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You are what you digest: Know how gut health affects everything, from mood to metabolism
A balanced gut is the secret to a healthier, happier you, as it influences key body functions.
You must have come across the saying, ‘You are what you eat,’ meaning that the food you consume defines you, from your physical health to nurturing mental wellbeing. But there’s an extra step to this- ‘You are what you digest’, hinting that how efficiently your food is digested is an even bigger indicator of your overall health. Gut health, in a way, shapes your entire wellbeing, influencing everything from mood, metabolism, energy levels and more. The trillions of bacteria present in the gut are influential in determining gut health, so it all begins with gut microbiota.
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HT Lifestyle reached out to experts to understand all the parameters influenced by gut health.
What is gut microbiota?
Dr Shubham Vatsya, Senior Consultant, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, explained, "Gut microbiota is inclusive of trillions of bacteria, fungi and viruses, which play an amazing role in the overall health of an individual. These are actually the ‘good’ microbes that our body utilises for various cellular functions such as easy digestion of food, better utilisation of nutrients, raising the body’s metabolic rate, etc.
Elaborating further on how the gut microbiome works, Dr Shubham added, “The gut microbiome’s diversity and composition play a major role in our overall health. A healthy and well-balanced microbiome produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) as by-products. These include butyric acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, etc, and they function to give nourishment to the cells of the intestine, possess anti-inflammatory properties and help in appetite regulation. In one study, higher levels of SCFA-producing bacteria were associated with a 25% lower risk of developing insulin resistance over three years, underscoring the microbiome’s role in metabolic health.”
How gut health influences mood: gut-brain axis
Your mood gets affected by your digestive system as well. This is well-documented with the established two way communication model called, gut-brain axis.
Dr Shubham Vatsya explained, “The gut-brain axis is a two-way communication model that links the body’s central nervous system with the enteric nervous system. The microbiota of the gut produces neurotransmitters, namely serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and dopamine precursors, which play a crucial role in mood, stress levels, as well as cognitive functioning. If you complement the mental health treatment modes with a microbiome nurturing therapy, such as consuming probiotics, it shows a significant decline of 30 per cent in the symptoms of anxiety or depression within 8 weeks.”
Dr Sukhvinder Singh Saggu, Director, Minimal Access, GI & Bariatric Surgery at the CK Birla Hospital (R), Delhi, added to this and shared his take on it, “Roughly 90% of the body's serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, is manufactured in the gut. This gut-brain connection identifies a strong relationship between mental health and digestive health and explains why an out-of-balance gut can lead to anxiety, depression, and even cognitive impairment.”
How gut influences metabolism
Metabolism is how your body converts food into energy. It also plays a key role in weight loss, and since the gut influences metabolism, it’s clear that gut health shapes your weight loss journey too.
Dr Sukhvinder Singh Saggu described the gut-metabolism connection and elaborated, “A healthy gut microbiome has a significant impact on metabolism. It determines how we absorb fat, regulate blood sugar levels, and balance our hunger hormones such as ghrelin and leptin. Bad gut health has been associated with inflammation, insulin resistance, and weight gain, despite having calorie intake in check. For this reason, gut health is not only important for individuals dealing with digestive disorders but for anyone who wants to have a healthy weight and adequate energy levels.”
Ideal diet for good gut health
Diet plays an important role in maintaining gut health and, in turn, overall wellbeing.
Dr Shubham Vatsya explained the repercussions of a poor diet. He added, “The main factor that modulates gut health is our diet. The only way to diversify the gut microbiota is to consume a high fibre diet that is inclusive of whole grains, legumes, millets, raw fruits and vegetables, etc. When the gut is healthy, the individual will likely be able to maintain a healthy body weight as the body’s inflammatory markers are reduced. But the modern-day diet is full of sugary foods and beverages, ultra-processed snacks, unhealthy fats, etc., which in turn lead to gut dysbiosis and trigger chronic inflammation in the body, followed by effects on metabolic health.”
He further shared a list of foods one should have for good gut health:
- Consumption of probiotic rich foods such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut etc. is highly productive as they influence the gut microbiome by introducing live microbial cultures.
- Complementing probiotics with prebiotic-rich foods such as berries, tea, dark chocolate, etc. is also beneficial in order to nourish the healthy microbes.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
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