Also known as the digestive tract or gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the gut covers the parts of the body involved with food intake and output from top to bottom. This includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, colon and rectum. But when we talk about gut health, we’re really talking about the bacteria in the microbiome which happens in your large intestine.
The microbiome is the environment inside the large intestine and the trillions of bacteria that live there. The bacteria help with digestion.
Typically we think of bacteria as bad, but there are both good and bad bacteria in your gut that do different jobs in your stomach. So even though some bacteria may be bad if there becomes too much of it, all bacteria is needed in a symbiotic relationship in order for good digestion.
Irritation in the gastrointestinal system sends signals to the brain via the central nervous system (CNS) that trigger mood changes, while mood signals from the brain to the gut.
Food with high amounts of fiber, such as: