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Gut health – this is a term we hear quite often, but what is it exactly? Why is it important to maintain good gut health rather than treating the diseases that occur if our system breaks down? Read on to find out…
The popular meaning of the term Gut Health is in fact quite different from its actual medical definition. Gut health refers to a state of effective digestion and absorption of food, resulting in gastrointestinal wellbeing and an absence of illness. In addition, there should be a normal and stable microbiota (the ecological community of microorganisms that live in the intestines) and an effective gut immune system.
Q: Why is it important?
Major gastrointestinal diseases, such as inflammation or cancers, can be serious and potentially life-threatening, but even less critical functional problems, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, can impact the quality of your life, as they can result in symptoms such as abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhoea. Your gut microbiota and the adjacent gut barrier also regulates immune and allergy functions that are important to our health in general. It also communicates with the brain thereby affecting our mood and energy metabolism.
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This article was written by Dr Melvin Look, he is the Director of PanAsia Surgery in Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital and Parkway East Hospital. He is a Consultant Surgeon in Gastrointestinal, Laparoscopic and Obesity Surgery, and has a special interest in performing endoscopy and the treatment of digestive problems. He has undergone training at the National Cancer Center Hospital in Tokyo, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh UK, Mount Sinai Medical Centre New York, and Washington Cancer Institute in Washington DC.
To make an appointment with Dr Melvin Look, head to GetDoc!
by Hridya
A biochemist by education who could never put what she studied to good use, finally found GetDoc as a medium to do what she loved - bring information to people using a forum that is dedicated to all things medical. View all articles by Hridya.
