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Why The Digestive System is Important

The Digestive is important because it is the Centre of  Our Health!
Human digestive system red colored - Your Wellness Centre

Many of us only pay attention to the digestive system when it gives us problems.
Maybe after we have eaten a large meal and feel bloated?

Or perhaps we pay attention to our digestive system only when we have had changes in bowel movements, like diarrhoea or constipation?

If this is the case, some digestive support in the form of a probiotic could be useful!

Probiotics are “good bacteria” that help keep your digestive system in good condition.

Digestive problems are often a sign that the bacteria in your digestive system are out of balance, and since your digestive system is the centre of health, it is extremely important that you keep it healthy!

Did you Know?

Did you know that you have over 400 species of good bacteria inside your digestive system and they weigh up to 3kg?

In fact, you have more bacteria living inside you than you have cells in your entire body! There are approximately 100 trillion bacteria in your digestive system, the vast majority of which live in your bowel.

The balance of all these bacteria is essential for your health and well-being.

Good Bacteria can Protect you!

Your digestive system is in constant contact with the outside environment through the food that you eat. In your lifetime, you will eat approximately 22 tons of food.

This food and the fluids you consume could be carrying potentially bad bacteria that could make you sick.
Good bacteria can protect you from getting sick from these potential pathogens.

Balance is Essential for Health…

It is essential for health and well-being that the bacteria, or flora, in your digestive system is kept in a healthy balance. An imbalance of flora within the digestive system can lead to many common symptoms including:

     • Poor digestive function
     • Diarrhoea
     • Constipation
     • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
     • Bloating
     • An increase in Allergies and eczema
     • Chronic disease

How do Good Bacteria Keep you Healthy?

Good bacteria aid in:

     • Breaking down food and producing nutrients.
     • Absorption of nutrients.
     • Maintaining the motility of the digestive tract, ensuring good bowel motions.
     • Inhibiting the growth of bad bacteria.
     • Maintaining a healthy immune system.

LGG: One of the Good guys!

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG®) is a well-researched, clinically proven probiotic. It is one of the most beneficial strains of bacteria available. It has been shown to have many beneficial effects on health and is safe to use in people of all ages.

LGG® is able to prevent and repair damage to the wall of the digestive system that could be due to pathogens in food, bad bacteria and some medicines. It increases the density of the protective mucus in the digestive system and protects the digestive system from bacterial damage, particularly from E.coli bacteria.

Unlike some bacteria, LGG® can survive the acidic conditions of the digestive system and is able to adhere to the intestinal wall, ensuring its effectiveness. LGG® also boosts the natural defence mechanisms of the body by promoting good health within the digestive system, encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria and inhibiting the growth of bad bacteria.

LGG®: Keeping you Healthy!

When taken regularly, LGG® can help keep you healthy. It has been shown that when given to children it can help decrease illness, particularly respiratory tract infections. LGG® has also been shown to decrease the risk of stomach upset, including diarrhoea, in both adults and children and can also shorten the duration of diarrhoea if you do get sick.

Is your Baby at Risk of Developing Eczema?

If you are pregnant and you, your partner or someone in your immediate family has eczema or allergies, then your baby may also be at risk of developing eczema. Fortunately, there is something you can do to reduce this risk.

Research has shown that taking LGG® during pregnancy and breastfeeding decreases the risk of your baby developing eczema! If your child already has eczema or allergies, giving them LGG® may alleviate their allergic symptoms.

Not all Probiotics are Created Equal…

As you can see, maintaining good bowel flora is an important key to maintaining health and well-being. Good bowel flora can be achieved by taking probiotics. However, not all probiotics are the same and it is important to use the right probiotic for you.

Our trained staff will be able to prescribe the right probiotic for your health needs.

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Stomach Ulcers and their Treatment

Ulcers (also known as peptic ulcers or gastric ulcers) are Man Experiencing Ulcers (also known as peptic ulcers or gastric ulcers)areas of damaged and inflamed tissue in the upper digestive tract that cause pain, indigestion, and discomfort. These lesions can occur in the tissue lining the stomach (gastric ulcer) or the first part of the small intestine that leads out of the stomach, called the duodenum (peptic ulcer). It was once commonly thought that stress, smoking, and diet were the only causes of stomach ulcers.

