“The most powerful path to our brain – and peace of mind – is through our gut.”
-Kelly Brogan, MD author of A Mind of Your Own.
You may be wondering why it's so important to care so much about our gut and digestive health. There is no one answer, not even a couple direct answers to that question, because the real answers are only just beginning to be discovered. Recent studies are now coming to light about the importance of the trillions of beneficial bacteria in our gut. These powerful microbes do more than just aid in digestion, they keep our entire body, and mind, functioning properly.
Due to a number of external factors, such as pollution, farming practices, and the addition of all sorts of chemically composed ingredients found in even the most innocent of foods, our gut biome is under constant stress and attack. In order to keep it healthy, the addition of supplements is highly recommended. Before we begin discussing what supplements you should consider adding into your diet, let's take a look at all the wonderful things our gut biome does for our body.
How Does Gut Health Relate to Digestion?
Simply put, gut bacteria help digest food, as well as absorb key nutrients. The mechanisms for this are highly complex, and differ depending on what variety of bacteria is digesting what substance. For example, people who are lactose intolerant usually have low to non-existing levels of the bacteria Lactobacillus. There are countless different species of bacteria in the gut work in harmony with a solid diet, rich in whole foods with minimal (zero, if possible) processed foods. Everyone's particular needs will vary from person to person, mainly due to the makeup of their gut biome.
If our gut flora is impaired in anyway, digestion slows and can cause some adverse even painful symptoms. If you are having problems digesting your food, some common symptoms include excessive gas and repeated bloating. A little bloating is normal in cycling women, but if it is irregular and frequent, the problem is probably your gut health, not the fault of your menstrual cycle.
What Other Health Factors Relate to Gut Health?
Gut bacteria creates a physical barrier against harmful pathogens, viruses, and even parasites. So what happens if one of these invaders gets into our system? Illness. And how do we avoid illness? By keeping our immune system strong. The majority of our immune system is located around our gut.
Our gut's microbes can also detoxify many of toxins in the intestine before it is passed on to the liver. A majority of these toxins are found in the foods we consume, such as pesticide residue on plants.
In addition to playing a huge role in our immune response, the gut is in control of a number of inflammatory pathways. Poor nutrition, or not getting enough of the required nutrients for your gut to function properly, can result in unnecessary increased inflammation. Prolonged inflammation can lead to chronic diseases, including but not limited to: chronic fatigue or adrenal fatigue, obesity, and even depression.
How Can I Keep My Digestive System and Gut Microbes Healthy?
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There are a number of vitamins, vitamin B complex and vitamin C especially, which are particularly helpful in digestion. Both vitamin B and C are water soluble, meaning you cannot store them in your fat cells (unlike Vitamin E, for example, which is fat soluble). Since these vitamins are excreted in waste, you should consider taking them every single day in addition to a diet rich in lean proteins for vitamin B, dark leafy greens and cruciferous veggies for folate (Vitamin B) and vitamin C, and foods high in vitamin C like tomatoes, blueberries, and oranges.
Selenium is an important supplement nowadays, as it is no longer found in the once nutrient rich soil. Due to erosion from intense, highly mechanized farming practices, and in part heavy pesticide use, many of our plants that once had levels of selenium now do not, simply because there is no more naturally occurring selenium in the soil. Selenium is essential for the formation of antioxidant glutathione, and it also supports neurologic function and thyroid health.
Abnormally low levels of selenium have been associated with chronic conditions such as Chron's disease, which is one of the many conditions associated with a poorly functioning gut biome.
Zinc is a powerful micronutrient, that though only needed in small doses, can be missing from our daily diets. Zinc contributes to the enzymatic process of over three hundred different types of enzymatic functions. And where do a number of enzymatic functions get their needed nutrients to begin the process? That's right, the gut.
Probiotics are potentially the most powerful supplement you can feed your gut. Acidophilus is a complex of five different types of lactic acid-producing bacteria. These probiotics have the amazing ability to not only feed your healthy gut bacteria, but are influential in discouraging the growth of bad bacteria that can cause sickness and disease.
Digestive Enzymes are formulated in a time release capsule, so they start the enzymatic process where they should, in your intestine, not in your stomach. A high-quality plant sourced digestive enzyme should contain a mix of the three following enzymes: proteases for the break down and digestion of proteins, lipases, for the break down and digestion of fats, and amylase for the break down and digestion of carbohydrates. Digestive enzyme supplements are best taken with a meal, or at least within thirty minutes prior to eating.
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Happy Gut = Happy You
As science evolves and we learn more and more about our body's internal systems, we can then begin to supplement and eat appropriately. The current move is definitely trending toward gut health, and keeping our gut happy and healthy is proving to show some amazing results.
