When was the last time you considered the condition of your digestive system?
What about the last time you experienced bloating and discomfort after eating? The fact is that unless something goes wrong, most of us don't pay much attention to our digestive systems.
Ideally, we need to be considering ways to enhance our gut health on a regular basis. We're more inclined to choose healthy foods when we're mindful of our digestive systems. Eating wholesome, nutritious meals will support the growth of our "good" gut bacteria while inhibiting the growth of dangerous bacteria inside of us. By consuming probiotics that promote a healthy microbiome, such as those in Aura Probiotics, we may also improve gut health.
Why Is Gut Health Important?
Living with gut-related ailments is fairly frequent these days. The processed foods we often consume are one of the main causes of problems with gut flora. Sugary meals and foods that have been heavily processed are bad for the gut microbiota because they feed the incorrect kinds of bacteria.
We are more prone to experience bloating, stomach discomfort, food intolerance, and other gastrointestinal problems when there is an imbalance in our gut flora. The story, however, takes a turn since a unbalanced gut flora affects more than simply digestion. It may have an effect on our general health.
According to studies and research, gut bacteria are crucial to human health because they help with nutritional digestion and absorption, produce vitamin K, and support enteric nerve function. The gut flora and the brain clearly have a connection. The enteric neural system, a network of nerve cells that line the digestive tract from the esophagus all the way down to the rectum, is frequently referred to as the body's "second brain."
Controlling digestion, assisting with nutrient absorption, and assisting the body in the elimination of waste materials are all tasks carried out by the enteric nervous system. Unexpectedly, researchers have shown that the enteric nervous system may interact with the brain and possibly regulate mood swings.
For instance, those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, or other digestive issues may be more susceptible to sadness and anxiety that are brought on by the enteric nervous system. This discovery may help to explain why persons with IBS and other gut-related conditions are more likely than those with a healthy stomach to have mood problems.
The connection between gut bacteria and heart health is even more concerning than the one between gut health and mood disorders. Heart disease and stroke risk are increased in those with poor gut health. Making sure our gut microorganisms are appropriately balanced and not swamped with harmful bacteria is particularly crucial for those of us with a family history of cardiac issues.
How Does a Sound Gut Work?
It is important to have a healthy and balanced stomach. It has helpful bacteria and immune cells that actively fight off dangerous bacteria, viruses, and other undesirable invaders. Additionally, a healthy stomach effectively interacts with the brain through hormones and neurons to support the maintenance of a general feeling of well-being and excellent energy.
Inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract and other parts of the body may be decreased with excellent gut health. Additionally, it strengthens the immune system. You're less likely to feel uncomfortable after eating if you have a healthy stomach. Additionally, you have a higher likelihood of having "regular" bowel motions.
People with a balanced gut flora are also more likely to consistently feel healthy and energized. This is so because gut health influences overall wellbeing and health.
What Consequences Does Gut Inflammation Have?
Even the best of us sometimes experience gut inflammation. It may cause gut Dysbiosis, a fancy name for an imbalance of bacteria in our gut, and is generally unpleasant. Here are a few typical indications of a bad gut:
- Frequent stomach discomfort (including heartburn, diarrhea, bloating, and gas)
- Changes in weight that are not explained (unintentional weight loss as well as weight gain may be indicators of gut inflammation)
- Food allergies
- Chronic weariness or sluggishness
- Bowel motions that hurt
- Blemishes and other skin issues
- Changes in mood and irritation
- Achy and sore joints
- Enlarged abdomen
- Thyroid issues
- Water holding
All of these warning indicators point to a problem with our gut microbiota. Fortunately, by adhering to healthy eating practices and using natural probiotics as required, we can concentrate on gut healing and the restoration of beneficial bacteria.
If we ignore the distress signals coming from our stomach, we may develop a number of unpleasant conditions. It is well established that persistent intestinal inflammation plays a role in chronic illness. Here are 13 possible effects of having intestinal inflammation over an extended period of time:
- Arthritis
- Autoimmune conditions
- GI disorders including IBS and IBD
- Diverticulitis (intestinal wall irritability)
- Intestinal cancer
- Allergies
- Cardiovascular conditions
- Diseases that affect the nervous system, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
- Concern and sadness
- Osteoporosis
- Problems of neurodevelopment, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Obesity and metabolic syndrome
- Alcohol-unrelated fatty liver disease
Having inadequate probiotic bacteria in your stomach does not ensure that you won't get any of these illnesses, however, having an imbalanced bacterial population and persistent gut inflammation increase your chances of developing these problems.