However, the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacterium is now known to be responsible for most ulcers. This bacterium burrows into the lining of the stomach, causing pain and damaging the stomach lining.

H. pylori infection causes about 60 – 80% of all stomach and duodenal ulcers.

What are H. pylori?

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a corkscrew-shaped bacterium that makes itself at home in your digestive system, where it literally burrows into the lining of your stomach or duodenum, causing inflammation and damage.

Over time, H. pylori may lead to the development of an ulcer. For some people, H. pylori infection causes no signs or symptoms and doesn’t lead to any complications, but for most sufferers, H. pylori cause indigestion and reflux, and, eventually, ulcers.

Are you one of the 1 in 4 people that have H. pylori?

H. pylori infections are very common – with as many as 25-30% of all Australians and New Zealanders being affected. If you experience one or more of these symptoms, you may have an H. pylori infection:

     • Decreased appetiteCork-screw shaped bacteria - Stomach Ulcers - Your Wellness Centre
     • Acid taste in the mouth
     • Bad breath
     • Nausea and/or vomiting
     • Indigestion and reflux
     • Frequent burping
     • Bloating
     • Unexplained weight loss
     • An ache or burning pain around your stomach

Natures Answer to Help Manage Ulcers

Unfortunately, modern medicines prescribed for H. pylori infection can cause many unpleasant side effects, and treatment is not always successful.

Some strains of H. pylori are even resistant to antibiotic treatment.

Fortunately, there are effective natural medicines that can be used to assist with the eradication of H. pylori, without the side effects. These include:

  • Lactoferrin: Lactoferrin is a protein found naturally in the human body and in milk. It has antibacterial, antiparasitic, and antifungal actions, and is particularly useful for H. pylori infections.
  • Turmeric: H. pylori infections can result in pain, refluxTurmeric - Curcuma - Your Wellness Centre and indigestion. Turmeric has been shown to be very effective for stomach pain and reflux and has been used traditionally as a digestive soother. Turmeric is also clinically proven to heal ulcers.
  • Essential oils: Essential oils can support a healthy upper digestive system and help kill H. pylori. Wild marjoram and cinnamon essential oils have been used traditionally to improve sluggish digestion. These oils also support the antimicrobial actions of lactoferrin and turmeric, due to their antibacterial and antifungal actions.
  • Zinc carnosine: Zinc carnosine is a form of zinc shown to inhibit the growth of H. pylori and reduce the inflammation associated with an H. pylori infection.
  • Fermented soy protein: Fermented soy protein has been shown to reduce the symptoms of stomach ulcers,
    including heartburn, indigestion, and digestive discomfort.

Reduce the Risk

There are many factors that can increase your risk of getting an H. pylori infection and developing an ulcer, including:
     • Stress
     • Smoking
     • Excessive alcohol consumption
     • Excessive consumption of coffee and/or tea
     • Taking certain anti-inflammatory medications on a regular basis

To reduce the risk of developing an ulcer, avoid the above risk factors, and eat a healthy well-balanced diet, high in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and fish.

Exercise and relaxation are also important lifestyle factors, to help reduce inflammation and stress.

Talk to Us Today!

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of H. pylori infection, or have been diagnosed with this or an ulcer, make an appointment today. Your Natural Healthcare Practitioner can support you in making simple diet and lifestyle changes and recommend the right natural medicine to help assist you in getting your digestive system in tip-top condition once again!

For more information on these natural medicines, come in and speak to one of our Practitioners today.

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Good Gut Health in Weight Loss

Gut Bacteria and their Effect on your Weight

If you’ve been doing everything else to lose weight without the success, then it’s worth taking a look at your gut health.

We all know that exercise, a healthy diet, and adequate sleep are all needed for maintaining a healthy weight.

Fundamental to good gut health is Gut Bacteria. So let’s look further at their role in weight loss.

Besides this, evidence is now revealing that your gut bacteria also need to be healthy because it dictates how your body regulates and maintains its weight!

