“As goes the gut, so goes the body!” Science has recently been studying the gut microbiome and discovered that the healthy gut is inhabited by some 40 trillion microorganisms living there, and they affect virtually every biological function of your body. The bottom line is “a healthy gut promotes a healthy body”.
This month we will spotlight how to improve our gut health from several different perspectives: the gut-brain connection, components of a healthy gut, nutrients that will improve our gut health, food that will help promote a healthier gut, and steps to helping to heal the gut. Check out our blogs and podcasts each week for related topics.
For purposes of this discussion, we’ll consider the main component of the gut to be the intestine. We live in a toxic environment and this leads to autointoxication of the gut. One writer stated that this has been around for ages, but we’ve now given it a new name – “leaky gut.” And leaky gut has been associated with a number of health problems: things like allergies, depression, chronic skin conditions, chronic sinus problems, yeast infections, irritable bowel and their associated bowel disorders, and a number of autoimmune disorders.
Your body has protective barriers: specifically, the skin and mucus membranes that line the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory passages. One writer called these “sifters and sorters”; they let in the good stuff and keep out the bad stuff. They should be tightly sitting next to each other, but due to improper nutrients and too much inflammation, they develop gaps in the constitution (like an army with soldiers missing from the lineup!). These gaps can let in toxins, undigested foods, and pathogens (like parasites, viruses, bacteria, yeast, etc.). And this can cause systemic inflammation.
A healthy gut doesn’t just happen. We have to be aware of our environment, conscious of the things we put into our bodies, and conscientious in planning for and caring for our bodies in general and our guts specifically.
- For more information, contact Naturopathic Doctor Randy Lee, owner of The Health Patch at 1024 S. Douglas Blvd, Midwest City, at 405-736-1030 or e-mail pawpaw@TheHealthPatch.com or visit TheHeathPatch.com.
