Gut health and how you can improve yours

In this article, we explore how the gastrointestinal tract works and interacts with the rest of our body, and what you can do to improve the health of your gut.

Key takeaways

• Our gut plays a major role in hormone regulation and how we feel
• The gut also plays a role in weight management, stress levels, and our mental health
• Symptoms of poor gut health include heartburn, inflammation, and excess gas
• Everyone’s gut microbiome profile (the bacteria in your gut) is different
• Prioritise foods that help reduce inflammation and negative symptoms after eating
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, and poor diet to improve gut health
• Probiotic supplements can work to balance your healthy bacteria profile

What is the gut?

The gut is another name for the GI or gastrointestinal tract.

This series of organs and passageways aid with the transportation, digestion, and absorption of food as it passes from our mouth, through our stomach and down into our intestines before it’s released as faeces.

Is the gut the same as the digestive system?

Yes, typically you’ll see these terms used interchangeably.

Sometimes you might see the term ‘digestive system’ used more broadly to describe all areas involved in the digestion and transportation of food and liquids, including the throat, oesophagus, and anus.

What does ‘gut microbiome’ mean?

If you’ve read anything about the gut, chances are you’ve seen this term used a lot.

Put simply, ‘microbiome’ refers to the diverse range of microorganisms inside your gut. This includes bacteria, viruses, and fungi that are essential for breaking down and absorbing food and liquid as it passes through our gastrointestinal tract.

The fact that your gut microbiome is unique to you (the contents are related to your DNA, lifestyle, and environment) means that food and liquid will affect everyone differently as it passes through the body.

This is one of the reasons why people with gut health problems or a more sensitive gastrointestinal tract experience specific symptoms when they eat certain foods. In short, the contents of their gut microbiome ‘flares up’ when trigger foods are ingested.

Expert advice on gut health

If you want to learn more about gut health, check out our conversation with Dr Unnati Desai on the Let’s Talk Health podcast.

Unnati speaks at length about improving the health of your gut, exciting new research linking the brain and the digestive system, and the impact that lifestyle, diet, and hydration can have on our gastrointestinal health.

She also touches on stress and the role it plays with inflammation, and how certain foods and probiotics can help balance bacteria levels in the gut.

If you use Apple Music for your podcasts, click here to access the episode

Why is gut health important?

Gut health is crucial for our overall health and wellbeing because it influences everything from digestion and nutrient absorption to immune function and our mental health.

A healthy gut microbiome made up of a diverse range of balanced microbial communities will help aid with the breaking down of food, the production of essential nutrients like vitamins and short-chain fatty acids, and the regulation of immune responses for fighting off harmful pathogens.

Additionally, the ‘gut brain axis’ connects the gut to the brain, which means the health of our gut and the way we digest and absorb food can influence our mood, cognition, and stress response.

How do I know if I have a healthy gut?

This is a good question that can be difficult to answer.

It’s often the case that you won’t know somethings wrong until you start experiencing uncomfortable symptoms like changes to your bowel movement activity, constipation or diarrhoea, inflammation, stomach-ache, bloating, or reflux.

From time to time, we all eat and drink things that don’t agree with us. What’s important is that we recognise persistent symptoms that don’t come and go with time.

If this sounds familiar, seeking help from your GP, a nutritionist, or dietician can help unpack the cause of these symptoms. Getting help from a professional is important, because everyone’s gut is unique to them, making a lot of generalised advice redundant.

Food, drink, and gut health

The health of your gut is largely dictated by what you eat and drink.

Because everyone’s microbiome is different, trial and error is often the only way to work out what might be causing a certain reaction in you when you eat or drink something.

For example, some people avoid dairy because they are lactose intolerant and lack the ability to digest things like milk, cheese, and butter whilst others find they’re affected negatively by spicy food.

What else affects gut health?

There are other lifestyle factors that can impact gut health outside of what we eat and drink. These include:

• Smoking
• Exercise and movement
• Lack of sleep
• Stress
• Medication
• Our DNA and genetics
• Antibiotic usage

Signs and symptoms of poor gut health

Signs of poor gut health include:

• Heartburn
• Acid reflux
• Gas
• Bloating
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Chronic inflammation
• Frequent infections or illness
• Food intolerances
• Skin health problems
• Persistent fatigue.

