We are beginning to better understand how the body operates as one whole, integrated ecosystem. In this context, by uncovering the origins of disease we can identify how symptoms in one area of the body are often the result of imbalances in an entirely different system of the body. Everything is connected in the body and at the center of this is the gut. Consider the following fundamentals about the digestive system and you will begin to understand the importance of nutrition and a happy gut:
Approximately 70% of your immune system is in your digestive tract (let this sink in!)
- Your digestive system would cover the size of tennis court (that is a lot of surface that you want healthy!)
The microbiome of your body is comprised of microbes (bacteria) that live in communities and work synergistically in your body. You have 10 times more microbes than all the other cells in your body. Your overall health is determined by the health of these microbes.
- In your digestive tract alone, you have 3.5 to 4 pounds of bacteria. The beneficial bacteria are responsible for making vitamins, neutralizing toxins, protecting you from infection and germs, and breaking down food to release energy and nourish the colon and gut lining (these are only a few responsibilities, there are many more!)
Neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers, are manufactured more significantly in the gut than in the brain. For example, 80-90% of your serotonin, a neurotransmitter that provides you a sense of well-being and can be important for issues for mood/behavior/addiction, is found in your gut. All the different classes of neurotransmitters have been found in the gut, hence the importance of gut health.
Nourishing your body and healthful digestion is comprised of many factors. Two main factors include making poor food choices or not appropriately digesting, absorbing, and assimilating food (utilizing nutrients) due to poor digestive function. As a result, you likely develop symptoms and eventually a diagnosable illness. Poor digestive function leads to many health issues, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, migraine headaches, arthritis, autoimmune illness, thinking that is foggy, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and more.
And finally, foods that are healthful for others may not be for you- we are all biochemically unique! The good news today is that you are also no longer a slave to your genes and that anywhere from 75-95% of your ‘makeup’ is under our control by diet, lifestyle and environmental factors. (While genetics can impact mental health, mood disorders and addiction, anywhere from 5-25% is hereditary which means that 75-95% of our genetic expression is largely due to things under our control such as environmental factors, bringing diet and lifestyle back to the forefront. This is good news and is empowering!)
Imbalances in your body’s operating system may also be the result of problems with hormones, immune function, energy production, detoxification, and more. However, the root cause of chronic systems is very often the gut. By treating the gut symptoms of the body are often resolved.