You've probably felt those uncomfortable feelings in your stomach - perhaps you've eaten too quickly, or you can just tell something is not quite right. But gut health is so much more than digestion and bloating. Research is showing links between the gut and mental health, our skin, immunity, arthritis, obesity, and more.
Issues with gut health affect over 65% of us on a monthly basis - and many of us don't even know it. Symptoms of an unhealthy gut may be pretty clear for some, but others could be missing the more subtle signs that their gut needs help. These signs may include sugar cravings, particular food sensitivities, moodiness, skin problems, halitosis, or issues with the immune system. It already seems like the gut plays a much bigger role in our health than a lot of us may realise, so it's time we started talking about it!
As you probably know, the primary functions of the gut are digestion, absorption of nutrients, and excretion of waste. The absorption of nutrients from our diets is super important, as these nutrients fuel all other body processes. I mean, what's the point in healthy eating if your gut can't even absorb those nutrients? It's clear that ensuring the gut is functioning properly is of the utmost importance.
What you might not know is that 70-80% of the body's immune cells are concentrated in the gut. Another hidden aspect is that 95% of the body's serotonin is located in the gut. Serotonin is a vital hormone that stablisises mood and feelings of happiness. Millions of neurons in the gut produce neurotransmissions relating to mood, so the gut really can play an enormous role in our mental health.
Making dietary changes can truly make a huge difference, and that's where Ocean & Green might just be able to help. Our 100% Pure NZ Seaweed Supplements promote digestive health in numerous ways. The brown seaweed we use is packed with fiber, which aids the digestive process and wards off constipation - something we have heard especially great feedback about from our customers. Fiber makes up a large proportion of the dry weight of seaweed, giving it a higher fiber content than most fruits and vegetables.
Research has shown that the alginate in brown seaweed can strengthen gut mucus, which protects the gut wall. What's more, the polysaccharides in our seaweed have been shown to increase "good" gut bacteria. These polysaccharides can also increase the production of short-chain fatty acids, which nourish the cells which line the gut.
It's clear that the gut has a huge impact throughout the body, and slight changes to the diet can reap huge benefits for your health and wellbeing. Due to the high fiber content and polysaccharides, our Seaweed Supplements are a great place to start!