Conditions linked to poor gut health

Imbalances in our gut microbiome (known as dysbiosis) have been linked to a range of different health issues, including:

• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Metabolic disorders
• Obesity
• Type 2 diabetes
• Autoimmune diseases
• Allergies
• Mental health disorders
• Depression
• Anxiety.

The impact of poor gut health

Weight loss

Gut bacteria imbalance has been linked to both obesity and weight gain. It’s thought that this is because certain gut microbes can affect how calories are absorbed from food, how hungry we feel, and the storage of fat.

Additionally, research indicates that gut health may influence insulin sensitivity and inflammation, both of which are factors that influence metabolic health and weight management.

Drive and motivation

Emerging research seems to suggest that there may be a connection between gut health and brain function that influences things like motivation and cognitive performance.

Because our gut microbiome produces neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, imbalances in gut bacteria can affect the production of these neurotransmitters which will have a knock-on effect on our motivation and drive.

Sleep quality

It’s no secret that sleep deprivation and prolonged periods of low-quality sleep can result in increased inflammation and stress hormone production.

New research also suggests that the gut/brain axis allows the gut to communicate with the brain, meaning stressors that aggravate and inflame the GI tract can also cause anxiety, stress, and other emotions and feelings that negatively impact sleep quality.

Mental health

When we eat, our gut breaks down food and releases hormones.

As our gut communicates with our brain, feelings and conditions like anxiety, depression, and stress can be affected positively or negatively depending on the hormones our gut releases during digestion.

Stress

Stressful experiences can alter gut microbiome composition and function, leading to a bacteria imbalance.

Conversely, gut microbes produce molecules that can help regulate stress responses and influence the production of stress hormones like cortisol. Imbalances in the gut microbiome may contribute to stress-related symptoms and affect resilience to stressors.

How to improve gut health

In recent years, research has spread the word about the importance of the gut in regulating our overall health and wellbeing. This has led to an increased interest around healing and repairing the gut.

Whether this means managing stress levels or reducing the amount of processed food you eat, there are many ways to naturally improve gut health and repair inflammation and bacterial imbalances.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet

‘Gut health foods’ are a great way to regulate the hormones your body releases during digestion.

A diet rich in fibre obtained from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes will provide essential nutrients for beneficial gut bacteria to thrive.

Dietary fibre in the colon results in the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, acetate, and propionate, which help nourish the cells lining the walls of our intestines and maintain gut barrier integrity.

Avoid highly processed foods

Conversely, a diet high in processed foods, added sugars, and unhealthy fats can promote the growth of harmful bacteria that reduce microbial diversity.

This imbalance, known as dysbiosis, can increase the risk of gastrointestinal disorders, inflammation, and chronic diseases like obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Probiotic-rich foods

Probiotics are live bacteria that have health benefits, including regulating gut health. They can be found in foods like:

• Yoghurt
• Cheese
• Tempeh
• Pickles
• Miso
• Sauerkraut
• Onions
• Garlic
• Pineapple
• Kimchi

Probiotic supplements

In recent years, probiotic supplements have gained significant attention for their potential to support gut health. Probiotics are live microorganisms (like bacteria and yeast strains) that confer health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts.

Probiotics for gut health aim to replenish and restore the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome which can be disrupted by poor diet, antibiotic use, illness, or stress levels.

Certain probiotic strains have also shown that they can support digestion and alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, gas, diarrhoea, and constipation. Probiotics may help regulate bowel movements, enhance nutrient absorption, and improve overall digestive function.

Some probiotic strains have anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce inflammation in the gut. This can be beneficial for individuals with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, as well as other inflammatory conditions that affect the digestive tract.

Want to find out more?

If you’re interested in learning more about gut health, check out our conversation with Dr Unnati Desai on the Let’s Talk Health podcast.

In this episode, Unnati speaks at length about how best to improve the health of your gut, exciting new research linking the brain and the digestive system, and the impact that lifestyle, diet, and hydration can have on our gastrointestinal health.

She also touches on stress and the role it plays with inflammation, and how certain foods and probiotics can help balance bacteria levels in the gut.

Last updated Tuesday 3 September 2024

First published on Tuesday 27 August 2024