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Gut Keeping the gut happy is essential in maintaining overall wellbeing, from mental health to our immune system. Gut expert Rebecca Newman teaches us how to take better care of our tummies ILLUSTRATION THEGUTSTUFF.COM
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ccording to Greek physician Hippocrates, “All disease begins in the gut”, yet it's taken 2,000 years for modern science to wake up to its importance. In fact, current research is uncovering links between the state of our intestines and almost all other aspects of our health: the influence of our gut over how we think and feel is so extensive, some scientists call it the ‘second brain’. The gut ‘microbiome’ is the collective word for the trillions of microscopic organisms within the small and large intestines of the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT), mainly bacteria and fungi. We have a very close association with these microbiota. Some 70-80% of our immune system is located in our gut; bacteria forms a physical barrier that covers the gut wall, helping to prevent viruses and other illness-causing microbes from entering the body. More than that, this bacteria also stimulates the lymph system that lives within the gut wall to produce lymphocytes (the white blood cells that fight infections) - just one of the reasons they are key for our health and the prevention of chronic disease. “A healthy balance of bacteria may help to better manage inflammation in the body,” adds nutritional therapist Eve Kalinik. “Current research suggests a link between the state of the microbiome and inflammatory disorders such as diabetes and heart disease, as well as autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. I believe the current interest in gut health has been forced on us by an exponential rise in these complaints.” But it’s not just inflammatory and autoimmune disorders that our microbiome influences. Recent studies have shown that, alongside our genes, out-of-whack gut microbiota can also contribute to colorectal cancer (bowel cancer). “Colorectal cancer is a huge burden in the UK, and is mostly preventable,” says Dr Lisa Das, consultant gastroenterologist at OneWelbeck clinic in Marylebone.
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