This collection of 37 trillion organisms (mainly bacteria) within your digestive tract is known as your microbiome or gut microbiota.

microbiome pictures

Your Microbiome: Fat Burning or Storing? 

While each person’s gut microbiota is unique, clear trends show the gut bacteria in a lean person is different from that in an overweight person.

Healthy gut microbiota in a lean individual is seen as having a diverse range of beneficial bugs, with very few ‘bad’ microbes that disrupt the health of the gut.

Once the gut microbiota is in this healthy state, these good bacteria send messages to the body to maintain its weight within a healthy range.

This means it could prevent weight gain.

Alternatively, the gut bacteria in an overweight person is often shown to have less of these good bacteria.

This imbalance in the gut is a condition known as “dysbiosis”.

In a state of dysbiosis, bacteria begin to act differently: extracting more calories from food, storing more energy as fat, and triggering inflammation within the gut itself.

All of these factors result in the body storing more fat, especially around the waist (known as visceral fat).

probiotic foods

Increasing Your Good Bugs

Therefore, supporting your microbiome to be as healthy, diverse, and free from bad bacteria as possible may be a crucial step in maintaining a healthy weight.

Probiotics are a potent way to positively influence the health of your microbiome, as they work by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria while reducing the growth of unwanted microbes.

However, it is very important to select the right probiotic strain for your needs, as different strains have different actions and health benefits.

A specific probiotic strain displaying benefit for the microbiome and body weight is Bifidobacterium animalis ssp lactis (B420™).

Evidence shows it improves the health and diversity of the microbiome, decreases the inflammation caused by dysbiosis, and reduces energy uptake from food.

Which together results in overall reductions in weight gain – helping to keep your waist trim.

Your Trim and Terrific Toolkit

Beyond probiotics, employing key diet and lifestyle strategies is also imperative to maintaining ideal body composition:

Regular exercise: such as walking, yoga, swimming, and weights.

This helps to burn fat for energy and can reduce high levels of hormones such as adrenaline that promote weight gain.

Filling up on fruits, vegetables, lean meats, legumes, and healthy fats helps to naturally regulate your appetite and curb cravings.

As a bonus, high fiber foods are the favorite fuel source of your good bacteria!

 

Take the step toward a healthier you!
Call 9879 9596 and book an appointment today!

 

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy Melbourne

 

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Ultimate Benefits of Good Gut Health

The Ultimate Benefits of Good Gut Health includes a Healthy Mood, Reduced Inflammation, and a Strong Immune System.

Having a cold, feeling depressed, or having joint pains are all inflammatory conditions that are also influenced by your gut microbiome.

These tiny gut inhabitants influence seemingly unrelated areas such as your throat, joints, or your brain.

Your Gut Health and Immune System Work Hand-in-Hand

Your immune system’s main job is to protect you from disease-causing microorganisms.

Since these are mainly inhaled or swallowed, the immune system needs to be most active in your respiratory and digestive tracts.

Some bacteria have a positive influence on your immune system

On the other hand, some bacteria have a positive influence on your immune system.

Fortunately, certain strains of probiotic bacteria improve the bacterial balance in your gut, with beneficial flow-on effects for your immune system.

And so have been shown to reduce the severity and duration of common cold symptoms.

If you struggle with frequent colds and flu, working with a natural healthcare practitioner to strengthen your gut microbiome can help.

A healthy gut microbiome interacts with the intestinal immune system in ways that increase your body’s immune defenses.

However, a microbiome out of balance, which does not contain high levels of beneficial bacteria, is less likely to help you resist infection, including colds and flu (click here to read more about what might upset your gut microbiome).’

How Gut Bacteria Causes Inflammation

Another possible consequence of poor gut bacterial balance is inflammation.

This is a key feature in autoimmune and allergic conditions.

In these conditions, the immune system sees harmless substances as threats and stimulates an immune response against them.

Allergy Autoimmunity - Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy

Fortunately, certain probiotic strains, namely LGG® and Lactobacillus paracasei (LP-33®), can stimulate your immune system to produce anti-inflammatory compounds, reducing inflammation and symptoms.

