Gut Health 101

Your GI tract is known as the second brain of the body, but what is gut health and why is it important? Here’s what you need to know.

BY TAYLOR HUGO

 
 

Gut Health 101

 
 

Your GI tract is known as the second brain of the body, but what is gut health and why is it important? Here’s what you need to know.

BY TAYLOR HUGO

 
 

You may not spend much time thinking about your gut health on a daily basis, but your gut, or gastrointestinal tract, is the reason you’re able to enjoy some of the best parts of life, like drinking a glass (or two) of Merlot and savoring a perfectly cooked filet.

Often referred to as the body’s “second brain,” the term “gut” is a bit of a misnomer—it doesn’t solely refer to the stomach, but instead encompasses the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, rectum and anus. Its work begins the moment you bring fork to lips, extracting the nutrients and water from food you need to stay healthy, and expelling the rest.

“Every millimeter of your GI tract, or your gut, comes into contact with everything that comes in, whether that’s food, beverages or medications,” says Minnesota-based nutritionist Emma Harvie. “Your gut is actually the most sensitive organ in the body.”

 

ecosystem

A Delicate Ecosystem

Your gut health, or the function and balance of bacteria in your GI tract, is impacted by the 100 trillion bacteria that make up the microbiome. While some are good bacteria, helping you digest food, ward off viruses and improve your overall well-being, others are bad, having been linked to health issues like type 2 diabetes and obesity, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, even anxiety and depression.    

“You can think of your gut as an ecosystem full of an abundance of different species, where each species plays an important role within that ecosystem,” says Harvie. “Everybody has a unique microbiome,” determined partly by your mother’s microbiota, which you were exposed to at birth, and partly by your current diet and lifestyle.

Translation: It’s never too late to improve your gut health.

ecosystem

A Delicate Ecosystem

Your gut health, or the function and balance of bacteria in your GI tract, is impacted by the 100 trillion bacteria that make up the microbiome. While some are good bacteria, helping you digest food, ward off viruses and improve your overall well-being, others are bad, having been linked to health issues like type 2 diabetes and obesity, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, even anxiety and depression.    

“You can think of your gut as an ecosystem full of an abundance of different species, where each species plays an important role within that ecosystem,” says Harvie. “Everybody has a unique microbiome,” determined partly by your mother’s microbiota, which you were exposed to at birth, and partly by your current diet and lifestyle.

Translation: It’s never too late to improve your gut health.

A Balancing Act

If you frequently experience symptoms like bloating, cramping, nausea, heartburn and constipation, your gut could be to blame. Maintain a diet high in fiber from fresh fruits and vegetables, and cut back on sugar and unhealthy fats.

Additionally, incorporating probiotics—from both natural, fermented sources like kimchi, sauerkraut and tempeh, and from gut health supplements—can foster the growth of good bacteria, helping you achieve balance in your gut.

balancing act

balancing act

A Balancing Act

If you frequently experience symptoms like bloating, cramping, nausea, heartburn and constipation, your gut could be to blame. Maintain a diet high in fiber from fresh fruits and vegetables, and cut back on sugar and unhealthy fats.

Additionally, incorporating probiotics—from both natural, fermented sources like kimchi, sauerkraut and tempeh, and from gut health supplements—can foster the growth of good bacteria, helping you achieve balance in your gut.

 

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Follow our blog series as we explore how gut health impacts overall wellness and the role probiotics play in keeping us balanced.

 
 

MORE ON GUT HEALTH

 
 

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A Primer on Probiotics

 
 

Sponsored by:church and dwight

 

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