And like any other organ, this one also deserves due attention, as its well-being determines the health of our body and mind.

There is a lot of scientific evidence that attests to the importance of the stomach and intestinal flora in our health, and there is no doubt that the digestive system has a decisive influence on our physical and mental well-being, since the digestive system has an autonomous nervous system, a “2nd brain” made up of millions of neurons that are in constant communication with the brain.

We can truly say that we have the intestine connected to the head, and the importance of this nervous system is, in fact, exceptional, due in part to a direct influence that intestinal bacteria have on brain chemistry and, consequently, on our behavior and health.

In fact, the intestinal flora, or more correctly, the microbiome or microbiota, is a complex and silent ecological system. When it works well, it is made up of a set of microorganisms that inhabit our digestive system.

The numbers are impressive: the digestive tube measures around 10 metres from the mouth to the anus. The longest organ in the human body is the small intestine, where a large part of the microbiota lives, estimated to be made up of around 100 trillion microorganisms, the vast majority of which are bacteria. There are more bacteria in the intestinal flora than human cells!
The microbiota plays an extremely important role in several functions: it is important in the process of digestion and absorption of multiple constituents of the human being, in the detoxification of exogenous substances, balancing the immune system, functioning of the digestive system, among others. Ultimately, it is vital for our homeostasis in a global sense.
The digestive system, in fact, has neurons and an activity independent of the brain, with which it maintains a close and interesting connection, with a neuronal network that communicates through neurotransmitters from the brain to the intestine and vice versa, hence our emotions affect bowel function and vice versa.

Furthermore, the vast majority of immune system cells are in the intestine.

From this information, we can conclude about the importance of taking care of our digestive health, which, in order to remain in perfect balance and harmony, requires us to adopt healthy lifestyles, which include practices such as a balanced diet, consuming fruits and vegetables, avoiding excess red meat, fried foods, and sugar, as well as not smoking, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption and being overweight, maintaining weight within an adequate body mass index.

On the other hand, physical exercise is one of the most effective measures to maintain digestive health, as in addition to increasing dopamine (neurotransmitter related to motivation, pleasure, memory...) levels, it improves constipation, corrects excess weight, among other benefits. One of the most important measures is also to screen for colon and rectal cancer at the age of 45-50 through a colonoscopy.

Like the Portuguese Gastroenterology Society, choose the month of June to take care of your digestive health and screening.

For more information please contact Grupo HPA Saude on (+351) 282 420 400.