What is Gut Health?
The term ‘gut health’ seems to be everywhere these days but what does it actually mean?
Essentially, gut health refers to the balance of bacteria that live in the many parts of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The GI tract is the pathway food takes from your mouth, through the oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestine.
Why is it important?
Maintaining the right balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut is vital for our overall health.
Research shows that changes in the composition of our gut bacteria correlate with a huge range of health issues all the way from depression and anxiety (gut-brain axis) to acne (gut-skin axis) and even possibly asthma (gut-lung axis).
How to improve gut health
Optimal gut health comes from having a diverse community of gut microbes and maintaining a good balance between your good and bad bacteria.
The best way to achieve this is to take an integrative approach. Our Journal section is packed with practical info on each of these topics but for now, here are the cliff notes:
• Forget the five a day, we need to be eating at least 30 different plant foods a week
• Practice stress mitigation techniques like daily meditation
• Choose natural, non-toxic cleaning products and toiletries
• Exercise regularly
• Get your daily dose of fibre
• Take probiotics to top up your good bacteria
• Get outside in nature, get gardening and get your hands dirty in the soil.
The above content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice or diagnosis and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice.
