Gut health is crucial from "summary" of Food - WTF - Should I Eat? by Mark Hyman
The health of your gut is like the foundation of a building. If it's strong and sturdy, the rest of the structure will be solid. But if it's weak and shaky, everything else will suffer. Your gut is where all the action happens when it comes to digestion and absorption of nutrients. If it's not functioning well, you won't be able to extract the vitamins, minerals, and other essential substances from your food. Furthermore, your gut is home to trillions of bacteria that play a crucial role in your overall health. These bacteria help break down food, produce important nutrients, regulate your immune system, and even influence your mood. When the balance of these bacteria is disrupted – a condition known as dysbiosis – it can lead to a host of health problems, from digestive issues to autoimmune diseases to mental health disorders. In addition, the gut is lined with a barrier that controls what gets absorbed into your bloodstream and what gets excreted as waste. When this barrier becomes compromised – a condition called leaky gut – toxins, undigested food particles, and harmful bacteria can leak into your bloodstream, triggering inflammation and wreaking havoc on your health. Now, you might be wondering, what can cause all these problems in the gut? The answer lies in our modern diet and lifestyle. Processed foods, sugar, artificial additives, antibiotics, and chronic stress can all disrupt the delicate balance of bacteria in your gut, compromise the integrity of the gut barrier, and set the stage for a wide range of health issues.- There's hope. By nourishing your gut with whole, plant-based foods, fermented foods, prebiotics, probiotics, and plenty of fiber, you can restore balance to your gut microbiome, strengthen your gut barrier, and support your overall health and well-being. Your gut is truly the key to optimal health – so treat it well, and it will repay you in spades.
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