Hydration and gut health – does it matter?

Gut health is truly one of the cornerstones of wellbeing. The gut, or digestive tract, is where the food is broken down into the nutrients needed by the body. It is home to trillions of micro-organisms, known as the gut microbiome. These microbiome play a fundamental role in this breakdown of food and perform other essential functions within the body such as aiding the immune system, removing toxins and producing other necessary neurochemicals such as serotonin.

Good nutrition is of course a key element in building a healthy gut microbiome. Consuming a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, making sure to eat enough fibre, and including sources of probiotics in your diet, such as fermented foods, are great ways to support a healthy, diverse microbiome. However, did you know that good hydration is also an incredibly important factor in your digestive health?

We might not always think of hydration as a way to improve our gut health and digestion, but it is an essential part of promoting good gut health. Our cells are primarily made of water, and it is used to maintain the most fundamental processes in the body, such as regulating blood pressure, maintaining temperature, and digesting food.

When food enters your digestive tract, it needs to be broken down to extract the nutrients for transportation around the body. These nutrients are needed for many different functions, such as providing energy. The key element here – water! Water is the transporter for the enzymes and acids that break down food and is also responsible for moving the extracted nutrients around the bloodstream to where they are needed.

It is also worth remembering that dehydration is one of the most common reasons for poor digestion and constipation. When your body does not have enough water, your large intestine will try to compensate by soaking up whatever water it can from the food you are eating. This can make it harder for your body to break down the food, creating discomfort.

Follow the link to check if you are drinking enough water using this hydration calculator.