for you because it not only gets you outside, but it gives you exercise. And by putting your hands in soil, you introduce your body to diverse microorganisms found in plants and ground.
#5: Get a Dog
Studies have shown that kids who grow up with a dog have a lower risk of allergies and a healthier immune system. Dogs are associated with a type of house dust that actually exposes us to important strains of bacteria, L. johnsonii for example, which is essential within the digestive tract for gut health.
Dogs also work somewhat like a probiotic, helping develop healthy bacteria that boosts the immune system, decreases the risk of getting ill, and potentially reduces allergies. Dogs also help you to exercise more, which in turn, helps to relieve stress.
So, it may well be that a large part of maintaining good health is maintaining good “gut-health”. There are many ways that you can do this, including exercise and learning to listen to your body. However, some of the easiest changes that you can make today are to laugh more, stress less, and get plenty of probiotics.
Resources:
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/healthy_aging/healthy_body/the-brain-gut-connection
http://www.naturallivingideas.com/13-ways-to-improve-gut-health/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1954310
http://www.menshealth.co.uk/healthy/how-dogs-boost-your-immune-system
