Surprising Ways Your Gut Impacts Your Overall Health

Your gut is the home of trillions of microscopic organisms collectively known as the microbiome. For a long time, scientists and health experts believed that the microbiome were a hindrance to a healthy body. Modern science has, however, revealed that to be false. In fact, your microbiome is critical to your health and wellness. When it is out of balance, many health issues start to develop.

In this post, we are covering some of the most common diseases and conditions that can be directly linked to microbiome that’s out of balance.

 

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

There is still a lot of ongoing research regarding what exactly causes IBS; however, new evidence suggests that the microbiome may have a hand in how this condition manifests. The bacteria in the gut influences how fast digestive food moves along the tract. This movement is a key aspect in IBS development. What remains is identifying the exact type of bacteria that control this movement.

 

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

It is believed that inflammatory bowel disease is partly attributed to a person’s genetic makeup. Interestingly enough though is that studies have revealed a link between bacteria in the gut and inflammation along the gut lining. Scientists believe that some types of bacteria could be interacting with an IBD patient’s immune system to trigger inflammation.

 

Colon Cancer

According to a 2018 article published in the New York Times, scientists believe that colon cancer could very well be a result of a combination of the bacteria E. coli and B. fragilis to damage DNA. This new information calls for a close examination of a person’s microbiome to not only prevent development of colon cancer; but also to identify those who are at risk for this disease and take the necessary steps.

 

Allergies

Explaining how allergies develop is one of the most complex issues being investigated by scientists and researchers today. From reactions to food, dust, pollen, and other substances, pin pointing the root cause appears to be a real challenge. However, recent research suggests that allergic reaction could be a result of interaction between environmental microbiome and the gut microbiome. More specifically, allergies could be attributed to a failure of immuno-tolerance.

 

Mental Illness

In our earlier posts, we explained why the gut is often referred to as your second brain. Given that your gut produce neurotransmitters that pass messages through the nervous system, certain chemicals can be passed on to increase feelings of autism and fear among other mental disorders. Some experimental studies treat autism by introducing healthier strains of bacteria.

 

Anxiety

As one of the most prevalent disorders in the world today, anxiety is a heavily researched condition. Some treatments for anxiety involve targeting pathways by manipulation of bacterial balance in the gut. The mind-gut connection is a powerful and effective way for people to ease their anxiety more naturally.

 

Depression

Microbiome research is quickly becoming the fastest growing field in the treatment of psychological disorders. In fact, in depression studies, researchers are on the verge of identifying specific microbial species that contribute to major depression disorder.

 

Eczema

Eczema is a condition that is characterized by dry, flaky, and sometimes painful skin patches. It can be quite embarrassing and overwhelming. Given that it is caused by an overactive immune system, prescribing immune suppressants is natural; however, it is not a viable long term solution. People with eczema have been found to lack a healthy and rich microbial ecosystem in the gut. Restoring balance in the gut helps to strengthen the immune system and keep eczema at bay.

 

REFERENCES

Krista Carothers, the Healthy (2018): “11 Diseases That Can Start with Your Gut Bacteria”. Retrieved from https://www.thehealthy.com/digestive-health/disease-conditions-gut-bacteria/

Helen Messier, the Chopra Center (2018): “13 Health Conditions Linked to the Gut Microbiome”. Retrieved from https://chopra.com/articles/13-health-conditions-linked-to-the-gut-microbiome

William Cole, D.C., IFMCP, Mind Body Green (2018): “11 Health Problems That Can Start In Your Gut”. Retrieved from https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-17191/11-health-problems-that-can-start-in-your-gut.html

Gina Kolata, New York Times (2018): “Gut Microbes Combine to Cause Colon Cancer, Study Suggests”. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/01/health/colon-cancer-bacteria.html

Winter G, Hart R.A., Charlesworth R.P.G., and Sharpley C.F., School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale (2018): “Gut microbiome and depression: what we know and what we need to know”. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29397391