THE ROOT OF ALL HEALTH AND DISEASE
In Chinese Medicine, your Spleen, which pertains to what we understand to be the digestion; is the root of all health and disease. If you’re root is healthy, the branches will be too; and the reverse is true. Modern science has made revolutionary discoveries of the gut microbiome and it’s functions and how this contributes to our overall health. When our digestion is functioning well, it is absorbing nutrients from our food, synthesizing, and transporting these nutrients in our body, all our health systems can thrive.
Here are the systems our gut can affect:
1. Mood and energy
If you’re feeling low and your energy lacking, it could be your digestion not being strong enough to synthesize the energy we need for life. It also produces a large proportion of our serotonin which is known as our ‘happy hormone’, or the hormone that buffers our mood changes.
2. Hormones and menstruation
Our gut and sex hormones especially for a woman are related by what is known as the estrobolome. These are oestrogen-circulating microbes that live in our gut. Poor gut health has been linked to oestrogen related diseases like PCOS and endometriosis. Our gut also influences cholesterol levels which in turn affect the balance of progesterone and oestrogen in the body. This is much related to the function and relationship the Spleen has with the Liver in Chinese Medicine and the circulation of hormones and menstruation cycle regulation. When the digestion is strong, the Liver can work with the Spleen to synthesize and deliver sex hormones appropriately.
3. Sleep and Immunity
The digestion has a two-way relationship with sleep in that a disturbed gut can disturb sleep. The relationship in Chinese Medicine can be explained by the Spleen’s function to make blood sufficient to calm the heart and house the spirit at night-time. The gut also sits in a network of lymph tissue called the GALT (Gut associated lymphoid tissue). This means that if the gut is too permeable; meaning what’s inside your gut leaks out into this tissue, it can cause a hypersensitive immune system and maybe eventual autoimmune diseases like arthritis or Hashimoto’s.
Looking after the gut and digestion is lacking in today’s world with ever increasing stressors, toxins in our environment and poor nutrition. The key to nourishing the gut is focusing on proper nutrition, calming the mind to calm the gut and upkeep healthy habits like regular movement and sufficient sleep.
As the digestion is a holistic system, it requires a holistic response our qualified health practitioners can help you with. Treatments such as herbal medicine, supplementation, acupuncture and massage can rebalance digestive health and support the stress factors that affect the gut.
If you would like to book an appointment with a Chinese Medicine Practitioner you can call the clinic on (03) 5429 3610 or book online by clicking the link below.