3 Reasons to Prioritise your Digestive System Health

The gut or gastrointestinal tract is the part of our bodies that takes in the food we consume, breaks it down into tiny parts that can be absorbed by our system, and helps us to expel what can’t be used up by our bodies in the form of faecal matter. The gut forms the largest organ system in our bodies, hence its health plays a crucial role in our overall well-being. It is therefore essential that we take good care of our gut as we strive to live healthier lives.

Why is gut health important?

Besides facilitating the digestion and absorption of food, the gut performs many other essential functions that you may not know much about.

1. The gut lining keeps pathogens away from your body

You probably didn’t know that more than 70% of your immune system resides in the gut. The gut forms a physical barrier between your body and what you consume. If you have a healthy gastrointestinal tract with good bacteria, the microflora helps in fighting most of the pathogens you ingest to protect you from illnesses. The lining of the gut also forms a protective barrier that prevents harmful bacteria from getting into your bloodstream. If the health of your gastro-intestinal tract is compromised, your gut becomes leaky and invaders such as bad bacteria, gluten, and undigested food can pass into your body, leading to autoimmune diseases, food intolerance, and problems like depression. Thankfully there's no need to worry, as the Probiotica 3 Strains found at Nutra-life will help populate your gut with good bacteria in no time.

2. Boosting your immunity

The microbiota that resides in our gut has a great influence on our immune system. The presence of diverse gut flora in our gastrointestinal tract teaches our immune system that not all bacteria or microorganisms are harmful. Also, the microbiota helps our system to tolerate the introduction of new things such as food or food additives in our digestive system, so we don’t become sick every time we try out a new dish.

3. Your gut is your second brain

The “gut feeling” is real, no pun intended. Our feelings are heavily influenced by chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters. The gut produces about 90% of serotonin, a crucial chemical that is essential for mood and temperature regulation, sex drive, sleep, appetite, and memory. This chemical substance is found in the enteric nervous system inside our alimentary canals.

How do you keep your gut healthy?

Keeping your gut healthy is something that you can easily attain with a few lifestyle adjustments. Eating a healthy diet rich in unprocessed whole foods is the first step towards attaining gut health. You should also remove any foods that irritate your gastrointestinal tract from your diet, including dairy products or gluten if you suffer from lactose or gluten intolerance. Limiting your consumption of omega 6 fatty acids and increasing your intake of omega 3s can also help, since they possess anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, taking digestive enzymes from Nutra-life will help in breaking down proteins, carbohydrates, fats and even the lactose in dairy. If your gut is already compromised, then you should consider taking Nutra-life's Gut Relief product. It relieves indigestion and supports digestion. To ensure the health of the microbiota found inside your gut, eating plenty of prebiotic foods that nourish these bacteria is essential. Such foods include asparagus, garlic, onions, and Jerusalem artichoke. After healing your gut, you should strive to maintain gut health. Nutra-life has a range of great supplements that can help introduce good bacteria in your gut. They include Probiotica™ High Potency 50 Billion and Probiotica™ Daily Health for adults, and Probiotica™ Kids' Daily for children. Taking these probiotic solutions daily not only supports healthy gut microflora, but also improves the immunity of you and your children.