Digestion and Gut Health

21 September 2017 by Madeline Shepherd

Hippocrates was onto this over 2000 years ago when he very aptly stated, "All disease begins in the gut."

Research over the last decade has proved just how right he was.

None of our systems exist in isolation – the gut is no exception.

Functional or holistic medicine looks at the synergistic relationship of each system in our body and how this impacts our health. Identifying the gut as a major part of this interplay has paved the way for us to learn that much of our general wellbeing is dependent on gut health.

In 2008 the The Human Microbiome Project was launched "with the mission of generating resources that would enable the comprehensive characterisation of the human microbiome and analysis of its role in human health and disease." This highlights the huge attention in contemporary medical research devoted to understanding the gut.

Within this new paradigm there have been many studies revealing how our gut health can be linked to things as seemingly unconnected as our mental health, heart conditions, skins conditions and autoimmune diseases. It is an exciting time as we discover ways to improve our health through nurturing this important system.

I hope you enjoy this group of articles intended to simplify a very complex issue.

Read articles

Digestion I: the key to good health

Digestion II: the critical role of the stomach in our digestive process

Digestion III: the pancreas, liver and gallbladder to the intestines

These 3 things could be seriously damaging your gut health...with serious implications

Everything you need to know about leaky gut

All about the gut microbiome

Hundreds of conditions are influenced by gut health: get to know them here

Chronic stress steals the building blocks of your sex hormones. Here's how...

Our skeleton and blood acidity (pH)

The truth about heartburn

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