You may have heard or seen this quote from Hippocrates: “all disease begins in the gut”. It’s said that he used those words thousands of years ago, and current research is finding there’s much truth in this ancient piece of wisdom.

If you think your intestinal tract is only responsible for digestion and waste elimination, think again… your gut also plays a big role in immune system function, the synthesis of essential nutrients, and balancing neurotransmitters important for brain and mood health.

It’s even been referred to as our second brain by experts in the health professional community. I find this stuff fascinating!

It’s all about the health of our gut

Your intestines are home to billions of bacteria, collectively known as the microbiome. You have probably been hearing the word microbiome more recently as it’s more regularly in the news. Some of these bacteria are beneficial and some are not, but the balance between the two is really key to normal digestion, proper absorption of nutrients, and promoting a healthy intestinal environment.

The integrity and structure of the intestinal walls is also extremely important when it comes to good gut health - and our health overall.

The gut lining is a permeable barrier designed to allow certain molecules, like broken down nutrients from food, to crossover into the bloodstream for absorption and use in the body. But, the gut lining should also keep harmful molecules, like toxins and pathogens, from being absorbed.

When the gut lining is compromised, it may become thin, inflamed, too permeable, and unable to regulate which molecules should and should not be crossing into the bloodstream. This is known as impaired intestinal permeability or Leaky Gut Syndrome.

A leaky gut allows large food particles, chemicals, and toxins to actually ‘leak’ into your body where they can wreak havoc! Your immune system then swings into action as it identifies these as foreign invaders and launches an inflammatory attack.

This type of inflammation is different than the heat, swelling, and redness you associate with an injury. That’s acute inflammation and it’s pretty obvious when it’s happening.

Instead, we’re talking constant chronic inflammation that, over the course of longer periods of time, is thought to be the root cause of a lot of diseases.

Not every single disease can be traced back to gut health, but a lot of them can.

Heart disease, type 2 Diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s, and mood disorders, like depression, are all linked to inflammation and poor gut health or a compromised gut lining.

And personally I think we are going to continue finding out more and more as the science goes deeper in this direction.

What type of things are harmful to the gut?

A number of things can contribute to poor gut functioning, including:

An unhealthy diet, high in refined carbohydrates, sugar, and unhealthy fats, like fried foods and trans fats
Excessive alcohol consumption
Long-term use of prescription and over-the-counter medications. Examples:

○ Antibiotics are used to rid the body of bacterial infections, but unfortunately, they do not discriminate and end up wiping out the population of good bacteria too

○ Frequent use of NSAIDs, like ibuprofen, can impair the lining of the stomach and intestines

Stress can also cause inflammation throughout the body, including your gut.
Gluten also contributes to impaired gut lining in those sensitive to it

How to care for your gut health with diet

Care for your gut and your gut will care for you!

It’s been well documented that our gut thrives when we follow an anti-inflammatory diet.

This includes:

Eating a diet rich in whole foods, with a focus on fiber, antioxidants, and omega-3 fats. The best source of omega-3 fats are nuts, fatty fish, like salmon, and pastured animal products. If you don’t eat fish or grass-fed animal products, it’s important to take a good quality omega-3 supplement.
Regularly eating fermented foods, like raw sauerkraut and kombucha, can help boost the number of good bacteria in your gut. Probiotic supplements can also help support the number and balance of bacteria in your gut.
Bone broth or hydrolyzed collagen supplements may help promote an intact and healthy gut lining.

By being aware of what we eat affects how we feel, we can start to make choices that are better for our long term health.

Agree? Let me know in the comments below.

Try out the 5 Day Sugar Free challenge and boost your gut health today.