Is Gut the Source of All Health Problems

Have you ever wondered why “gut feelings” are such a hyped part of the human mind? Surprisingly, there is a biological explanation for why elders have advised us to trust our “gut instincts” in times of crisis. What Hippocrates said 2000 years ago is still true in modern medicine; science confirms that it all starts in the gut. Headaches, migraines, allergies, autoimmunity, weight gain, acne, skin rashes, yeast infections, hormonal imbalances, fatigue, immune challenges, and even how you experience pain are all influenced by the condition and health of your gut. (1)

The gut is essentially your belly—or, more broadly, the stomach and intestines. Food and water are the only sources of nutrients for the body that keeps us functioning. Every time we eat, drink, or subject our bodies to external chemicals, we are either supporting our gut or feeding it a potential source of disease. This makes or breaks your overall health. It’s time to explore the many facets of the gut and learn how to maintain its health.

The gut: Home to good and bad bacteria 

Humans have more bacteria on and inside their bodies than their own cells. These bacteria live all over, including the eyes, nose, hair, nails, mouth, and especially the gut. They are known as the “microbiome.” These microorganisms play a vital role in maintaining overall health and well-being by helping with various functions such as digestion, immunity, and metabolism. The immune system, which protects the body from diseases, relies heavily on this microbiome. (2)

Good bacteria in the gut

A larger part of the gut microbiome helps with digestion. Most of the fibre we eat is broken down by these bacteria. Additionally, our microbiome aids in regulating the immune system, and the production of vitamins and other essential nutrients, keeping the digestive tract functioning normally.

Bad bacteria in the gut 

Similar to an ecosystem, the gut also has harmful bacteria that cause inflammation, pain, redness, heat, and swelling. The bad bacteria in the gut change how food is digested and produce toxins instead of nutrients. 

However, a healthy body maintains a balance between good and bad bacteria. Eating healthy and exercising helps the good bacteria overpower the bad ones, leading to overall fitness. 

To understand and build a healthy body, it is important to understand gut health and some common causes of digestive problems caused to poor gut health.

What causes Gut Problems?

Two things that link to many diseases are a decrease in good bacteria and a lack of different types of bacteria. The following factors contribute to the decrease of good bacteria in the gut and affect the harmonious functioning of our digestive system. 

• Diet: Insufficient intake of plant foods, an excess of sugar and animal products, preservatives, a high intake of fat, and gluten.

• Antibiotics, narcotic pain relievers, antacids like chemotherapy drugs, and steroids are examples of medications that kill the good bacteria along with the bad ones.

• Infections caused by parasites, harmful bacteria, and viruses

• Acute and chronic stress: physical stress, and stress caused by surgery or any other factors.

• Environmental chemicals, including bleach and pesticides and sanitisers.

What are the symptoms of gut problems? 

The imbalances in the good and bad bacteria in the gut can affect pretty much everything, including your mood, immune system, weight, and level of energy.

 Gut health contributes to identifying whether we are overweight or lean, energized or lazy. To put it simply, the condition of our gut health determines every aspect of our health, including how we feel physically and emotionally. 

Let’s look at some of the typical indications and symptoms of a bad gut:

• Frequent episodes of stomach upset. This includes gas, bloating, heartburn, stomach pain, diarrhoea and constipation.
• Constant fatigue and weakness
• Poor quality sleep at night
• Sudden weight changes: can be either obesity or weight loss
• Intolerance of certain savouries and delicacies
• Skin irritation
• Mood swings

What are the effects of poor gut health on our bodies?

A happy tummy means a healthy body and when this tummy gets upset or when there is a disbalance inside it, it affects the entire system. 

Metabolic diseases refer to a group of health conditions that are caused by problems in how the body processes and uses food for energy. Most metabolic diseases are largely influenced by a state of chronic inflammation that begins in the gut.

Let’s see how the gut could be the point of origin for multiple diseases in the human body:

1. Gut and your physical health

Cholesterol-rich food or oily, fatty food is bad for health, but have you wondered how? 

When you indulge in fatty savouries like samosa, kachori, lots of ghee, butter, and so on, the bad bacteria are boosted to produce toxins. These toxins cause cholesterol to build up in your body and can cause several health issues. (4)

This is why, healthy food like non-greasy, fresh food is always the best food choice when it comes to health. 

2. Gut affecting the brain health

You can relate to the gut-brain connection if you’ve ever experienced “butterflies in your stomach” or other related feelings. The nerves in the gut are so diverse and innumerable that they almost form a second brain in the body. These nerve cells produce some very essential factors of the body, in addition to controlling muscles, immune cells, and hormones. To name a few—dopamine and serotonin. (5)

Dopamine allows you to feel motivated and satisfied. Serotonin is a feel-good hormone. Poor levels of serotonin can result in depression, disturbed sleep, and untimely hunger. 

Changes in gut equilibrium may contribute to an imbalance in these hormones and lead to chronic pain, anxiety, depression, etc. 

So, in order to stay mentally healthy, you have to keep your tummy healthy. 

3. Weight gain and gut 

An imbalance of good and bad bacteria in our gut can lead to weight gain issues as well. If the bacteria are not balanced, it can cause inflammation and problems with our metabolism, which can lead to weight gain. (5)

Eating a healthy diet with lots of fibre can help balance the bacteria and promote weight loss. However, weight gain and gut health are complex issues affected by many factors, so improving gut health alone may not always result in weight loss.

