As a Kombucha brewer, when I ask people, “How is your gut?”, I hear it all. “My gut is working jusssst fine,” while they give it a good rub, “I have NO issues.” Or, “I DON’T HAVE A GUT!”
The gut is the long tube that starts at the mouth and ends at…well, the butt. It consists of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, colon, and the butt. It’s a powerhouse not only because of these organs, but it also largely affects the immune system and neurotransmitters. In fact, 70% of the immune system is housed in the gut.
Have you ever eaten an unhealthy meal and just felt bad afterwards? I don’t mean the rumbly stomach or constipation. I mean you actually feel low. How about when you eat a healthy meal and you feel on top of the world? I’m sure we can all recall both of these feelings. Here’s why.
Fermented Probiotic Beverages Improve Digestion
Researching medical journals due to my own digestive issues and joint pain, and then turning to homebrewed Kombucha to alleviate my symptoms, transformed into starting my own “fermented probiotic beverage” brewery. With my business as a platform, I have been educating others on gut health, probiotics, and plants as medicine. Some of our customers have no idea that what they thought was “regular” digestion was quite the opposite, and they feel so much different with kombucha in their diet. In other cases, we simply help people feel good after a meal, in their core, or sometimes they even notice differences in their mental clarity or mood.
An Unhealthy Gut Causes Disease and Depression
Studies on the gut-immune system connection have been heavily conducted in the past two decades, while the gut-brain link has only been studied more recently in the last decade. I have begun to understand that an unhealthy gut is the reason for many of my issues and many diseases we hear so much of today. An unhealthy gut may cause gas, daily fatigue, skin diseases, and even serious depression. After all, our bodies are made up of 1.3 bacterial cells for every single human cell. One could say that bacteria helps rule the body and mind. Having a wide variety of good bacteria in your gut not only enhances your immune system function, but it can improve symptoms of depression, help combat obesity, thwart off auto immune diseases, and provide numerous other benefits.
Mental health is on the forefront along with autoimmune diseases. Recent studies have shown that abnormal microbiota (microorganisms or bacteria) and the microbiota-gut-brain dysfunction (GI disorders) may cause mental disorders. Correcting these dysfunctions could alleviate depression. We generally know that depression can be caused by certain genes and environmental stressors, but the latest research has indicated that gut microbiota probably plays a crucial part in the pathophysiology of depression. The “gut brain” is a microbial organ, 90–95% of the total cells of which are microorganisms including bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses, and some protozoa. The metabolism, immune system, and signal transmission are all closely related with microbiota. Thus, as a whole, the gut and gut microbiota can serve to respond to and influence other organs. Live probiotics, when administered in adequate amounts, are highly beneficial in correcting these dysfunctions. They reach the whole microbiota-gut-brain axis; researchers call these probiotics psychobiotics to emphasize their capabilities to improve behavior and mind.
If you think you’re struggling, notice other red flags for an unhealthy gut: food intolerances, skin irritation, sleep disturbances or constant fatigue, unintentional weight changes, high-sugar diet, or an upset stomach.
Maddy Eagle launched Flying Eagle Kombucha in 2018 when she realized that Kombucha was a remedy for her physical imbalance. They have since transformed from a regular Kombucha tea brewery to a specialty brewery using herbs to support balance in the mind too with relaxing or serotonin-boosting properties or spices for metabolic support. With lower acidity and sweetness than most on the market, Flying Eagle is a N/A, sip-able “probiotic elixir,” with each flavor having purposes of its own. Flying Eagle’s feel-good, refreshing probiotic elixir is waiting for you!
Available at their new Tap Room inside Millenial Brewing in downtown Fort Myers, by ordering delivery, or visit 25+ resale locations and SWFL farmers markets.
For more information, visit: www.flyingeaglekombucha.com.