Not too long ago, the association between the gut and our health wasn’t as well-known as it is today. It wasn’t until recently with the rise in chronic disease in the Western world, that the medical world began valuing the importance of a healthy gut. Only now can we start make strong connections between our GI tract and how we look/feel every day. Although there is a huge body of evidence that shows us this connection, it is still being ignored by many health professionals. So what exactly is gut health? Furthermore, how does it play such a significant role in your overall wellness? Let’s start by looking at the gut microbiome.
What is the gut microbiome?
Ahh the famous microbiome. You may have heard of this word before. If you’re a patient of mine – you DEFINITELY have heard of this word. The gut microbiome is a family of bacteria, bacteriophages, viruses, protozoa, and fungi (basically a bunch of microbes) that live happily together within our GI tract. This collection of microbes is also known as gut flora and it lives within the body, outnumbering human cells tenfold. Hearing the words bacteria and viruses may cause many people to think that the microbiome is all-around bad for you, but the type of microbes that exist – and the quantity – is what can make a certain microbe helpful or even harmful. Most of the microbes that make up the microbiome are highly beneficial, and the way they colonize within the body is crucial to your health.
What roles does the gut microbiome play in your health?
The human body has many processes and systems that all work symbiotically to keep you on the up and up, and the microbiome is just one piece of that puzzle. That said, having a wide array of gut bugs living (and thriving) in your gut is a pretty has a few important roles…
Those microbes help you:
- Digest the food that you eat
- Make sure that your immune system is running as it should
- Protect you against pathogens that want to make you ill
- Help to produce vital nutrients such as vitamins K and B12
They also help balance out any harmful bacteria that make their way into the body so that an imbalance, known as dysbiosis, doesn’t occur. Let’s get real… your gut flora has a hand in so many different processes in the body… I am thinking, the better question to ask is what role does it NOT it play in your overall health.
What damages the gut microbiome?
Ok so we know that in order to feel good and look good every day – we need to have a certain level of good gut bugs roaming around in our digestive tracts… we need a balanced digestive flora – and when this balance of bugs is thrown off – symptoms can pop up.. A wide variety of factors can throw off this delicate balance and cause us to develop a diseased state. For example:
- Eating a poor diet: While eating junk food once in a while won’t cause a huge imbalance, failing to diversify your food choices can have harmful effects. A diverse gut flora is a happy one, and you can only get that by eating a range of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- No Prebiotics: Prebiotics are the fiber that the body can’t digest. Its role in the body is to help good gut bacteria flourish. Without enough of it, your digestive health will suffer.
- Too many toxins: Drinking alcohol excessively or smoking can be detrimental to all areas of health, including your gut bacteria. Studies have shown that people who partake in the overconsumption of alcohol can drive dysbiosis in their bodies. Smoking does the same.
How stressed you are, certain medications (hello birth control pill!) , the quality of sleep you get, and your level of regular exercise can also all affect how healthy your microbiome is. If you’re not managing stress levels or getting enough sleep and physical activity, you’re damaging your gut flora.
Symptoms and effects of gut microbiome damage
When your gut flora is off balance and dysbiosis occurs, you will begin to experience some unwanted side effects:
- Upset stomach and nausea
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Bloating
- Chest pain
- Rashes
- Fatigue
- Cognitive issues
- Anxiety and depression
- Generalized inflammation
- Environmental allergies
- Food allergies
- Hormonal imbalances
- Nutrient Deficiencies
Because your microbiome affects your entire body, you will feel the imbalance in many areas and not just one. I always remind my patients, when one organ system is thrown off – there is a trickle down effect and there will likely be other organ systems that are thrown off down the line. This is especially true when it comes to our hormonal balance!
The long-term consequences of imbalanced gut flora are even worse because it can lead to chronic disease. Some chronic diseases attributed to poor gut health include:
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Allergies
- Neurodevelopmental disease
- A weakening of or dysregulated immune system
The microbiome plays a role in so many CRUCIAL processes in the body. Therefore damaging it can lead us to develop some serious symptoms and if we leave it for long enough, some long-term chronic illnesses. This is why I am constantly talking about the importance of our gut health. It’s safe to say that a healthy gut means a healthy you.
I hope by now you can start to understand the importance of a healthy gut. If you are experiencing some of the symptoms and feel generally unwell, the problem might be in your gut. I typically evaluate gut health through a thorough history and lab-work interpretation. There are several fantastic tests to help us stop the guessing and start understand what is truly going on in your gut .
I can show you how to support your gut and get back to feeling optimal. Book a free 15-minute introductory call with me today to find out if your gut is the culprit behind your symptoms and what you can do about it!
