Gut Health – Why It Matters More Than We Think

Gut health is something we hear more and more about these days, but I think many of us still associate it mainly with digestion. If our stomach feels fine and everything is working as it should, we assume our gut must be healthy. In reality, there is a lot more going on in there than simply digesting our dinner.

Our gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and other microbes. Together they make up what is known as the gut microbiome. It may not sound particularly appealing, but these tiny organisms play an incredibly important role in keeping us healthy.

A healthy gut microbiome helps us digest food and absorb nutrients, but its influence goes much further. A large part of our immune system is associated with the gut, and research has also shown an interesting connection between the gut and the brain – often referred to as the gut-brain axis. This may help explain why stress can upset our stomach, but also why what is happening in our gut may influence our mood and general sense of wellbeing.

The interesting thing is that everyone's microbiome is different

The interesting thing is that everyone's microbiome is different. It is affected by our diet, lifestyle, environment, age and even the medications we take. Antibiotics, for example, can be extremely important when we need them, but they can also disturb the balance of bacteria in the gut because they don't distinguish between the bacteria causing an infection and many of the beneficial ones living alongside them.

So, what can we actually do to look after our gut?

One of the simplest things is to eat a varied diet

One of the simplest things is to eat a varied diet. Different beneficial bacteria thrive on different foods, particularly fibre-rich plant foods such as vegetables, fruit, pulses, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Fermented foods such as natural yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi can also introduce useful microorganisms into our diet.

This is where probiotics and prebiotics come in. Probiotics are live microorganisms that can provide a health benefit when consumed in adequate amounts. Prebiotics are different: they are substances, often particular types of fibre, that feed beneficial bacteria already living in our gut. In simple terms, probiotics can add helpful bacteria, while prebiotics help feed them.

Sleep, exercise and stress matter too

Sleep, exercise and stress matter too. Gut health isn't something we can fix simply by taking a supplement while ignoring everything else we do.

Perhaps the most important thing I have learned is that we shouldn't think of our gut as just a digestive system. It is a complex living ecosystem that interacts with many other parts of the body. We are still learning just how important that relationship is.

Looking after our gut doesn't require some complicated new regime

Looking after our gut doesn't require some complicated new regime. Quite often it comes back to surprisingly familiar advice: eat a varied diet, include plenty of fibre, get enough sleep, stay active and don't underestimate the importance of all those tiny organisms quietly working away inside us.

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