What Leads to Gut Inflammation?
The root causes of intestinal inflammation can from a number of issues. Here are a few of the most common:
- Foods: Foods that have been extremely processed are incredibly popular and range from crackers to cookies with a ton of sugar added. Food additives that might enhance intestinal permeability, such as artificial sweeteners, carrageenan, polysorbate-80, and countless more compounds, are often found in processed meals. This implies for you that eating foods that have undergone extreme processing might ultimately result in a disease called leaky gut.
- Stress: It's no coincidence that stress is often referred to as the silent killer. The effects of stress on the body and mind are severe. Additionally, it may increase intestinal inflammation and render the digestive system uninhabitable for beneficial microorganisms. Your gut microbiome will probably not be ruined by occasional stress, but beware of persistent stress, which has a propensity to wipe off beneficial microorganisms.
- Gut infections: A few bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral illnesses might unintentionally change the makeup of the gut microbiota. The influenza A virus is one instance of this, which may make the body more vulnerable to Salmonella bacteria (which can then cause havoc on your digestive tract). Irritable bowel syndrome and severe gut inflammation may both be brought on by food poisoning.
- Physical Activity: Overtraining and sedentary lifestyles may both cause gut inflammation, despite being at opposing extremities of the activity range. Because it may increase the good bacteria in the stomach and reduce inflammation, moderate exercise is optimal. On the other hand, overtraining worsens intestinal inflammation. Increased intestinal inflammation is also related to sedentary lifestyles. You'll be in excellent condition if you try to maintain a level of exercise in the middle.
- Industrial seed oils: Oils derived from seeds like rapeseed, cottonseed, soybeans, maize, and safflower may cause gastrointestinal irritation. They contain a lot of omega-6 fatty acids, which explains this. Omega-3 fatty acids are excellent for the body and help reduce inflammation, but their omega-6 cousins do not share this benefit. Since heat rapidly causes damage to omega-6 fatty acids, they become inflammatory when processed and cooked.
- Antibiotics: Although they often save lives, they do have certain downsides. Antibiotics are allegedly administered too often these days, harming patients' gut flora in the process. The way that antibiotics operate is by eradicating the disease-causing microorganisms. Unfortunately, antibiotics also destroy healthy bacteria. They may cause severe gut bacterial imbalance and inflammation if taken too regularly.
- Lack of sleep: Have you ever noticed that when you don't get enough sleep, your stomach becomes a bit more sensitive? This is because lack of sleep alters the gut microbiota and promotes the development of bacterial species that cause inflammation. Insufficient sleep for even two nights might worsen gut inflammation and pain.
- Environmental poisons: It's impossible for us to avoid the toxins that surround us. certain examples of environmental poisons are triclosan from certain personal care products and hand sanitizers, glyphosate from well-known herbicides, bisphenol A (commonly known as BPA), and substitute plasticizers. All of these poisons have the potential to harm our immune systems and aggravate intestinal inflammation.
That is a long list of probable causes of intestinal inflammation. By eating wholesome meals and avoiding goods with excessive sugar and other unneeded additives, some of these problems may be prevented.
It's possible that certain things (such environmental pollutants and intestinal diseases) can't be prevented. The good news is that by consuming more probiotic foods and taking a probiotic supplement, you can strive to repair your gut and increase healthy bacteria. Let's discuss these and other natural approaches to enhancing gut health.
How Can I Naturally Improve My Gut Health?
Detecting an issue is the first step in restoring your gut's health. It seems that you've already done that, so congrats! When you break improving gut health down into manageable stages, it's not as tough as it may appear. Here are some ideas for increasing the good bacteria in your stomach and removing the bad bacteria.
Step 1: alter your diet.
The most crucial thing you can do to naturally enhance gut health is to examine your diet and cut out items that have been heavily processed. Eat as many whole, unprocessed foods as you can. You will need to spend more time shopping outside the grocery store (where the meat and fruit sections are often found) and less time inside (where the majority of highly processed goods are found).
