Facts about the gut and digestion

Facts and Figures

• the entire intestine reaches a length of up to 8 meters in an adult
• if spread out, it reaches a surface area of 300 to 500 sq m; our skin surface does not even reach 2 sq m
• significantly more nerve fibers lead from the gut to the brain than back, and it also has approx. 100 million nerve cells
• it houses more than 70% of the immune cells and thus forms the center of our immune system
• trillions of bacteria live in the large intestine (10 times more than our body has cells of its own and about 1600 times more than there are people on Earth)
• the microbes in the gut can weigh up to 2 kg
• our gut processes an average of 30 tons of food and 50,000 liters of liquid in our lifetime

The path through the intestine

The stomach contents are transported from the pylorus to the duodenum by stomach movements and under the action of various digestive juices. Here, fats are converted. Sugar and peptone¹ move further into the small intestine. The dissolved liquid is absorbed by the intestinal villi. The intestinal villi resemble fringes on the intestinal mucosa. The intestinal fluid absorbed by them is passed through fine openings in the surrounding cells to the lymphatic system. Through this cooperation of intestinal villi and lymphatic vessels, nutrients are directly passed into the bloodstream. The rest, as well as unusable food residues, move further into the large intestine. Under the action of intestinal bacteria, a constant decomposition process takes place there. This residue ultimately finds its way out of the body through the rectum.

¹ Mixture of peptides (molecules made of amino acids) and amino acids

Gut-Brain Axis

The gut is crucial for many areas of the body, and one is the brain, partly due to the gut-brain axis. This connection is particularly pronounced in the human organism. Thus, the state of the gut plays an important role for the entire nervous system and the brain in several ways. Here, the gut is significantly more active than the head, as 90% of impulses and stimuli travel from bottom to top. Whether hunger, satiety, pain, or hormones, the gut-brain axis is a very intensive communication line between the center of the abdomen and our thought center and vice versa.

This can already indicate that if something is wrong with the gut, other areas of the body can suffer massively – for example, the nervous system. The noticeable effects can include sleep problems, concentration disorders, headaches, chronic fatigue, and much more.

Complaints associated with the intestine

• Allergies
• Autoimmune conditions
• Easy susceptibility to infection
• Depressive moods
• Urge for addictive behavior
• Fatigue and exhaustion
• Poor concentration
• Sleep disorders
• Tendencies to anxiety
• Migraine
• Liver burden
• Neurodermatitis and skin impurities
• Acne
• Forgetfulness
• Lower resilience thresholds
• Digestive problems
• Diarrhea and constipation
• and much more

Challenging times need a healthy gut!

Although the gut has received increasing attention in recent years, it is still greatly underestimated. This is shown by our experience over the past years working with over 200 doctors and therapists in Central Europe. Many complaints, such as allergies, chronic fatigue, depressive moods, weakened immune systems, or weight and skin issues, are often not linked to the gut by professionals. This can lead to less effective but sometimes very costly therapies.
The gut forms the basis for our health and well-being. Therefore, a holistic, natural gut restoration is also the basis for resolving chronic or acute complaints!

Because the gut is

What particularly burdens our gut

The gut is not a winner in the average modern Western lifestyle. Several factors, such as degenerated and unhealthy diets, lack of exercise or, in competitive sports, too much exercise, water, certain medications, environmental influences, and especially stress, can permanently burden the gut and diminish its functionality.

Antibiotics

The administration of antibiotics has noticeably increased in medicine in recent years. Whether they are prescribed too often and too quickly from time to time is debatable. Regardless, they have a similar effect on the bacteria in the gut (intestinal flora) as clear-cutting a forest. Antibiotics do not differentiate in their effect whether the bacterial cultures are good or harmful. As with clear-cutting, it is not asked whether the tree is healthy or sick; all are simply felled.

It is therefore essential to accompany the intake of antibiotics from the outset with natural probiotic natural remedies, naturally with a time delay. A healthy diet and targeted high-quality food supplements play an important role here.

Stress

Oxidative stress deserves special attention regarding its effects on gut health. There are various types of stress, including chronic anxiety, worries, performance pressure, conflicts, and rumination.

The gut is a feast for stress, as it is very sensitive to its effects. The epithelial cell layer of the intestinal villi is particularly affected here. If this is weakened, gut-associated complaints can also occur outside the gut – for example, in connection with the nervous system.

Nutrition

Well chewed is half digested - an old saying. Unfortunately, good chewing is no longer quite enough today. The quality and type of our food are crucial for healthy and effective digestion. A balanced diet with sufficient fiber and fresh fruits and vegetables allows the gut to do its job optimally.

In contrast, unhealthy foods damage the intestinal flora and disrupt the optimal course of digestive processes. Over time, toxins and waste products accumulate in the sensitive intestinal flora. Industrial sugar, alcohol, meat, trans fats, white flour, ready meals, and fast food are particularly detrimental to our gut. It works at full speed and eventually overloads.

Intestinal cleansing and rebuilding

How do I get my gut back in order?

The gut is not a winner in the average modern Western lifestyle. Several factors, such as degenerated and unhealthy diets, lack of exercise or, in competitive sports, too much exercise, water, certain medications, environmental influences, and especially stress, can permanently burden the gut and diminish its functionality.