Unlock the Power of Your Gut and Improve Your Health

Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria that affect your health. So if you experience frequent bloating, fatigue, discomfort, constipation, or heartburn, you may want to take a look at your gut health. 

After all, gut bacteria produce substances that enter your bloodstream and affect the cells in your body. Consequently, an unhealthy gut is the root cause of many diseases. 

In this post, you'll learn about the importance of the gut microbiome to your overall health and the different ways you can improve your gut microbiome.

What Is Gut Microbiome?

The gut microbiome is made up of all the microscopic organisms that live in the cecum (a secluded part of your large intestine). These organisms include bacteria, fungi, and viruses. They live mainly in your gut and on your skin, but it's possible to find them outside of these areas as well. 

All kinds of microbes live there, but bacteria are by far the most studied. In fact, there are over 300 species of bacteria living in your gut alone; and contrary to popular belief, most of the bacteria in a healthy gut are beneficial to you. 

To put it in another way, you shouldn’t try to get rid of your gut bacteria unless your doctor suggests a gut reset to improve your overall gut health. 

Here’s How Your Gut Microbiome Influences Your Health 

By now, you may have realized the importance of gut microbes to your overall health, but the million-dollar question is: how important is that role?

Simply put, without the microorganisms in your gut, you'd have a really hard time surviving. They're vital to the proper functioning of several organs and systems in your body; without them, you'd be extremely vulnerable to disease. 

Here are some of the ways your gut microbiome influences your health and affects various bodily functions:

Brain Health

Millions of nerves connect your gut microbiome to the central nervous system, which controls brain function. 

Researchers claim that your gut microbiome may have a say in the messages your brain receives. 

What’s more, some neurotransmitters (brain chemicals), are produced primarily in the gut. For example, serotonin, an antidepressant neurotransmitter that makes you feel good, is produced in the gut.

Immune System

Your gut microbiome can communicate with immune cells and control your body’s response to infection. 

In fact, one of the roles of the gut microbiome is to regulate immune homeostasis and thus prevent autoimmune disease. 

Heart Health

The gut microbiome can positively or negatively affect your heart health.

Microbes can trigger good cholesterol (HDL) and triglycerides in those with good gut bacteria.

Conversely, they can also trigger poor heart health by producing trimethylamine N-oxide (TAMO), which can block your arteries and lead to stroke or heart attack.

Gut Health 

As you might expect, the microorganisms that live in your gut play an important role in your overall gut health.

They communicate with intestinal cells to better digest certain foods and prevent harmful bacteria from sticking to the intestinal walls.

When this connection is disrupted, gut dysbiosis occurs and can trigger several intestinal diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Diabetes and Blood Sugar

Gut bacteria control blood sugar levels. Therefore, it can either lower or increase the likelihood of developing type 1 and type 2 diabetes. 

In addition, if you eat a low-sugar diet but the types of bacteria in your microbiome are mostly harmful, your risk of developing type 1 diabetes is still high. 

Weight

Gut dysbiosis, an imbalance in the gut microbiome, can lead to weight gain. Having mostly harmful bacteria in your gut slows down your metabolism and makes it harder to digest food. 

Many studies have already confirmed that there’s a link between non-obese people and a healthy gut microbiome. 

Fiber Digestion

Fiber plays an important role in digestion; it keeps you feeling fuller for longer and may help prevent cancer, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. 

Some microorganisms that live in your gut help your body digest fiber more efficiently by producing short-chain fatty acids, which are beneficial to your overall gut health. 

How To Improve Your Gut Microbiome

Now that you know how important your gut microbiome is, there are a few things you can do to have a healthy gut full of disease-fighting microorganisms.

• Use antibiotics when medically necessary: Antibiotics kill all kinds of bacteria (good and bad), which contributes to gut dysbiosis and antibiotic resistance.
• Take probiotics: One of the most common ways to improve your gut microbiome is to take probiotics. They’re live bacteria and yeast that help restore gut health by fighting harmful bacteria.
• Don’t forget the prebiotics: Prebiotics stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria (both those already living in your gut and those found in probiotics).
• Eat a diet rich in fiber and beneficial carbs: A healthy diet is the key to a balanced gut microbiome. Be sure to include plenty of legumes, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, whole grains, and beneficial carbs.

The Takeaway

Your gut microbiome plays an important role in the proper functioning of your body. It’s made up of trillions of bacteria, fungi, and microscopic living things that can be responsible for the presence or absence of certain diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and obesity.

Eating foods rich in fiber, minerals, and beneficial carbs is the easiest way to maintain a healthy gut and prevent life-threatening diseases.