You should also include fermented foods in your diet on a regular basis. These meals include good bacteria that may aid in reestablishing the appropriate balance in the stomach. Good examples of fermented foods are:
- Simple yogurt
- Kombucha (without additional sugar)
- Miso (the chilled variety)
- Veggie fermentation
- Sauerkraut
- Pickles (the variety prepared without vinegar but with salt)
- Kimchi
- Kefir
- Tempeh
- Live cultures added to aged cheeses
- Other probiotic beverages without sugar
If you're not accustomed to them and don't have enough good bacteria to properly break them down, some of these meals may be difficult for you to digest. It's advisable to start with a little quantity because of this (like a teaspoon of sauerkraut with supper). You may gradually increase your intake of fermented foods, which will support the diversity and health of your gut microbiota.
Step 2: Consume more water.
Did you know that up to 75% of Americans suffer from chronic dehydration? Every cell in your body needs water to operate at its best, but your digestive system is especially dependent on enough water to effectively digest food. Water is also necessary for maintaining the right balance of bacteria in your stomach.
Depending on your height, weight, and even gender, there are a variety of guidelines for how much water you should consume. A decent rule of thumb is to drink enough water so that your pee doesn't smell strongly and flows clean to prevent misunderstanding.
Step 3: Get Enough Sleep Each Night
For the health of your gut, you must get enough sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation may have a bad effect on both your general health and your gut health. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep each night if you're aiming to improve the health of your gut.
Step 4: Lessen your level of stress
It's time to lower your stress levels after your eating, drinking, and sleeping routines are under control. Both your gut health and your general health will suffer from chronic stress. Your stress levels may be decreased in a variety of ways. Spend more time with the people you love, take daily calming walks, and get massages often. Another excellent strategy for reducing stress in your life is meditation.
What Meals Are Beneficial for Your Gut?
There are several foods that are excellent for the digestive system. They consist of:
- Berries, including blueberries
- Lentils
- Chinese radish
- Several nuts, including pistachios and almonds
- Kale and other green vegetables
- Seaweed
- Onions
- Oats
- Garlic
- Almond oil
- Salmon liver oil
- Salmon
- Eggs
- Mushrooms
- Tuna
Although the list above is not exhaustive, it will give you a fair sense of the kinds of foods you should consume to help your digestive system. You'll note that the list up there doesn't include any processed or sugary items. Rather, it is stuffed with organic, healthy meals that Mother Earth herself produced for our benefit.
For the best gut health, prebiotic foods are also crucial to consume. Dietary fiber-rich meals are known as prebiotics. Prebiotics are necessary for the growth of the beneficial bacteria in your gut, which eat dietary fiber. Due to their high dietary fiber content, several of the items in the above list are also regarded as prebiotics. Consume them often to provide a tasty treat for the beneficial bacteria in your stomach.
Supplements for Gut Health
Various herbs may help to promote a healthy digestive tract. The following are some of the best herbs for intestinal health:
- Liqueur root
- Slithering elm
- Triphala
The membrane lining of the intestine is coated with licorice root, creating a barrier of defense. Slippery elm promotes healthier bowel motions and mucous membrane repair in the stomach. And last, one of the greatest herbs for repairing leaky stomach is triphala. It is a mixture of haritaki, amla, and bibhitaki herbs.
What Effect Do Probiotics Have on the Gut?
We've spoken a lot about how vital probiotics are for your digestive system, but we haven't talked about why. What do they do specifically for your gut? They primarily preserve the equilibrium of your body and digestive system. When harmful bacteria proliferate inside of your body, they make you ill and upset the equilibrium of your body.
Probiotics may aid in the immune system's defense against harmful germs. By improving your gut health, which in turn improves your mental health, they also help you feel better. Additionally, probiotics might lessen a number of ailments linked to gut inflammation, such as allergies, dermatitis, digestive issues, and weight gain. In summary, probiotics balance the microorganisms in your stomach to promote the health of your whole body.
How Can Aura Probiotics Help Me Boost the Health of My Gut?
Aura Probiotics are a tasty and efficient probiotic powder that comes in an easy-to-use gummy form with 2 strains of probiotics. Eat 2 a day to boost good gut flora and lessen yeast, parasites, and undesirable gut flora.
Learn more at www.ownyouraura.com!
