Long and Important: How to Take Care of Your Gut Health

Gastrointestinal diseases can be called a disease of large cities residents. The morning stress, long working hours, commuting and pollution do not contribute to our wellbeing. According to a research “Increasing incidence and prevalence of the inflammatory bowel diseases with time, based on systematic review“, up to 95% of city dwellers experiences trouble with their gut system. The most common bowel diseases are ulcerative colitis (in European countries there are 505 cases of the disease per 100 000 people), Crohn’s disease (322 cases per 100 000 population), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with 10% to 25% people worldwide dealing with it, according to “Irritable Bowel Syndrome: In Depth” research.

If you are a woman, 40 or older, and you are a big city dweller, you really need to take care of your gut, – and not just to keep your digestion comfortable.

Between intestine and brain

Perhaps the most amazing connection in our body is the one between the brain and the gut. Believe it or not, our mood, cognitive abilities, and even some personal qualities (for example, courage) depend on how they perform and how well the beneficial bacteria that live in it feel. Here are just a few examples of this amazing connection.

Fact 1: Your mood is churned in your gut

Up to 90% of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for our good mood, is produced in the intestines by special nerve cells. Therefore, the correct selection of the diet makes not only the gastrointestinal tract happy, but also ourselves.

Fact 2: Your spunk comes from your gut too

There is a funny idiom, my heart was in my mouth( Att få kalla fötter). Well, in fact, it goes a bit lower down your bowels. During one curious research, scientists transplanted bacteria from the intestines of more cautious mice to their brave counterparts. They were shocked by the result: soon after the operation, the former brave men began to behave much more carefully. The recent cowards, having received the bacteria from the intestines of their brave fellows, on the contrary, began to respond more actively to challenges and were no longer afraid.

You can find more in the report “Gut bacteria linked to behavior: That anxiety may be in your gut, not in your head”.

Fact 3: Brain speed relies on the gut bacteria

Do you wish to boost your performance at college or productivity at work? Start consuming more products containing probiotics: pickles, sauerkraut, sour milk drinks and yoghurts. The better the environment for the beneficial bacteria in our gut, the faster our brain works.

Fact 4: The healthier the gut the better your brain is protected

Mitochondria are small particles in our cells that “control” not only her health but also decide whether it’s time for the cell to die. It is exactly a mitochondria condition that can predetermine such maladies as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, diabetes and even cancer. The biggest enemy of mitochondria is inflammation. And especially dangerous is the one that arises from the imbalance of beneficial bacteria in the intestine.

Fact 5: Disbalanced gut can trigger depression

If we build our diet including the generous amount of healthy fats and vitamins, we decrease the depression risk. Foods that are high in healthy fats, such as cocoa, tea, coffee, and even red wine, help maintain healthy gut flora. At the same time, light carbohydrates and a large amount of sugar, on the contrary, inhibit beneficial bacteria and can increase the likelihood of this dangerous disease.

What diseases start in your bowel?

If the intestines fail to perform their functions, if the balance of beneficial bacteria is disturbed, it takes its toll on almost all systems of our body. Here are just a few of the diseases, the development of which modern medicine associates with intestinal dysfunction.

Colon cancer

“Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis harbour colonic biofilms containing tumorigenic bacteria”, the article published in Science magazine in 2018, concludes that two types of gut bacteria, E. coli и B. Fragilis can damage DNA and, thus, trigger the development of colon cancer. The study authors believe that tests to detect high levels of these bacteria in the gut may help identify those people who are especially important to monitor the prevention of bowel cancer.

Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis causes the body’s immune system to attack the myelin covering of neurons. According to the research “Gut bacteria from multiple sclerosis patients modulate human T cells and exacerbate symptoms in mouse models“.

Patients with multiple sclerosis twice as often report having certain strains of intestinal bacteria that can cause changes in blood cells, thereby triggering the likelihood of a dangerous autoimmune response.

Rheumatoid arthritis

This autoimmune disease describes a condition where the immune system attacks the joints as well as the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, and blood vessels. There is compelling scientific evidence to acknowledge that gut bacteria affect the condition.

Being examined closely, the rheumatoid arthritis patients proved to house a certain strain of gut bacteria. Scientists transplanted a healthy strain of bacteria into mice with rheumatoid arthritis, and their condition improved. Researchers are not yet ready to provide definitive conclusions about how this mechanism works, but they are confident that gut bacteria can stimulate the immune system to attack its own body. Sounds spooky, doesn’t it?
You can learn more about these studies here,  “Gut bacteria can cause, predict and prevent rheumatoid arthritis”.

Allergies

One of the most common responses to the immune system failures is an allergy, which can manifest itself in versatile ways: allergy for certain foods, seasonal hay fever or allergic response to some chemicals. A study called “New perspectives on allergic disease, the human microbiome, infectious disease prevention and the role of targeted hygiene“ confirms the link between antibiotic use and the subsequent imbalance of intestinal bacteria, which can lead to impaired immunotolerance and an increased risk of allergic diseases.

Diabetes

Patients with diabetes have difficulty processing sugar in the blood. You also should keep in mind that the more fibre in the diet, the better the glucose levels. As is shown by a study “For diabetics, a high-fibre diet feeds gut microbes, lowering blood sugar”, dietary fibre helps nourish intestinal bacteria, which, in turn, have a positive effect on insulin, a hormone that converts the sugar in the blood.

