We’ve all heard the advice to trust your gut, or listen to your gut instincts. You may have even had a gut feeling deep down inside that you should make one decision, or avoid another. People are always listening to their guts — but are they really paying attention to their gut health?
The fact of the matter is, your gut can tell you a lot more about your overall health than you may realize. These are just a few of the reasons why your gut health is so important:
Your Gut Plays a Key Role in Your Central Nervous System
Often when people think of the nervous system, an image of the human brain comes to mind. However, the gut is actually home to one of the most important elements of the entire nervous system — the Enteric Nervous System, or ENS. The ENS is sometimes called the body's second brain because it contains more than 100 million nerve cells that communicate directly with the brain. The ENS primarily works to aid digestion, and a gut that’s out of balance may not have the ability to maintain a strong ENS.
Your Gut Contains Bacteria that Controls Inflammation
Your gut is host to a wide variety of bacteria, and on the surface, that may sound kind of gross. In reality, we need good bacteria in the gut in order to improve digestive health and keep inflammation at bay. Your microbiome, the good bacteria in the gut, protects the walls of the digestive system. When these walls are compromised, we can be at risk for a variety of short-term and long-term complications, including allergies, asthma or Alzheimer's.
A Healthy Gut Results in a Happy Person
You know now that your gut routinely talks directly to your brain, but did you realize that your gut actually produces most of the serotonin that your body needs? When you actively support your gut health, you will find that your body produces more serotonin.
Serotonin is the hormone that makes you feel happy. In fact, when your gut health is compromised, you may find that you feel more anxious or depressed than usual. Many people who include a probiotic supplement as part of their daily regimen find that they generally feel an improvement to their mood.
Your Gut Controls Your Metabolism
Your gut needs to be in tip-top shape in order to properly digest the food that you eat. When you eat healthy and exercise, both of which promote gut health, you will be able to have a better handle on your metabolism. You will find that you feel more nourished by the food that you eat, and that you have less cravings. People who support their gut health often feel more energized by their food, and they feel more capable of leading an active lifestyle. Remember, your metabolism is responsible for fluctuations in weight — that means taking control of your metabolism and gut health can help you take control of your weight as well.
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One way to support positive bacteria in the gut is to take a daily probiotic supplement. Of the five beneficial strains in our probiotic at Life's Abundance, one has even been shown to support overall digestive health, including bowel habits. Further, we’ve included a strain that is native to humans, rather than cows like typical supplements.
It can be tempting to ignore that little voice inside, but when you pay it some attention, you just may feel like the best possible version of yourself!