Digestion Supplements.

Does all health originate in our gut? More than 2000 years ago, Hippocrates said "all disease begins in the gut." But only now are we beginning to understand how the digestive system is involved as a key adaptive interface that mediates many functions and is thus central to health and disease. On one hand, it is designed to process food in order to provide nutrition, and on the other hand, it enables excretion of waste substances from digestive and other processes and provides a defensive barrier against potential threats. Poor gut health can have ripple effects across all body systems, leaving us undernourished and affecting wider health, for example immunity or mental wellbeing.

Challenged Gut

Our eating habits have changed considerably in the last few decades. Our meals are often high in poor quality fats and refined carbohydrates, and full of potential allergens such as dairy or gluten which, especially with compromised digestion, pose a huge challenge for our body. On top of that, we often have very limited time and eat quickly on the go, frequently snacking between meals or skipping meals. Poor digestion, combined with the challenges of the modern life and our complex environment, can often leave us feeling uncomfortable, sluggish, and sensitive to foods. In turn, we might turn to foods that are easier to digest such as grains and vegetables that are low in fibre, which, in the longterm, compromises our digestion further. How can we optimise our gut health so we can be naturally healthy and nourished? How can vitamins, plant extracts and other nutrients in supplements help?

Gut function is complex and dependent on inter-related factors; balance of bacteria, digestion, gut integrity, and motility. We need all of these to work in harmony with each other for optimum gut health. Different parts of the digestive tract; the stomach, pancreas, liver, produce digestive enzymes and bile which help us break foods down into small components to enable absorption, our gut bacteria are heavily involved in digestion but also aid immunity and provide a physical, protective barrier. In order to absorb nutrients and protect us from threats, we need a strong mucosal lining which is dependent on good quality connective tissue and a number of nutrients that support tissue structure and repair. Lastly, good motility is important to ensure that food moves through the gut at an appropriate speed; too fast would cause nutrient malabsorption & too slow would cause fermentation of food in the gut, affecting the balance of bacteria and causing uncomfortable symptoms.

Gut Health Solutions

We might have issues at one or many of these levels that are contributing to how well we digest. It’s really all a case of balance and supporting our body in the best way possible. So, we’ve created a range of different supplements, and identified some key lifestyle tips, to support all these areas and help you optimise your gut health.