Gut Health
The gut is the engine room of the body
Gut health is important because it has a profound impact on how our body functions. The gut is involved in many important jobs. It helps us break down food and absorb nutrients. It helps us fight off infection and filters out poisons and toxins. So, a compromised gut affects our overall health and wellbeing. Poor gut health can lead to indigestion, uncomfortable and irregular bowel movements and bloating. It has also been linked to inflammation, fatigue, gas, lower immunity and food intolerance. We need to look after our gut to look after ourselves.
The gut is the stomach, large and small intestine
There are some other really important organs that sit in the abdomen which also play a role in digestion and should be considered too ie spleen, pancreas, liver and gall bladder and even the kidneys.
Signs of good gut health
Regular and pain-free bowel movements
Consistent energy
Normal amount of gas and bloating
Healthy bowel transit time
Mental clarity
Healthy reactions to food and stress
Signs of poor gut health
IBS like symptoms such as constipation and diarrhoea
Bloating
Painful and irregular bowel movements
Indigestion
It has been linked to inflammatory complaints such as arthritis
There is even suggestions it may be linked to brain fog
Factors that affect gut health
While several factors can contribute to poor gut health, some of the most common include:
Stress: This increases intestinal permeability (leaky gut), tipping the scales toward an imbalance of more bad than good bacteria in the gut.
Poor nutrition: Most people eat processed food and sugar, which can harm the beneficial bacteria in your gut and contribute to or cause inflammation throughout the body.
Long-term use of antibiotics and antacids – They all decrease B12 within the gut, which is essential in cell production, brain function and energy. They also kill the good bacteria that live in your gut. However, it’s important to note that there is a time and a place for these medications, but it’s best to consult with your physician before using them.
Diet is a very important way to support good gut health and a digestive massage can support too.
Anatomy of the human abdomen, by Ties van Brussel / tiesworks.nl
Organs of the gut and what they do
Stomach: Breaks down food. It produces acid and enzymes to facilitate this process.
Pancreas: Secretes enzymes and hormones to help digestion. It regulates blood sugar by producing insulin.
Spleen: Filters blood, controls blood cell levels and stores red blood cells and platelets. It also produces antibodies and white blood cells.
The stomach, pancreas and spleen are believed to hold on to the negative emotion of worry. The ambition is to release worries and breathe in fairness through the massage. The old fashioned word ‘splenetic’ means bad-tempered. It’s interesting that our ancestors connected emotions with parts of the body.
Small intestine: Breaks down food and moves it along the digestive tract. It absorbs nutrients like vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats and proteins. And acts as a barrier to bacteria.
Large intestine: Absorbs water and salts from undigested food. It both absorbs and produces vitamin B and K through the gut microbes which prevent harmful bacteria from colonising. It moves faeces toward the rectum for rejection.
Liver: Filters out poisons and toxins. Produces bile to break down fats. Regulates amino acids and stores glycogen.
Gall bladder: Its role is to store and release bile, produced by the liver, into the small intestine.
The liver is believed to hold onto the negative emotion of anger. In fact, the old fashioned word 'liverish' means angry. The ambition is to release anger and breathe in kindness through the massage.
Kidneys: Filter blood and regulate blood pressure. They remove waste products and toxins from the blood as well as make urine to get rid of excess water and waste.
The kidneys are thought to hold onto the negative emotion of fear. Through the massage fear is released and gentleness encouraged in.