For example, research in hundreds of people has shown that LP-33® significantly improves hayfever symptoms.

Interestingly, LGG®, when taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding, can reduce the incidence of eczema (an inflammatory skin disease) in children, by supporting the healthy development of the gut microbiome and the immune system.

If your immune system is in overdrive, make an appointment with a natural healthcare practitioner at Your Wellness Centre to help bring it back into line.

How Gut Bacteria Affects Your Mood

More and more research is finding that inflammation is an unexpected cause of depression.

Inflammation throughout the body, and even inflammation of the brain, may contribute to depression.

If gut inflammation can influence mood, you may be wondering if specific probiotics can improve mood or reduce the symptoms of depression.

While this is a hot topic in scientific research, we do not currently know which specific probiotic strains can influence mood.

For example, maximizing your gut health by eating plenty of fiber-rich wholes (your gut bacteria’s preferred food), can increase the number of good bacteria.

This is the best way to influence your mood via your gut.

If your bacterial balance has become disrupted due to a stomach bug, antibiotics, or other causes, then strains that support beneficial bacteria, may help improve the composition of your gut microbiome.

Great Health Starts in the Gut

By interacting with your immune system, your gut bacteria influence your ability to resist infection, reduce inflammation, and maintain a healthy mood.

If you are wondering whether your gut may be making you sick, sad, or inflamed, make an appointment with a natural healthcare practitioner at Your Wellness Centre today.

Together, you can assess your bacterial balance, and make a plan to improve your specific symptoms.

 

You Can Read more about Microbiome Testing here:

Introducing the Metabiome™ Test

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy Melbourne

 

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Bloating, Flatulence, Constipation, and Diarrhoea

Bloating, Flatulence, Constipation, and Diarrhoea? Need Help?

Your stomach is one of the hardest working systems in your body.

Meal after meal, it hustles to digest your food and extract the nutrients required to sustain you.

Despite its solid work ethic, your belly can experience occasional performance hiccups, leading to digestive symptoms.

While many of these are normal, others may indicate something more serious.

Read on to discover what your symptoms say about your stomach function and ways to improve them.

Bloating Flatulence Constipation Diarrhoea - Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy

Normal, Everyday Symptoms: Transient Belly Bloating

What is it?
Short-lived abdominal swelling due to trapped gas.

What causes it?
During and after meals, your gut produces enzymes and acids that break down food, creating gas during this process.

While bloating isn’t considered normal, it commonly occurs if you deviate from your standard diets, such as eating larger portions, high-fat meals or foods that are more difficult to break down, including excess carbohydrates and fibre.

These place more burden on your digestive processes, subsequently increasing gas production and bloating.

How do you improve it?
While mild bloating generally passes with time, chewing your food thoroughly, consuming smaller meals and spacing out your carbohydrate and fibre intake can help.

Flatulence

What is it?
Farting.

What causes it?
Gas is produced by normal digestive processes, and ‘passed’ at regular intervals.

Additionally, increased fibre, fat or sugar intake can create gas. Your microbiome (gut bacteria) also influences the amount of gas produced as they ferment food to help with your digestion.

How do you improve it?
It is normal to pass wind around 15 times per day. Additionally, the odd smelly fart is no big deal, particularly if caused by an increase in refined, processed foods (who can say no to the occasional slice of pizza?).

However, if you would like to reduce flatulence, moderate your intake of these foods.

Health Caution - Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy

Symptoms That Require Attention: Chronic Constipation

What is it?
The infrequent passage of hard poop (less than once daily), is often accompanied by straining, a sense of incompletely emptying the bowel and discomfort.

What causes it?
Insufficient fibre or reduced fluid intake can slow your transit time (the time it takes for your food to travel from your mouth through to the other end), making you less ‘regular’.

Dysbiosis (an imbalance in the types and levels of gut bacteria) can also influence digestive processes and reduce your transit time.

Additionally, chronic constipation is associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition that affects the function of the bowel.

How do you improve it?
Consume more fibre-rich foods, including fruit and vegetables, and drink enough water.

