The word “gut” means your stomach and intestines. The medical term for the gut is the “gastrointestinal” system – food passes through your oesophagus and gets to the stomach, the small and large intestine, and finally to the rectum. It’s vital to understanding the importance of the microbiome of the gut and we explore this in more detail. In today’s article, we will answer: why is your gut health so important? We will also look at how you can test your gut health with Aguulp and how they can help you improve your gut health.
People think of the gut as a hollow, long tube for food to pass through, but it plays a crucial role in your body. Researchers make substantial efforts to discover new functionalities of the gut and its role in the body. Generally, the gut:
- Breaks down food into smaller chunks and make them digestible
- Absorbs nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, and fat
- Absorbs water and eliminate waste, including toxic substances
- Collaborates with the immune system to fight external pathogens and keep out:
- Viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites that cause diseases
- Helps your immune system learns the difference between beneficial and harmful bacteria
- Receives signals from the central and peripheral nervous system and sends signals back to the brain to streamline gastrointestinal, metabolic, and homeostatic functions
- Home to the microbiome of the gut
Why Is Your Gut Health So Important
Your gut health is directly proportional to your overall wellbeing. For instance, if you have nausea, stomachache, or abdominal pain, it can affect other parts of the body and hinder your day-to-day life.
Health conditions, such as Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and cancer, have a significant impact on your body. Because your gut relates to all systems of the body, improving it can reduce the risk of various health conditions, including:
Autoimmune Diseases: It is characterized by a compromised immune system, causing it to attack healthy cells in the body. Rheumatoid arthritis is one example of autoimmune disease.
Metabolic Diseases: Osteoporosis can result in weak bones and reduced fluid in the spinal discs. Diabetes and obesity are metabolic diseases that take a significant toll on your body. Gut health (beneficial bacteria) can help prevent these diseases. The microbiome of the gut can potentially lead to intestinal diseases like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (IBS, IBD).
Why is your gut health so important? There are many ways to improve your gut health which includes the all-important microbiome of the gut. For instance, you can take probiotics, take Aguulp prebiotic, reduce stress, focus on getting at least eight hours of sleep at night, exercise regularly, and reduce sugar consumption, to improve your gut health. Here are four reasons why gut health is crucial.
1. Improved Immune System
A 2020 research study published on NCBI shows that the immune system is connected to the useful bacteria in the gut. The human microbiota exists in the gut and is about 80% of your body’s immune system.
These useful bacteria play a crucial role in fighting external pathogens and eliminating harmful bacteria and viruses to ensure the proper functioning of your body. So, your gut health is synonymous with a strengthened immune system
However, it is crucial to focus on your diet, improve your environment, and make lifestyle modifications to boost your gut flora, leading to a strengthened immune system and promoting healthy body functions, including metabolism and homeostasis.
In addition, the microbiome of the gut is your immune system’s trainer and gatekeeper. It teaches your immune system cells, including T-cells, to differentiate between external pathogens and normal cells in your body.
When your antibodies can’t tackle specific external pathogens, the gut microbiome triggers the T-cells, allowing them to destroy infected cells and eliminate pathogens, a mechanism known as cell-mediated immunity.
2. Enhanced Mental Health
The gut is also known as the “second brain” because it has its own nervous system that streamlines various functions. Research shows that this is known as the enteric nervous system that stimulates your intestinal cells through bacterial signalling to the central nervous system, forming a connection called the gut-brain axis.
It means bacteria in your stomach and intestines can affect your cognitive behaviour, emotions, feelings and play a role in mitigating the effects of major depressive disorders, including stress and anxiety. The gut-brain axis is two-way communication between your gut microbiota and the central nervous system. We explore more about the brain-body connection in our article here and 6 mental health benefits of regular exericse.
Poorly maintained microbiome of the gut can lead to several mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, and insomnia. A 2017 research study concludes that one must maintain a healthy gut by taking probiotics to restore microbial balance, reducing the risk of developing chronic mental illnesses. If you have ever eaten takeaway food a few days in a row, and wonder why you feel sluggish, then look to what has happened to the microbiome of the gut for your answer! You feel as you eat – intuitively eating the right foods, will help you feel energised, both mentally and physically.
Another study shows that taking probiotics to improve the microbiome of the gut can reduce the risk of autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, anxiety, and improve brain functions, including cognition and memory.
3. Weight Loss
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 42.4% of the U.S population is overweight and obese. Obesity can cause chronic health conditions like type-2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and mental illnesses.
Health professionals recommend taking probiotics to improve your gut health and increase your chances of weight loss. Besides, gut bacteria can influence your weight because the microbiome determines the absorption of food and how to store dietary fats in your body.
A 2021 research study highlights that the microbiome influences the production of hormones that regulate hunger. For instance, ghrelin is one such hormone that controls your hunger levels. Another study concludes that gut health improved with probiotics can lead to a 50% reduced weight among women.
4. Cardiovascular Health
The heart is the central organ in your body that supplies and receives oxygenated and deoxygenated blood from all body parts. A 2020 review study shows that the wrong balance of your gut bacteria can cause arthritis, obesity, mental diseases.
It also affects your blood vessels and increases the risk of atherosclerosis and heart failure. Although there is a need for more research, you can take the necessary actions to improve your gut microbiome.
These include diet modifications by including more prebiotics and probiotics in your diet and performing regular exercises to strengthen the connection between your gut and heart. Aguulp provides further information about what gut health is.
Why is your Gut Health so Important – Test, take and re-test.
Researchers and scientists in the medical field previously thought that gut health is crucial for digestive wellbeing. However, the latest research shows that the gut connects your entire body and plays a vital role in various mechanisms and functions.
So, a healthy gut means a strong microbiome of the gut, immune system, cardiovascular health, brain health, restorative sleep, improved mood, effective digestion, and reduced risk of psychological, digestive, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. You simply cannot ignore the power of a healthy gut in living a better life.
How to test your gut health?
Aguulp provider a starter pack, that is able to test the microbiome of your gut before starting the 12-week course of prebiotic sachets and then again after the 12-week period has finished. This is the future of nutrition, no more guessing whether the product works, you can test and see for yourself! If you need help knowing what supplements to take for gut health, then look no further than Aguulp. Take their test and start the journey here.
We also speak more about gut health in our article here. Further Reading – If you want to understand more about gut health, this was the first book I read which completely changed my outlook on how important gut health is:
Need help getting fitter, healthier and happier? Contact Us Today to see how we can help you – click here.
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