{"id":2186,"date":"2017-09-06T18:54:47","date_gmt":"2017-09-06T22:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=2186"},"modified":"2025-04-26T10:20:28","modified_gmt":"2025-04-26T14:20:28","slug":"how-gut-health-impacts-your-well-being","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/how-gut-health-impacts-your-well-being\/","title":{"rendered":"How gut health can impact your overall health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Curious how healthy you are? Well you may not need to go any further than your own stomach to find out. While you may think of bacteria as a bad thing, the good bacteria in your gut are extremely important to your well-being. It may surprise you how much gut health can affect the entire body.<\/span><\/p>\n

A large portion of <\/span>your immune system actually lives in your GI tract<\/span>, according to research done at the Johns Hopkins Medical School. Studies show that maintaining <\/span>a healthy gut is essential for immune homeostasis<\/span>, that your gut can <\/span>affect the allergies you experience<\/span>, and an unhealthy gut may be <\/span>linked to diseases like depression and cancer<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe gut is the source of where all energy to the body comes from,\u201d says <\/span>Rudolph Bedford,<\/span> MD, a gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John\u2019s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. \u201cYou can tell how the body is functioning as a whole based on the gut.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To understand more, you need to know what gut microbes are and how what you eat can impact your overall health.<\/span><\/p>\n

How gut health affects the whole body\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Your gut microbiome refers to the bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the digestive tract, explains Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN, author of the <\/span>American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion<\/span><\/i> and<\/span>\u00a0founder of nutrition consulting company <\/span>Active Eating Advice<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe microbiome has a role to play in controlling digestion, protecting the immune system, protecting against other diseases, may have a role to play in weight management, and can help to control inflammation,\u201d explains Bonci. \u201cThese bacteria also produce vitamins B12, thiamine, riboflavin, and vitamin K, which is important to help the blood clot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gut bacteria are also important for <\/span>drug metabolism and increasing bioavailability of medications<\/span><\/a> (or the proportion of a drug that enters the circulation when you take medicine).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If the microbiome in your gut is not as diverse as it should be\u2014meaning, there\u2019s not enough variety of beneficial bacteria\u2014the risk of certain diseases such as Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia may be higher, explains Bonci.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, having unhealthy gut bacteria can be a bad thing for the gut overall, too. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a compound formed in your body after you eat foods that contain a substance called choline. Red meat and eggs are big sources of choline, explains Dr. Bedford<\/a>. \u201cBad bacteria in your gut can also produce choline, which leads to the increase of TMAO,\u201d he says. \u201cToo much TMAO can be related to atherogenesis, which is the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries, which is unhealthy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBad gut bacteria can also increase the risk of blood clots,\u201d explains Bonci. \u201cStudies being done to determine if altering the gut microbiota can lower cholesterol levels, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What causes a leaky gut?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

An unhealthy gut is also known as a leaky gut. \u201cA leaky gut occurs when the space between the cells of the small intestine colon are separated, and some of the contents that should remain in the intestine slips through the cracks of the cells and finds its way into the blood stream,\u201d explains Dr. Bedford. It can also be referred to as <\/span>increased intestinal\u00a0permeability<\/span><\/a>. \u201cThis may include food particles that can result in immune reactions, as well as toxic chemicals produced\u00a0by microbes, which results in inflammation and impaired gut function,\u201d explains Bonci.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What causes a leaky gut? According to Bonci, the following may contribute to a leaky or unhealthy gut:<\/span><\/p>\n