7 Ways Gut Health Affects All Health
THE GUTS.
Not the prettiest of mental images, but it’s what I’ve chosen to focus on as a nutritionist.
Why?
Well, I thought about it from two angles:
1) What has made the most difference in my life?
2) What can have a beneficial impact on the majority of people?
There was only one answer: GUT HEALTH
(I’m also deeply interested in blood sugar balance and hormones... but I digress!)
Hippocrates was dropping this knowledge almost 2,500 years ago when he said, “All disease begins in the gut”. While I personally haven’t researched the origins of each and every disease, ensuring the gut is happy and healthy is proven to have beneficial effects on the health of so many other systems of the body.
1. Mental Health
We have a whooole nervous system in our guts called the Enteric Nervous System (ENS). That’s right, it has its own name and if it is separated from the brain, it can still function on its own. For this reason, our dear gut is often called “the second brain” (2). That being said, for most of us, it is connected to the brain via the vagus nerve (we shall discuss more about this very important nerve later). The Enteric Nervous System makes more neurotransmitters than the brain. Take serotonin, for example: 80- 90% of our serotonin is made in the gut (2). The brain and ENS are constantly talking to each other; so if something isn’t right in the gut, we can see the development of depressive symptoms, anxiety, fatigue, confusion, poor memory, brain fog, and more (2). In fact, 70-90% of people who have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) also report having mood or anxiety disorders (2).
2. Immune Health
As far as we know, at least 70% of our immune system is located in the gut or around the digestive system (2). Just like our skin touches the “outside environment”, so does our digestive tract. Yes, even though it looks “inside”, our digestive tract is actually considered “outside” because of the holes at the beginning (mouth) and the end (anus) connecting it to our environment. The food and drink that we ingest are considered “foreign” and need to be sorted for safety. So naturally, our immune system will “check out” what’s coming in to make sure we’re safe (2). If our gut lining starts getting a little leaky (hence… “leaky gut”) and lets particles of food slip into the wrong place, our immune systems are put on high alert and treat these particles like invaders. This leads to inflammation (the first response of our immune systems), which is healthy if it’s controlled, but when left unchecked, inflammation can potentially lead to a whole host of issues including many autoimmune conditions (2).
3. Cardio-Metabolic Health
‘Cardiometabolic’ is a fancy way of saying ‘how well your body deals with sugars and fats and how these could ultimately be related to your cardiovascular health (or disease)’ (3). A growing body of research shows that gut health can play a role in the development of certain metabolic conditions. Specifically, messing with the microbiome (friendly gut bacteria) seems to play a role in development of conditions like liver disease and diabetes (2). If our bacterial balance is off, this can lead to leaky gut, which can then lead to inflammation, increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and autoimmune conditions (2).
4. Bone Health
This one even surprised me! There’s new research being done that even hints to the role of gut health in bone health. Among other things, our friendly gut bacteria make B vitamins, Vitamin K, and bile acids (help us digest fats) for us to use (how nice of them). The B vitamins and vitamin K are needed to maintain bone health, and the bile acids help with calcium absorption (2).
5. Skin Health
Next time you think about your skincare regimen, you may want to think about your gut, too. Many conditions that start in the gut can have manifestations that we see on the skin. For example, while there are several possible causes of eczema, some of those include imbalanced gut bacteria, leaky gut, and food allergies. (2)
6. Oral Health
The mouth is the first stop for our food as it enters our digestive tract. In the mouth, we find teeth, tongue, gums, as well as saliva that has digestive enzymes that begin the process of digestion of carbs. (2) If we’re dealing with symptoms in the mouth, we may need to look deeper - like the stomach and intestines - for the root cause. For example, Halitosis (bad breath) can be a sign of some bad gut bugs making themselves at home, like H Pylori for example. (2) Sometimes, it could be low stomach acid, GERD, or even constipation can contribute (2)
7. Hormonal Health
That’s right. Even your hormones are affected by the gut. A healthy gut is essential for our bodies to be able to detox excess estrogens from the body (1). This means if things aren’t… *moving* or your friendly gut bugs are out of balance, the estrogens that your body wants to excrete end up back in circulation, which for those who menstruate could lead to those pesky PMS symptoms we just love so much (1). The gut is also one of the places where your body converts thyroid hormone to its active form, which affects your mood and energy levels. And actually, the gut needs this thyroid hormone in order to produce stomach acid, to ensure gallbladder function (think fat digestion), and to ensure everything keeps moving as it should (i.e. not constipated) (1).
So, while I don’t know if Hippocrates was right... I feel like it’s safe to say that MANY diseases have a gut-related component (clearly a far less sexy modification of his quote). Oh, and by the way... this list is in no way exhaustive. The gut does so, so much.
So next time you hear the saying “trust your gut”, you know that ain’t no metaphor!
Be well,
Nina
References
Brighten, J. (2019). Beyond the pill: A 30-day plan to eliminate period problems, boost libido, improve mood, clear ... skin, and ditch the pill when you're ready. HarperOne.
Lipski, E. (2020). Digestive wellness: Strengthen the immune system and prevent disease through healthy digestion. McGraw-Hill.
Vincent, G. E., Jay, S. M., Sargent, C., Vandelanotte, C., Ridgers, N. D., & Ferguson, S. A. (2017). Improving Cardiometabolic Health with Diet, Physical Activity, and Breaking Up Sitting: What about Sleep? Frontiers in Physiology, 8, 865. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2017.00865