Prebiotic and probiotic supplements, such as the Metagenics Ultra Flora GI Regulate, may also support bowel regularity and provide relief for symptoms of medically diagnosed IBS.

Diarrhoea

What is it?
Soft, loose or watery stool that occurs more than three times daily.

What causes it?
Diarrhoea may be a symptom of a bacterial or viral infection, such as gastroenteritis, or be related to certain medications, particularly antibiotics.

Additionally, IBS and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a condition involving inflammation of the digestive tract, may cause diarrhoea.

How do you improve it?
IBS and IBD are serious conditions that require a professional diagnosis and care from a Health Practitioner.

However, if your symptoms are associated with antibiotic use, Metagenics Ultra Flora Intensive Care may help to restore healthy intestinal bacteria and relieve diarrhoea.

Malodorous Gas

What is it?
Farts that clear a room.

What causes it?
Your microbiome consists of a range of bacteria (38 trillion microbes!) that help digestion by fermenting your food, particularly fibre.

Imbalances in the levels of different bacterial species can lead to increased gas production with a pungent odour.

How do you improve it?
Metagenics Ultra Flora Intensive Care provides three specific probiotic strains (types of bacteria), Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG®), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (boulardii) and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp lactis (BB-12®), which have been shown to help restore a healthy balance of bacteria within your microbiome.

Gut Pain - Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy

Abdominal Pain

What is it?
Sharp, dull, stabbing, cramp-like, or twisting pain in your abdomen. Most people experience occasional gut discomfort, however severe gut pain that is episodic, regular or continuous requires assessment, particularly if accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, changes to your poop, nausea and/or vomiting.

What causes it?
Abdominal pain has many potential causes, the most common being gas pain, food intolerances or allergies, or indigestion. However, abdominal pain can also be a sign of something more serious, including appendicitis, gallstones, ulcers, infections, kidney stones, and many other conditions.

How do you improve it?
If gut pain has become a pattern rather than a one-off incident, seek guidance from a healthcare professional.

Ditch the Gut Glitches

Don’t let your gut feelings bum you out! Instead, switch up your diet and lifestyle habits and rid yourself of symptoms such as bloating, gurgles and gas.

If you regularly experience one or more problematic symptoms, particularly if they’re new or getting worse, consult with a Natural Health Practitioner at Your Wellness Centre for further investigation to devise an individualized comprehensive plan of attack that is suitable for you.

Our healthcare practitioners have a suite of testing available to investigate the driver behind your symptoms.

A stool analysis test enables us to identify all of the bacteria and other microorganisms that inhabit your gut and how they contribute to your gut function and digestive symptoms.

You can read more about MetaBiome™ testing here.

 

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy Melbourne

 

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What is the Microbiome?

With the ‘Microbiome’ being a hot topic right now for anyone interested in health, it’s worth Understanding the Gut Microbiome,  taking a closer look at what it is and what affects it.

Your gut is home to an ecosystem of microorganisms, and this internal community, known as the gut microbiome, plays a crucial role in your well-being.
It is made up of a massive 38 trillion microbes that includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, and more.

In short, your microbiome is a flourishing and diverse ecosystem containing a wide variety of beneficial bacteria and microorganisms.

Why would you need a Healthy Microbiome?

When your microbiome is healthy and balanced, it has hardly any potentially harmful or disease-producing bacteria and has wide-reaching beneficial health effects. Here are some of it’s critical functions.

  • Digestion:  Gut bacteria help break down and digest food. In doing so, nutrients are more accessible to your body.
  • Immune System Support: A healthy gut microbiome can strengthen your immune system, helping you fight off infections and diseases. And you get rid of waste products effectively.
  • Mood and Brain Health: Your gut health can affect your mood and mental well-being.
  • Metabolism: The microbiome can influence your metabolism and even play a role in weight management.
  • Inflammation: A balanced gut microbiome can help reduce inflammation in the body, which is linked to various chronic diseases.

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy - Leaky GutBut, if your gut microbiome (or gut ecosystem) is not as good as it could be and needs a little attention, life in general and even your waistline may be quite uncomfortable.

