Gut health has become a popular topic as people recognize the important link between gut health and overall well-being. Here are some key points about gut health and ways to enhance it.
What is gut health and the gut microbiome?
Gut health refers to the health of your digestive system, which is responsible for breaking down food, absorbing nutrients and eliminating waste from your body.
Your gut is home to a multitude of bacteria, viruses, and fungi, collectively known as the gut microbiome. The numbers of these microbes are astronomical, even outnumbering your own cells. These gut microbes play a prominent role in various bodily functions, and the types of bacteria within them are crucial indicators of your microbiome's health. Various factors can influence the variety of bacteria residing in our digestive tract. Some of the key influencing factors include diet, exposure to antibiotics, stress levels, and genetic predisposition.
Why gut health is important?
"All disease begins in the gut," said Hippocrates, who is considered the father of modern medicine. In recent years, more and more research in the medical community has proven the importance of the gut to overall health. Moreover, our gut microbiome can affect almost every organ in our body. It has been reported that there are links between gut health and the following:
Digestion
Mental health
Cancer
The immune system
Endocrine disorders
Gastrointestinal disorders
Autoimmune diseases
Cardiovascular disease
Inflammatory bowel disease
How to improve your gut health?
There are many things we can do to improve our gut health. Eating habits, lifestyle and taking prebiotic and probiotic supplements can all change your internal health. The ways to promote gut health including:
Add prebiotics to daily recipes
Prebiotics are non-digestible food components that promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the gut. They help energize cells throughout the body, help protect the lining of the gut (prevent harmful substances from entering the bloodstream), and help control inflammatory responses while improving the body's ability to do so. Common prebiotics include resistant starch, inulin, and pectin, and they can be obtained by eating foods such as oats, beans, asparagus, leeks, and onions.
Engage in more physical activity and exercise
Exercise appears to promote the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) by bacterial communities, which play a crucial role in repairing the gut lining, altering metabolism and immune response. Regular physical activity, including strength workouts and aerobic exercise of moderate to vigorous intensity, can positively impact the gut microbiome, providing benefits to overall health.
Enjoy foods containing probiotics
High probiotic foods include sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and tempeh. They undergo a fermentation process that helps produce enzymes, B vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and a variety of beneficial bacteria — all of which help keep the gut healthy.
Consider supplementing with prebiotics and probiotics
Taking prebiotic and probiotic supplements can help maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut. These supplements can help support digestion, boost the immune system, reduce inflammation, and improve overall gut health. It is important to choose high-quality supplements from reputable brands to ensure effectiveness.
To improve gut health, or to help soothe a sometimes overactive or inactive gut, it is wise to increase your supply of healthful prebiotics and probiotics through food and supplements. Alfa Chemistry offers a wide range of prebiotics and probiotics. Our years of experience and expertise in the industry allow us to address many of the issues you may be experiencing, so please do not hesitate to contact us.
Our products and services are for research use only and cannot be used for any clinical purposes.
