Gut Health: All You Need To Know

When it comes to health, gut health plays a vital role in it. Problems relating to the digestive system like gas, constipation, or heartburn are bad gut health symptoms. Thus, in the article, we will talk about various aspects of gut health. 

In the article, we will tell you about the symptoms of bad gut health along with methods to improve it. You will also find the best food you can have for good gut health in the article. Source

Why Should You Pay Attention To Your Gut Health?

Gut health is important as it is where all the food we intake is broken down in the body. This is where the nutrients and other things that a person’s body needs are absorbed by the body in the bloodstream for use in the body. 

The process of breakdown and absorption makes a person healthy, and thus, gut health is very important for overall well-being. 

What Is A Healthy Gut?

When it comes to an understanding what it means by a healthy gut, most people have confusion. A healthy gut refers to the gut that contains healthy bacteria along with the immune cells. 

The presence of these bacteria and cells protects the body from infections, viruses, fungi, and bacteria. Along with protecting the body, a healthy gut also communicates with the brain and helps maintain hormone balance and other things in the body. (1)

What Is Gut Microbiome?

The complexity of the gut and its effects on a person’s health is a widely researched topic among medical professionals. A number of studies in the past years have shown the effects of the gut on the immune system, mental health, endocrine disorders, mood, autoimmune diseases, and more in a person. 

The ‘Gut Microbiome’ is a term that refers to especially the microorganisms that are present in the intestine of a person. When it comes to these microorganisms, there are around 500 species of them that are present in our gut. Out of these organisms, some are very beneficial and even essential for health, while some are harmful to the body. Thus the presence of good microorganisms means good health. 

Signs Of Bad Gut Health

When it comes to gut health in modern times, many things can affect it. High levels of stress, little sleep, high-sugar foods, antibiotics intake, and eating processed foods can harm your gut microbiome. This, in turn, can also affect your other health aspects like the immune system, weight, brain, hormone balance, and in some cases, it can even lead to cancer development in a person. 

Some common signs which you may face when your gut is unhealthy are:

Upset Stomach

A healthy gut processes food easily while terminating the wastage out of it. Thus, issues like bloating. Diarrhea, gas, constipation, and heartburn in a person are signs of bad gut health. 

High-Sugar Diet

Foods that are high in sugars and are processed are bad for your gut microbiome. The decrease in good bacteria due to these types of food can even damage the gut more and increase sugar cravings. 

Foods that contain refined sugar or specifically the high-fructose syrups have been seen in the research to have increased inflammation in the body. Inflammations in the body are like early signs of other health problems and even cancer in a person. 

Weight Changes

If you are gaining or losing weight without a change in the diet or going for exercise, then it is also a sign of bad health. Such an imbalance in the body can lead to fat storage, a decrease in the capacity to absorb nutrients by the body, and more. 

Weight loss without effort can be due to Small Intestinal Bacterial Growth, while the gain in weight can be due to Insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can decrease the absorption of the nutrients by the body and thus increase cravings. 

Fatigue And Disturbed Sleep

Bad gut health in a person can lead to disturbed sleep cycles such as insomnia and can thus lead to body fatigue. This is because the gut produces the serotonin hormone, which affects a person’s sleep and mood. 

In some cases, sleep disturbances can also be linked to the risk of fibromyalgia in a person. 

Irritation On Skin

Bad gut health can lead to skin issues like eczema in a person. This happens because, due to an unhealthy gut, some proteins may leak into the body of the person and thus, in turn, irritate the skin. This health issue of the gut can be because of poor diet or some food allergies. 

Autoimmune Conditions

Researches in recent times have found that bad gut health can affect the immune system in a person. This is because bad gut health leads to systemic inflammation and thus leads to alterations in the immune system’s functioning. 

These alterations in the immune system can even lead to autoimmune diseases in the body in which the body attacks itself instead of harmful elements. 

Food Intolerance

Food intolerance other than those caused due to allergies originating due to immune systems reaction to a specific type of food is the result of bad gut health. It shows that the good microbiome in the gut is not working properly. 

Things To Do For Good Health 

Now, as you know, how vital is gut health for a person’s overall health? Let’s see how you can improve your gut health:

Decrease In Stress Levels

High levels of stress can affect your body on many levels, and this also includes your gut health. To lower the stress levels, you can go for things like meditation, getting a massage, diffusing essential oils, walking, and more. 

Other remedies you can go for are a decrease in caffeine intake and yoga. 

Sleep

When it comes to improvements in gut health, sleep can have great effects on it. The sleep of 7-8 hours daily can lead to an increase in the good microbiome in the gut and improve overall health. For this, you can also visit your doctor as sometimes you need a professional. 

Slow Eating

When you have your food, chew it thoroughly as it leads to the proper breakdown of the food as well as proper absorption of the nutrients. It helps the digestive system and this, in turn, helps in maintaining good gut health. 

Proper Water Intake

Proper intake of water and staying hydrated have been linked to good digestive health. Proper hydration has been seen to have good effects on the mucosal lining in the intestines and thus balancing the good microbiomes in the gut. Thus, staying hydrated is a great way to maintain and promote good gut health. 

Take Probiotic

If you want to improve your gut health, then adding some probiotic supplements to your diet can be a great idea. Probiotics, along with providing good living bacteria, also provide the body with foods that promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut. However, people with SIBO should avoid using probiotics as it can lead to problems. 

One thing to remember is to know that all the supplements are not high grade, and thus you should consult your health care professional before consuming a product. 

Check For Food Intolerance

If you see any symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, nausea, cramping, rashes, abdominal pain, and fatigue, then check for food intolerance. These are some of the common symptoms of food intolerance in a person. 

For a start, you can begin with the termination of common food intolerance, triggering elements from your diet. For example, you can eliminate the milk from your diet and try substitutes for milk if you feel you are lacrosse sensitive. If you feel that there is an improvement in the symptoms, then it will help you identify the intolerance causing foods. This way, you can help in improving your gut health by changing your diet. 

Change Diet

For a better digestive system and improved microbiome, start with cutting the intake of foods with high-fat and sugar. You should specifically avoid processed sugar. You must also include plant-based elements in the diet as much as possible. The best thing you could do is eat high fiber food as it has been seen in the studies to improve gut health to great levels. 

Foods For Healthy Gut

Diet and a healthy gut are like synonyms to each other. Thus, your gut health depends on what you eat. These are some of the foods you can eat for better gut health:

• High Fibre Foods

Foods like legumes, peas, bananas, leeks, and oats have a positive impact on the gut microbiome and thus lead to improvements in gut health.

• Garlic & Onion 

These two foods have anti-cancer qualities with immune system boosting capabilities, thus leading to a healthy gut.

• Fermented Foods

Foods like yogurt, kimchi, tempeh, sauerkraut, and kefir are some of the best gut health improving foods you can have. Many studies have proven these foods to have positive impacts on gut health. 

• Collagen Boosting Foods

Foods like salmon can positively impact your gut health and are also beneficial for your overall health, although further studies are needed. 

Takeaway

Eat, Sleep And Repeat is the best thing you can have from this article. Proper sleep with a well-balanced diet is what makes a diet gut-healthy food. 

In the article, we have put together a list of bad and good foods for gut health while also listing the bad gut symptoms. You will also find the foods which you can eat for a healthy gut.