Have you ever felt tired, bloated or gassy after a meal? Improving your gut health could help to solve such effects and improve other bodily functions. Gut health refers to the health of your digestive system, specifically the colon, intestinal tract and stomach. Poor gut health symptoms can often be less obvious like join pain, headache, weak immune system, and fatigue. Improved gut health has been linked to heightened brain function and a more resilient immune system. A healthy gastrointestinal system (GI) has also been known to increase your mood and memory.
A connection between proper gut health and elevated mood has been recognized for quite some time. This is due to the link between our brain and our second-brain, which located in our gut. Individuals that suffer from bowel disorders have an increased tendency to suffer from mental issues such as anxiety or even depression.
Hippocrates once stated, “All disease begins in the gut”
The Enteric Nervous System (ENS), refers to the about 100 million nerve cells which coat the whole gastrointestinal tract. The primary responsibility of the ENS is to control digestion, but it also communicates back to the brain the total health of the body and the immune system.
The healthiness of your GI is defined by the balance of different types of harmful and helpful bacteria, which are located in the digestive tract. Too much harmful bacteria can lead to gut dysbiosis. The imbalance damages the mucous membrane of the GI tract, stimulating a reaction and causing inflammation. When inflammation occurs in the gut, the ENS sends a signal to the body, which can cause changes in mood.
Through changes in nutrition and in combination with probiotics and supplements, it is possible to undo the damage that has been cause to your gut through imbalances. A cleaner and healthier diet will help to restore the proper balance of your gut bacteria. This will help promote healthy digestion and increase the effectiveness of your immune system.