All disease starts in the gut ~ Hippocrates
Your gut is responsible for everything, and I mean everything!
Have you been experiencing problems for your whole life, without realising it doesn’t have to be this way? This could be the article for you.
Read the list below and think about what comes and goes versus what stays and lingers in your life. Then, let me help you unravel how to heal.
1. Digestive issues. E.g., bloating, gas, constipation, IBS and/or diarrhoea
2. Sugar cravings
3. Food allergies, intolerances and/or sensitivities
4. Mood swings, anxiety and/or depression
5. Skin problems. E.g., psoriasis, eczema, rashes and/or acne
6. Thrush, cystitis and/or fungal toenails
7. Autoimmune disease or suppressed immunity
I’m guessing you’re familiar with one or two of these symptoms. I bet you also know close friends and family with a few from this list, too.
The above list is not exhaustive, however. Other gut-related issues include headaches or migraines, hormonal imbalances and low energy.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at these issues, and how to fix them.
1. Digestive issues. E.g., bloating, gas, constipation, IBS and/or diarrhoea
All of these are classic signs of gut dysfunction. Problems such as these are directly related to the health, number and diversity of the bacteria living inside our gut, intestines, stomach and colon along with our digestive enzymes.
Our gut bacteria, known as microbiome, are the determining factor for experiences such as irregular bowel movements. Put simply, when the bacteria do not have the correct balance, problems start to occur.
Health conscious or not, we all have bacteria in our gut. However, it is the strains, diversity and quantity that creates a tipping point for how happy out gut is.
Gas is an excellent indicator of gut health; it is the sign of food fermenting in your gut, and insufficient stomach acid or an imbalance of bacteria or digestive enzymes can also cause excessive gas. Or it could be a combination of all three! ***I would like to add a codicil here, when you first change your eating habits to become more gut friendly, expect gas, possibly for a few weeks as your gut biome changes, and your body adjusts.
2. Sugar cravings
The bacteria are the ones in control here – almost like a sci-fi film – they get us to eat foods that they thrive on. Have you ever craved sugar immediately after a savoury meal? Well, it’s those pesky bacteria aliens who are to blame, not totally our lack of willpower contributing to our craving sweet stuff.
Gut bacteria have been shown to secrete special proteins similar to the hunger-regulating hormones, leptin and ghrelin. These proteins, therefore, also influence our food cravings and mood, explaining why some of us have a sweet tooth.
Healing our gut can eradicate the bacteria that cause us to crave these foods, and in time we can reduce these cravings.
3. Food allergies, intolerances and/or sensitivities
If you suffer from food intolerances such as gluten, eggs and/or dairy, this is usually a result of leaky gut syndrome. (Dairy is a food group we should not be consuming anyway, with so many health-related and ethical issues linked to it. So, intolerant or not, I strongly advise putting dairy on your “Avoid” list to prevent a myriad of other future health issues.)
In a healthy gut, only the necessary nutrients pass through the permeable lining of the gut’s wall. With leaky gut syndrome, however, the holes in this lining are widened, allowing larger, undigested protein molecules to enter the bloodstream. These protein molecules are unfamiliar to the blood and cause our bodies to respond through immune and allergy attacks.
It is our responsibility to keep our gut wall healthy and prevent these holes getting too big.
4. Mood swings, anxiety and/or depression
Micronutrient deficiencies can sometimes affect our mental health, with the precursor often being compromised gut function.
Our friend, the leaky gut, can mean that even those with access to appropriate nutrition and micronutrients through diet or supplements can suffer from mental health illnesses due to the lack of healthy gut bacteria, stomach acid levels and digestive enzyme imbalances that this syndrome so often causes.
So, despite having the correct nutrient intake, the body is unable to absorb these nutrients sufficiently. The addition of gut health treatment into all mental health and well-being programmes would be an important one to address such issues.
A compromised gut directly affects our ability to use our happy hormones, serotonin and dopamine, as well as vitamin D, effectively within our body. Deficiency of any or all of these is associated with depression and mood swings. 95% of our serotonin is produced in the gut, whilst dopamine is about 50%. So, without optimising our gut’s function, we really are affecting our happiness from the inside, regardless of any external factors. In short, gut health is critical for supporting mental health.