“You might find that If you feel and look bloated regularly without overindulging, your gut microbiome might be trying to tell you something!”

This brings us to looking more closely at something called Dysbiosis, a term used when our gut Bugs are Out of Balance.

So let’s look more closely at this term, Dysbiosis

Disruption to your internal microbial community can create an environment where pathogenic (disease-causing) organisms are able to grow and flourish.

This means there is a reduction in both the number and/or diversity of the beneficial microorganisms in your gut.

This imbalance in your gut microbiome is termed ‘dysbiosis’ and can lead to a number of negative health effects.

This can be digestive complaints, nutrient deficiencies and a compromised immune system which can lead to allergies and/or frequent illness.

Put plainly, dysbiosis disrupts the healthy functioning of your gut.

When this happens you could experience some uncomfortable symptoms like digestive pain and bloat.

It could also lead to nutritional deficiencies or even a compromised immune system.

Five ways you can upset your microbiome and cause Dysbiosis

  1. Eating a low fibre diet: as your gut microbes rely on the fibre in your food for fuel, a low fibre diet leads to a reduction in the diversity of your microbiome.
  2. Alcohol intake: the consumption of alcohol can result in dysbiotic changes in your intestinal microbiome.
    It also triggers gastrointestinal inflammation. So, If you’re consuming more than one standard drink per day, your microbiome’s probably keen for you to abstain a bit more often!
  3. Unmanaged stress: when you are stressed, the release of the stress hormone cortisol, and adrenaline sensitise your body to inflammation, including gut inflammation. This disrupts the gut environment, compromising the conditions your beneficial microbes need to flourish.
  4. Leading a sedentary lifestyle: lack of exercise has also been linked to reduced microbial diversity in the gut – another reason to get moving!
  5. Antibiotic use: a round of antibiotics does lead to some loss of core commensal organisms (antibiotics are supposed to kill off bacteria however in this instance the good stuff goes too). This leaves the gut susceptible to microbiome imbalances and dysfunction. Due to this disruption, up to 10% of people experience gastrointestinal side effects5 from antibiotic use, referred to as antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (AAD).

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy - Gut Benefits of ProbioticsDysbiosis and bloating have also been linked with digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as well as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

SIBO is a type of chronic infection in which bacteria that usually live in the large bowel reproduce in large numbers and travel to the small intestine, somewhere they should not be.

This can cause excessive bloating, flatulence and digestive discomfort.

“If you suffer from a digestive disorder, you could have an imbalance in your gut microbiome that needs addressing.”

Gut Bacteria that release methane gas

Some of the bacteria involved in dysbiosis, release methane gas.

If you have dysbiosis, these gut bacteria, also known as ‘methanogens’ may well be lurking in your gut.

When they break down fibre from your food, these bacteria release methane gas.

This can cause bloating, sluggish digestion, slow transit time (the amount of time food takes to travel from your mouth, through your gut, and out the other end), constipation, bloating, flatulence and gut discomfort.

Because excess methane production is connected with chronic constipation, it may be worth finding out if methanogens are making you feel stopped up.

Gut Discomfort - Your Wellness Centre NaturopathyIn short, Bad Bugs cause disruption!

By disrupting your internal gut microbiome, dysbiosis can create an environment where disease-causing organisms have the opportunity to flourish.

How do we get these disease-causing organisms?

Well, we simply pick up potentially harmful bacteria and stubborn yeasts in our daily activities!

As mentioned above, This could be from our dietary choices, some antibiotic use, a lack of exercise or unmanaged stress.

If our gut microbiome is really good, it is able to kill off and dispose of these critters very effectively.

On the other hand, if our gut microbiome is struggling, disease-causing bugs can take over.

Perhaps you have had a bout of gastro?

This brings us to when you first noticed your gut issues.

Perhaps it coincided with a nasty bout of gastro or if you’ve been overseas where you had a bad case of Bali’s belly!

Now such an infection even though successfully treated, can leave you with dysbiosis that can persist. What this can do is leave you vulnerable to further infection.

