Your gut microbiome can influence a lot more than you think

Many people only think about what happens with their gut health when they get the intestinal flu or food poisoning, take antibiotics, or are dealing with a condition such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or another digestive issue.

But the reality is this:  We should all be thinking a lot more about what is going on in our gut!

Why?  Research has revealed that our gut, especially our intestinal tract, is a lot more than just a tube that moves food and nutrients through our body.  It’s where our gut microbiome lives.

Our gut microbiome is so important that many researchers now consider it an organ.  An organ that is as important to your health as your brain or your heart!

What is the gut microbiome?

The term “gut microbiome” or “gut microbiota” describes the many organisms living inside your intestines.  How many are there?  Researchers will sometimes debate that, but if you wrote the number “1” and followed it by 14 zeros that would be about how many organisms are inside your gut right now.  (I can’t even say that number!)

If that’s making you a bit uncomfortable or “grossed out”, don’t be.  Your health depends on those beings living in your gut.

Why your health and gut microbiome are linked

Your gut microbiome depends on the foods and beverages you eat and drink for their survival. You depend on those beings to live.  You co-exist together and depend on each other. The next time you look in the mirror, don’t think “I” and see an individual.  Think “we” and see a community depending on each other for survival and health.  You are not a single living entity!

9 Ways your gut microbiome affects your health

1) Digestion: The organisms in your gut play a key role in digesting the food you eat and helping your body absorb the nutrients from that food.

2) Immunity: Your immune system helps keep you healthy. Your gut microbiome influences how your immune system develops.  It also supports it and influences how it functions as we go through life.

3) Protection: Like your skin, your gastrointestinal tract is exposed to many things that can cause you to become sick. The microbiota inside your intestines help defend against these pathogens and also help to clear away some of the substances and toxins that could harm you.

4) Anti-Leaky Gut: Given the above, it’s a very good thing for your health that your gut microbiome creates short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from some of the foods in a healthy diet. These SCFAs help keep the lining of your intestines (your “gut lining”) intact.  Having a “leaky gut” is now thought to contribute to a range of health conditions, including some autoimmune conditions.

5) Amino Acids For Proteins: Besides producing short chain fatty acids, your gut microbiome also makes amino acids, the building blocks of protein used by your body in so many ways.

6) Keeping Your Bones Strong: In addition to amino acids, your gut microbiome uses the food you eat to make some of the vitamins your body needs, including vitamin K2 which, among other things, plays an important role in keeping your bones healthy and preventing osteopenia and osteoporosis.

7) Metabolism and Body Fat: You probably know that your weight can affect your health. But did you know your gut microbiome influences your metabolism and how much fat you store in your body?  Your weight is linked to far more than how many calories you consume and how active you are.

8) Diabetes and Obesity: What goes on in your gut microbiome affects how sensitive your body is to insulin and how your body manages the carbohydrates you eat.  This directly affects your weight and your blood sugar levels!

9) Anxiety and Depression: As more of us deal with mental health issues, scientific research has shown that there is a strong link between our gut microbiome and anxiety and depression. The “gut-brain axis” is real and can be affected by what you eat.

What happens with your gut health doesn’t stay just in your gut!

With this brief glimpse at how interconnected your gut microbiome is to your overall health, it quickly becomes apparent that your gut microbiome affects your health far more than just what happens when you are on the toilet.

Caring for your gut microbiome

Many factors affect your gut microbiome.  Some you can’t control, such as your genetics or how your mom gave birth to you.  But the great news is that the biggest influence on your gut microbiome is what you eat!  

For personalized help in eating for a healthier gut microbiome, book your free discovery call. We can talk about what you want to accomplish and see if working with me would be helpful to you.