You know that your gastrointestinal tract, your gut, handles digestion. At its most basic, digestion is food in, food out. In between, vital nutrients are absorbed to keep the body working as it should.
It turns out that digestion isn’t your gut’s only job.
Recent research has taken a closer look at the gut and found that it’s so much more than a food processor. In fact, it does so much for our bodies that it’s called “the second brain.” Your gut communicates with your brain and influences how it processes information. Together with your brain, your gut can affect the health of many of your body systems.
To understand how the gut affects your health, you need to understand your gut microbiome.
The gut microbiome is found within your digestive system. It’s made of trillions of microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and viruses that help maintain your health. Some cause disease while others keep you healthy. They are typically all referred to as bacteria, for simplicity.
Research suggests that our gut bacteria begin to work at birth or earlier. Each person’s microbiome is unique. As we grow and change, our microbiome becomes more diverse. It continues to grow and change with our bodies throughout our lifetime.
The organisms in the microbiome interact with immune cells in the gut and with your brain to control your body’s responses to internal and external influences.
Research shows that communication between the microbiome and the brain may play a role in the following:
The gut microbiome includes “good” and “bad” bacteria that normally coexist in a delicate balance. When that balance is disturbed, it may increase your risk of developing health problems, including:
Your gut microbiome continually changes over your lifetime, starting from birth. Several factors can influence your gut microbiome:
Although you can’t change every factor that affects your microbiome, you can make diet choices every day to support your good gut bacteria. You may think of eating as nourishing your body, but in reality, you are also feeding your good bacteria.
Healthy ways to feed your microbiome include:
A healthy gut can keep you healthier overall. But if you’re having gastrointestinal symptoms, it’s important to talk to a doctor and not delay care any longer – schedule an appointment today!
If you have not registered with the new gPortal yet please select the Register/Learn More button for instructions on registering.
Please note that your current /old patient portal credentials will become inactive after August 31, 2022, so update your account today to avoid any disruption in accessibility.
