"All disease begins in the gut", once stated Hippocrates (AKA the “father of Medicine”) in 400 BC. However only now recent studies are starting to show how this part of our body is responsible for more than just a dirty work.

But what is exactly the gut, and why is it so important?
The gut is the largest mucosal organ in the body. As a matter of fact, it is a collection of organs that includes the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, colon, and rectum. We know that the gut serves many essential roles in sustaining and protecting our health - through the intake and absorption of nutrients and water, our digestive process that provides the fuel the body needs to live, to function, and to stay healthy.

Recent research has discovered the positive impact of the bacterial ecosystem microbiota or microbiome living within our bodies mostly within our guts. The collective human gut microflora is composed of tens of trillions of microorganisms, including at least 35000 bacterial species of known bacteria with more than 3 million genes (150 times more than human genes) but also other microbes such as fungi, viruses, and protozoans, in total, weigh up to 2 kg.

We're starting to see is that the ecology of the microbiome is vitally important to our health and wellbeing, but there is still a lot to learn and discover. We know that one-third of our gut microbiota is common to most people, while two-thirds are specific to each one of us. That means that every single person microbiota is different. It is largely determined by our environment, our lifestyle and diet. Our microbiota is interacting not only with the food we eat but also with each other and with us.

When in harmonious balance they are actually beneficial and largely responsible for our overall health:
• Allow complete digestion and absorption of nutrition, that the stomach and small intestine have not been able too including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids and antioxidants
• Helping to produce hormones
• Influence our immune system
• Prevent us from the overgrowth of bacteria, viruses and fungi which can make us unwell
• Synthesis of vitamin K and several components of vitamin B

So what disrupt the microbiome?
Unfortunately, there are all sorts of factors that can disrupt the microbiome, including infections, toxin exposure (mercury, pesticides, chemicals and BPA), age, medication, antibiotic overuse, high amount of stress, consuming poor diet, excess sugar, alcohol, gluten, smoking cigarette.
When the gut microbiome is disrupted the unfriendly bacteria become dominant, this called dysbiosis of the gut. How do you know, whether you have too many unfriendly bacteria? The signs of dysbiosis are nonspecific and could be the onset of many conditions such as:
• Allergies
• Asthma
• Bloating
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis
• Autoimmune Diseases
• Obesity & Weight Gain
• Depression
• Fatigue and low energy
• Achy joints and muscular pains, Arthritis and the list goes on.

Fixing the gut can be the first and most important step we can take to get better. Here are a few easy strategies to support your gut health:

Remove
Diets consisting of sugar and artificial sweeteners, fast food and processed food have been associated with increased intestinal permeability and depressive symptoms, in contrary, diets rich in vegetables, fruit and fish are associated with lower depressive symptoms.
Remove allergens. Research has shown an increase in gut-friendly bacteria on a gluten-free diet.

Increase Probiotic:
Fermented foods such as kefir, yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and cultured beverages like kombucha and coconut water kefir, containing favourable live bacteria, that may beneficially regulate intestinal health. Increasing this types of foods in your diet is very beneficial for your gut health. If you are struggling to add probiotic foods in your diet a good probiotic supplement always can help deliver billions of these healthy bugs to where they’re needed in order to maintain good gut balance.

Increase Prebiotic:
While the best probiotic foods are essential for gut health and overall well-being, prebiotics help “feed” probiotics. By having them together, you can achieve an even better result. Eating a diet high in prebiotics such as soybeans, barley, raw oats, raw asparagus, artichokes, raw onion or cooked, raw garlic, raw leeks resulted in an increase in microbiota gene richness.

Mediterranian diet:
Across the spectrum, the Mediterranean diet is highly regarded as a healthy balanced diet. The Mediterranian diet includes higher intake of olive oil, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts; moderate consumption of fish, poultry, and red wine; and a lower intake of dairy products, red meat, processed meat.

Bone Broth:
Bone Broth is rich in minerals that support the immune system and contains healing compounds like collagen, glutamine, glycine and proline. It heals your gut lining and reduces intestinal inflammation.

Reduce Stress:
Research shows that stress can cause dysbiosis, and it has been associated with an increase in gut permeability. Although we cannot eliminate stress, we definitely can manage it.
Meditation, breathing exercises, spending time in nature, walking, spending quality time with loved ones and having fun helps regulate the stress response. Scheduling these activities in your daily routine not just helps to deal with a stressful situation in a much better way but also suppressing chronic inflammation states and maintaining a healthy gut-barrier function.

Exercise:
Being active has been shown to have many health benefits, both physically and mentally. It not just make you happier and healthier, but It may even help you live longer.
Numerous research shows that exercise support digestion also it can enrich the gut microbial composition.

Sleep:
Scientists investigating the relationship between sleep and the microbiome are finding that this microbial ecosystem may affect sleep and sleep-related physiological functions

References:

https://med.nyu.edu/medicine/gastro/about-us/gastroenterology-news-archive/your-gut-feeling-healthier-digestive-system-means-healthier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4528021/
http://www.gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/en/about-gut-microbiota-info/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4838534/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5440529/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604320/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5385025/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5385025/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5385025/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5385025/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5045149/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604320/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29306937/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5357536/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29031742/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5441385/

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Gut. Meet the body’s most ignored and undervalued organ!

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