Gut Health: 5 Unhealthy Habits That Are Harmful For Your Stomach

Gut Health: The intestine is one of the most important parts of the human body. Keeping our gut bacteria as friendly as possible is absolutely essential. From generating energy to balancing hormonal levels, the gut is responsible for a variety of functions in the body. Our gut health is compromised every day, without us even realizing it. It is mainly due to our day-to-day modern lifestyle and eating habits. Nutritionist Sonia Bakshi speaks to India.com and reveals how gut-related health issues are increasingly prevalent these days. She also mentions 5 unhealthy habits that can affect the normal function of your bowels. Read ahead!Also Read – Home Remedies for Constipation: 5 Home Remedies to Relieve Constipation in Minutes

5 Unhealthy Habits That Are Bad for Your Gut:

1. Lack of exercise: Being physically active has many health benefits, including reducing our stress levels and reducing the risk of chronic disease. It has also been shown to improve gut health by altering gut bacteria. People with high fitness levels have increased levels of beneficial bacteria that play an important role in metabolic health and obesity prevention. Also Read – 6 early signs that your gut is out of whack and how to fix it

2. Lack of sleep: It is common knowledge that good quality sleep is important for overall health. Our bodies have an internal timekeeper – our circadian rhythm. It affects our brain, body and hormones. It sends signals to our body to keep us alert and awake and tells us when it’s time to sleep. Our gut also follows a daily circadian rhythm. Disrupting our body clock can have harmful effects not only on our bodies but also on our gut bacteria. Also Read – Suffering from constipation? 5 Foods That You Should Add to Your Diet Now

3. Stress: Our modern lifestyle, with its high stress levels, has detrimental effects on the body. High levels of stress can reduce the population of health-promoting bacteria that thrive in our gut. Stress can also alter our gut bacteria and reduce blood flow. Our gut bacteria play an important role in our overall health, and disruption of gut flora is linked to many health problems.

4. Excessive alcohol: Consuming too much alcohol damages our digestive system. This prevents proper breakdown of food, leading to increased gas production and often abdominal pain. But it’s not all bad. Enjoying an occasional glass of red wine can benefit our gut ecosystem. The key is to consume occasionally.

5. A diet rich in whole foods is not: It has been shown that a diet rich in whole foods with a variety of nutrients helps promote a variety of bacteria, leading to a diverse gut flora. People who ate 30+ different types of plant-based foods per week had a more diverse mix of gut microbes than those who ate less. Therefore, a diet lacking a variety of whole foods can result in a loss of gut flora diversity – leading to many adverse health effects.