The body is completely interconnected. While some of these relationships may be difficult to see, it doesn’t change the fact that they exist.
One such relationship is between the gut and the heart. This is a one way relationship where the gut impacts the heart, though it has yet to be determined if the heart impacts the gut.
The gut affects the heart by creating substances (hormones and other chemicals) that travel in the blood and can change heart health, like reducing or increasing inflammation and influencing how the body handles fat and sugar. These changes can help keep the heart working well or contribute to heart problems.
Understanding this relationship is crucial, especially for women. Why? Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women and the leading cause of death in western countries around the world.
This requires immediate attention and the scientific community is beginning to understand this correlation more and more.
The Connection Between Gut Health & Heart Health
The gut-heart connection is more subtle, but none-the-less fundamental. Your gut microbiome consists of the organisms that help break down your food. In the process, they produce different substances. Some of these substances are like messages that can travel to your heart and affect how well it works. Others have a more direct impact.
The gut itself can influence how much fat is in your blood, how easily blood flows through your veins, and inflammation in your body.
When the gut is inflamed, it can negatively affect heart health. For instance inflammation in the gut can:
- Increase inflammation in the rest of the body. This happens when the gut is inflamed, it can release harmful hormones that cause inflammation throughout the rest of the body including your heart. This can lead to damage and increase the risk of heart disease.
- Impact on Cholesterol: The gut processes your food and what is consumed. When inflamed, the gut cannot metabolize fats as effectively. When this occurs, the gut overproduces bad LDL cholesterol and lowers the good HDL cholesterol.
- Plaque Formation in the Heart: When the gut is inflamed, it sends out bad signals to the whole body, including the heart. These signals make bad cholesterol stickier, so it builds up in the heart's arteries as plaque. Over time, this plaque can block blood flow, which is harmful to the heart.
These bi-products of an unhealthy gut directly influence heart health, highlighting just how interconnected the body actually is.
Improving Heart Health Through The Gut
Our gut is filled with trillions of tiny organisms that help us digest food, make some nutrients, and produce substances that affect our health in many ways. Dr. Stanley Shaw, a heart doctor, explains that these gut organisms interact with various body systems, including those that influence heart health.
What we eat changes the types of organisms in our gut, which can impact our heart positively or negatively. For example, when we eat red meat, fish, poultry, and eggs, our gut microbes produce a substance called TMA. Our liver then changes TMA into TMAO, a chemical linked to the buildup of harmful plaque in our arteries.
Studies have found that people with more TMAO in their blood have a higher risk of heart problems. Since foods like red meat increase TMAO, eating less of them can help reduce this risk.
Food For The Heart
Fiber plays a major role in gut health and thus the heart. According to estimates, a fiber-rich diet can lower the risk of heart disease by as much as 30%.
In the small intestine, fiber binds fat and cholesterol, decreasing absorption and lowering blood cholesterol levels. The good bacteria in your colon then break down fiber to make special fats that help control blood pressure, sugar levels, and inflammation, which is all good for your heart.
Fiber-rich foods to include in your diet include:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Dates
- Oranges
- Leafy Greens
- Broccoli Carrots
- Beans
- Lentils
- Whole Grains
- Almonds
- Flaxseeds
- Chia Seeds
Beyond fiber, probiotics like yogurt, miso, and sauerkraut can help restore proper gut balance.
Woodroot Tonic for Heart Health
Woodroot Tonic helps the gut microbiome and additionally has heart healthy ingredients that directly nourish the heart.
As we’ve found out, gut inflammation causes major issues for our health. This inflammation affects our heart health directly through the way fats and sugars are handled. Inflammation can also be spread through the bloodstream.
So, by reducing inflammation in the gut, you are proactively preventing the things that can contribute to heart disease, heart attack, stroke and more.
Additionally Woodroot Tonic is formulated with heart healthy ingredients like:
- Ginger, which can help reduce cholesterol and stop blood from forming dangerous clots, which is good for preventing heart problems like heart attacks or strokes. It may also help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar better.
- Cinnamon has been shown to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. Plus, it may help keep your heart healthy by lowering bad cholesterol and fats in your blood, which is extra helpful for people with diabetes who have a higher chance of getting heart disease.
- Cayenne is good for your heart in a few ways. It has a substance called capsaicin that fights inflammation, which is linked to many diseases, including heart issues. Cayenne can also help keep your blood vessels in good shape and might reduce high blood pressure.
Incorporating these ingredients daily can have a profound impact on heart health.
Embrace Your Gut-Heart Connection for a Healthier Tomorrow
Continued evidence continues to come out about the connection between gut health and heart health. This research continues to solidify just how interconnected the body is.
This intricate connection between the gut and heart highlights a profound truth: what we eat not only fuels our bodies but also fundamentally shapes our health landscape. The gut's influence on the heart is undeniable and the gut microbiome is constantly working to provide a better heart healthy environment. From reducing harmful inflammation to managing cholesterol and blood pressure, a well kept gut microbiome is your ally in the quest for heart health.
We hope this knowledge empowers your continued health journey leading to a more vibrant life full of longevity.