We get regular health checkups with general and family physicians to monitor our heart health or blood sugar levels. But we often neglect the digestive symptoms and resort to home remedies rather than visiting gastroenterologists. We do not prioritize their digestive or gut health and give it the attention it deserves.
We all know that the digestive system is involved in the digestion of food, absorption of nutrients, and elimination of wastes from the body. But our digestive system is much more than that. This article will help you understand why we should prioritize our digestive health and get a regular gastro checkup from a gastroenterologist or digestive health specialist who treats digestive issues.
What are the lesser-known functions of the digestive system?
1. Part of the immune system
More than 70% of our immune system resides in the gut. A typical digestive tract’s surface area is the same as half of a badminton court, meaning it has three times more microbe-exposed surface area than the skin. The digestive tract’s inner lining prevents microbes from entering the blood and causing infections.
Additionally, the stomach’s acidic pH, enzymes in saliva and the bile, and antibodies in the mucus lining neutralize infection-causing microorganisms. The beneficial bacteria residing in the gut help maintain the gastrointestinal-immune system by keeping a check on the levels of disease-causing microbes. They also produce compounds that help immune cells regulate allergies and inflammation.
2. Detoxification
Our digestive system also includes the liver. It not only produces bile to help the digestion of fats but also filters the blood and breaks down the toxins like bacteria, drugs, pollutants, pesticides, preservatives, and alcohol. It produces blood clotting factors, processes glucose, helps immune cells, stores fat-soluble vitamins, and produces a blood pressure-regulating hormone.
3. Hormones
Our gut produces over 20 different hormones that regulate appetite, digestion, sense of fullness, motility in the gut, and insulin release. Any changes in hormone secretion and their levels could lead to obesity and chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and osteoarthritis.
4. Gut-brain connection
Our gut contains around 500 million nerve cells that connect it to the nerve cells in the brain. This connection is two-way, and chemicals in the gut affect the brain and vice-versa. That is why the gut is considered the second brain, which explains the phrases “butterflies in the stomach” and “gut feeling”.
Additionally, neurochemicals called dopamine and serotonin are produced in the gut and some neurochemicals are released by the gut. Any imbalances in these chemicals can cause mood and mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.
Takeaway points
Our digestive system not only helps the body by providing nutrients from the diet but also plays a major role in the functioning of the immune system and nervous systems, mental health, detoxification, and overall health. Thus, we should prioritize their digestive health and visit a gastro and liver specialist for a regular checkup.
Visit Bangalore Gastro Centre Hospitals at HSR Layout in Bangalore if you are looking for a digestive health specialist or the best gastro hospital and best gastro doctor to diagnose and treat your digestive health issues. It is a state-of-the-art facility that provides top-quality care for digestive conditions ranging from indigestion to gastrointestinal cancers.
