Gut Health & Weight Loss…are they related?

The answer is an emphatic yes! Weight loss and gut health are closely connected. The state of your gut health plays a critical role in maintaining a healthy weight. Balance is key. The gut must have a certain number of beneficial bacteria, which aid in digestion, absorption of nutrients, and regulation of hormones that control your appetite and metabolism. When the gut is compromised due to poor gut health, it can lead to weight gain, discomfort, bloating, and inflammation. It’s not a fun place to be day in and day out.

Can a leaky gut cause weight gain?

Our gut bacteria have 250 to 800 times more genes than we have human genes. Remarkable, right?! Even more incredible, these bacterial genes make substances that get into the human bloodstream, affecting the body’s chemistry. This means that it is more than likely the bacteria in our gut is affecting our health. Leaky Gut Syndrome, a condition where the intestinal lining develops holes in the lining, can exacerbate these issues, causing food particles and toxins to leak into the bloodstream which leads to inflammation, discomfort, and weight gain. Not fun. A diet of processed and fast foods, for example, has been linked to Leaky Gut Syndrome. Healing the gut from the holes is, first and foremost, along with eating the right foods going forward. Weight loss will follow. 

Does a healthy gut help you lose weight? 

There are ways to improve your gut health, and weight loss can happen when the gut is healthy. Prebiotic-rich foods can help feed the good gut bacteria, while probiotics can introduce more beneficial strains of bacteria. Pre and probiotics alone, however, aren’t enough to heal from Leaky Gut Syndrome. It takes a trained practitioner, proper testing to diagnose the issue, and a specific protocol to heal the gut. 

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can improve your gut health, consider scheduling a consultation with Dr. Dady at The Center for Health & Healing. You’ll be glad you did!