Food is medicine.
We know a healthy diet decreases our chance for many diseases and helps us function at our best.
Food signals various chemical cascades within the body and can turn on or off gene expression.
We have a collection of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses) inside our gut lining called the microbiome. The microbiome helps regulate our immune system, digest our food and absorb nutrients, and aid in the production of serotonin.
Over 90% of our serotonin is made in our gut. Serotonin is a major biochemical messenger dictating our mood and behavior that the microbiota impacts.
And 70% of our immune cells are in our gut. Damage to our microbiome has been associated with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory conditions.
Proceeded foods and a diet high in sugar can wreak havoc on our body’s systems, especially our microbiome. Our food choices should be made to keep the delicate balance of good vs. bad bacteria and minimize damage done to our gut lining.
Research shows that prebiotics and some probiotics help support our gut functioning properly.
It is not just food and supplements we should focus on, but anything we consume including alcohol.
We can have a healthy and well-intended diet but our effort could be wrecked with the damage caused by alcohol.
Alcohol is a toxin and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the first line of contact with anything ingested. Alcohol and its metabolites can overwhelm the GI tract and liver; leading to damage in these and other organs. Researchers have begun to discover that alcohol, particularly if consumed chronically and/or in larger amounts, induces a process initiated in the gut that promotes inflammation throughout the body. A damaged gut lining can impede probiotic and nutrient absorption from foods and decrease other gut functions such as reduced production of serotonin and a weaken immune system.
What you consume can make you fat, fatigued, and have the ability to impact your internal gene signaling in a negative way.
What you consume matters.
It can add, or subtract, life from your years.
Choose wisely.
