Your digestive system and the hundreds of trillions of microbes that live in it do a lot more than extract nutrients. Both are intertwined with the functioning of your immune system, liver health, cognition, emotions, glucose regulation, hormones, and your gut-based enteric nervous system and central nervous system.

Signs of Imbalance

Bloating, constipation, and diarrhea aren’t the only signs of an imbalanced gut. Fatigue, sugar cravings, and food addiction, weight gain, memory problems, mood swings, and skin conditions like rosacea and psoriasis can be clues.

To maintain a healthy gut, it’s essential to have a balanced diet, avoid excess alcohol, get plenty of physical activity, and practice good sleep habits. Stress management is also vital, as chronic stress can lead to trouble-making proteins and peptides escaping your intestines and moving into your blood, causing problems.

Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., recommends optimizing your gut health by eating foods that promote a healthy gut, such as fibrous and fermented foods, vegetables, and healthy fats. He also suggests exploring whole-body rejuvenation using therapeutic plasma exchange to rid your body of misbehaving proteins and peptides.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.