It’s not unusual to find that after traditional treatment, you have lingering symptoms that can include bouts of nausea, gut pain, loose bowels, constipation, brain fog and severe bloating.

Find the reason for your Chronic Bloating! We now understand that there are multiple reasons why you could be chronically bloated.

So let’s look at the best way to find out what’s going on in your gut. This is by taking a microbiome test.

The results of the Metabiome™ test can help you bring balance back to your gut microbiome and reduce those uncomfortable gut symptoms.

You can read more about Microbiome Testing Here.

It’s Best to Test

Many of our patients with gut issues, have an obviously distorted belly and explain how they can’t tie their belt…

If you sometimes feel like they do, it might well be your microbiome showing these symptoms of bloating, discomfort or dysbiosis.

The results of the Metabiome™ test can highlight what needs to be done to bring balance back to your gut microbiome and reduce those uncomfortable gut symptoms.

Make an appointment with us to have this simple test and get some answers.

 

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy Melbourne

 

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Leaky Gut and Gut Health

Since gut pain, bloating, gastric discomfort and other digestive problems may also have underlying leaky gut problems, I thought you might like to have a read of this information on Leaky Gut.

Leaky Gut

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy - Leaky GutPut simply, Leaky Gut syndrome happens when large spaces (or holes) develop in the gut wall.

This allows bacteria, toxins, and food particles to leak into the bloodstream from the gut… hence its name “Leaky Gut”.

The definition of Leaky Gut Syndrome is an “increase in permeability of the intestinal mucosa to bigger molecules, antigens, and toxins associated with inflammatory degenerative and or atrophic mucosa or lining.”

Let’s look at the Digestive Tract

The digestive tract is an elaborate system that involves organs from the mouth to the colon.

The small intestine performs an essential barrier function in keeping the body free from allergies.

The intestine’s membrane acts as a wall separating undigested food and the bloodstream.

When intact and healthy, the digestive tract organs break down food into smaller, usable molecules, which then are sent through the bloodstream to nourish the body’s tissues.

Some amount of wall permeability is common.

In people with a normal, intact gut, up to 20 percent of undigested protein can pass through the mucous membranes.

Excessively permeability causes problems

But when there is inflammation in the gastrointestinal mucosa, the intestinal wall becomes excessively permeable (lots of little gaps or holes form)– a condition called ‘leaky gut syndrome.

If bits of food has not been properly broken down due to imbalances in the digestive tract, food molecules, which are usually too large to pass through the intestinal barrier, slip through the gaps in the gut wall and enter the bloodstream.

When this happens, the immune system treats these foreign substances as antigens (antigens can cause food intolerance and/or allergies).

This sets off an allergic response in which antibodies are secreted in the bloodstream to bind with these foreign substances.

Leaky Gut Syndrome may cause the intestinal lining to become inflamed and the microvilli become damaged or altered.

The damaged microvilli cannot then produce the enzymes and secretions that are essential for healthy digestion and the absorption of nutrients.

Leaky Gut Syndrome is a very common problem in modern society.

Common causes of both Leaky Gut

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy - Gut Benefits of Probiotics

Common causes of both leaky gut and digestive dysfunction are antibiotics, certain drugs, enzyme deficiencies, parasites, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, viruses, toxins, mercury, alcohol, stress, and certain food intolerances.

And of course, we all at some time or other have been prescribed necessary antibiotics or even non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

They both damage the natural balance of good microbiota that the bowel requires to operate at its best.

And over time we may start getting the overt symptoms of Leaky Gut.

Of course, there are natural ways to effectively treat this.

If you would like more information, simply let us know by contacting us here. 

 

Take the step toward a healthier you!
Call 9879 9596 and book an appointment today!

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy Melbourne

 

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Gut Health Quiz

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Polyphenols and Gut Health

One of the lesser-known benefits of consuming a diet high in polyphenols is its beneficial impact on your gut bacteria.

Polyphenols help the Gut

They selectively encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria.

They are naturally occurring chemical compounds found in many of your favourite foods like blueberries and chocolate and they act like good food for your microbiome.

