Current research has revealed that gut health is critical to overall health. An unhealthy gut could contribute to many different diseases including obesity, autoimmune disorders, depression and other mood disorders, chronic fatigue just to name a few. A large portion of our bodies immune system lies within the gut so it is important that it functions to the best of its ability. There are 2 factors that determine our gut health: The microbiome or bacteria within our gut, and also the gut barrier.
Some signs that your gut health may not be at optimum potential?
- Digestive issues such as bloating, gas or diarrhoea:
- These symptoms are symptoms that the bacteria within the gut/ or the gut flora are not healthy. Gas is a good sign that food is fermenting in your gut and there could be insufficient stomach acid or an imbalance in bacteria affecting the breakdown of food
- Sugar cravings:
- Bacteria try to get us to eat foods that they thrive on. So, if you eat a lot of yeast based products a lot of sugar then you may just be feeding the unhelpful bacteria allowing them to grow and overpopulate. It’s not completely due to lack of will power with sweet cravings. With good gut health, sugar cravings may be decreased.
- Bad breath:
- Odour-inducing microbes live within our mouth, between our teeth and gums. A healthy digestive system is important for systemic health.
- Food allergies or sensitivities:
- Signs of a leaky gut include sensitivities and/or allergies. The gut lining is the ultimate decider of what stays in and what gets leaked out. When the intestinal barrier becomes permeable, proteins escape out of the gut and into the bloodstream, which causes an immune response within the body showing up as food allergies
- Moodiness, Anxiety and Depression
- Sometimes even if we are eating the healthiest foods, if our gut is not functioning it cannot digest and absorb the nutrients from them. A compromised gut will affect your ability to use and produce serotonin – 70% of which is found within the gut. Serotonin is our happy hormone – so a decrease in serotonin can lead to anxiety, depression, moodiness and low mood.
- Skin irritations and problems like Eczema:
- Skin irritations and eczema are a form of systemic inflammation. Often occurring with a leaky gut which means that undigested food particles and other inflammatory particles are able to pass into the gut, and causing massive inflammation within the body.
- Autoimmune Disease and Suppressed Immunity:
- There is growing evidence to show that increased permeability within the digestive tract plays a large role in various autoimmune conditions. You may also suffer from frequent illness or infections. This is due to a suppressed immune system and poor gut health
If you have any of these signs of poor gut health, give us a call. There are things that can be done to improve your symptoms, and I would love to help you to reach a better state of living!
Dr Kate Elmlsy
B.Chiro, Dip CC Peds, TBM Certified