Gut Health & Chronic Disease: Why You Should Care About Your Gut

When you think about your health do you think at all about your gut? Well, even if you don’t suffer from digestion issues or disorder, you should consider the health of your gut. Your gut (or digestive tract), specifically the microorganisms (microbes) that inhabit it, play a key role in overall health.

Trillions of microbes (bacteria, yeast, fungi and other microscopic organisms) exist mainly inside your intestines (and also on your skin). Most of the microbes live in your large intestine and are referred to as the gut microbiota. The microbiota helps us to digest fiber, synthesize vitamins and amino acids, helps control our immune system, protects the lining of the GI tract from injury, protects against pathogens, and helps control our central nervous system, which controls our brain. Wow! Pretty impressive how significant of a role our gut microbiota plays, huh?!

Research has shown that alterations within the microbiome, or dysbiosis, are associated with a number of conditions and chronic diseases, including:

Anxiety & Depression

Serotonin is an antidepressant neurotransmitter that’s mostly made in the gut. A number of studies have shown that people with psychological disorders have different species of bacteria in their gut, compared to healthy people, suggesting a link between a change in the microbiome and mental health.

Heart & Vascular Disease

A recent study in 1,500 people found that the gut microbiome played an important role in promoting “good” HDL cholesterol. In addition, certain unhealthy bacteria may also contribute to heart disease by producing chemicals that lead to blocked arteries, which may lead to heart attacks or stroke. Research also demonstrates that xxxx

Diabetes

The gut microbiome may help control blood sugar, which could affect the risk of type 2 diabetes. In fact, studies have shown that those with type 2 diabetes have significantly higher levels of unfavorable bacteria and lower levels of favorable bacteria, compared to healthy individuals.

Cancer

An abundance of certain unfavorable bacteria have also been found in patient with prostate, colon and gastric cancer. Current research is also investigating the role of the microbiome in helping improve the effect of cancer treatments, like immunotherapy.

Irritable Bowel Disease & Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The bloating, cramps and abdominal pain that people with IBS and IBD experience may be due to an imbalance of the microbes in the gut (dysbiosis), as the microbes produce a lot of gas and other chemicals, which contribute to the symptoms of discomfort. In contrast, favorable bacteria can help improve the gut, by healing the gut lining, sealing gaps between intestinal cells (or leaky gut) and preventing overgrowth of unfavorable microbes.

Ok, Basheerah, so now what? What do I do to improve the health of my gut and help prevent chronic disease? well, diversity is what matters most. The greater the diversity of plant-based, high fiber foods that you consume, the greater the diversity of more favorable bacteria in the gut. What you eat, not a probiotic or a supplement, plays the most significant role in gut health. Eating high fiber, whole plant-based foods is the most effective and sustainable way to influence the gut microbiota. In fact, plant-based dietary changes have been shown to increase the amount of favorable bacteria in the gut in a matter of days! A plant-based diet helps promote growth of beneficial bifidobacteria, which help maintain the integrity of the gut lining. Plant-based foods also contain polyphenols and antioxidants, which help to protect our cells from harm, reduce the risk of cancer and may have prebiotic effects in the gut, further promoting diversity of the microbiota. There is no substitute for the entire food matrix of plants - fiber, vitamins, minerals, polyphenols and antioxidants.

Does this mean you need to be vegan or vegetarian? No, not necessarily, as studies also show that the metabolites (or byproducts) of certain amino acids, such as tryptophan, which is found in both animal and plant-based proteins, may help to increase the diversity of the gut microbiota. Also, eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as oily fish like salmon and tuna, may also help reduce inflammation and increase the diversity of the gut microbiota.

A good rule of thumb, is to try to consume a good source of fiber with each meal. Add a piece of fruit to breakfast, or make a fruit smoothie, like my xxxx. Oatmeal is also a great high fiber breakfast option, but if you’re not an oatmeal fan, then try my Very Berry Baked Oatmeal. Chia is also a great source of fiber. Start the day with quick and delicious chia pudding, like my Wild Blueberry Coconut Chia Pudding! For lunch, add lentils, beans, nuts or seeds to a salad, or make my Vegan Mediterranean Salad with Lentils and pair with salmon or tuna, if you’d like. Add avocado to your sandwich for creaminess, or make a big batch of chili, like my Fire Roasted Vegan Chili. Snack on nuts or air popped popcorn. Load up on non-starchy vegetables at dinner, such as kale, collards, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower and spinach. In fact, I recommend aiming to eat two vegetables, along with your choice of lean protein, and a starchy veggie or whole grain, at dinner.

If you’re not sure if you’re getting enough fiber a day, or would like more in depth knowledge and tools on improving gut health, then schedule a consultation with me! I have only five new 1:1 client slots available for February. So, email me and don’t miss out! Feel free to comment and share this post on social media and tag me @bloomwithbenutrition. Cheers to a fiber-fueled 2021!

XO,

Basheerah