Did you know… your gut is at the heart of your health?
Gut health is a buzzy term in the wellness world these days, but many of us don’t really know what the term means. And even those of us who know aren’t so sure when it comes to how to improve gut health.
We have prepared this guide to answer some of your most frequently asked questions about gut health…
Whether you’re looking to alleviate the symptoms of digestive issues, boost your immune system, improve your overall health & well-being, or just want to know more about this important part of your body… look no further.
Most of us have some vague understanding of the fact that our gut handles digestion, but it’s actually AT THE CORE of almost every aspect of our health.
When you think about old sayings like “gut feeling,” “gut-wrenching,” or “gut punch” — all of which use the gut to describe a powerful experience — it’s clear that we have long known, on some level, how central the gut is to our existence.
Which makes sense: it’s literally in the center of our bodies! Your gut is more than just your stomach. It is a HUGE part of your body, encompassing several organs, and it is in charge of removing waste from your body and taking in essential energy and nutrients.
To put it simply, the reason gut health matters is because it relates to basically every aspect of your well-being!
Your gut health depends on a delicate balance between the trillions of microbes and bacteria that live there, often referred to as the microbiome. Your gut health suffers when there’s an unbalance between good and bad gut bacteria in your microbiome.
Increasing the quantity of good bacteria can help keep your body healthy and happy by contributing to digestive health, immune health, serotonin production (‘the happy chemical’) and disease prevention.1,2,3
More specifically…
Your gut encompasses every organ associated with the digestive process, including your mouth, esophagus, intestines, liver, pancreas and more!4
Improving your gut health has been linked to reduced bloating and increased stool regularity. For decades it has been a useful tool to help alleviate the symptoms of digestive disorders such as bloating, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), Crohn’s, Ulcerative Colitis and diarrhea.5
Did you know your gut is home to 70% of your immune system?
So, if your gut health is off, not only is your digestion impaired, but you’re also more susceptible to a whole host of diseases.
When there’s too much “bad” bacteria and not enough “good” bacteria — your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body, leading to autoimmune conditions and leaving you vulnerable to disease.
In fact, poor gut health has been linked to a WIDE RANGE of health issues, including IBS (Irritable Bowl Syndrome), bloating, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.2
Gut health is also closely connected to mental health. That’s because the gut is responsible for producing ESSENTIAL neurotransmitters that regulate our moods, like serotonin and GABA6.
In fact, 95% of serotonin is produced in your gut.7 Deficiencies in these neurotransmitters can contribute to depression and anxiety.
Now that you know how important the gut is, you’re probably wondering how to improve gut health? Luckily, there are a number of clear, simple steps you can take to boost your gut health effectively.
Here are our top 5 tips for how to improve gut health:
Since everything you eat passes through your gut, it should come as no surprise that the food you eat has a HUGE impact on gut health. To support the good bacteria in your gut, you should eat a diverse range of fruits and veggies, plus fiber and probiotic foods.
You can skip below to see what food can help you improve your gut health!
In addition to eating probiotic foods, you can also take a specific probiotic supplements, which will give even more nourishment to the good bacteria in your gut, supporting your gut health. There are many different strains to pick from. We give our recommendations below.
Improving gut health is also about what NOT to eat, and one of those things is dairy. Research has shown that diets high in dairy make the gut less balanced , decrease the total amount of bacteria in the gut , and are associated with higher levels of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).8,9
Going gluten-free often feels like a silly wellness fad, but it turns out that gluten can actually increase the permeability of your gut lining , which can lead to tons of gut health issues.10 This is one of the reasons why Biomel is totally gluten-free!
Because the gut is so closely connected to our brains, stress has actually been shown to cause digestive problems and other gut health issues11. You can reduce stress by meditating, doing a relaxing activity like taking a bath, going for a walk, or just taking a deep breath!
LOVE YOUR GUT TIP: we love the Headspace app for mediation!
It’s super important to pay attention to what you’re eating and drinking — after all, everything you put in your mouth will pass through your gut, and thus have a direct impact on your gut health.
Thankfully, we know quite a lot about the best gut health foods out there…
To support your gut health, load up on these gut health foods:
Items like kimchi, tempeh, sauerkraut, and kefir all contain live cultures that help support the good bacteria in your gut.
Oats, legumes, beans, lentils, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and kale all contain lots of fiber, which helps keep your digestive system moving and thus supports healthy gut function.
Prebiotics are compounds in foods that support the growth of the good bacteria in your gut. Lots of delicious fruits and veggies fall under this category, including artichokes, garlic, bananas, peas, asparagus, and onions.
