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Why is maintaining good gut health essential for overall well-being

“Listen to your gut! It knows what your head hasn’t figured out yet!” this is not some philosophical advice by a mentor or a guru but a scientifically proven fact endorsed by scientists, doctors, and other healthcare experts. Termed as your body’s second brain the gut does much more than just digest your food. From influencing your mood to the proper functionality of your brain, heart, and much more, believe it or not, your gut is the powerhouse that controls your overall well-being.

The gut microbiome- your gut’s silent army

Trillions of microorganisms live in your gut. They exist inside your intestines and on your skin and help keep the body running smoothly without any hitches. Most of them reside in a pocket of your large intestine called the cecum and they are what we call the gut microbiome

Although your body houses many microbes, bacteria are the most common and the most studied. In fact a surprising fact is that there are more bacterial cells(up to 1000 species) in your body than the human cells and it means that you are more bacteria than humans! However, the good part is that these bacteria do more good than harm. Each one plays a different role and is vital for your health and well-being.

Hence it wouldn’t be wrong to say that without your gut microbiome, it would be very difficult for you to survive.

According to recent studies, your gut microbiome is highly individualized and steady over time. Hence a microbiome analysis can provide great insights into your personal health blueprint and can predict health outcomes and prevention strategies.

This is how your gut is responsible for your overall well-being

• Protection for your immune system- Almost 70% of the health and functioning of your immune system depends on the health of your gut microbiome. From scaring away invader viruses and bacteria to strengthening your system to fight off any illnesses, your immune system greatly benefits from the loads of microbes that your gut contains. The more balanced they are the more protected you are from infections.
• Enhancement for your mood and mental well-being- The gut-brain axis is as real as the stars in the sky. Your brain and gut talk to each other all the time through a nerve called the vagus nerve. Moreover, 90† of the brain’s serotonin which is a mood-regulating hormone is produced by the gut. So happy gut, happy you minus depression and anxiety.
• Management of your weight- An imbalance in the gut microbiome can give you extra kilos that you loathe. Multiple studies have revealed that gut microbiome can differ completely for twins, one who is obese and one who is not. What’s most interesting is that when the microbiome is transferred from the obese twin to the thin one, they gain weight despite both of them eating the same diet. This points to the fact that the microbiome influences the body’s ability to store fat and process food. Of course, gut health is responsible for breaking down food and ensuring the body gets the required nutrients which if disrupted can lead to sluggishness and a drained feeling pushing the body into inactivity and eventually weight gain.
• Health for your skin- Breakouts on the skin in the form of pimples and acne are your gut’s way of informing you that all is not well down there. A compromised gut microbiome gut health can give way to inflammation that usually expresses itself as skin issues.
• Protection for your heart- A recent study of 1,500 people found that the gut microbiome played an important role in promoting “good” HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Additionally, gut health is also responsible for controlling the levels of sugar in the body and keeping diabetes at bay, suggests research.

How to know if your gut is acting up

It’s a human tendency to flick off an upset tummy blaming it on an over-eating episode or eating something wrong and not worrying too much about it. But you cannot ignore persistent episodes of:

Indigestion, gas, and bloating.

Frequent, unexplained mood swings.

Exhaustion and low energy levels.

Skin problems.

Low immunity and falling sick often.

Modifying your gut microbiome for better health

This may sound complicated and more like a procedure in a lab, but changing your gut microbiome can be a simple process done at home with a few modifications in how you live, eat, and drink. It’s all about balancing your gut with good bacteria and reducing the effects of the bad ones.

Here are a few tips to increase the good bacteria in your gut.

• If you feel by now that you have an imbalanced gut that makes you uncomfortable often, then try adding more fermented foods to your diet. Some good examples are yogurt, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut. It’s adding more probiotics to your belly for a healthy gut.
• This one you would’ve heard a million times before for heart health. Your gut greatly suffers from processed foods. They harm the good bacteria and increase inflammation in your body. Limit your intake of artificial sweeteners as they increase blood sugar by stimulating the growth of unhealthy bacteria.
• Increase the number of fruits,(especially bananas) vegetables, and whole grains in your daily meals. They increase the number of good bacteria. These are known as prebiotics. Studies also show that eating a varied diet also helps promote the growth of good bacteria.
• Exercise, sleep, and managing stress with other forms of physical activity don’t make you feel good without a reason. They promote microbial diversity.
• Avoid too many antibiotics. They kill many bad and good bacteria in the gut microbiome, possibly contributing to weight gain and antibiotic resistance. Apart from antibiotics proton pump inhibitors are also known to be good bacteria killers.
• Take some time out from your busy schedule and spend more time relaxing in nature and a more pleasant environment as this initiates microbial diversity and better gut health.

In some cases, like treating severe irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel syndrome where diet and lifestyle cannot alter or restore gut microbiome balance, a procedure called Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) that involves the transfer of stool from a healthy donor to another person’s colon. 

To wrap it up, here’s a reiteration- Trust your gut, it knows best!