The 5 Surprising Benefits Of Gut Healing
4 minute read
Gut Healing 101
We all know that keeping our gut healthy is important, but the question is why? There is still so much that we don’t know about this incredible ecosystem – what we do know is that our gut, and more specifically the critters that live within it, are the building blocks to our health.
The diversity of bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa – collectively known as our gut microbiome, starts to take shape while we’re still in the womb and is in a state of flux throughout our life. We still don’t know the exact number of bacteria in the human body, but it is generally agreed that there at least 10 bacterial cells for every 1 human cell. Pretty mind blowing when you think about it!
Gut healing is one of my top priorities when addressing any health concern (even if that health concern is not related to gut health directly). Here are just some of the ways that gut healing can lead to better health:
1. Strengthens your immune system
Did you know that nearly 80% of our immune system lies in our gut (1) ? Incredible. This isn’t so surprising when you think that our gut is the first interface between our environment and our body. At all times - an army of bacteria is waiting in the wings to confront any foreign invaders and remove them from our body before they pass into our blood stream and start attacking cells.
2. Increases breakdown and absorption of nutrients
The bacteria in our gut are responsible for breaking down and facilitating the absorption of nutrients into our body. You can eat healthy food all day long, but if you are not breaking food down, and absorbing the nutrients from that food effectively, you are not getting the full benefit. Gut microbiota also play an important role in synthesizing certain micronutrients, including vitamin K, biotin, cobalamin, folates, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, riboflavin and thiamine (2).
3. Reduces Inflammation
Chronic stress, antibiotics, sugar, alcohol and prolonged exposure to artificial sweeteners are just some of the main offenders that can damage our gut lining. Over time, our gut lining can become more permeable – substances that should be destined for the toilet bowl end up in our blood stream. Our immune system picks up these as ‘foreign invaders’ and launches an immune assault. This is a normal inflammatory response which should subside once the foreign invader is dealt with. The trouble is, repeated long term exposure can cause chronic inflammation to occur throughout the body. Taking steps to reduce the permeability of our gut lining, otherwise known as gut healing, is a critical step in ensuring only the good stuff is passing into our blood stream.
4. Improves mental health
Gut bacteria play a big role in our brain chemistry. How? When beneficial microbes breakdown our food (particularly fiber) they produce metabolites, neurotransmitters and hormones which communicate with our brains through direct and indirect signaling. When our gut lining is healthy, these bacteria are able to do their jobs more effectively and the production of these metabolites improves, with the nice side effect of improving our mental wellbeing (3).
5. Supports detoxification
The cells lining our gut wall have a highly adapted, inbuilt detoxification system – this prevents toxins from passing through the gut lining and entering our blood stream. Enzymes work to metabolize and breakdown these toxins and promote their excretion in our bowel movements. This system works in tandem with our liver to ensure that toxins do not circulate and damage other organs. Gut healing not only helps to eliminate toxins in our digestive system but can also take the burden off our liver.
How do I know if I need gut healing?
In all my years of working as a dietitian I can’t tell you how many people have damage to their gut and don’t even realize it.
Doing a thorough assessment of your diet (past and present), medication use, family history, symptoms and health conditions can give us an indication of the state of your gut. However, it is impossible to know for sure if your gut is healthy based on these assessments alone.
My gold standard for assessing gut health is a stool test. Specifically, a test that uses Quantitative PCR (qPCR) technology to identify the DNA of parasites, bacteria, and fungi in your stool. Interested in learning more? Book a free 15 minute discovery call with me here . I am trained to interpret stool tests and give you personalized feedback on changes that you should make.
Ready to heal? Join me for my *FREE* 6 week gut healing boot camp!
What you will learn:
My 5 key steps to support gut healing naturally
Foods to avoid and include to strengthen your gut lining
Recommended products and supplements
What will I receive?
One email per week with information on steps you can take to heal your gut naturally
Recipes and tip sheets
Ongoing support to answer your questions
Exclusive discounts
To register for your place sign up here
References
(1) Xin V. Li,1,2 Irina Leonardi,1,2 and Iliyan D. Iliev. Gut mycobiota in immunity and inflammatory disease. 2019
(2) Michael J. Morowitz, MD,a Erica Carlisle, MD,b and John C. Alverdy. Contributions of Intestinal Bacteria to Nutrition and Metabolism in the Critically Ill. 2011.
(3) Kirsten Berding, Klara Vlckova, Wolfgang Marx, Harriet Schellekens, Catherine Stanton, Gerard Clarke, Felice Jacka, Timothy G Dinan, and John F Cryan. Diet and the Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis: Sowing the Seeds of Good Mental Health. 2021.
(4) Ley RE, Peterson DA, Gordon JI. Ecological and evolutionary forces shaping microbial diversity in the human intestine. Cell. 2006;124(4):837–848