How is your gut health linked to hormonal imbalances

Your gut microbe is the foundation of your health The gut is the largest immune organ in the body acting as the gatekeeper preventing toxins and harmful microbes in food from entering the bloodstream ldquoGood gut health is possible only when you have more of the good bacteria than the bad ones In fact 80 per cent of your immunity is in your gut The gut cells produce a variety of immune cells that help in fighting infections The microbe has an impact on how our immune system responds to infections allergies and toxinsrdquo says Tanisha Bawa certified nutrition coach and founder of TAN365Stressing on the importance of gut health she adds ldquoIf you struggle with poor gut health you are inviting poor immunity inflammation and chronic illnesses Thatrsquos why people experience symptoms like brain fog constipation gas acidity joint pains skin conditions hair fallrdquoThe connection between gut and brainBawa explains ldquoThe gut is also known as the second brain Our brain consists of a hundred billion neurotransmitters that constantly send messages to our body on how to function and how to behave Our gut is home to such neurotransmitters as well Because of this strong gutbrain connection the gut is also extremely sensitive to emotions like anger anxiety sadness and joy Hence you may notice if you are anxious or stressed you may experience indigestion and likewise a troubled gut can send distress signals to the brain causing us to feel stressed or anxiousrdquoHow is gut health linked to hormonal imbalancesldquoThe gut microbiota plays a major role in the reproductive endocrine system throughout a womanrsquos life by interacting with hormones like estrogen androgen insulin and others It is the imbalance in the gut microbe composition that can lead to several diseases and conditions such as pregnancy complications PCOS endometriosis thyroidrdquo explains Bawa Below the nutrition expert explains how gut health is linked to the various hormones in our bodiesEstrogen levelsEstrogen is a hormone that plays a major role in skin and reproductive health A lack of estrogen can cause hot flashes mood swings and an irregular menstrual cycle while an excess of it can increase the risk of endometriosis and PCOS Estrogen regulation occurs in the gut through the estrobolomeThe estrobolome is a group of bacteria found in your microbiome that helps metabolise estrogen If you have a higher count of the harmful gut bacteria than the helpful ones in the gut this leads to an estrogen imbalance which is associated with the symptoms mentioned aboveImpact on thyroidA healthy gut microbiome not only keeps your immunity system healthy but also activates thyroid functioning However if you have a leaky gut ie where the gut lining is extremely permeable and allows various substances to leak out of the digestive tract into the bloodstream this can negatively affect the thyroid function by slowing it down and triggering an immune responseThe gut produces hormones which directly communicate with the thyroid through the vagus nerve and this process is referred to as the gutthyroidaxis If the gut is unhealthy and unable to communicate well it can weaken thyroid function Additionally the quality of microbiota influences the uptake of minerals like iodine selenium and zinc that are important in maintaining a healthy thyroid All these minerals play a major role in supporting the thyroid function and research has found a clear link between thyroid dysfunction and insufficient levels of these mineralsSerotonin levelsAt least 80 per cent of our serotonin also known as the happy hormone is produced in the gut and it has an implication in almost every type of behaviour such as hunger being emotional being moody and cognition Therefore if you often tend to feel quite low or are extremely moody you may need to pay attention to your gut5 Practises that can deteriorate your gut healthLack of sleepLack of sleep can negatively impact the quality of the microbiome and cause larger health issues Poor sleep can disrupt hormones like Ghrelin which signals hunger and Leptin which signals satiation When these hormones are dysregulated our appetite can be thrown off causing us to feel hungrier than normal This in turn leads to overeating and craving sugary foods both of which can negatively impact digestion We may also crave sugary foods to compensate for the lack of energy we feel when we donrsquot sleep well However these foods are not only inflammatory they also create intestinal permeability and feed the bad bacteria in the gutFalling into a deep sleep is one of the few times when the body can completely relax and rejuvenate Balance is restored information and food are processed organs recharge and the microbiome can resetLack of movementResearch suggests that a sedentary lifestyle can be as unhealthy as smoking Think of what happens if you sit on your leg for too long Circulation is cut off which causes the feeling of your leg falling asleep The body needs movement to allow proper circulation of blood and energy and keep the muscles strong and healthy Muscles are located in the digestive system as well namely in the mouth stomach small intestine and large intestine Research has shown that the microbiome improves after six weeks of regular physical exercise Physical movement is essential for gut healthStressHave you ever paid attention to the fact that itrsquos hard to digest a meal when you are upset or stressed or perhaps even get constipated This is because the system we rely on daily to digest our food malfunctions when we are stressed Stress can also alter the gut microbiome which can lead to poor overall health You may not even recognise when you are stressed because it has become ingrained in your daily routine Stress can be experienced in many physical ways like irritability forgetfulness brain fog disrupted appetite racing heart and sweating to name a few When you are experiencing stress it sends signals to your brain to go into the ldquofight or flightrdquo mode The brain prepares and sends all your energy reserves to the parts of your body that need it most When this happens our digestive system takes a hit as it is considered ldquonon importantrdquo during times of fight or flightManaging stress is key to maintaining good digestive health However you choose to destress and prioritise selfcare itrsquos an essential component in allowing the body to function properly Managing stress regularly allows the body to be in a relaxed state known as ldquorest and digestrdquo and this is what supports good gut health as wellNonstop snackingMunching every two hours has now become a rising trend You need to give your body time to digest the previous meal which can take up to 34 hours Every 90 minutes post meals the small intestine has a cleaning wave known as the Migrating Motor Complex MMC that sweeps the bacteria out and towards the colon If this motility is disrupted by constant munching the MMC may be compromised and as a result you may face bacterial growth in the small intestine which can cause a host of digestive issuesPoor dietWhatever you consume will feed your microbiome for better or for worse Just as dietary fibres and probiotics feed the good bacteria an abundance of processed foods can feed the unhealthy bacteria which can cause gut dysbiosis an imbalance of good and bad bacteria and overall poor healthProcessed foods contain artificial ingredients including colour flavourings preservatives food additives emulsifiers and sugars all of which cause inflammation damaging the gut wall and increasing the possibility of a leaky gut A leaky gut is a condition when food particles and toxins are able to enter your bloodstream causing health conditions to crop up For example a leaky gut negatively affects the thyroid function by slowing it down and triggering an immune response Eating foods rich in refined carbs like pasta pizzas noodles can also lead to a leaky gutVegetable refined oils are still used by most to cook their foods These oils get oxidised easily and cause damage to your DNA age your cells and induce inflammation which harms the gut and increases the risk of heart diseases Instead opt for ghee or mustard oil Excessive consumption of sugar is the biggest danger to gut health be it adults or even children This causes a spike in insulin accelerates aging and hormonal imbalancesAlso ReadWorld Down Syndrome Day 2023 Mumbaibased experts bust five misconceptions about the genetic disease