It contributes to good intestinal health by supporting the gut microbial balance by encouraging the production of beneficial bacteria and discouraging the growth of bad bacteria.

Benefits of Polyphenols

The portion of these foods that are beneficial to your inner health is the part that your body does not digest at all.

You see, once consumed, only about 5-10% of polyphenols are directly absorbed in the small intestine, while the rest make their way to the colon. 

The undigested part of the polyphenol-rich foods that make it to the colon increases the good guys and decreases the bad guys helping create a healthy microbiome.

And with a healthy microbiome comes more energy better moods better sleep less pain happier belly and more balanced immunity. 

Good health starts with the gut, so eat lots of polyphenol-rich food to keep your bugs happy and so to keep you healthy.

Foods that contain Polyphenol

wine, dark chocolate, berries, avocado, greens, fish, nutsThey are found in foods such as tea, wine, chocolates, fruits, vegetables, and extra virgin olive oil, just to name a few.

You can benefit by specifically including apples, blueberries, plums, strawberries, cherries, raspberry, pomegranate, broccoli, spinach, rosemary, thyme, basil, curcumin, and other spices; dark chocolate, flaxseed meal,  red wine,  resveratrol containing foods,  weak black tea, peppermint tea, green tea.

So worth looking into including more of these to support a healthier gut.

 

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy Melbourne

 

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What Are FODMAPs?

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy - FODMAPsIt has been found that besides an imbalance of bad bacteria, parasites or fungi a range of foods called the FODMAPs have been implicated in many digestive disorders as well.

So just what are these? and why have they gained popularity as one of the supportive measures in the management of those diagnosed with IBS.

The term “FODMAP” stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. These nutrients are prevalent in much of our foods.

Here are a few of them:

  • Oligosaccharides, such as fructans/fructooligosaccharides (found in grains and vegetables).
  • Galactans/galacto-oligosaccharides (found in legumes).
  • Disaccharides, such as lactose (found in milk and dairy products).
  • Monosaccharides, such as fructose (found in fruit and honey).
  • Polyols, such as sorbitol (found in sweetened products).

Why should we take notice of FODMAPS?

Susceptible people can experience intestinal symptoms from the eating of FODMAPs because of the way they act in the digestive system.

  • Firstly, these carbohydrates are not well absorbed into the body and remain in the digestive tract for longer periods than expected.
  • FODMAPs draw water into the intestines, which can increase bowel motions and promote diarrhoea.
  • These carbohydrates can be metabolised by the bacteria that normally reside in the bowel, producing gases like hydrogen or carbon dioxide, which cause excessive abdominal bloating, abdominal discomfort and pain and flatulence.

These symptoms are similar to those of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and could include diarrhoea, vitamin, and mineral deficiency, bloating and flatulence, abdominal cramping, headaches, and nausea. When someone presents with IBS symptoms, leaving out FODMAP foods can be useful.

To find out if FODMAPs might be contributing to your IBS symptoms, the most effective strategy is to eliminate all FODMAP containing foods and observe your symptoms. This is done for a short period of time. It is then followed by a stepwise re-introduction of the different Fodmap categories to find out which of these may be contributing to your symptoms.

However, if you are having limited success with the FODMAP diet, you may need to check for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, parasite infection, food sensitivities and stress hormone abnormalities, all of which can contribute to IBS symptoms.

So you can see that there are many factors that need to be taken into account when addressing IBS symptoms.

A word of caution here, mind you, It is not generally recommended that you follow a low FODMAP diet for life; restricting the dietary intake of a wide array of foods should generally be avoided if possible to reduce the risk of nutrient deficiencies.

Do talk to us if you need guidance. Ring 98799596 or click here.

FODMAPs are a normal part of the diet and have benefits for health, such as providing fibre and probiotics for gastrointestinal health.

Because of this, there is a special method used in finding out which FODMAP is the culprit, if at all!

If you are one of those struggling with IBS, why not make an appointment with one of our practitioners as soon as you can to direct you as to how to best find out which of the

 

Get in touch now!
Call us on 03 9879 9596.

 

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy Melbourne

 

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