Gut Health Simplified
No doubt you’ve encountered discussion about “gut health” and its vital role in overall well-being. While it’s important to seek your own sources, here is a concise overview and practical guidance to help you begin restoring your gut health today.
The digestive tract stretches from mouth to rectum and is home to over 100 trillion bacteria. These helpful organisms enable us to absorb essential nutrients while defending against harmful microbes that we encounter daily. The balance of this system is fragile and can be disrupted by poor diet, stress, hormone fluctuations, medications, inactivity, poor sleep, tobacco, alcohol, and unavoidable “endocrine disrupters” of our modern world. We will cover more about these in a future blog.
When the bacterial balance is disturbed—known in medical terms as “dysbiosis” (from Ancient Greek, meaning “bad life”)—we experience more than discomfort. In fact, when our GI tracts are unsettled, life can feel quite miserable. Since most GI tract activity is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, not conscious thought, treating dysbiosis is crucial. If not managed, dysbiosis can trigger systemic inflammation, which is especially problematic for those with chronic pain.
Dysbiosis encompasses more than just symptoms. The term “leaky gut” is often debated in medical circles, but current scientific evidence increasingly supports its validity. Picture the intestinal lining as vigilant “guardian” cells, arm-in-arm, deciding what enters the bloodstream (which sits directly behind them) and what stays out. The “guardian” cells are actually the second line of defense. The first lines of defense are colonies of friendly bacteria, in place to help digest food and fight off enemy bacteria. To keep these colonies present and active, they must be properly cared for and nourished.
One effective way to maintain this healthy bacterial defense is through a combination of prebiotics and probiotics. Probiotics supply billions of beneficial bacteria, while prebiotics provide the nutrients they need to thrive. Taking probiotics without their supporting nutrients often yields poor results, and low-quality or improperly stored products are similarly ineffective. Unlike many supplements, prebiotic/probiotic combinations must be high quality—here, we can offer guidance to help you make informed choices.
Additional steps to prevent dysbiosis include:
• Use antibiotics judiciously. While they can be life-saving when we have bacterial illnesses, antibiotics can also harm the gut’s friendly bacterial population.
• Adopt food choices from Paleo and Ancient diets, both of which promote gut health.
• Avoid toxic foods. Dr. Robert Lustig’s book Metabolical reveals how far modern diets have strayed from health. The early chapters may seem discouraging, but the rest of the book is deeply empowering.
• Restore hormonal balance. Optimal hormones contribute to gut health, which in turn reduces inflammation and pain—a principle often overlooked in pain management.
Watch for future blogs to explore gut health further and its impact on chronic pain, fatigue, and overall conditioning.
