Your Stomach's SECRET LIFE

YOU KNOW HOW WHEN YOU'RE YOU'RE NERVOUS you get butterflies in your stomach, or you can feel tired and logy all day when you're constipated?

- MERYL DAVIDS LANDAU

This shows that the gut and the rest of the body have a big influence on each other. In recent years, research has made that connection even clearer. Heart disease, diabetes, and autoimmune conditions have all been linked to various factors associated with a troubled gut. But by taking care of your 25-foot-long GI tract, you can boost your well-being. Here's why your gut health matters.

The Right Microbes Mean Fewer Illnesses

The trillions of bacteria, fungi, and even parasites and viruses that live inside the gut, collectively known as the gut microbiome, play a huge role in our overall health as well as the health of our digestive systems.

The microbiome is so intricate that distinct colonies reside in different parts of the GI tract, says Eran Elinav, M.D., Ph.D., head of the systems immunology department at Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science. Scientists don't yet know the ideal mix of organisms, but having an imbalanced microbiome has been linked to numerous illnesses including diabetes and childhood asthma.

The food we eat, which becomes the food the critters in our guts feast on, is a crucial component in fostering a diverse microbiome. "Of the many environmental factors that impact our gut microbes, nutrition is probably the most important," Dr. Elinav says. But other things contribute too: For example, changing sleep schedules may alter the composition of the microbiome.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Eat a Mediterranean diet.

Not only is this good for your heart, brain, and general health but studies also show that this diet-which is rich in vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats-increases microbiome diversity.