The gastrointestinal (GI) system is referred to as the 'gut'. While most of us believe that gut health is all about a good digestive system, the fact is that it has an overall impact on the health of our entire body. From the esophagus to the bowel, gut health covers the health of the entire digestive system. The various organs of our body are responsible for breaking down the food into individual nutrients which help in the proper functioning of the body, our immune system health as well as emotional wellbeing.
According to dietitian Silky Mahajan, about 80% of our immune system is in the gut. If your gut health is good then you will have more energy, stamina, better mental clarity and emotional health.
"In case of poor gut health, your immune system, hormones may not function properly and you may fall sick more often. The imbalance between good and bad gut bacteria can lead to various health issues such as Autoimmune conditions, Diabetes, neurological disorders, obesity, weight gain, acidity, bloating, constipation, PCOS, frequent headache, anxiety and depression," the founder of Foods & Nutrition Clinics, Bangalore said.
Our body consists of trillions of bacteria so as a human we have more bacteria cells than human cells. In a similar way, our gut also has trillions of bacteria, virus and fungi which are associated with different functions of the body. In addition to bacteria our gut has more than 500 million neurons which continuously communicate with the brain and that is the reason it is also called the Second brain of the body.
More than 90% of the happy hormone called serotonin is produced in the gut which influences both happiness feelings and GI activity.
"Another example is Gamma-aminobutyric acid-GABA which helps to control the feelings of fear and anxiety. Due to brain-gut connection sometimes, we feel butterflies in our stomach in case of nervousness, or in any tense situations," Mahajan said.
Reasons behind the microbial imbalance
There can be multiple reasons why microbial imbalance takes place. A few of the reasons are frequent antibiotics consumption, inorganic food, junk/processed/fried food, irregular sleep cycle, stress, C -section birth, alcohol consumption and poor eating habits.
Food to improve gut bacteria
It is evident that to improve/maintain gut health we should improve gut bacteria. The dietitian suggests including good probiotics foods in the diet to improve the number of gut bacteria such as green olives, kefir, fermented pickles, beetroot kvass, curd/butter milk, kanji, sauerkraut, kombucha, probiotic supplements.
"At the same time, it’s important to feed good bacteria with fibre rich foods called prebiotics so that they can survive," Mahajan added.
In simple terms, prebiotics stimulate the growth of pre-existing good bacteria and it’s important to feed these bacteria with fibre-rich foods such as whole grains, green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, lentils, apple, banana, orange, and green tea extracts.
Having good and diverse bacteria in the gut helps in regulating weight, controls blood sugar, lowers the risk of diabetes, helps to improve brain health, and may benefit heart health and good immunity levels. Also, it improves skin health as the gut and skin are connected through the gut skin axis.
How to understand your gut health?
A microbiome test can be done to understand human gut health. The stool sample is collected to analyse the microbiome index. After analysing these lab reports, foods are recommended that are good or bad or should be consumed in moderation in order to restore gut health and to maintain it in the longer run, explains Silky Mahajan.
