5 Surprising Facts About Your Intestine
Did you know that trillions of bacteria live in your intestines? Moreover, they interact with all your organs and body systems. In recent years, scientists have found a direct connection between the intestines and overall health. It turns out that the digestive system is responsible for the health of many organs including the skin and kidneys. And it looks like it all has to do with bacteria.
Table of Contents
Intestine Facts
1. Intestines and Brain Function
It seems that intestines are in no way connected with brain health but in fact, gut microbes and the brain have amazing interactions.
- Intestinal cells produce serotonin which affects many processes. This hormone is also known as a mood stabilizer.
- The intestinal microflora is involved in the production of cytokines. These are proteins of the immune system that affect brain function, among other things.
- Microbes in your intestines produce substances that affect the blood-brain barrier. In other words, this is a filter between the brain and the circulatory system which protects the brain from harmful substances that can be in the blood.
Scientists are currently conducting various research on the connection between microbes and the nervous system. This is a complex process that has not yet been fully studied but we already know that in order to keep the brain healthy, we need to maintain our gut health. While scientists are looking for methods to use this amazing connection, we can start improving our gut health by eating fresh vegetable salads every day.
Read: Myths About Vitamins
2. Intestines and the Skin
Irritated, dry, and peeling skin can become a psychological problem. At the same time, skin problems may indicate gut disorders. The most common sign of gut issues is skin rash.
Eczema and skin redness and rash are an immune response to foods in the intestines. Certain foods can trigger such an allergic response. If you want to get rid of skin rash, you simply need to exclude food allergens from your diet. But contrary to popular misconception, diet doesn’t affect acne.
[Read: Unhealthy Gut Symptoms ]
3. Intestines and the Immune System
You can’t even imagine how many foreign proteins and pathogens from the food enter your intestines every day. Many of them can cause certain diseases. Therefore, your intestines have adapted to neutralize them as quickly as possible. That’s why your gut is full of microbes.
A significant part of the immune system is located in your guts, so the digestive tract affects the whole body. Poor gut health can lead to asthma, migraines, allergies, and even autoimmune diseases (these are diseases in which your immune system mistakenly attacks your body).
Read: Foods for Constipation Relief
4. Intestines and the Kidneys
The kidneys and large intestine help regulate the water-salt balance in the body. The kidneys also cleanse the body of water-soluble toxins that could enter the blood from the intestines or as a result of the vital activity of bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, if the intestinal mucosa is damaged, it can harm the kidneys.
When the mucous membrane doesn’t work well, the amount of harmful substances that enter the bloodstream from the intestines grows, which means that your body increases the immune response. All this leads to a systemic inflammatory process that affects the kidneys and can result in kidney failure.
Read: Symptoms for IBS
5. Intestines and the Liver
Like the kidneys, your liver is the body’s natural detoxifier. All substances, including hormones, toxins, medications and decay products, pass through the liver to enter the intestines along with bile. But any changes in the intestine can lead to chronic liver disease and even to a change in its structure, for example, fibrosis in which normal organ tissue is replaced by inactive connective tissue.
