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4 ways your gut affects your health

Your gut is responsible for more than digestion; it can reveal illness, too.

Updated on April 24, 2024

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When you think of your gut, you probably think of the major organs that reside there, like your stomach and large and small intestine. But your gut also houses some 500 trillion cells and other organisms. The microbial mix you end up with affects your physiology, metabolism, immune function and nutrition. Researchers have come to view this aggregation of gut bacteria as aShow More

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Signs Of A Healthy Gut

Your GI tract is in good working order when nutrients and water are properly absorbed and pushed through the digestive system; you have normal, regular bowel movements; there’s an absence of conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or colorectal cancer; and gut bacteria is in balance withShow More

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Signs Of Multiple Sclerosis

A connection between gut bacteria and immunological disorders like multiple sclerosis has long been suspected. But one 2016 study, conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, uncovered evidence of a link between gut bacteria and MS. The investigators discovered different patterns ofShow More

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Signs Of Parkinson's Disease

Researchers have long suspected a link between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and the GI tract. One symptom of Parkinson’s is constipation, and it can precede the decline of motor function by years. New research suggests the connection between PD and the gut is a two-way street. Not only does PD affectShow More

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Signs Of Colorectal Cancer

There is a link between conditions like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis—two chronic inflammatory bowel diseases—and colorectal cancer. Bacteria associated with both Crohn’s and colitis cause inflammation in the GI tract; it’s suspected that that, in turn, may increase an individual’s risk ofShow More

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Bacteria And Obesity

While your diet and activity levels contribute to weight gain and management, the gut microbiota—bacterium living in the gut—are likely involved as well. Studies suggest certain bacteria present in the gut of obese individuals may be responsible for increased energy harvest—capturing and storingShow More

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