The Triangle of Health | Part 2:
Gut Health
It All Begins in the Gut.
Dr. Aaron Hartman
September 12, 2023
All Disease Starts in the Gut
This is a common phrase many of us have heard, which dates back to the fifth century BC with the father of medicine, Hippocrates. However, only recently — in the last 10 years or so — has scientific research caught up with his insights from over 2,500 years ago.
Only 20 years ago, the idea of ‘leaky gut’ emerged … and was ridiculed by most mainstream medical organizations. Now everybody has heard about leaky gut.
But what’s so important about the gut? Why is our gut the beginning and end of healing?
Consider What the Gut Accomplishes
We can start by realizing that just to digest what you eat and turn it into something that your body can use is a miracle in and of itself.
Just to digest what you eat and turn it into something that your body can use is a miracle in and of itself.
The lining of the GI tract is only one cell thick. On top of that is a thin layer of mucus that protects it from all the bacteria and toxins we drop into the toilet on a daily basis. Somehow, enzymes from your mouth, acid from your stomach, pancreatic enzymes from your pancreas, bile from your gallbladder, and enzymes secreted by your intestinal lining are able to take what you see on your plate and turn it into a liquid substance that can then be absorbed by your body and transferred to every part for healing. At the same time, lymphatic tissue around your GI tract secretes toxins that come from your blood and eventually work their way to the end of the colon.
The Gut’s Role in Brain Health
75% of all of your brain’s neurotransmitters are made in your GI tract. That includes 90% of serotonin and 50% of dopamine.
So now we know that, if you want to have good brain health, you must have good gut health.
The Home of Your Immune System
Your GI tract is also home to 90% of your immune system. This means that illness, allergies, asthma, respiratory tract issues, cancers, chronic infections, or anything else that has to do with your immune system, begins in the gut. Research is now showing that the bacterial content of your GI tract can actually increase your risk for things like multiple myeloma and certain kinds of leukemias.
The One-Cell-Thick Barrier Between You and the Outside World
Another interesting concept is that the lining of your GI tract is the primary interface between your body’s chemistry and the outside world. Anything you breathe in or swallow works its way from your mouth to the gut. We take in bacteria, viruses, environmental proteins, and other things that your immune system then learns about. When functioning properly, your body learns to ignore them, not to activate your immune system, and they are passed through the body and from the colon.
When the Barrier is Compromised
If this system doesn't work just right, we can develop allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and immune dysregulation in the form of cancers, malnutrition, and a whole host of other health conditions.
Conclusion
As you can see, health does truly begin in the gut, but addressing your gut health must be holistic. While buying organic, whole food and removing seed oils is a good start, there is much more to consider. Gut health is impacted by environmental aspects of how we eat and includes sitting down, having family meals, eating slowly, and chewing our food thoroughly. And it includes much, much more.
If you want to delve deeper into your gut health — including a 28-day plan to restore your gut, I am releasing the first course in our Connected Health program (based on the Triangle of Health), and it’s focused specifically on (you guessed it) Your Gut.
Connected Health: Gut
A Six-Week Guided Journey to a Restored Gut
Our Journey Begins: Sept. 24
28-Day Nutritional Plan Begins: Oct. 1
Now Enrolling
Our First Cohort
Don’t Miss Out
Sign up for our newsletter and be the first to know when Dr. Hartman posts a new article.