“All disease begins in the gut.” -Hippocrates
The health of your gastrointestinal system is extremely important to your overall well-being. Largely responsible for the critical functions of the body’s digestive and immune systems, beneficial bacteria in your digestive system have the capability of affecting your body’s vitamin and mineral absorbency, hormone regulation, digestion, vitamin production, immune response, and the ability to eliminate toxins, not to mention your overall mental health.
Digestion, mood, health, and even the way people think is being linked to their “second brain”, also known as their gut, more and more every day. The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) is what scientists are calling the 100 million or so nerve cells that line our gastrointestinal tracts. The main role of the ENS is to control digestion, and in doing so it also communicates back and forth with the brain as to the overall health of the body’s gut and immune system.
The connection between gut health and mood has been known for some time, as individuals suffering from bowel-disorders such as Celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or leaky gut are more likely than others to also suffer from autoimmune diseases and mental issues such as depression and anxiety. Symptoms related to poor gut health can be as obvious like headaches, fatigue, joint pain, and immune system weakness.
Most often, dysbiosis is the result of too many bad “bugs” including bacteria, yeast, and sometimes parasites, and not enough good ones. This imbalance causes damage to the mucosal layer of your GI tract; the normally smooth intact mucosal layer becomes permeable, allowing food proteins to enter into the blood stream. This consequently activates your immune system, causing inflammation, food sensitivities, and a myriad of symptoms both in the GI system and throughout the whole body.
Sourced from: Nava Center