Signs You May Have an Unhealthy Gut

Tips for keeping your digestive tract happy. “You are what you eat and what you digest.” So much of gut health has to do with what you put inside your body. Safe to say how you digest the food you eat ultimately get absorbed at the gut level. It’s important to take care of your gut by providing it with nourishing and healing foods and supplements. We asked our Registered Holistic Nutritionists to weigh in on how to improve gut health and keep it healthy. Eat a diet full of fibre and probiotics Fibre is a plant-based carbohydrate (do not panic at that word) that helps to reduce the risk of many diseases of the heart, digestive system, and more. The two types (soluble and insoluble) are beneficial. It works to stimulate the growth of healthy gut bacteria, it helps to slow down the absorption of glucose, and helps to carry out wastes from the body. Probiotics are healthy gut bacteria that can be found in fermented foods such as yogurt, kimchi and kombucha. Probiotics help keep the gut happy by supplying the beneficial bacteria that helps keep everything calm and balanced. Healthy gut bacteria is linked with less inflammation, irritability, and digestive issues. Learn more about protecting your microbiome here. Safe to say ensuring you are eating a diet with root vegetables, fruits, green leafy vegetables, as well as whole grains (if you do consume grains), along with fermented foods will help improve your gut. Take gut health support supplements Collagen and or Bone Broth Collagen has amino acids that support gut health by reducing inflammation and healing the actual gut. Particularly bovine collagen has been shown to be specifically helpful for gut health. You can also go beyond collagen and take bone broth. Bone broth includes collagen, gelatin as well as other ingredients that may help with tissue healing and calm the inflammation of the gut’s lining. Gelatin is essentially the cooked version of collagen. They both provide the same amino acids and provide the same benefits. Want to have both? Full Spectrum Collagen 1,2,3 combines both collagen and bone broth! Probiotics We talked about the essential role probiotics play in gut health. To be sure you are getting the gut bacteria your body needs, it’s often suggested to take probiotics supplements daily. Providing your gut with these daily will allow the digestive system to be prepared. Probiotics + Prebiotics is a winning combination because it not only provides the beneficial gut flora, but also offers food for the beneficial bacteria (prebiotics) to thrive. Enzymes Part of gut health is the ability to digest the foods you eat. If you feel sluggish or bloated, you can take digestive enzymes that speed up the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Full Spectrum Plant Enzymes are good for digestion which in turn will help with gut health. Move your body Getting exercise daily will help to build your gut health. How? Essentially the muscles involved in digestion strengthen with exercise, this in turn helps with peristalsis (moving digested food throughout the gut). Exercise also plays a role in promoting healthy bacteria in the gut (which we always need a good balance of). In fact, studies have suggested that exercise has the potential of altering the gut flora and promoting wellness. It literally feels good to move! Limit Your Alcohol and Coffee Intake The gut’s bacteria don’t particularly like heavy alcohol consumption. Excessive drinking can lead to digestive upset, but also inflammation of the gut’s lining. When this happens, the gut becomes susceptible to discomfort, ulcers and even infections. For the same reason, if you feel you are getting an upset stomach after consuming caffeine, consider cutting down the amount to 1-2 cups a day. Decrease the stress A common piece of advice for health in general, but most definitely stress has a negative effect on gut health. Studies have shown that there are associations between anxiety and depression and matters of the gut, and vice versa. Therefore you may notice stomach pain following a stressful set of events; the mind and gut connection are very much in sync. Work on calming the mind and body, or consider stress support, such as Enhanced Collagen Relax. This is a great supplement to add into a beverage or water after a stressful day. Enhanced Collagen Relax gently takes the “edge off” without any drowsiness as it has collagen + Magnesium Bisglycinate And L-Theanine (stress and relaxation supportive supplements). Improving your gut health doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Take it one good habit at a time and remember that your whole-body health starts with your gut.

