In a nutshell: When gut health declines, our immune system is activated, our body begins to produce inflammatory molecules (which can travel anywhere in our body--including our brain), and we wind up with a decline in mental and physical health.
Research shows that people who eat 30 or more plant foods (vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs, spices) per week have the healthiest gut, also known as the most diverse microbiome[1]. Our gut microbiome should be made up of of trillions of little microbes that work to promote gut health, immune health, and keep our inflammatory response in check. However, there are many reasons why our microbiome gets out of balance, including food, medications, and even environmental chemicals. One of the best approaches you can take for gut health is to increase your variety of plant foods to feed your trillions of microbes that are working to keep you healthy.
Increasing plant food consumption improves gut health because our gut microbes feed on fiber (which is only available in plant foods). The greater the variety of plant fibers you consume, the more microbes you will feed. The more microbes you feed, the healthier your gut. The healthier your gut, the more serotonin you will produce (this is our "feel good/happy" neurotransmitter--with is mostly produced in our gut, not our brain), and the less inflammation you will promote.
Shortly after implementing a plant-based gut-healing protocol, you can begin to feel better.
The research on symptoms/ailments/diseases associated with gut health seems endless (because, remember, the inflammatory response our gut sets off can travel anywhere in the body). Below are just some of the symptoms and diagnoses associated with poor gut health:
1. McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et al. American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research. MSystems. 2018;3(3). doi:10.1128/mSystems.00031-18
The short answer is, no. The more plant foods you eat, the better, however. You can fill the rest of your calories up with other health-promoting foods. (However, there are some plant foods to avoid, depending on the specifics of your gut health)
Nothing said or implied on this site is intended diagnose or prevent disease. The information does not take the place of a health care practitioner. It is for educational purposes only.
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