Digestive Disease Awareness Month: Understanding Impact & Prioritizing Gut Health
May is Digestive Diseases Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about various digestive disorders and promoting understanding of their impact on individuals' lives. From common conditions like acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to more serious illnesses such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, digestive disorders affect millions of people worldwide. This month provides an opportunity to educate the public about the symptoms, treatments, and preventive measures for these diseases. By increasing awareness, we can empower individuals to recognize the signs, seek proper medical care, and adopt healthier lifestyles to support digestive health.
Even if you don't suffer from IBS, IBD, Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis, it's still crucial to prioritize and monitor your gut health. Your gut health serves as the foundation for many uncomfortable symptoms and can be the starting point for various diseases. Why? Because everything essentially originates in the gut. It's where our external environment first interacts with our internal environment, making it essential to care for and maintain its integrity.
One prevalent factor contributing to digestive issues, food sensitivities, and seemingly unrelated symptoms–like acne, fatigue, hormonal imbalances, migraines, eczema, and more–is hyperpermeability, often referred to as leaky gut. This term is increasingly recognized across various medical and functional medicine practices. I aim to simplify this concept so that you understand its significance and learn how to nurture your gut health.
When you ingest food, water, chemicals, toxins, or even minuscule particles invisible to the naked eye, they journey down to the stomach. Stomach acid acts as a protective barrier, preventing the majority of harmful substances from entering our system; in fact, it's strong enough to burn your finger upon contact. However, factors like stress and opportunistic pathogens can compromise the production of sufficient stomach acid, leaving us vulnerable. Consequently, these harmful agents can slip through the stomach into our small intestines.
Here, the phenomenon of a leaky gut comes into play. Normally, the cells lining our small intestines are tightly packed, forming an impermeable barrier. Only nutrients that are broken down can pass through the cells, into the body and be used for various processes. However, due to a buildup of toxins, pathogens, chemicals, gluten, and inflammation, among other factors, the integrity of these cells can be compromised–gaps are formed. This allows unwanted particles to pass through the gaps between the cells, evading another of the body's physical defenses.
Beneath this physical barrier lies our immune system, known as the chemical barrier and poised to address any intruders that breach the defenses. However, when the immune system becomes overwhelmed and overworked, it may mistakenly identify normally harmless foods as threats, leading to heightened sensitivities. Also, in an effort to expel foreign particles, the immune system may open up the tightly packed cells, contributing to leaky gut. As the immune system reacts it can manifest in a variety of uncomfortable symptoms that we experience, sometimes unknowingly. Chronic leaky gut can lead to further damage and disease down the road.
How does your digestive health affect your menstrual cycle? Well, when our immune system is overactive, nutrient deficiencies occur, or inflammation is high, it can significantly impact menstrual health. Hormonal balance crucial for a healthy menstrual cycle relies on specific vitamins and minerals. Digestive dysfunction can deprive the body of these nutrients, leading to painful, irregular, or absent periods. Excess inflammation from overacting immune systems can also disrupt the balance between estrogen and progesterone, often contributing to PMS symptoms.
In a world riddled with toxins, chemicals, and stressors that can compromise our digestive health, it's essential to take proactive steps to minimize exposure, manage stress, and support our bodies in repairing the integrity of the gut lining and our overworked immune system.
Here are some recommendations I offer clients for addressing leaky gut:
Practice mindful eating: Take three deep breaths before meals to calm your nervous system and activate the "rest and digest" mode. This enhances the production of stomach acid and digestive enzymes, facilitating better digestion.
Incorporate bone broth: Rich in amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, bone broth aids in repairing the gut lining.
Consume aloe vera juice or herbal teas: Aloe vera juice, slippery elm, marshmallow root, and licorice root tea are all soothing for inflamed guts, helping to alleviate inflammation and rebuild a leaky gut.
Eliminate gluten: Even if not diagnosed with Celiac disease or an autoimmune condition, some individuals may have sensitivities to gluten, which can trigger immune reactions or damage the intestinal structure.
Boost your immune system: Prioritize regular sleep, meditation, hydration, and yoga to regulate your nervous system and alleviate stress, enabling your immune system to function optimally. Furthermore, focus on consuming nutrient-dense meals and avoiding fast food and highly processed packaged goods to provide your body with the essential components it needs to thrive.
With support,
Isabella
