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Even though your stomach may not be your favourite body part, it’s time to make friends with it because it’s your key to feeling good.
Scientists now see a healthy stomach or gut as vital to glowing health. Simply put, the mucus lining of your digestive system – also known as the epithelium - protects us from infection and inflammation.
In fact, America’s prestigious John Hopkins Centre for Neuro-gastroenterology likens the gut to a second brain and it’s bigger than you think. The stomach lining has a surface area which is large enough to cover a tennis court and contains trillions of microbes!
If it is not supplied with the right kind of microbes, your gut can cause nutritional deficiencies and inflammation which can in turn lead to food allergies, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), leaky gut and other nasties. Inflammation also plays a role in the development of asthma, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Gastroenterologists (doctors who specialise in digestive conditions), say that our two brains “talk” to each other, which in turn suggests that, what helps one may help the other. In a way, you can look at gastroenterologists as counsellors who are looking for ways to soothe the relationship between our first and this second “brain”.
Unfortunately, we don’t always take care of this extra brain. Instead we often wage war on all bacteria, killing good as well as bad microbes and in the process weaken the gut’s power to help with digestion, immune functions and weight regulation. Even though the old wives’ tale says cleanliness is next to godliness, some germs can actually be our friend. The blame can go on the following factors:
- Overuse of antibiotics - children in the West receive, on average, between 10 and 20 courses of antibiotics before they turn 18;
- A diet full of processed food;
- Environmental toxins;
- Less exposure to bacteria in everyday life.
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Diet is key to keeping your gut happy and the first step is to cut back on fat, sugar and increase fibre. Aim for at least 30g of fibre a day, preferably from plants. You don’t have to become a vegetarian, but do try to get in five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day
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Taking a probiotic supplement while on a course of antibiotics can help. Before you reach for the pill bottle, though, start with prebiotics which are foods most likely to encourage the growth of gastrointestinal flora.
Specialists say one of the keys to health is fermentation in the large intestine and that you can fuel this process by eating certain foods. Try yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and kefir, all now hailed as superfoods thanks to their impact on the gut.
In addition to diet, we also recommend:
- More sleep;
- Exercise more;
- Manage stress (helpful to reduce heartburn);
- Get help for anxiety and depression (the brain-gut connection means that disorders like IBS may be linked to mood issues).
Whatever your gut feelings, remember you don’t need to have a strong stomach to look after it.
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