Our Gut literally controls our physical and mental health in ways we cannot even imagine!

Our small intestine is home to trillions of bacteria, yeast, fungi, and other microbes which are called the ‘Gut Flora’ or the ‘Microbiome’. Some of these microbes are good for our health and some are not. How healthy you are, depends mostly on the ratio of good to bad bacteria.

Let’s look at this more closely.

How our Gut impacts our physical health?

Our gut flora is as unique as our fingerprints, and it influences the functions of various internal organs such as skin, lungs, kidneys, breasts, liver and brain.

A disturbance in the gut flora can lead to inflammation of the gut, which can further lead to inflammation in the entire body, if left unaddressed. Inflammation in the body causes symptoms like brain fog, mental distractions, joint pains, bloating, acid reflux etc. Symptoms vary from person to person.

Latest research also shows that gut flora also impacts our heart’s health in a big way, and presence and absence of certain microbes could help in determining if a person will have a stroke or heart attack. Repopulating the gut flora with beneficial bacteria can actually help prevent heart diseases.

How our Gut impacts our mental health?

Our gut health is also very closely related to our mental health. When you say the phrase ‘it’s my gut feeling’, it’s true because our gut is  literally like our second brain!

The gut is connected to the brain through 3 pathways in the body. If there is an issue with the gut, the brain immediately catches the signal and you start experiencing fatigue, brain fog, mental distraction, uneasiness, anxiety and in severe cases even depression and insomnia (lack of sleep). It can affect both your mood, as well as other brain related functions.

If you are facing gut imbalance issues, or any of the illnesses mentioned in the post, it’s time for you to look at restoring your gut health, through food and lifestyle changes.