The Prophet (S) once said, “The stomach is the well of the body, and the veins drink from it. If it is healthy, the veins pass on good health; if it is sick, the veins pass on poison.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim) Once again, we have a Prophetic statement that was truly prophetic as modern science has only recently discovered the extent of its truth.
No discussion of Prophetic Medicine would be complete without discussing the importance of the above hadith. Over the last two decades, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated a strong link between gut health and the immune system, autoimmunity, mental health, endocrine disorders, skin conditions, cancer, and more!1
We have already mentioned the “gut microbiome,” which refers to microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, protozoa,fungi, and their corresponding genetic material living in your gastrointestinal tract. There are approximately 38 trillion bacteria cells in an average body2 and around 500-1000 species3 of microorganisms!!! The majority of these microorganisms are beneficial. For example, bacteria play a critical role in enabling nutrient and mineral absorption and synthesis of enzymes, vitamins, amino acids, and short-chain fatty acids4.
Concerning the immune system, modern science has established that 70-80% of your immune system cells reside in your gut!5 Thus, the gut is the primary area where your immune system makes key decisions regarding whether or not to attack foreign invaders. An altered and imbalanced gut flora (dysbiosis) can occur due to multiple factors, including unhealthy diet, birthing method, infant feeding method, stress, medications, stage of the lifecycle, and comorbid diseases.28 Our intestines are covered with a protective lining that spans over 4,000 sq ft of surface area, which is supposed to allow only beneficial nutrients and water to be absorbed into the bloodstream and spread to tissues that need them.6 However, dysbiosis can lead to “Leaky Gut Syndrome,” which includes an unhealthy lining that allows partially digested food, bacteria and toxins, to enter the bloodstream. This is one of the key mechanisms thought to cause chronic inflammation and multiple autoimmune conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, chronic liver disease, Type 1 and 2 diabetes, food allergies, obesity, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.7 8
… modern science has established that 70-80% of your immune system cells reside in your gut!
It is also fascinating to note that gut health is intimately linked to mental health. There is a growing body of evidence that an imbalance in gut flora is one of the causes of anxiety and depression.9 In a stunning meta-analyis of twenty one studies of fecal transplant of microorganisms from a healthy gut to a diseased gut, the conclusion stated, “All studies found a decrease in depressive and anxiety-like symptoms and behaviors resulting from the transplantation of healthy microbiota. The inverse was also found, with the transmission of depressive and anxiety-like symptoms and behaviors resulting from the transplantation of microbiota from psychiatrically ill donors to healthy recipients.”10
Probiotics have relatedly been found to have a potential role in treating and preventing some mental disorders. Our gut contains approximately 500 million neurons that are linked to the brain through the nervous system.11 The most significant two-way connection between the brain and gut is through the vagus nerve.12 Studies have shown that stress hormones inhibit the conduction of signals through the vagus nerve and lead to gastrointestinal problems.13 The majority of the receptors for serotonin, the famous neurotransmitter associated with feelings of happiness, are located in the gut with a lesser amount in the brain.14
The Prophetic wisdom about the importance of digestive health continues to be affirmed by ongoing scientific discoveries.
References:
1. Healthline Website < https://www.healthline.com/health/gut-health >
2. Ron Sender et al. (2016). Revised Numbers for the Human and Bacterial Cells in the Body. PLOS Biology, Aug 14(8)
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_microbiome
4. Kresci, G. and Izzo, K. (2019). Gut Microbiome in “Adult Short Bowel Syndrome”, Elsevier, Ch. 4: pg 45-54.; https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/gut-microbiome
5. Abbas, A.K, Lichtman, AHH, Pillai, S. (2017) Cellular and Molecular Immunology, E-Book, Elsevier Health Sciences.
6. Campos, M. (2019) https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/leaky-gut-what-is-it-and-what-does-it-mean-for-you-2017092212451
7. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326117
8. Brown, K. et al. (2012) Diet-Induced Dysbiosis of the Intestinal Microbiota and the Effects on Immunity and Disease. Nutrients Aug 4 (8): 1095-1119.
9. Clapp, M et al.(2017). Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis. Clinics and Practice Sep 15; 7(4): 987.
10. Chinna Meyyappan, A. et al. (2020). Effect of fecal microbiota transplant on symptoms of psychiatric disorders: a systematic review. BMC psychiatry, 20(1), 299.
11. Mayer, E. (2011). Gut Feelings: The Emerging Biology of Gut-Brain Communication. Nat. Rev. Neuroscience, Jul 13, 12(8): 10.1038.
12 Breit, S. et al. (2018). Vagus Nerve as Modulator of the Brain-Gut Axis in Psychiatric and Inflammatory Disorders. Front Psychiatry, Mar. 13, 9:44
13. T. Sahar et al. (2001). Vagal Modulation of Stress responses to Mental Challenge in PTSD, Biol Psychiatry, Apr 1, 49 (7): 637-643.
14. Vano, J. et al. (2015). Indigenous Bacteria from the gut Microbiota Regulate Host Serotonin. Biosynthesis, Apr 9, 161 (2): 264-276.
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