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Having a healthy digestive system is vital. The health of your gut can affect an amazing array of systems in your body. If your digestion is not working at its best, it can have some severe consequences. But, knowing how to look after your digestive system can be hard. So, here’s all the things you need to know.
Why Does Your Digestive System Matter So Much?
In school, we learn all about how our digestive system breaks down our food so that we can get nutrients out. So, you are forgiven for thinking that that is all it does. But, your gut is responsible for so much more than just digesting food, which is pretty crucial on its own.
Scientists and philosophers have known for a long time that there is a powerful link between your gut and your brain. After all, we know that our emotions can affect our stomach or our guts. Have you ever been sick with nerves, or had butterflies in your belly? Well, this isn’t just your mood affecting your gut. It’s also your gut affecting your mood. Poor digestive health has consequences for mental health and wellbeing.
Your gut is also intimately involved with your immune system. If you have a healthy balance of bacteria in your gut, they can act as your first line of defence. They can destroy and remove harmful germs before they get into your body. Your gut also produces hormones that play a role in regulating your immune responses.
Why Does It Go Wrong?
Have you ever heard people talk about how many undiscovered living creatures there are in the oceans? Well, you can make the same kind of comments about your digestive system. Each of us has our own unique microbiome. This is the bacteria that live inside of us. They are vital. Having the right bacteria can keep you healthy. Having the wrong balance of bacteria can lead to chronic illness, digestive distress and all-round bad results.
Your microbiome can be affected by the foods you eat, antibiotics you might have needed, and even your childhood. Any number of things can throw off this delicate balance. Once the balance is off, you need to try and take steps to restore the balance. You want to promote anti-inflammatory bacteria and ones that protect you from infections.
What Can You Do To Keep Your Microbiome Healthy?
As we’ve said, the best way to look after your digestive health is to promote the growth of positive bacteria. This isn’t a new idea, we’ve been told about the benefits of ‘good bacteria’ for a long time. But, what you need to know is how to go about cultivating healthy bacteria.
There are three, all-natural options to help you grow healthy gut fauna;
Probiotics
Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain live bacteria. They are a way to introduce more of the bacteria you need into your gut. Research has shown that they can be beneficial to take along with antibiotics to protect your gut, and they can even help with IBS symptoms. The right probiotics for you will depend on your age individual circumstances. Finding the right mix can help to promote the right bacteria in your gut to keep you healthy.
Prebiotics
Prebiotics are a type of plant fibre. They are specifically fibres that we can’t digest. This means that these fibres are intact when they reach your gut and provide sustenance for the bacteria in your gut. In other words, they are bacteria food!
Eating prebiotics can enhance the bacteria that you already have in your gut. There is a wide range of foods that act as excellent prebiotics. You can easily get supplements like our Beyond Greens that contain a mix of the most effective prebiotics, so you don’t have to worry about your bacteria going hungry! Supplements are definitely worth considering, especially when it comes to Greens because most of us don’t eat nearly enough… anymore!
Digestive Enzymes
High levels of sugars and carbohydrates in your gut can decrease the levels of good bacteria. This can occur if your body is not effectively digesting these nutrients before they get through your gut. To aid in the process, you can take extra digestive enzymes. These give your digestive system a helping hand to breakdown and thus absorb the nutrients you are eating promptly.
Having a healthy digestive system is so important. There is a whole world inside you. If you look after it, it will look after you.