That gut feeling - digestion
It has been said many times, 'We are what we eat', our digestion determines how well our body and brain functions. Digestive problems seem to plague most people in the western world, which goes some way to explain the increasing array of over the counter medications to remedy your acid indigestion, wind, bloating, cramp pains and general discomfort.
But, you need to ask yourself why this is happening? These symptoms are signs that you have digestive issues, and should not be ignored, when your digestion works well, you feel amazing, and life just seems easier.
Traditionally gut health has been ignored in mainstream medicine however, there has been a flurry of excitement and a huge focus on the intestinal system over the last few years; this is due to the human microbiome.
There are more microbial than human cells in our body, most of which are found in the gastrointestinal tract, in fact, we are 99% bacterial and 1% human.
The term microbiome relates to all the microbes in the ecosystem, this collection of microbes protects us from germs, helps break down food to make energy and produce vitamins. Each person has their own unique set of microbes, as unique as our own fingerprints. In fact the genes in the human microbiome out number the genome by about 100 to 1, there are trillions of microbes that inhabit the gut.
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The gut is designed to discard undigested food, and dispose of toxins from the body, keeping us healthy. However, in the case of intestinal permeability, or 'leaky gut' large protein molecules escape into the blood stream. This results in an immune response by the body, these constant attacks play a role in autoimmune disorders such as diabetes.
Research has shown there is a link between our microbes and human health and disease, the ecosystem that inhabits us is vast and diverse. Studies are pointing to the importance of the communication within the gut flora, suggesting that the whole has greater importance to our health, than the individual microbes.
Modern humans carry a lot less diversity than our rural hunter gatherer ancestors, this is believed to be directly related to our food choices, environmental exposures and modern medicine.
Modern Lifestyle affects our microbiome
- Nutrient deficient diet - abnormal nutrient composition
- Deficient intestinal flora
- Stress
- Toxic chemicals - food, water and environment
- Prescription and over-the-counter medications.
How to help restore you healthy gut bacteria
-Eat more whole foods, plant based diet
-Cut out sugar and processed foods
-Take a probiotic
-Reduce your use of antibiotics
-Lower stress
-Ensure you have regular sleep patterns
-Try fermented foods.
