A healthy gut is important not for physical health but also for mental well-being. As more people are becoming conscious about what they are eating and if it is healthy for them, it is also essential to understand how these food products are affecting your gut.
The gut, also known as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, is the part of the body that digests food and absorbs nutrients. It includes the stomach, intestines, and colon. It is noteworthy that gut is the main location of the human microbiome which microorganisms like bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses, that live in the digestive tracts.
When you chew and swallow your food, it goes through the gastrointestinal tract and this movement is known as gut motility. According to a report by Science Alert, the gut motility is controlled by the trillions of bacteria present in our gut. Consequently, the gut microbiome is extremely important as these bacteria help develop our immune system and break down food.
If our gut health is bad and our guts would be less able to move food through the gastrointestinal tract and this could lead to a build up of ingested material, leading to constipation and discomfort.
Studies suggest that the time it takes for food to pass from one end of the gastrointestinal tract to the other varies from one person to the next and it can take somewhere between 12 and 73 hours for food to pass through the body. The average gut transmit time being around 23-24 hours. A slow gut transit time can lead to symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea and bloating. Meanwhile, fast transit time prevents sufficient absorption of water and nutrients.
How can you test your gut speed?
A very simple test, called the sweetcorn test, can tell if your gut motility is normal and healthy. As a part of this test, don’t eat any sweet corn for 7-10 days and then note down the date and time, and eat some sweetcorn.
According to the Science Alert report, as the outer shell of the corn is indigestible, it will pass through your gastrointestinal tract with the rest of the food you’ve eaten and will be visible in your stool. Note down the date and time when you see these leftover sweet corns in your stool.
Although this test is not definitive, it does represent a measure of transit time that, on average, gives similar results to more sophisticated measures. If you pass the corn in 12 hours or less, your gut is fast. If you don’t pass it for around 48 hours or more, then your gut is slow. If you find your gut motility is on either end of the spectrum, there are fortunately things you can do to improve it, the report revealed.
However, if it is consistently fast and then you should see a doctors to understand if there is any underlying condition. If it’s a little slow and you don’t have any additional gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, lack of appetite or nausea, you fix it by eating more fruit and veg to increase the fibre you’re feeding those friendly gut bacteria, drink more water and exercise.
It is important to highlight that following a balanced diet will help to keep your bowels moving and healthy.