Get to know your gut

If you’re not entirely sure which parts of your body make up your gut, you’re not alone. In short, your gut refers to your digestive system—a complex and fascinating network that breaks down the food you eat, absorbs nutrients, and gets rid of waste.

Understanding how your gut works is essential if you want to take better care of your health. A well-functioning digestive system supports not only your physical well-being but also your mood and immunity. Let’s break it down in simple terms.

The Digestive System Explained

Your digestive system is made up of your gastrointestinal (GI) tract, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. The GI tract includes a series of hollow organs linked from your mouth all the way to your anus. These include:

• Mouth
• Oesophagus
• Stomach
• Small intestine
• Large intestine (colon)
• Anus

Each plays a specific role in turning your food into energy and nutrients, before eliminating what’s left as waste. Here’s how the process works.

In short, your gut refers to your digestive system – a rather intricate system that breaks down the food you eat. Knowing a little more about the inner workings of your gut can help you take better care of its health. And a healthy gut, makes for a happier, healthier you!

It All Starts in the Mouth

Digestion begins the moment you take a bite. Your salivary glands release saliva—made up of 99% water plus enzymes—that moistens food and starts breaking down starches into sugar. This is why starchy foods like bread can taste slightly sweet when chewed.

🧠 Tip:

Drink water regularly, chew slowly, and avoid rushing meals to support this crucial first stage of digestion.

The Stomach’s Acidic Magic

The stomach is a muscular pouch that produces acid and digestive enzymes to break down food and kill harmful bacteria. It also contains mucus to protect your stomach lining from its own acidity.

A balanced pH in the stomach is key to absorbing nutrients efficiently and protecting against infections and gut discomfort like heartburn, indigestion or reflux.

The Small Intestine—Where the Action Happens

At about 7 metres long, your small intestine may be “small” in width but it’s where around 90% of digestion and nutrient absorption occurs. Enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the liver help break down fats, proteins and carbs into absorbable forms.

Common issues if things go wrong:

• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Indigestion, bloating or gas
• Constipation or traveller’s diarrhoea

To keep this critical section healthy, consider eating fibre-rich foods and taking probiotics to maintain microbial balance.

Step 4: Going Large—The Colon’s Role

Your large intestine, also known as the colon, is responsible for turning food waste into stool. At about 1.8m in length, it helps:

• Absorb water and minerals
• Produce and absorb vitamins and short-chain fatty acids
• Defend against harmful bacteria
• Remove indigestible waste and fibre

This is where your gut microbiome plays a starring role.

Gut Microbiome Basics

The gut microbiome is a diverse community of trillions of bacteria living primarily in your large intestine. These microorganisms are vital for:

• Breaking down fibre into short-chain fatty acids
• Supporting immunity
• Synthesising vitamins
• Protecting against harmful pathogens

A diverse and balanced gut microbiome is crucial for digestive health. Factors that negatively affect this balance include:

• Poor diet
• Stress
• Antibiotic use
• Excessive hygiene

Be kind to your gut

There are quite a few things you can do to keep your digestive system happy and healthy:

• Drink plenty of water throughout the day – it helps food flow more easily through your digestive system and it helps to keep you regular.

• Stick to a balanced diet filled with a variety of colour, flavour, and texture, including fresh fruit and veggies, whole grains, and fish and chicken (rather than red or processed meats). Try to consume as little sugar and refined grain as possible, as it has been stripped of all bran, fibre, and most of its nutrients.
• Be sure to take probiotics, prebiotics, fibre, digestive enzymes, and herbs, which are valuable for the health and functioning of your gut, providing benefits ranging from aiding digestion to alleviating common gut ailments.
• Take it slow… with the chewing and eating, that is. Eating slowly gives your body time to digest your food properly and enables it to detect when you’re full. In this way, eating slowly and mindfully helps prevent overeating, which causes unnecessary weight gain and digestive stress.
• Getting moving after a meal can literally help food move through your digestive system more easily.
• Avoid alcohol, smoking, caffeine, and energy drinks, as they can be addictive and cause heartburn, acid reflux and stomach ulcers.
• Minimise your stress – stress can lead to constipation, diarrhoea and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Now that you know a little more about your gut, take good care of it, and it will take good care of you!

If you, or a family member, are suffering from gut-related discomfort – such as a gassy stomach, bloating or abdominal spasms – Spasmopep^® could assist in alleviating these symptoms.

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