The gut: A gamechanger for healthy lifestyle

We are all familiar with the benefits of eating well, yet not many appear to know how to take care of their gut – the human body’s “second brain”.

In recent decades, researchers have found that the “gut-brain axis” – pathways of communication between these two parts of our body – can influence intestinal behaviour following our thoughts and feelings, and the same happens vice-versa. Studies have shown this link includes triggers to our mood, response to stress and our environment.

Two thin layers in the digestive tract with millions of nerve commands encapsulate the gut microbiome, where about 100 trillion – weighting approximately 2kg – of microbes live. It influences digestion and energy production, but is also as a key component of our overall health. It is not limited to the intestine as it links hormonal, sleep, skin, liver and metabolic health.

“It is almost another organ; it lives with us, and we even feed them. [They] live in symbiosis with us,” says pharmacist Oonagh O’Hagan, from Meagher’s Pharmacy in Dublin. As a teenager, she struggled with chronic irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constantly taking medications and laxatives. It started affecting not only her physical health but also her emotional welbeing.

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“I think people think about food as something to keep them going, whereas I think your food is medicine for your body,” says O’Hagan. “The big thing is that we can control it, this is not something that is out of our control. Everything we put into our mouths is controllable.”

Everyday food intake impacts gut microbiome, and it is often a diverse, plant-based diet that has the most benefits for the gut. Fibre found in fruit and vegetables have polyphenols, providing bitter taste and antioxidants, that are good for the microbiome bacteria. O’Hagan says, “It’s not just about taking supplements, but also look at your diet, hydration, managing stress, getting enough sleep and exercise. All of it really stimulates the microbiome.”

The gut also produces neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which affects sleep and mood. Its connection to several brain functions links it to many diagnoses of depression and anxiety disorders, type-2 diabetes, and bowel conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, diarrhoea or bloating.

O’Hagan says that while most people might think it is complicated, it’s not. Things that disrupt our microbiome include constantly eating processed food, unavoidable in today’s food market, and constantly using antibiotics. She says that, “Sometimes when we overuse them, they are knocking out your ear infection, but they don’t know what’s good or bad bacteria, so they absolutely wipe out our microbiome as well.”

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Many times, antibiotics are needed, so the key is to replenish and take care of our gut. O’Hagan recommends looking at the labels to try to reduce the amount of food preservatives and additives consumed. She says that “if you don’t recognise the ingredients as something you could take out of your cabinet or fridge, then that is processed food” and should be kept at small amounts.

For O’Hagan, it is about making the small, sustainable changes and creating more awareness towards healthier choices. “The key is education around it. We’re not looking for 100 per cent, there’s 21 meals [in the week]. Even if out of those you’re getting 80 per cent right it will better than where we are today.”