Heart diseases

Dangerous plaque that forms on the walls of arteries, narrowing or even blocking them is one of the causes of heart attack or stroke. It is important to know that the formation of this plaque depends, among other things, on the state of our intestines. Research published in The Atlantic explains that some bacteria living in our gut can create chemicals that interfere with the body’s ability to break down cholesterol, thereby reducing harmful plaque. For further information, please go to link.

Depression & anxiety

Certain chemicals produced by gut bacteria act as neurotransmitters, transmitting information between neurons in the brain and stimulating the release of substances that can exacerbate anxiety or other mental disorders.

The authors of the research with lab rats, “Mental Health May Depend on Creatures in the Gut“ managed to relieve the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and even autism by transplanting healthier bacteria strains.

How to interpret your gut signals?

Of course, it is difficult to turn a blind eye to the constant feeling of discomfort or pain in the intestinal area. However, the trouble is that these symptoms are far from the first signs of emerging health problems. Here are some early or unusual symptoms that may indicate gut health is at risk.

Stomach issues

Such common routine inconveniences like heartburn, nausea, or bloating are all manifestations of interruptions in the work of the gastrointestinal tract. There is also constipation or diarrhea, as well as discomfort after meals, especially those rich in carbohydrates. If you find any of the listed symptoms in yourself regularly, it’s high time you saw a doctor.

You have unhealthy foods cravings

This primarily concerns sugar and sweets: most often sugar cravings result from an imbalance in intestinal bacteria. A consistent desire to eat sweets sometimes appears after a course of antibiotics, when the “good” bacteria die. In this case, it is important to eat more foods containing probiotics, which will help normalize the balance of bacteria in the intestines.

Your weight goes up and down

Many people know that functional bowel disorders can lead to upsetting weight gain. Yet, few people realize that too many of certain bacteria can cause dramatic weight loss: some of these interfere with the absorption of fat. If you thought like it was good news, think again. The constant lack of important nutrients we consume with healthy fatty foods is sure to negatively affect your health.

You experience agitation or depression

As was said before, most of the serotonin (90%) is produced in the gut, and on no account should we underestimate this neurotransmitter, for it affects our mood, social behavior, sleep, appetite, memory, and even libido. So if you notice increased anxiety or depression in yourself, contact your gastroenterologist — he may be able to nail the cause of your problem!

Sleep disorder

Lack of hormone serotonin can lead to sleep disturbances and insomnia. It may sound funny but if you have trouble sleeping – perhaps it’s time to check the intestines since serotonin is mainly produced there!

Skin conditions

Experienced dermatologists know that if a patient complains about skin problems, it is important first to check the functioning of his gastrointestinal tract. Eczema, skin rashes, acne and many other conditions can be attributed to the imbalance of gut bacteria. Thus, treatment will not require lengthy and pricey cosmetic procedures or product treatment, but a course of probiotics and other drugs that support gut health.

What causes gut problems?

In most cases, the development of the gastrointestinal tract diseases can be prevented: heredity determines a very small part of them. Most are triggered by imperfections in our lifestyle where nutrition plays a major role. Here are the most common reasons.

Unhealthy diet

We are what we eat. The role of our eating habits in the development of the gastrointestinal tract diseases should not be underestimated. A fiber deficiency, a lack of fresh vegetables in the diet, the abuse of fatty foods, fast food, foods high in trans fats, salt, empty carbs increase the risk. Another disservice is developing a habit of skipping meals (especially breakfast) and overeating in the evening. Remember the old saying: old saying: “Breakfast like a king; lunch like a prince; dinner like a pauper.”

Be cautious with fasting and diets, especially “fast” ones: all this, unless prescribed by or coordinated with your medical practitioner, can ruin your gastrointestinal system and lead to the development or exacerbation of certain diseases.

Alcohol abuse

The world statistics show that men die from the gastrointestinal tract diseases 38% more often than women, and most experts believe that one of the reasons is that men are more likely to abuse alcohol. Alcoholic beverages negatively affect not only the liver: the intestines, the mucous membranes of the stomach and esophagus, the pancreas, and the kidneys also suffer from regular use.

Infections

Most of us have encountered rotavirus and food poisoning at least once in our lives. Bacteria – such as salmonella, staphylococcus, E. coli, entering the human body, cause gastrointestinal infections, the symptoms of which are well known to all of us. Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, fever, intoxication are signs of gastrointestinal diseases caused by infections.

Helicobacter pylori

This small bacterium that lives in the stomach and duodenum may lay dormant for years: up to 90% of its “hosts” do not even know that they are infected with this bacterium. But exactly this bacterium causes the formation of gastric and duodenal ulcers.

Stress

How can stress affect gastrointestinal health? The higher the activity of the nervous system, the poorer the blood supply to the digestive system. As a result, the food may not be properly digested, it may take longer to digest it. The longer it stays in the stomach the more it irritates its mucous membrane. So yes, diseases of the stomach or intestines are often stress-related.

You lack some vitamins

Our organism is not just a random potpourri of muscle bags and tissues, but a complex, sophisticated system where elements influence one another because they are interconnected and interrelated. The gastrointestinal tract is perhaps one of the most dominant of its elements: what, in what quantity and in what quality we gain from those foods and drinks we consume every day depends on its functioning. No matter how old we are and in what state our health is, it is important to take care of your intestines. Eat clean, lead an active lifestyle, cut bad habits, make sure you get enough vitamins and other important substances. A little effort and discipline will increase the likelihood of not only blowing out the candles on your Happy 100th birthday cake but also enjoying this cake with a glass of champagne!