The Gut Problem That Can DESTROY Your Health
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted September 21, 2017
Q: I feel like all I hear about these days is probiotics. Nobody was talking about them 15 or 20 years ago, and now we’re supposed to be taking them every day. I’m sure they’re important, but how much of this is hype? And how much is real?
— Ted C.
Dr. Scott: You’re right that we’re talking about probiotics and gut health more than ever.
But that’s for a very good reason – we know a lot more about their importance now than we did 20 years ago.
You see, the collection of critters you have living in your gut is immense and almost beyond understanding.
Scientists who study gut bacteria think that you have about 100 trillion bacteria and fungi and 1 quadrillion viruses.
The whole collection of bacteria, viruses, and fungi is called the microbiome, and we now know that it’s a huge deal to your health.
Studies show that the microbiome impacts:
Studies show that the microbiome impacts:
- Obesity: Whether you gain or lose weight may have a lot to do with what kind of bacteria you carry in your digestive tract.
- Immune Response: If you want a strong immune system, make sure your microbiome is healthy.
- Blood Sugar: How well you control blood sugar depends on what you are eating and the health of your microbiome.
- Mood: A few years ago, we would have never guessed that the microbiome contributes to anxiety and depression. Now, the most important thing you can do if you have depression is improve your digestive tract.
- Chron’s, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Alzheimer’s, and many more diseases can be improved by focusing on microbiome health. Interestingly, even autistic children have different microbiome compared to healthy children.
So, how to you get to a healthy microbiome?
- Eat plenty of fermented foods, including sauerkraut, pickles, yogurt, and for the adventurous: miso, natto, and kimchi
- Take a good probiotic: I personally like to rotate probiotics to get a wide variety of species.
- Eat plenty of fiber prebiotics: Probiotics need food and fiber is one of the best ways to feed them. Eat plenty of fresh raw vegetables to get your fiber.
- Sleep well, keep stress low, and exercise.
Have a question you’d like to send me? Just email it to askdrscott@livingwelldaily.com
Health and Happiness,
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Ed. Note: Please send your feedback: feedback@livingwelldaily.com – and click here to like us on Facebook.
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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