Gut Feelings vs Gut Health
Gut feelings and following your heart may feel closely intertwined as concepts, but as science now tells us this may be more than just about listening to our intuition.
Whilst some key risk factors have been identified as playing a role in cardiovascular health such as age, gender and genetics, one that has more recently emerged is our gut health, and specifically, the microbes that live there – collectively known as the gut microbiome.
This is the heart-gut axis, which refers to the reciprocal connection between the gut and our hearts.
Here’s how…
Managing inflammation
Heightened inflammation has been identified as a central part of the development of many cardiovascular conditions. Managing inflammation is a key function of the heart-gut axis, which in part depends on some of the substances produced by our gut microbes, also known as “metabolites”.
When it comes to metabolites, some are beneficial for our health and others less so. Certain metabolites that are less beneficial for our health are linked to various conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
On the other hand, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are beneficial substances produced by our gut microbes that could help to support cardiovascular health and manage inflammation. Therefore, through the production of certain metabolites, our gut microbiome helps to maintain a healthy inflammatory response which could have an impact on cardiovascular health.
Supporting metabolic health
There are a few ways in which our gut health can impact our metabolic health. Research shows us that the composition of our gut microbes may have a significant role in maintaining our metabolic health as they could influence blood sugar regulation. In fact, studies show that there are distinct differences in the composition and functioning of the gut microbiome in conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, which are commonly associated with cardiovascular disease.
The gut barrier also plays an important role in regulating the passage of substances, such as nutrients, into our system. When this becomes compromised, unwanted substance can pass the barrier and enter the bloodstream, such as those which can contribute towards inflammation. Like with cardiovascular conditions, inflammation has also been associated with various metabolic conditions.
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