This is a must read. You might actually learn something VERY important about your bodys health. All disease begins in the gut. -Hippocrates Hippocrates said this more than 2000 years ago, and we are only now understanding that he was right. Yep, it has 2000 years, and researchers and doctors are just barely uncovering the surface of the topic. Research over the past two decades has revealed that gut health is critical to overall health, and that an unhealthy gut contributes to a wide range of diseases including diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, autism spectrum disorder, depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. In fact, many researchers believe that supporting intestinal health and restoring the integrity of the gut barrier will be one of the most important goals of medicine in the 21st century. (I bet you have already noticed your doctor prescribing fewer antibiotics, or youve heard about antibiotics no longer killing certain bacterias, etc. We will go over that in a bit. Stick with me.) There are actually 2 variables that determine gut health: the intestinal microbiota (a.k.a. gut flora) and the gut barrier. Think of your gut flora as a garden. It needs healthy soil and the right kind of food to be fruitful. Our gut is home to somewhere around 100 trillion microorganisms. That means that our guts contain somewhere around 10x more bacteria than all of the human cells in our bodies. (Not joking!) So you might actually say that we are more bacteria than human. (I promise I havent fallen off the deep end. Look it up.) Researchers are just now beginning to understand the extent that gut flora plays in human health and its role in disease. The guts flora promotes normal gastrointestinal function, provides protection from infection, regulates metabolism and compromises somewhere around 70%-80% of our immune system. Unbalanced gut flora has even been linked to diseases that range from autism and depression to autoimmune conditions, inflammatory bowel disease and type I diabetes. (Feel free to research the protein zonulin and intestinal permeability and autoimmune disease links. Im not going to get that in-depth here.) Many of the features of modern lifestyle contribute to unhealthy gut flora, too. Things like antibiotic usage, birth control pills, NSAIDs (ibuprofen, etc.), diets high in refined carbs, sugar and processed foods, diets low in fermentable fibers (prebiotics), dietary intake of toxins, chronic stress, and chronic infections all play a role in decreasing the balance of gut flora. Antibiotics are particularly harmful because their use causes a rapid loss of flora diversity, and our bodies cannot produce or increase diversity without intervention. (Has your doctor every told you to purchase a probiotic or eat yogurt during the course of an antibiotics? This is why, but it isnt enough.) Researchers also know that infants that are not breast-fed, were c-section babies or were born to mothers with poor gut flora hare more likely to develop poor gut flora. (Yep...totally out of our hands, people!) These differences can actually contribute to obesity, diabetes, skin issues like psoriasis/ecxema/acne, depression and a slew of other health problems later in life. (Yikes!) So now, lets discuss the gut barrier. Think of it as the gatekeeper that decides what gets in or stays out. (Seriously...your gut is a hollow tube that passes from your mouth to your bottom. What goes in that isnt digested should pass right on through.) Its function is prevent substances that dont belong from entering the body. Well, think about a water hose that has tiny holes in it. Not quite efficient tube, huh? Same as the gut. This condition is known as leaky gut, and this is when proteins and others substances pass through the tubes wall and into the bloodstream. This is when an immune response occurs. (Bad.) When a breach occurs in the gut barrier these immune reposes dont just affect the gut itself, but they can also affect other organs such as the pancreas, liver, heart, brain, etc. (Ahem...your skin is the largest organ in your body. Think eczema, acne, hives, etc.) Something that is critical on your part is that you do not have to have symptoms in your gut to have a leaky gut. (What?!? Yes.) Leaky gut can settle in as eczema, psoriasis, heart failure, autoimmune disease, thyroid disease, mental illness and a load of others. (Scary, I know!) Dont worry, there are things you can do to fix these issues. You must rebuild and restore your gut flora and the intestinal barrier. (Not a one time fix, because remember what goes in the gut also comes out. At least it is suppose to.) I know that avoiding all of those things that I listed as contributing factors isnt easy, nor do we have control over whether we were breast-fed, fed with probiotic fortified formula (didnt hit the market until 2007ish), or whether our mothers had good gut flora, but we can take steps that restore our guts to a healthy, balanced state. We can remove food toxins by eating a diet made up of mostly whole, non-GMO and organic foods. We need to eat plenty of fermentable fibers (prebiotics...sweet potatoes, yams, yucca, etc.). We can eat fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut and/or kefir, but weve have to almost eat our weight in them to make a dent. We can take a high-quality, multi-species probiotic. (This is where ProBio5 comes in. What do you think the 5 stand for? You got it...5 species of probiotics.) Treat pathogens. (This is where BioCleanse comes in. It helps your body excrete these toxins.) Lastly, take steps to control your stress...exercise, relaxation techniques, etc. I know this was long, but I appreciate you taking time to read it. I hope it helps explain why I am always harping about gut health. If you have any questions, I am here to help. You can also order ProBio5 and BioCleanse at my website. #gut #gutcheck #unhealthygut #leakygut #gutflora #eczema #celiac #depression #antibiotics #prebiotics #probiotics #probio5 #biocleanse #plexus #plexusworks #gethealthy #health #healthstartsinside #immunesystemn #digestivehealth
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 22:49:01 +0000