Your gut rules everything around it, from your brain function to energy production to hormone balance. So we’ve rounded out 8 fascinating facts that you may or may not know about your gut. Plus we’ve outlined methods to keep it — and you – in tip-top shape.
1. It Houses Lots Of Bugs
Trillions of microscopic bugs live in your intestines. There are more bacteria living in your gut than cells in your body. And if you upset these bugs and throw them off-balance, you’ll start noticing problems head to toe. You can keep these bugs happy by feeding them with live organisms and plant fibers called prebiotics and probiotics.
2. It’s Your Second Brain
Your gut houses its own nervous system called the enteric nervous system (ENS). The nerve cells in the ENS are connected to your brain’s central nervous system (CNS) through the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
These systems constantly talk with each other, transmitting information about the state of the digestive system to the brain and vice versa. This communication impacts the movement of food through the digestive system, the release of digestive enzymes, the absorption of nutrients, regulation of hunger hormones, and even mood. Stress can cause the CNS to send signals to the ENC, leading to digestive upset. For example, those “gut feelings” — that’s your gut talking directly with your brain!
An unhealthy gut can disrupt this communication. One reason to keep your microbiome healthy!
3. It Can Make You Happier
Do you know where most of your body’s serotonin is produced? Serotonin, known as the “feel-good hormone,” is key in promoting happiness and pleasure while reducing depression and anxiety. Most people assume this hormone is primarily found in the brain, but there is approximately 400 times more serotonin produced in your gut than in the brain.
If your gut isn’t happy, you aren’t happy. Much of the root cause goes back to those bugs we talked about earlier. Too many bad bacteria and not enough healthy bacteria can trigger inflammation and affect the production of serotonin.
4. It Can Keep You From Getting Sick
A whopping 70-80 percent of your immune cells live in your digestive tract. Your gut must be healthy if you want to ward off illness and disease.
A healthy, diverse microbiota makes it difficult for illness-causing bacteria and viruses to take hold. In contrast, a weak microbiota with a shortage of good bacteria can leave you vulnerable to viruses and even more severe health conditions.
5. It Can Help You Maintain A Healthy Weight
People with obesity have different compositions of intestinal bacteria compared to those with a healthy weight. This finding brought about further research into why this might be the case.
Experts believe it could be because an unhealthy gut affects the absorption of nutrients, alters the production of hormones and neurotransmitters that regulate appetite and metabolism, and increases inflammation, all of which can contribute to weight gain.
Additionally, unhealthy, clogged up bowels can lead to the overgrowth of harmful bacteria, which can produce toxins that disrupt metabolism and contribute to weight gain and metabolic disease.
6. It Can Keep Your Skin Clear and Healthy
Imbalances in the gut microbiome can lead to inflammation of the skin, which can contribute to things like acne, eczema and dermatitis.
A healthy microbiome can help reduce inflammation and support the body’s natural healing processes, which can help keep the skin clear and healthy. Additionally, healthy intestinal lining can help the body absorb nutrients essential for healthy skin, such as vitamins and minerals.
7. It Carries Around Pounds of Waste
It goes without saying that your bowels contain feces and undigested food. But you might not know that all the toxins you encounter from food, water or the environment can get stuck, leaving the average person carrying between 5 to 20 lb. of waste in their intestines at all times!
Even if you are regular, chances are you still have a lot of gunk stuck in your gut. You need to “flush” it all away to create a healthy environment for good bacteria to thrive, reducing the risk of abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and increased risk of intestinal permeability.
8. It Can “Leak” If You Don’t “Seal” It
The gut has a lining composed of a single layer of cells known as the epithelium. If this seal is damaged, it can allow substances, such as undigested food particles, toxins and bacteria, to pass through the lining and into the bloodstream, leading to inflammation and a wide range of health problems.
Many things can cause this damage, such as poor diet, stress, certain medications, and, you guessed it — unhealthy gut flora!
This three-step approach arms you with everything you need to help transform your gut from the crucial angles mentioned throughout this article.
Inno Cleanse
Inno Cleanse – Gives your body a total reset by gently flushing out pounds of toxic waste. This one-of-a-kind formula uses clinically backed natural ingredients like cascara sagrada, cape aloe, fennel seed, bentonite, milk thistle and more to gently purge and purify your insides.
Inno Cleanse won’t have you cramping or running to find the closest bathroom. Expect to experience a gentle urge to go. Then within 24-48 hours, pounds of toxic waste will “come out,” leaving you with improved digestion, reduced bloating, and a slimmer waistline.
Inno Gut Restore
Inno Gut Restore – This advanced formula will flood your gut with beneficial bacteria and digestive enzymes. Expect to improve digestive function and eliminate stomach discomfort and excess gas while getting rid of bloating in a matter of days.
This unique formula contains:
- Super Probiotic Blend – 10.15 billion CFU per serving of a variety of good lactobacillus and bifidobacterium bacteria.
- Advanced Prebiotic Compound – Jerusalem artichoke and inulin root powder.
- Cutting-Edge Digestive Enzymes – Pepzyme AG™ and DigeSEB®; patented digestive enzyme blends known to be the most studied and proven effective blends of advanced digestive enzymes on the market.
It also contains ginger root extract, which is shown to have remarkable anti-inflammatory properties.
Inno Gut Protect
Inno Gut Protect – This product seals the deal and fortifies the gut lining with a cutting-edge postbiotic compound called CoreBiome®. This is a first-of-its-kind tributyrin, the most bioavailable form of butyrate, which is a nutrient produced by bacteria in the gut from dietary fiber.
Butyrate (found in CoreBiome®) is the most important short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) for gut health and the main fuel for the gut cells, and will help:
- Repair damaged gut lining
- Help regulate and prevent inflammation
- Supercharge your immune system
Inno Gut Protect also has a super probiotic blend for further digestive health support and grape seed extract. This powerful antioxidant protects the intestinal lining from oxidative stress and improves gut barrier function.
Final thoughts
Hopefully, these gut facts help you realize how vital this complex organ is for gastrointestinal health, total-body health and happiness. When you take care of your gut, it takes care of you!
Don’t know where to start? Inno Supps’ Complete Gut Health Stack has everything you need! Flush out toxic waste, flood your system with good bacteria, and strengthen, repair and seal the gut lining!
