My Two Cents on 'Gut Health'.

I'd just like to weigh in on this conversation as I don't think it's being talked about enough, or LOUD enough.

Plain and simple, the gut is the gateway to health.

Pinch yourself.....go on, actually give yourself a pinch, I'll wait.

What you just pinched is the accumulation of nutrients and biochemical reactions, caused by nutrients. The key point here is the nutrients are integral to the building, and functioning of 'you' and they had to come from somewhere. They didn't magically appear out of thin air. Aside from what your mother gave you (thanks mum) they came in through the mouth and had to embark on an intricate, and fascinating, journey called metabolism.

Digestion is the gateway to health.

Incomplete digestion not only means that you are not able to access the full available resources of nutrients in the foods we eat, but it can also cause further complications that can impede health - one of which is an alteration in the ratio of good to bad bacteria, or microbiota, in your gut.

I like analogies so I like to think of our digestive tract as a multilane highway leading into a big industrious city. The highway is designed perfectly. Multi lanes to accommodate all the bundles of goods being brought in for processing, and off-ramps along the journey to allow those goods to be delivered to the right places.?

I imagine that incomplete digestion is like installing a massive speed bump, and some major potholes along the way. The speed bumps will inhibit some cars from crossing at all, and the potholes will keep some cars and trucks from proceeding, or at least damage them significantly. What’s the point then of having such a perfect system then right?

Well...that’s my point exactly when it comes to human nutrition.

What’s the point of having a system like the human digestive tract, that is so intricate and perfectly designed for a healthy diet when we don’t maintain it or we put things in it that slow the process down significantly.

Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breaking down of food into smaller components that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. It not only is dependent on pH, or acidity levels being ‘right’ in certain parts of the system but also on little ‘helpers’ along the way that break food down into the most minute particle and isolate specific nutrients so they can be absorbed. These helpers are called enzymes. Without them, the process would be too slow, and the nutrients would be eliminated before being absorbed.

One thing that’s really interesting about the digestive tract is its lack of nerve endings. Nerve endings allow us to ‘feel’ things and because our digestive tract is working 24/7, and you don’t necessarily want to be kept awake at night feeling your dinner being processed, our digestive tract has a limited number of these nerve endings.

Our digestive tract is therefore created with a kind of backward logic. If it’s working well, you won’t feel it working. It’s when you do start to feel things, especially a burning sensation, bloating, pain, constant gurgling, etc. that you know that there is a problem. The good news is that there is help for this.

The first step is to isolate acidic foods and beverages. Do you notice a burning sensation after your second cup of coffee? Well, it’s acidic, so either avoid the second cup or eat some alkalinizing foods (many of which live in the plant world) before that second cup.?

And as for incomplete digestion. often noted with belching bad smelling gas…. Ok….burping and farting...and lots of it…. No, sorry guys, it’s not a “compliment to the chef”, this is an indication that those ‘little helpers’ - the enzymes are not present in the right numbers for the job. Digestive enzymes are often given to us through our foods, in fact you can probably see them in action in your fruit bowl or vegetable tray right now. They are triggered once the plant has been removed from its life source, and they go to work to break down the fruit/vegetable, but in the cooking processing, these little helpers are often deactivated. The good news is though that they are also available as dietary supplements and can be taken at the same time you eat.?

There is a broad spectrum of digestive enzymes - some with HCL to help with the breakdown of foods in the stomach, some with fat metabolizing compounds to help those without a gall bladder, and even plant-based/vegan forms, so help is available if you so desire it.

I've waffled on for a while here, and to be honest, there is so much more to say, so if you benefited from this article (rant), and would like more like this, please shoot me a message.

Stay safe, stay happy, and stay healthy.

Garrit van Dijk - Nutritionist.

Here's a great article from Newshub today that talks about the importance of gut health (https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/lifestyle/2021/10/fatigue-poor-sleep-anxiety-the-surprising-symptoms-you-may-be-suffering-due-to-poor-gut-health.html).