Gut Health & Our Overall Wellbeing

Gut health has become one of the most widely spoken about topics in recent years when it comes to our overall health and wellbeing. 

Why is this so? 

Our gut is home to billions of microbes that communicate with the rest of our body through various pathways influencing our immune system, our endocrine system (hormones) and our brains. The longest cranial nerve (of which there are 12 pairs), the Vagus nerve, links our brain to our gut and a bi-directional communication highway known as the gut brain axis allows the way we feel to influence our gut function and what we eat to influence how we feel!

So how does this work? 

When we feed our beneficial gut bacteria certain compounds such as fibre, they grow and produce substances that help our body and mind stay healthy, this includes 80% of the body’s serotonin (the happy neurotransmitter), however when we feed ourselves with sugar and processed foods the growth of beneficial bacteria  is suppressed and instead the growth of harmful bacteria is stimulated, producing an imbalance of bacteria, known as dysbiosis. 

Dysbiosis has been linked to many diseases including depression, metabolic syndrome and many autoimmune conditions.

We know the gut is just like the universe, though inside us, with many areas to explore. Without overwhelming you in one account, we’ll break down the gut here on the blog in weeks and months to come. 

If you want to learn more about enhancing your own gut health get in touch below.