The Gastro-intestinal System
The gastro-intestinal tract or gut has three main functions:
- digest food or break it down into an absorbable form.
- absorb the nutrients we need.
- act as a barrier to everything else, including micro-organisms, toxins and
partially digested food particles.
If these functions are compromised, no other body system can work optimally. The
consequences can be:
- malabsorption - the body will lack the raw materials it needs.
- intestinal permeability or 'leaky gut syndrome' - toxins and infectious agents
cross into the blood supply, putting a strain on the liver (detoxification) and
immmune system.
- imbalanced immune system leading to inflammation and/or allergy.
There will usually be gastro-intestinal symptoms (such as bloating, diarrhoea and
constipation) but not always.
Healthy gut function is dependent on a healthy gut flora - this is the set of
bacteria and other micro-organisms inhabiting the gut. Imbalanced gut flora is
called dysbiosis.