Gut Health Linked to Overall Health
Gut health is so important that some medical professionals believe our overall health is rooted in a healthy gut. In other words: if your gut isn’t healthy, you won’t be healthy.
What we put into our bodies — whether it’s the food we eat, the medications we take, or the beverages we drink — all affect the way we feel and the way we think. It might sound a bit extreme, but it’s true.
Here is why digestive health is so important to overall health, the ways in which the gut is linked to seemingly unrelated systems, and how you can support a healthier gut.
How Gut Health is Inextricably Linked to Overall Health
In addition to the obvious digestive connection, gut health is linked to many different aspects of overall health, including mood, brain function, and immunity.
“The bacteria that live within the body — mostly in the gut — are actually responsible for keeping people healthy,” says . It might seem strange to think of bacteria living in our bodies and actually wanting them to be there for the purpose of good health, but these bacteria are vital. “These organisms help the body digest food and help maintain a healthy immune system.”
The Human Microbiome
Altogether, the bacteria in our bodies (largely, in our gut) make up what is commonly referred to as the “microbiome.” According to the (HSPH), “The microbiome consists of microbes that are both helpful and potentially harmful. Most are symbiotic (where both the human body and microbiota benefit) and some, in smaller numbers, are pathogenic (promoting disease).”
An infant’s microbiome is first influenced by their birth mother and then later, by environmental exposure. during vaginal birth, and then again if they’re breastfed. Obviously, the pureed and solid food they’re fed later, the liquids they drink, and everything they put in their mouths (hands, dirt, germ-laden toys) play a role in their unique microbiome.
“When in balance,” Ballehr says, “good bacteria in the gut have many benefits for the body. They have even been shown to prevent allergies by teaching the immune system how to differentiate between pathogens and non-harmful antigens in the body, and how to properly respond to each. While bacteria are intended to do good within the body, they can also be the cause of many health problems if there is an imbalance of these microbes.”
In other words, a balanced microbiome is extremely helpful for the body. As Ballehr puts it, “a healthy body begins with a healthy gut.”
Immune Health
As Ballehr alluded, the microbiome is linked very closely to the immune system. As puts it, “The gut is ground zero for our immune system. If functioning properly, it educates our immune system about friends and foes that we encounter and empowers it to fight against foreign invaders.”
Essentially, Gundry is saying that a healthy, diverse microbiome supports a strong immune system. And conversely, the more compromised your gut health is, the more compromised your immune system is.
The Second Brain
Obviously, we don’t really have two brains in the human body, but because of the major role the enteric nervous system (ENS) plays in our overall health, it’s sometimes referred to as the “second brain.”
that “the ENS is a plexus of nervous tissue in the GI tract that coordinates nearly every aspect of digestion including motility and production of digestive factors such as enzymes. It can affect your mood as well as how frequently you have to use the bathroom.”
Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Neurogastroenterology, has been studying the ENS for many years. “For decades, researchers and doctors thought that anxiety and depression contributed to [IBS and other functional bowel] problems. But our studies and others show that it may also be the other way around,” . Essentially, the research suggests that your digestive health could actually be contributing to your .
would agree. She says that at least 80 percent of the body’s serotonin is actually made in your gut — not your brain. The “microbes [in our microbiome] send signals that influence brain function through neurotransmitter production, and immune function and regulation (at least 70 percent of the immune system is housed in the lining of the GI tract), and more.”
found that after subjecting mice to stressors, the major result was a decrease in Lactobacillus (the probiotic bacteria in live-cultures yogurt), which led to an unhealthy mood. When the researchers fed the mice foods containing Lactobacillus, their mood returned to normal. At the end of the study, the researchers concluded that “the amount of Lactobacillus in the gut affects the level of a metabolite in the blood called kynurenine, which has been shown to drive depression.”
Why Gut Health is So Important
Given what we know about how digestive health is so inextricably linked to overall health, its impact on the immune system and mental health, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that building and maintaining a healthy gut is a matter of utmost importance.
Study after study has confirmed that gut health is essential to overall health. summed it up nicely: “A healthy gut ensures that the absorption of nutrients and excretion of toxins occur properly. The microbes found in a gut play a critical role in our health from an early age.”
The point is that digestive health is inextricably linked to the rest of the body — the microbiome affects all other major organs and body systems.
It’s extremely important to prioritize gut health. So let’s get into how we can do that.
How to Support Gut Health
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to support gut health — and it shouldn’t be a surprise that most of them have to do with what types of food we eat. Of course there are other factors, like stress, exercise, prescription medications (specifically , which kill all bacteria — not just the bad bacteria), and food allergies and other health conditions that affect dietary intake.