7 Reasons to start sipping on bone broth You may have heard about the plentiful benefits of bone broth, or that it is a highly nutritious source of protein, or that it is your ticket to gut health. Yes, to all the above. Bone broth is so much more than a comforting soup. It is a versatile accompaniment to recipes and the start to whole body health. If you have heard about it but are not sure if you should or need to have it in your pantry, let’s stir on that. What is bone broth? Bone broth is made by simmering animal bones and connective tissues for extended periods of time; typically made with cattle or chicken bones. Through the process of simmering, bones release beneficial nutrients such as collagen, gelatin, and amino acids (such as glycine, glutamine, and proline, to name a few). Alongside those nutrients are many key minerals, including protein, that aid tissue, gut, skin, and joint health. BONE BROTH NUTRITION FACTS Bone broth contains 19 easily absorbable amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. Protein is the essential macronutrient needed in the body for cell regeneration. Not only does it help with muscle growth, but it also prevents muscle wasting and breakdown (which occurs naturally as you age). There is another incredible group of nutrients found in bone broth known as Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). GAGs play a key role in building strong ligaments, cartilage, nails and skin firmness. Two of these includes glucosamine and chondroitin, both of which are well-studied natural compounds that help to decrease joint pain and inflammation. Bone broth also contains hyaluronic acid (another GAG) which helps with collagen production and helps to lubricate joints, tissues, including the skin and gut lining. 7 Bone broth benefits — Why you should drink it. Strengthens your joints and connective tissues As a natural source of collagen (type 1 for beef bone broth type 2 for chicken) bone broth helps to restore your connective tissues as well as repair joint health. A key component of bone broths is gelatin, which is the cooked form of collagen. Gelatin is easily digestible and provides protection from wear and tear to the joints. It’s also been shown to improve joint pain in people with osteoarthritis. Fights inflammation Amino acids such as glycine, glutamine and arginine, all found in bone broth, have all been considered to play a strong role in decreasing inflammation in the body. Arginine has been helpful in fighting ongoing inflammation, which can lead to several conditions and health concerns over time. This includes metabolic syndrome, heart disease and others. Glycine, a main amino acid in collagen, plays a role in producing an antioxidant that helps improve cell health and prevent inflammation (in the liver and gut). Glutamine has also been shown to block the production of nitric oxide which causes inflammation in the body. Together these amino acids in bone broth can provide your body with less pain by blocking inflammation. Helps heal your gut Because bone broth’s nutrient profile helps to decrease inflammation, it does that throughout the body including the digestive tract lining. Glycine improves the integrity of your digestive tract and plays a vital role in the absorption of nutrients found in our foods, potentially helping with several conditions. Because bone broth has collagen which supports tissue health, this also encourages strength in the tissues lining the gut, making it stronger and more resistant (no more “leaky gut”). Improves immunity There is a reason why warm broth or “chicken soup” has been touted as a remedy for cold and flus. Because of its immense nutrient profile, bone broth fights inflammation and supports gut health as you just read. In turn, when the digestive tract is healthy, it feeds to your overall health and boosts the immune system. Sipping bone broth has been linked to improving symptoms of respiratory tract infections, soothing sore throats and stomachs. Boosts skin health Collagen helps form elastin and other compounds within skin that are responsible for maintaining skin’s textures, buoyancy, elasticity and glow. Because of bone broth’s composition being rich in collagen, it’s no surprise that skin health is inevitably a big benefit. In addition, the hyaluronic acid component supports collagen production, as well as retains moisture within the skin tissues and its cells to provide a more “plump” appearance to the skin. Helps in detoxification Because bone broths (as we’ve seen) support your gut health, decreases liver inflammation and improves the body’s use of antioxidants, it also is helpful in supporting the body carry out toxins. In addition to potassium and glycine, both of which support cellular health, bone broth provides glutathione. This has been studied to help remove fat-soluble compounds and heavy metals from the body and increase the use of antioxidants to help your liver function better. Boosts metabolism Bone broth has a high protein amount (12g or more in Organika’s Chicken and Beef Broth Powders). The complete protein profile includes all the amino acids that help the body to repair muscle tissues, increase bone health, boost nutrient absorption and maintain tissue health everywhere. It also helps the body to convert its glucose stores into usable energy. Protein, specifically amino acids like glutamine, helps the body maintain energy and increase nutrient uptake by cells. These play key roles in increased metabolism and why you may find yourself feeling “satisfied” after sipping on a whole cup of bone broth. Bone broth made simple. Traditionally, bone broth is made by simmering animal bones for hours (sometimes days!) to extract every single nutrient from the bones. Organika has made it easier with powdered bone broths. Organika’s bone broth powders are extremely easy to use as well as digest. Simply add water or stir it into soups, sauces and more! Try these recipes featuring our Bone Broth and Veggie Broth powders... Creamy Carrot and Dill Soup – Organika Health Products Healthy Homemade Pizza Recipe – Organika Health Products Vegetarian Ramen Recipe - Blog - Organika Health Products Veggie Keto Cracker Recipe – Organika Health Products Bone Broth Stuffing - Blog - Organika Health Products

The short answer, yes. Collagen plays a role in gut health. As you age all body functions start to decrease or slow down. This includes digestion for some. The muscles of the digestive tract may become weaker. The production of key digestive enzymes may decrease, but also the lining of the gut may become more permeable (easier to attack or get through). When your gut is unhealthy it can lead to various symptoms: mood disorders, decreased immunity, weight gain, just to name a few. Here's why you should take collagen supplements to help heal your gut or increase its strength. How does collagen help improve gut health? Collagen has a rich amino acid profile, many of which have been studied to support gut health by reducing inflammation and healing the gut. Collagen is high in Glutamine, which helps build connective tissues and heal the gut’s lining. This has been shown to be helpful in those with compromised intestinal permeability (leaky gut). Glutamine has been linked to improving the gut’s microbiota which helps to keep the digestive tract running smoothly and makes it stronger to avoid injury, wounds, or damage under stress. Glycine and proline, also found in collagen, work to help seal and heal the gut lining whenever there is damage. This improves digestion. Arginine is another amino acid involved in wound healing in the gut. Because collagen contains all these essential amino acids, a hydrolyzed collagen peptide supplement daily can help build a stronger and healthier digestive tract. Is collagen more important than gelatin – or is it the same? Gelatin is essentially the cooked version of collagen. They both provide the same amino acids and provide the same benefits. However, collagen, like our Enhanced Collagen Original, is hydrolyzed (broken down into smaller peptides), whereas gelatin is not. It's better to take collagen to ensure you are obtaining all benefits. Your body can skip the step of having to break it down, making collagen much easier to absorb. Collagen also easily dissolves in water and is a lot more convenient to use. Should I take collagen powder or bone broth for gut health? Either or both. Collagen powder can help support gut health (described above due to its amino acid profile). With that being said, bone broth contains collagen and gelatin. So, you can heal your gut with Organika’s Bone Broth Powder as well. The bonus of bone broth is that it contains additional essential minerals that also work to heal the gut’s intestinal lining and reduce inflammation. Bone broth is a highly beneficial source of nutrition. Both collagen and bone broth are great options, so the choice really depends on your preference. Organika does have an option to maximize this: Full Spectrum Collagen 1,2,3. This product combines chicken bone broth, bovine collagen, and marine collagen – making it a mix of all types of collagens.