Gut Health Flashcards
What important thing can be said about gut health?
It impacts ALL aspects of the body including hormone health.
What did Hippocrates say?
“All disease begins in the gut.”
Where does digestion begin?
In the mouth.
Which is the organ in the GI tract that produces acid?
The stomach
The small intestines are involved with what function?
The absorption of nutrients and water
What can affect the production f hydrochloric acid?
Autoimmune, age, and medications
What important thing does the colon contain?
500-1000 different species of bacteria
What’s a surprising form of stress that can result in changes to the makeup of the gut bacteria?
Excessive exercise
What’s the effect of one week of antibiotic treatment?
Yeast overgrowth and expansion of less beneficial bacteria populations
What two things contribute to a leaky gut?
Cortisol and zinc deficiency
What are non-GI symptoms of yeast overgrowth?
Fatigue, eczema, and brain fog
When helping clients explore roots of their illness, where are the first places to look?
Diet
Digestion
GI symptoms
What contains more of the immune system in the body?
The GI tract because the bacteria in the gut keep the immune system working well.
What makes it possible for stress to change how the gut works?
The gut and nervous system are connected through the vagus nerve which runs from the brain throughout the digestive system and even connects to the heart.
What are the organs that make up the GI tract?
Mouth
Esophagus
Stomach
Small Intestine
Large Intestine
Liver
Gallbladder
Pancreas
What is the function of the mouth in the digestive process?
Digestive enzymes in saliva plus chewing (Alcohol dilutes enzymes)
What is the function of the esophagus in the digestive process?
It brings food from the mouth to the stomach
What is the function of the stomach in the digestive process?
The hydrochloric acid breaks food down which then allows nutrients to be absorb, liquids to be absorbed and enter the bloodstream, bacteria kept out
How can clients understand acid reflux?
It is often caused by bacteria overgrowth in the small intestine that produces gas, which pushes stomach acid up into the esophagus and rarely is a result of having too much stomach acid. Taking antacids just inhibits digestion and increases bacterial growth.
What is the function of the small intestines in the digestive process?
Absorbs nutrients and water. The place where enzymes from pancreas + bile from the liver & gallbladder help with digestion. It’s small muscles propel & squeeze food to the large intestine.
What is the function of the large intestine in the digestive process?
The bacteria, yeasts, and viruses found here eat leftovers and produce waste product.
What is the function of the liver in the digestive process?
It cleans up toxins, breaks up protein into amino acids, and breaks fat into fatty acids
What is the function of the gallbladder in the digestive process?
It is where bile is stored until needed for digestion through the common bile duct
What is the function of the pancreas in the digestive process?
It produces hormones insulin and glucagon and makes digestive enzymes
How does balance work in the gut environment?
With stomach acid (low pH) and small intestine as alkaline - neutral (higher pH) maintaining an environment to prevent bad bacteria and support the good bacteria
What are the important roles of stomach acid?
Digestion
A shied against bacteria
Breaking down proteins
Absorption of minerals
What are 4 reasons why the stomach my not produce enough acid?
Acid-blocking medications
Age
Autoimmune conditions
Diet low in minerals and vitamins
The Microbiome consists of what?
A gut flora that includes 100 trillion bacteria, viruses, and yeast cells
What are 6 factors that can cause dysbiosis?
Stress
Illness (infection, trauma, chronic
Aging
Antibiotics & other medications
Alcohol
Poor diet
How does stress affect the gut?
Same effect as it has on the rest of the body
Create shifts in bacterial populations, increasing infection risk
Excessive exercise
How does illness affect the gut?
Body prioritizes fixing the illness and often decreases the blood supply to G.I. track
Medication and antibiotics disrupt flora
How does aging affect the gut?
Gut flora changes with age
Medication’s, diet, etc. could also be culprits
How do antibiotics and other medications affect the gut?
Antibiotics destroy both bad and healthy bacteria
Incomplete antibiotic course of medication allow antibiotic resistant populations to overgrow
Acid blocking medication’s and NSAIDs (ibuprofen & aspirin) can impact the gut flora
How does alcohol affect the gut?
Liver disease by promoting leaky gut
Encourages bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine
Shifts bacteria in colon from beneficial to toxin producing
Chronic alcohol abuse destroys the liver directly
How does poor diet affect the gut?
Poor diet has the biggest effect
The body responds quickly to proper changes in diet
What is important about the gut lining?
It is only one cell layer thick and barrier cells protect the gut from toxins and keep waste from entering the blood
What are four most common good conditions?
Leaky gut, small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), yeast overgrowth, fatty liver disease
What are possible symptoms for gut conditions?
Bad breath
Brain fog, anxiety, depression
PMS
Fatigue or low energy
Gas or bloating
Cramping or urgency
Mocousy bowel movements
Loose stool, diarrhea, constipation, or combination
Food sensitivities
Carbohydrate intolerance, especially fiber and beans
What happens with leaky gut?
The gut lining breaks down
bacteria food and toxins enter G.I. track
bacteria enter bloodstream and can cause problems and
food sensitivity is often the first symptom
What happens with SIBO?
Bacterial overgrowth leads to inflammation
beneficial bacteria is decreased
symptoms include diarrhea, excessive gas, and discomfort
What does leaky gut and SIBO have in common?
They are both more likely to be sensitive to histamines in foods
What happens with yeast overgrowth?
Yeast takes over, yeast stays in G.I. tract can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea
If in combination with leaky cat can also lead to common symptoms in addition to eczema and itchy ears
Yeast overgrowth plus leaky gut plus a compromised immune system can allow Candida to infect the blood which can be fatal
What happens with fatty liver disease in the gut?
Never stops functioning properly
Liver stores excess fat
Leaky gut allows bacterial toxins to reach liver causing inflammation
Increased risk for heart disease, vascular disease, and stroke