4. Gut and Chronic Inflammation 

With all the toxins from the bad bacteria in the gut, the gut itself does fall ill. The most common disease that affects the gut is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). You must have experienced abdominal pain and altered patterns of bowel movements after eating unhealthy fast food or something you shouldn’t have. (6)

The inflammation causes swelling of the gut lining, leading to abdominal pain, severe diarrhoea, exhaustion, weight loss, and malnutrition. It can sometimes even aggravate developing ulcers if you don’t change your food habits and take proper care and medical consultation. 

This is very why, when you have stomach pain or loose motions, you are suggested to eat light, easily digestible food like dal-rice or millet khichdi. 

How to keep your gut healthy?

The answer to this million-dollar question is simple. It’s not necessary to constantly be aware of what’s happening in your gut, is it? 

The simplest way to keep your gut healthy is to make sure you eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water, exercise frequently, and get plenty of rest. 

Refrain from bad habits that affect the gut balance, such as excessive alcohol consumption, oily or junk food etc. 

Let’s find out ways how you can boost your gut health:

1. Diet

The efficiency of your digestive system is one of the cornerstones of your health. A healthy balance in good and bad bacteria and a healthy gut are both supported by your digestive secretions, like stomach acid, bile, and pancreatic enzymes. It’s critical to support digestion with food because it weakens as we age and with stress levels.

Bloating, coated tongue, reflux, indigestion, lack of appetite, excessive amounts of nasal or throat mucus, fatigue, a heavy feeling in the stomach after eating, nausea, vomiting, and loose stools are a few symptoms of weak digestion.

What can you do to aid healthy digestion?

Control the sugar and protein intake. Protein digestion produces bile-tolerant bacteria and overproduces byproducts like ammonia. This affects the gut and kidney health. Sugars boost the growth of toxic bacteria.

a. Drink plenty of water

• Drink plenty of water to neutralize the toxins and helps to maintain the healthy balance of gut bacteria. 
• It helps in reducing constipation and diarrhoea. 
• Drinking plenty of water can help keep stools soft and easy to pass, reducing constipation and related issues. 
• Drinking plenty of water can help keep stools soft and easy to pass, reducing constipation and related issues

b. Include more vegetables and fruits in your diet

Vegetables and fruits are gut-friendly, as they are high in fibre. Include more vegetables and fruits in your daily diet to keep your tummy happy and aid the digestion process.

c. Eat fresh food rather than storing it in the refrigerator

A mother can never be wrong when it comes to eating healthy and fresh and this is why all the moms in the world are adamant about eating freshly cooked food. Fresh food is high in nutrients and is good for your gut and health. Refrigeration and repeated heating of stored food kill all its nutritional value.

2. Get enough sleep and exercise

There is no substitute for a good night’s sleep and regular workouts. Very often, our body signals us to slow down and take care of it. It is very often through our bowel movement, digestive issues like constipation, fatigue, lack of focus, etc. Taking a good night’s sleep of 7-8 hours minimum is recommended worldwide because it gives out body time to heal from daily stress. Exercise on the other hand boosts the blood flow in the body, burns fat and aids in the secretion of all digestive juices. It reduces stress and anxiety too.

Foods that help maintain a healthy gut

We have talked a lot about eating healthy but what all food counts as being healthy food? Let’s find out. (7)

1. Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics-rich food 

Probiotics are externally grown, live bacteria that are gut-friendly. A dose of probiotics helps to outnumber the harmful ones. Some of the good sources of probiotics are: 

• Yoghurt 
• Buttermilk 
• Cottage cheese 
• Pickled vegetables 
• Idli and dosa 

Prebiotics are food for good bacteria. They boost the growth of the probiotic bacteria. Some of the good sources of Prebiotics are: 

• Onions 
• Garlic 
• Soybeans, 
• Asparagus 
• Bananas

Synbiotic is the combination of the two. To increase the intake of synbiotics you can create a combination of Probiotic and Prebiotic rich foods. 

• Yoghurt and bananas are two examples of synbiotic combinations. 
• You can also stir-fry garlic with other vegetables to create a synbiotic-rich food.

2. Vegetables, legumes and beans

Legumes like peas and beans, and fresh vegetables, are good sources of fibre and other vital micronutrients. They boost gut health and prolong the actions of good bacteria. 

3. Millets and multi-grains 

Millets and multi-grains are rich in dietary fibre, which helps in promoting regular bowel movements, reducing constipation, and maintaining a healthy gut environment. So think about including millets in your daily food or just incorporate multi-grain atta to make rotis to provide enough fibre to your gut along with other benefits like maintaining sugar levels, reducing inflammation, etc. 

4. Whole fruits

Opt for whole fruits, not fruit juices. They have lots of fibres that act as food for the gut bacteria. They also add bulk to bowel movements.

Also read – How to include Fruits and Vegetables in your diet

5. Lean protein

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or gut sensitivities benefit from lean proteins. Foods high in lean protein and low in fat include chicken and white-fleshed fish.

6. Nuts 

Nuts like almonds are a great source of fibre, vitamin E, and other micronutrients. Include this in your daily breakfast in moderation to increase fibre and micronutrient intake for a healthy gut. 

7. Water

No amount of information about the benefits of proper hydration is enough. Water hydrates the entire body including your gut cells, aids in digestion, neutralises toxins and helps the body to flush it out. 

Takeaway

Your overall health, including weight issues, immunity, the status of inflammation, and many other factors, is determined by the condition of your gut.

The gut contains roughly 70–80 per cent of your immune system’s cells, which come into contact with all that we take in. Therefore, you’ll become ill more frequently if your gut health isn’t great. (8)

The good news is that you have the power to change the gut balance in your favour. Start by paying attention to what’s on your plate!