Health Hub Concepts
Below, we have the 4 broad concepts Nature Made is exploring and looking to visualize. Your visualization should focus on just one of these concepts, but you are able to submit multiple visualizations if you like:
- Central Command - Less metaphorical than the rest, this concept positions the gut as the ‘central command’ of our bodies. It’s central to our wellbeing - good stuff is created there and sent out to other body regions, including our brains. And it’s where microbes and good bacteria reside, helping to keep our immune systems functioning at their best. Our digestive system is in the center of our bodies for a reason, and this concept looks to nudge and redraw the map of our body to show how important this system is to our overall health by visually connecting this system to every aspect of our bodies.
- Microbiome Grand Central - In this imaginary bustling train station, immune health and nutrition-themed lines, filled with happy commuters, run like clockwork. They help us get around, make our travel smooth, and protect us from harm. In brief moments, they get out of whack, trains run late, and travelers get stressed. Nature Made comes in like a helpful station agent and conductor, supporting our immune system, and getting the system running by boosting that invisible connection between gut health which microbiomes play an essential part in and the rest of our body.
- Feel Good Factory - Think of your digestive system like a giant factory where trillions of organisms from our microbiome are working super hard every day to improve your overall health. This factory is even connected to your brain and produces Serotonin to make you feel good and Melatonin to help you get proper sleep. So many different functions happen here, and they're working around the clock to help you feel your best.
- Gut Health Delivery - We’re all familiar with food and package delivery systems, Amazon Prime, DoorDash, Instacart, etc. We should think of our gut health in the same way, a Gut Health Delivery System. This is your nutritional hub, breaking down, sorting, and distributing nutrients to your bloodstream and throughout your body. However, unlike some other delivery services your body runs 24/7 and offers instant delivery.
Digestive Health Details
Science communication can be a tricky task when you don't have all the details, and even when you do, those facts can be difficult to mold into palatable information for the public. Below, we have distilled down a few details of gut health to inspire your concepts. These are not mandatories, but they could prove useful as you encapsulate the gut's role in our lives:
Microbiome - You may have heard this term in reference to the organisms and bacteria that live in our digestive tract. Here are a few details on this element's significance in our gut health.
- It's essential for development, immunity and nutrition. Gut microbes help digest our food, regulate our immune system, protect against other bacteria that cause disease, and produce beneficial substances like B vitamins, amino acids and short chain fatty acids.
- Loss of diversity and loss of a particular species in the Microbiome is implicated in several health disorders such as obesity, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), crohns, colitis, autism, cancer, etc. Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and fibromyalgia are also associated with dysfunction in the microbiome.
- It's responsible for our body's differential responses to the same foods or medications, underscoring the importance of personalized nutrition or treatment.
Gut-brain Axis - refers to constant communication between the specialized nervous system of our gut and brain. While we might not be cognizant of every moment in our digestion, our gut and our minds are always connected and sharing information.
- Gut microbiota plays an active role in processes linked to brain development and physiology, psychology and behavior. It is a complex process which is not fully understood.
- Disruption of gut microbes can lead to alterations in the nervous system, resulting in the progression of various nervous system disorders. This axis is finding relevance in various psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, age-related, and neurodegenerative disorders.
- Gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort can lead to stress and vice versa. Stress impacts all major aspects of gut physiology while also having negative effects on the intestinal microbiota. Anxiety and depression are common among patients with IBS.
Lots to digest here! Your concepts do not need to capture all of these details, but they are here to help you understand the overall dynamic between gut health and the rest of our body.
