According to Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, “all disease begins in the gut”. However, how much truth is there in that statement? Obviously, not all disease begins in the gut – as this is not applicable to genetic diseases – but there is mounting evidence that many chronic metabolic diseases do in fact start in the gut.
Hippocrates asserted that the bodily process of digestion and absorption is one of the most important to health. In this day and age, many of us fail to realize the truth in that statement. We are challenged on multiple fronts especially in the lifestyle we lead and our diet.
Acid reflux, gas/bloating, inflammation, skin disorders, throat and nose issues, loose stools or constipation are all examples of unhealthy digestion. Poor digestion and absorption is one of the main causes of break down or deterioration in health – which may lead to many diseases or disorders such as diabetes, eczema, viral infections, food or general allergies, autism, hepatitis and other autoimmune disorders.
There is a lot to do with the integrity of our gut lining and the gut bacteria residing in digestive tracts. Many trillions of bacteria live in the gut and this is known as our “gut flora”. Some bacteria are friendly, but some are not, and some bacteria may contain compounds known as endotoxins. At times, endotoxins – which are unwanted bacterial products – can enter our bloodstream, causing our bodies to kick into chronic inflammatory response.
Unlike acute inflammation, studies stated that chronic inflammation is one of the leading drivers of some of the most serious diseases – such as heart diseases, Type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, depression, fatty liver disease, Alzheimer’s disease and so on.
In order to strengthen the intestinal walls and support our immune system, our bodies rely heavily on proper enzymes and healthy microbes to work with pathogenic bacteria and to produce anti-bacterial cultures. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate enzymes, prebiotics and probiotics into our diet. On top of it, the best bet in staying pink in health is to live a healthy lifestyle, exercise regularly and have good sleep.