Your gut health suffers when the balance between good and bad gut bacteria gets thrown out of whack. Probiotics deliver more of the good gut bacteria to your system, helping to restore our gut health balance.
When choosing a probiotic, you want to make sure it contains live and active bacterial cultures, with at least 1 billion colony forming units (CFU).12
In terms of which strains of bacteria are the best, there are a few key ones to look out for. Two of the most researched and strains are the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which have been linked to many health benefits.13 Bacillus coagulan is another helpful strain. Biomel includes all three of these strains.
The gut health benefits of these three strains include:
Probiotics are a powerful way to get your gut the good bacteria it needs to restore or maintain gut health.
You can learn more about probiotics here, in our handy guide!
Now that you know all the basics of why gut health matters and how to improve it, it’s time to put your knowledge into action!
But here’s the thing… we’re all busy people, and making changes to our daily habits is hard.
So while in an ideal world you’d be whipping up batches of sauerkraut and meditating to reduce stress and stocking your fridge with gut health foods, the reality is that most of us don’t have the TIME or ENERGY for that.
At the same time, 68% of consumers consider gut health to be ESSENTIAL to overall health, so we know it’s important to prioritize. That’s where Biomel comes in.
We developed Biomel to help you easily support your gut health. Available in handy on-the-go shots and take-home bottles, it’s easy and convenient to drink every single day, allowing you to improve your gut health without missing a beat in your busy life.
Biomel supports your gut through a POWERFUL combination of probiotics (“good bacteria”), vitamins, and minerals, that have been proven to support digestive and immune health. All of which have research-backed benefits for your gut health.
Each serving of Biomel contains:
● Billions of live active cultures that quickly multiply when they enter your digestive system, encouraging the growth of good bacteria to restore and maintain optimal gut health
● Vitamins B6
● Vitamin D
● Calcium
Just in case you’re worried that drinking bacteria won’t exactly be pleasant, have no fear:
Biomel is also DELICIOUS!
We know that if you’re going to drink something every day, it needs to taste good. That’s why we carefully selected ingredients and developed four delicious flavors:
● Dark Chocolate
● Pure Vanilla
● Natural Coconut
● Almond Salted Caramel
Even better: they’re all dairy and gluten-free and vegan-friendly!
Whether you drink it straight, throw it in a smoothie, or add it to your cereal, Biomel is easy to incorporate into your daily life — which makes it easy (and delicious) to significantly improve your gut health.
#loveyourgut
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5857604/
2. Jack Gilbert, et al. Current understanding of the human microbiome. Nat Med. 2018 Apr 10. 24(4): 392–400.
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6005194/
4. https://med.nyu.edu/medicine/gastro/about-us/Gastroenterology-news-archive/your-gut-feeling-healthier-digestive-system-means-healthier
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19091823
6. G. Vighi, et al. Allergy and the gastrointestinal system. Clin Exp Immunol. 2008 Sep. 153(Suppl 1): 3-6.
7. Adam Hadhazy. Think Twice: How the Gut's "Second Brain" Influences Mood and Well-Being. Scientific American. Feb 12 2010.
8. Yingyinh Zhu. Meat, dairy and plant proteins alter bacterial composition of rat gut bacteria. Nature. 2015 October. Article number: 15220.
9. Rasnik K Sing. Influence of diet on the gut microbiome and implications for human health. J Transl Med. 2017; 15: 73.
10. S Drago, et al. Gliadin, zonulin and gut permeability: Effects on celiac and non-celiac intestinal mucosa and intestinal cell lines. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2006 April. 41(4):408-19.
11. The gut-brain connection. Harvard Health Publishing.
12. How to pick the best probiotic for you. Cleveland Clinic. November 9 2018.
13. Anastasia N. Vlasova, et al. Comparison of probiotic lactobacilli and bifidobacteria effects, immune responses and rotavirus vaccines and infection in different host species. Vet Immunol Immunopathol. April 1 2017.
14. Zhang Q, et al. Effect of probiotics on body weight and body-mass index: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2015 Aug;67(5):571-80. doi: 10.1080/09637486.2016.1181156. Epub 2016 May 5.
15. Steenbergen L, et al. A randomized controlled trial to test the effect of multispecies probiotics on cognitive reactivity to sad mood. Brain Behav Immun. 2015 Aug;48:258-64. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2015.04.003. Epub 2015 Apr 7.
16. David R. Mandel, et al. Bacillus coagulans: a viable adjunct therapy for relieving symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis according to a randomized, controlled trial. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2010. 10: 1.
