Did you know that a damaged gut can damage other parts of your health, like your brain, immune system, and nutrition? Most people have a general understanding of their gut, but gut health is far more important than many realize. Below, we discuss everything you need to know about improving the health of your gut.
All About Your Gut Health
What Is the Gut?
Your gut, also known as the GI tract or gastrointestinal tract, is a long tube that can be identified in several sections. These include the mouth, esophagus, large and small intestines, stomach, and anus. After food and medicine enter the gut through your mouth, they travel down each section of the gut and are digested, absorbed, or excreted.
Is Bacteria Bad?
Not all bacteria is bad. In fact, some bacteria that live on your gut’s surface are necessary for human survival. In general, 85% of the bacteria called probiotics, that live in our gut are healthy. These bacteria eliminate the harmful bacteria that find themselves in your gut. Furthermore, they prevent invasive fungal and bacterial strains from colonizing.
Dysbiosis is a condition where too much of the good bacteria in your body is lost or when the “Bad” bacteria has increased. Antibiotics are a common treatment method used to restore the balance of healthy bacteria. If your case is severe, you may also need probiotics in conjunction with an antibiotic treatment regimen.
How Does the Gut Relate to Allergies?
There are several types of food allergies the most common being, IgE (immunoglobulin E) and IgG (immunoglobulin G). IgE allergic responses are characteristic of an immediate physical response to an allergen, such as anaphylactic shock, hives, and swelling.
IgG allergic reactions, also known as food sensitivity, are far more subtle. Many food particulates cannot be digested by your body correctly. As a result, they often damage the lining of your stomach and escape into the bloodstream. This creates a systemic immune response with symptoms including:
- Acne
- Joint pains and stiffness
- Bloating
- Difficulty concentrating
- Headache
- skin rashes
- ringing of the ears
- irritable bowel
- constipation or diarrhea
Since it takes so long for these symptoms to develop and clear up once the trigger food is removed, it can be very difficult to pinpoint which foods are causing the symptoms. Common trigger foods include dairy, gluten, eggs, corn, and soy.
How Can I Keep My Gut Healthy?
One of the most significant steps you can take to protect the health of your gut is eating a well-balanced diet. The first step is to eliminate foods that always trigger immune responses, such as those containing gluten or lactose, if you have sensitivities.
Next, decrease your consumption of hard-to-digest foods that can lead to chronic inflammation, chronic disease, and autoimmune dysfunction, like refined sugars and other processed foods. This will decrease the stress on your gut as it heals.
Finally, improve the health of your gut by:
- Eating lean proteins—necessary to create tissue, bones, tendons, and immunoglobulins
- Incorporating healthy fats
- Adding more nutrient-dense green, leafy vegetables—protects against inflammatory substances
- Adding probiotic supplements to increase the levels of healthy bacteria within your gut
- Other sources of good bacteria are fermented foods—kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt
Schedule Your Free Consultation Today! (904) 694-0992
Would you like to know more about how to improve the health of your gut? If so, contact the friendly professionals at Thin MD Med Spa today to schedule a consultation with one of our experts.