Browsing by Subject "eco-health"
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Item An Ecosystem Health Approach to the Gut Microbiota and Sustainable Food Systems(2021-05) Henein, Carolyn; Beach, TimothyMicrobes live everywhere, both inside and outside of us. Human gut microbes reflect our overall health and the health of the environment we live in. Environmental changes and loss of biodiversity have produced negative health impacts such as increased pollutant exposure, reduced food security, and altered gut microbial composition. Between 1990 and 2016, countries that experienced higher levels of environmental degradation had lowered life expectancies and higher infant mortality rates within their populations. Population health and the environment are at their current state because of how society approaches health and diet; western healthcare systems and food systems lack consideration for one another, and neither account for their external environment. Ecosystem approaches to health, or “eco-health,” intend to achieve good health within and between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment. As opposed to previous contemporary approaches, the systems thinking of the eco-health approach provides solutions to public health issues such as food security, nutrition levels, and premature mortality levels. Implementing sustainable diet strategies has been shown to support this concept by improving gut composition while reducing global carbon footprints by up to 25%. Improving our gut health through dietary changes directly affects the chances of acquiring chronic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. This thesis explores the connection between the human gut microbiota and the environment, assesses the ecological determinants of health, and provides solutions for sustainable diet strategies through a systematic literature review. Improving eco-health literacy empowers the public to take control of their health through dietary choices, and demand more from their healthcare and food systems.