One of the most common (and popular) ways to support digestive health is through fermented foods. Yogurt contains a lot of wonderful bacteria necessary for gut health. Many people find that this is an easy way to help support their microbiome while also getting a snack containing low-fat dairy and protein.
If those with dairy sensitivities don’t enjoy the dairy-free alternatives, they can turn to other fermented foods (kimchi, Kombucha, sauerkraut, other fermented vegetables) as well as supplements to meet their probiotic needs.
How Do Probiotics Work?
(many of which are bacteria) present in fermented foods and supplements. Most probiotics are in the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium bacteria groups, but others include friendly yeast, such as Saccharomyces boulardii.
Once ingested, probiotics support the healthy, necessary bacteria in your gut that breaks food down, helps us absorb nutrients, and sends signals to the rest of the body (i.e. the second brain section above). Probiotics are — not just for the urogenital tract, but for heart health, bone health, and hormonal balance.
In addition to probiotics, incorporating “prebiotics” into your diet can support a healthier gut. Prebiotics aren’t discussed as frequently as probiotics — or at least not using that term. Something patients have probably heard about though is fiber, and how important it is for keeping the body feeling full and nourished in between meals. But fiber has an additional important role to play in gut health- it feeds the healthy bacteria in the microbiome.
The defines prebiotics as “nondigestible food components that selectively stimulate the growth or activity of desirable microorganisms.” Essentially, they help encourage healthy bacterial growth in the gut.
recommends to her patients that they should “eat foods high in fiber to provide prebiotics to the gut bacteria. The optimal amount is 35-40 g fiber/day. Eating adequate fiber fosters the type of gut bacteria that thrive on fiber and produce beneficial short chain fatty acids. Examples of foods high in fiber are beans, legumes, vegetables, (especially artichoke & asparagus) fruits, and whole grains.”
Foods that Can Support Gut Health
As with any other way to support overall health, the answer for digestive health is to consume the right foods, and minimize (or eliminate) the wrong foods. Onions, leeks, scallions, beets and asparagus all contain inulin-a type of fiber that feed our healthy bacteria. But in general, vegetables and fruits, high fiber foods, fermented foods, healthy fats, and culinary herbs all support a healthier microbiome.
Foods that can help support a healthy gut include:
- Beans and other legumes
- Vegetables
- Leafy greens (spinach, kale, mustard greens, collard greens)
- Fruits
- Whole grains (brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa)
- Fermented foods
- Yogurt
- Avocados
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Garlic and other herbs like oregano, thyme and sage which help reduce unhealthy bacteria for a healthier microbial balance
Switching to a healthier diet may lead patients to realize that veggies, beans, and other high fiber foods can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, and if that’s the case, they can try a digestive enzyme with meals. This can really help improve overall digestion and eliminate bloating and gas.
If GI issues are persistent, it may be time to test for food sensitivities or microbial imbalance that may be causing larger problems. Once those issues are eliminated, the gut can heal.
Foods to Avoid
When GI problems are present, it can help to decrease sugar and processed foods. These
foods can promote overgrowth of unhealthy bacteria and yeast in the gut, which can lead to excess gas production, inflammation, leaky gut and other GI problems:
- Sugar (cake, pastries, candy)
- White flour (breads, pastas, crackers)
- Processed / packaged foods
- Fried foods
- Processed, preserved meats
- Artificial colors, flavors, preservatives
- Soda and sweetened beverages (sugar)
- Alcohol
How You Can Improve Your Gut Health
Because digestive health is inextricably linked to the rest of our bodies, it’s important to take a . We can’t just think about the foods we’re eating — we also have to look at our lifestyles, our mental health, and our daily choices. Getting plenty of water (64 ounces per day), fitting in regular exercise, and finding ways to lower our stress levels and get enough sleep are all extremely important for both overall health and gut health.
Lifestyle changes (including diet changes) can be difficult, so if patients balk at the prospect of overhauling multiple areas of their lives, suggest they start with one or two. Focus for a week on getting enough water and taking a 30-minute walk during lunch or after their workday is over. Once they’ve gotten into a couple of new (good) habits and an easy rhythm, they could try working on their diet, or reducing stress levels by trying meditation or yoga.
It’s important to think of these lifestyle changes as building blocks. When we improve our diet, we shouldn’t stop drinking the recommended amount of water or skipping our daily walk.
A healthy lifestyle isn’t an overnight accomplishment — it’s an accumulation of daily practices resulting from making conscious decisions.
Our gut health is affected by all the choices we make. The more steps we can take toward a healthier gut, the better off we’ll be in the long run.
Are you interested in learning more about gut health? Check out these articles with additional pro tips: