Gut Health is the Secret to Mental & Physical Health

John Mar 01, 2023

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Table of Contents

What functions does the gut serve?
1. The Gut-Brain Connection.
2. What You Can Do To Maintain A Healthy Gut.
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Your mental and physical health are affected by so many things. The food you eat, the exercise you get (or don’t get), and the health of your gut. “Your gut,” you ask? Yes indeed. This is the center of many functions and systems in the body that play a vital role in regulating your mental and physical health. The central nervous system (CNS) and immune system are primarily affected by your gut health. Good gut health = optimal functioning CNS and immunity. Bad gut health = suboptimal CNS and immunity functions. These functions are directly correlated to your wellness. Read on to learn more how gut health is the secret to mental & physical health.

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What functions does the gut serve?

After the food in your esophagus passes into your stomach, it is broken down by acid and enzymes. The small intestine absorbs carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It also absorbs the nutrients and water via digestive juices and enzymes. The gut microbiome produces enzymes that break down and process food, regulate the immune system, produce vitamins and protect against pathogenic bacteria. The bacteria in our gut microbiome are responsible for this function. Your gut microbiome is formed by a variety of factors from diet to climate.

The large intestine is the last part of the digestive system. This is where remaining nutrients and water are broken down and absorbed, vitamin K is generated, and waste products are converted into stool before being eliminated. The signals between the brain and the gut are complicated and involve hormones and nerves in the process of digestion. Because of the gut-brain connection, our body’s immune system, metabolism, and mental well-being may all be impacted. This part of our body is therefore important to our immune system, metabolism, and mental health, known as the gut-brain connection. The gut microbiome and human biology are both important in understanding our health if these two key parts are combined.

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The Gut-Brain Connection.

The immune system’s largest quantity of cells is found in the gut. These cells are always in contact with the gut microbiome to keep it in balance. Things like diet, stress, medications, and antibiotics affect the gut microbiome. This in turn impacts our overall well-being because it disrupts the gut-brain connection. To maintain a healthy gut microbiome, it’s important to maintain a proper balance of bacteria in the intestinal barrier. In leaky gut syndrome, this intestinal barrier is weakened, allowing microorganisms to escape into the body. Leaky gut syndrome has been linked to inflammatory bowel disease, depression, anxiety, and autism, among other things. This is why gut health is the secret to mental and physical health.

An imbalance of gut bacteria can also cause problems with the blood-brain barrier and increase symptoms of depression and anxiety. Increases in cytokine production (cell signaling proteins) and permeability of the blood-brain barrier due to gut inflammation result in even more molecules escaping the gut, leading to increased symptoms of depression and anxiety.

These are some signs and symptoms of an unhealthy or unhappy gut:

Upset stomach and nausea
High sugar diet
Skin irritation
Food intolerances

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What You Can Do To Maintain A Healthy Gut.

Gut health can be improved by diet and water intake. Dietary fiber plays a critical part in the creation of short-chain fatty acids, which are crucial for cell signaling (how the cells, brain, and immune system work together). Foods such as whole grain pasta and rice, broccoli, beans, nuts, and legumes all provide dietary fiber. It is also critical to consume enough water. Water helps maintain the intestinal mucosal layer to prevent intestinal leakiness by maintaining it hydrated.

Another beneficial food is probiotics in fermented foods. Fermented foods include yogurt, tempeh, miso, and kefir. These foods preserve gut health. Probiotics are live organisms that help maintain gut flora, or the organism and good bacteria that break down food.

Food intolerances can also cause an unhealthy gut, so it is worth doing an elimination diet to see if it improves your symptoms. If you suspect you have a food allergy, you must seek medical advice and have it tested. Food allergies are distinct from intolerances in that they trigger an immune response and require medical treatment.

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Thousands of people suffer with a range of symptoms that may be misinterpreted for years. Over time they may slowly give way to a host of other problems, including fatigue, depression and severe gut issues, and it seems impossible to get any answers from doctors, beyond a repeat prescription. Two great companies offer at-home tests to help you understand your food and non-food item sensitivities, imbalances, and deficiencies.

Check My Body Health is a promising company that helps people understand their health. They are members of The North American Society of Homeopaths (NASH) with board certified physicians who have a passion for helping others. Check My Body Health’s at home testing kits and simple process provides a robust and non-invasive testing method to detect sensitivities, imbalances and deficiencies for up to 970 food and non-food items. They offer quick and reliable services to inform you of what types of foods are affecting your physical and mental wellbeing. You should try Check My Body Health if you suffer from any of the symptoms noted above to help you understand what is impacting your health.

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YorkTest is another promising at-home food sensitivity testing company that helps fast forward past the elimination diet. YorkTest is a leading health and wellness company with 40 years of excellence and scientific expertise in the provision of home Food Sensitivity tests and provides effective health and wellness advice and support. YorkTest works with individuals who are suffering with food related symptoms such as digestive issues, IBS symptoms, headache, nausea, skin conditions and aching joints to identify trigger foods which need to be eliminated from the diet. They offer simple home to laboratory testing, quality assured and accurate results, and a 7-day turnaround on results. User’s of YorkTest also have access to a secure online Customer Wellness Hub where you can track their samples through the lab, receive your results and have access to lots of useful information to support your wellbeing journey. The benefit is that you receive guidance and advice to put into practice after your results are received to help guide you on your health and wellness journey.

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Conclusion

Regardless of whether you do an elimination diet or try an at-home testing service, the important thing to understand is that you are responsible for your health. If you experience symptoms of poor physical and mental health, there’s a good chance that your gut and lifestyle play a key contributing role. It’s time to take ownership of your health and find answers so that you can begin living the best version of yourself. After all, the best investment you can make is in yourself, and this absolutely means your physical and mental health and wellness.