5. Skin problems. E.g., psoriasis, eczema, rashes and/or acne
When our gut is out of balance or a leaky gut allows food proteins to leak into our bloodstream, physical symptoms of food intolerances like irritated skin often appear, in most cases these are entirely avoidable.
Your skin is a reflection of your gut. Spots on your forehead, for example, can usually be resolved quickly by cutting gluten and treating the gut.
Eczema, an upsetting condition for sufferers, is often treated with steroid creams or lotions containing petroleum-based mineral oils (in my opinion, this is one of the worst ingredients you can ever put on the skin. Check your labels and prepare to be shocked by how many brands use this cheap bi-product filler). These lotions are entirely topical and serve no purpose; they are not dealing with the root cause of the problem, which is nothing to do with skin.
Other factors do come into play, such as stress, but even stress can be linked right back to the gut. When we are stressed, our digestive system is impacted. When our bodies regularly fight or flight mode, our digestive system can shut down to the extent we become constipated (constipation is having a bowel movement less than once a day). When stressed, our gut biome alters, which literally means we don’t digest our foods properly, often culminating in skin problems, such as psoriasis or eczema.
6. Thrush, cystitis and/or fungal toenails
The fungus-like organism Candida albicans is found in everybody’s gut, which is why doctors are often reluctant to diagnose Candida as an issue, arguing it is meant to be there. And to a certain extent they’re right. However, my years in practice have shown me time and time again what can happen when Candida gets out of control; an overgrowth in the intestines, sometimes referred to as “yeast syndrome”, causing a multitude of problems around the body.
Addressing the issue can take time, starting with new lifestyle and eating habits, along with supplements.
7. Autoimmune conditions or suppressed immunity
There is no denying the link between leaky gut and autoimmune conditions. When proteins and food particles pass through the gut lining and into our bloodstream, this results in inflammation of the body.
Inflammation in the body can present itself as rashes or skin problems, stomach pain, headaches or migraines, joint pain, tiredness and so much more.
When inflammation is not addressed, over time, it can develop into an autoimmune disease. Our genetics, according to Dr Bruce H. Lipton Ph.D., are irrelevant. Genetics can perhaps load the gun, but it is our lifestyle that determines if the trigger gets pulled.
There is a growing body of research linking autoimmune issues to the health of the gut microbiome. 80% of your immune system is within the gut lining, and any imbalances you have in your microbiome can contribute to the development of an autoimmune disease.
The effects of leaky gut and its relationships with autoimmune disorders, like inflammatory bowel diseases such as colitis, type 1 diabetes, fibromyalgia, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Pro-inflammatory microbes in the gut can result in immunosuppression and thus lead to a disease beyond the gut.
Begin to improve the gut health of you and your loved ones today
1. Take a high-quality probiotic. In the world of supplements, you get what you pay for, so a two-for-one from the high street will generally not make much difference. Go for quality every time.
2. Ensure you are taking prebiotics. You can take it as a soluble fibre supplement; again, ensure you are getting quality. Please, no bran or wheat fibres, these will not benefit your gut. Fruit and vegetables are however, the right kind of fibre.
3. Eat real fermented foods, not pickled. Real deal sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, raw apple cider vinegar, live coconut yogurt or kefir, for example. Get into the habit of having a teaspoon or three with every meal to aid digestion.
4. Take digestive enzymes. As before, quality is key. Eating fruits like pineapple and raw green papaya are great for digestion too.
5. Gain tools to handle stress. Meditation (simple guided meditations to follow if you are new), yoga, exercise, breathing techniques, walking, gratitude. I cannot emphasize the last one enough, writing 10 things you are grateful for daily can be life changing. Keep it simple: be grateful you have running water; be grateful you have somewhere to sleep; be grateful for the device you are reading this on. By training your mind to look for positives in the face of negative stresses can, over time, rewire the brain. But that’s a whole other article…
Instagram @tarainchbald @puretarasnutrition