Why is the gut important?

When talking about your health, the word “gut” means the stomach and intestines.  The medical word for the gut is the gastrointestinal, or GI, system.  Food first must pass through the esophagus to get to the stomach, then the small intestine, the large intestine, and finally the rectum.  The large intestine is also called the colon.  We often think of the gut as a long, hollow tube for food to pass through, but it is much more than that.  The gut plays an important role in the body.  Science continues to make new discoveries about all of the important things it does, such as the following:

• Break down food into digestible parts
• Absorb nutrients like vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein, and fat
• Absorb water
• Get rid of waste products, including toxins
• Serve as a “gateway” for the immune system to

• Keep out bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites that can cause disease
• Help our immune system learn to tell the difference between what is dangerous and what is safe

• Receive signals from the brain through the nervous system
• Send signals back to the brain through the nervous system