A slightly deeper look into mental health!
Some basic human anatomy:
Did you know that the average adult has 2-6 pounds of microbes in their gut? Did you know that our microbiota encodes 3.3 million genes which is almost 150 times more than the human genome? Why is this important?
Humans, if looked at under a microscope cell for cell, are made up of mostly bacteria. In fact, single-celled organisms, specifically bacteria outweigh our cells at a rate of about 10:1. This is important to understand as we live in an age where antibiotics are regularly prescribed for a multitude of reasons, and often without an understanding of how antibiotics destroy bacteria in the human body – good and bad.
Many important metabolic functions in the gut are carried out exclusively by our microbiota. Gut bacteria regulate digestion and metabolism. They extract and make vitamins and other nutrients from food that you eat. They program the body’s immune system. They build and maintain the gut wall, which protects the body from outside invaders.
The brain and digestive system are so intricately linked that when we experience stress or emotionally troubling experiences, our digestive system is directly affected. Researchers are discovering that the health of our gut is also intricately linked to how our mood, cognition, memory, and emotions are influenced.
Perspective on why so many are unwell:
Now, put this into perspective regarding the average American. Increasingly stressful daily lives, poor nutrition, overuse of antibiotics and other drugs, lack of exercise; this is a recipe for serious digestive health issues. Is it any surprise that we have a growing population of people with emotional health disorders, and serious digestive health disorders?
The good news!
Many nutritionists, doctors, natural health practitioners are seeing amazing changes in the mental health of their patients by changing diet and incorporating digestive support like enzymes and probiotics. This is a direct result of healing the gut microbiome.
Finding out the state of your gut health and how to heal it is pretty simple, and non-invasive, by having muscle testing and/or ALCAT done in-office.
To find out more, visit our web page for information on ALCAT and Nutrition Response Testing, or for resources and general information about all that we do at Humfeld Chiropractic & Nutrition Center try visiting:
How is your gut and mental health?