The Importance of Your Gut Health
- Brian Dooreck MD
- Nov 19, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 9, 2024
Everyone knows having a healthy body, in general, is good for you, so it should come as no surprise that having a healthy gut is also critical. But just how important is a healthy gut for our overall health?
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Private Healthcare Navigation and Patient Advocacy when YOU need it mostGut health is one of the most important aspects of our overall health.
A healthy gut has many significant effects and, in general, will help prevent digestion issues. In the long run, you'll reduce the likelihood of diseases such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
The gut is a pivotal part of the body that is interconnected with many of its key functions.
A common misconception is that our gut health only affects our gut; they picture the benefits of good gut health as limited to reduced bloating, less stomach pain, etc. While these are good benefits of having good gut health, the benefits extend well beyond that of just our gut. Our gut is closely connected to our nervous, immune, and endocrine systems.
But what exactly does that mean?
This means that our gut health can affect our nervous and endocrine systems, which means our gut will affect our immune response to infections, hormones, and brain.
How do my gut's interactions with the rest of my body help me?
The gut helps the rest of your body in so many ways! For example, the interaction between your gut and your nervous system is very powerful; the brain, in particular, is directly connected to the gut through a nerve known as 'the vagus nerve.' This means an unhealthy gut can harm your brain function; particularly, it can affect the part of your brain that controls mood and cause anxiety, depression, etc. However, a healthy gut can put you in a better mood, affecting your daily life in many ways.
Additionally, your gut will interact with your endocrine and immune systems through your gut microbiome, a collection of good bacteria that helps digestion and our immune responses. An unhealthy gut will have a weaker microbiome, which is less effective at its job, so good gut health is essential. Your microbiome will also help regulate vital hormones in the body that control things such as glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. And, of course, it allows for regulating our immune responses, which is one of the most essential functions within our body.
In addition to the immune boost, studies show good gut health reduces the risk for many chronic conditions.
Chronic conditions that a healthy gut may prevent include:
Some cancers
Diabetes
Dementia
Hemorrhoids
Here's a great video, "How your stomach affects your overall health," by Patient and EMIS Health
But how do I maintain a healthy gut?
Maintaining a healthy gut isn't something done once; it's a consistent effort and does require some lifestyle changes. While there are many steps to be taken that will allow you to maintain a healthy gut, some of the most common include exercising regularly, maintaining constant hydration, and managing your stress. However, a proper diet is one of the most important methods, if not the most important.
What does a proper diet look like?
Eating high-fiber foods, such as oats, apples, beans, etc.
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Eating fermented foods.
Stay away from unfermented dairy products, such as milk and cheese.
Personally
I eat a high-fiber, mostly plant-based 🌱 diet, no red meat, drink 4 liters of water a day, exercise, and am focused on keeping nutrition simple. I am sharing what works for me and what I routinely recommend to my patients.
"Balance. Portion control. Keep nutrition simple. Eat Smart. Eat Healthy. 🌱 🌾 🌿"
Gut Health ➕ Patient Advocacy with Navigation ➕ Life Balance
If you were looking for information about Private Healthcare Navigation and Patient Advocacy from Executive Health NavigationClick here for Executive Health Navigation✴ Connect with Dr. Dooreck on LinkedIn, where he focuses his sharing on Health, Diet, Nutrition, Exercise, Lifestyle, and Balance.
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