Gut health foods: The best diet to transform gut health according to a nutritionist
A healthy gut means a healthy mind and body. However, with our food habits and lifestyle, keeping a good gut can be quite challenging.
Excellent gut health is everything.
Not only do good gut health foods contribute to overall proper digestive health, but the foods you put into your body contribute to overall well-being.
Good gut health reduces conditions like mental health issues, constipation, weight gain, and more.
If you eat a balanced diet that contains fermented foods, you increase the level of healthy bacteria in your digestive tract. These good bacteria are responsible for keeping illness away, improving depression, and stabilizing your immune system.
When you get your nutrients from foods that make your gut happy, you’ll see a difference in your digestion, your skin, and even your cognitive abilities!
If you battle with stomach pains, bloating, gas, or other health issues, it may be time to take a look at ways to incorporate gut-healthy foods into your diet.
Digestion problems such as gas, irregular bowel movement, and looseness of the bowels impact millions.
Did you know that 95% of Americans are eating so called “health” foods that are actually giving them gas, cramps, heartburn and other digestive issues? And that some of these foods are actually banned in Europe!
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Top Doctor: 3 Foods You Consume Daily Surgeons Are Now Calling “Death Foods” Are Damaging Your Digestive Health (Watch Video)
According to a review published in Frontiers in Nutrition, high fibre, plant-based diets promote healthful and stable gut bacteria, said Rob.
He explained: “The increased intake of fibre and other plant components associated with plant-based diets is believed to increase the growth of beneficial bacteria that reduce inflammation and encourage a diverse gut microbiome.
“Getting enough fibre is important to maintain and improve gut health, but eating a combination of different types of fibre also matters.
“There are three different types of dietary fibre, soluble fibre which helps lower cholesterol and slow digestion, insoluble fibre which promotes regular bowel movements and resistant starch which acts as food for our healthy gut bacteria.
“Including a mix of these in your diet, be it plant-based or not, can help to improve the health of your gut and the balance of your microbiome.”
Plant-based diets are generally considered to be ‘cleaner’ than other diets which can include processed, fast and convenience foods.
These foods are largely high in salt, sugar, fat, and additives, and all these things that can disrupt your gut microbiome, encouraging and aiding the growth of pathogenic bacteria and negatively impacting the health of your gut.
There are also studies to suggest that the consumption of meat and animal protein can contribute to the worsening of irritable bowel diseases (IBD) like Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Rob said: “This is likely due to the higher amount of sulphur meat contains compared to plant protein.
“IBD sufferers who avoid meat, fish, and eggs, all known to be rich in sulphur, will likely experience some relief. For some, sulphur-rich foods like garlic, cabbage, or beans, may cause issues, even though they contain less sulphur than meat.”
To transform your gut health, it is also important to consume prebiotics and probiotics, said Rob.
“Prebiotics are the food source for your good bacteria, encouraging them to thrive and multiply. In general, all fibre-rich and starchy foods are prebiotics and our gut bacteria feast on them and produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the process best probiotic for gut health.
“SCFAs can be used by our intestinal cells for energy but most importantly, they have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.
“Probiotics are live bacteria that help to populate your gut and establish a better ratio of good to bad bacteria.
“They are naturally occurring in fermented foods like yoghurt, kimchi, or kombucha and they are also effective in supplement form.
“To make sure you are getting your daily fix of prebiotics and probiotics, Vite Body, a new range of plant-based, functional nutrition could help.
Foods For A Healthy Gut
1. Pineapple
You will be surprised to know that the tasty pineapple contains an excellent enzyme known as bromelain. This plays a big role in breaking down foods into small molecules to make it easy for the body to digest the same. Most of the times, it is the inflammatory enzymes known as cytokines that damage the gut lining and cause problems for you.
However, the bromelain present in pineapple helps your body to secrete less of this enzyme. Therefore, inflammation to the gut lining can be reduced considerably when you eat pineapples regularly.
2. Garlic
Raw garlic is a rich source of a compound known as inulin, which promotes the growth of good bacteria in your gut. It is a pre-biotic food that is loaded with essential nutrients such as manganese, selenium, Vitamins C& B6 and allicin. Studies have proved that allicin is very effective in fighting against diseases.
One of the natural home remedies to get rid of a disturbing stomach or common ailments such as cold & flu or any other type of inflammation is to chew a piece of garlic on an empty stomach every morning. Thanks to the disease-fighting compounds present in garlic, you will find immense relief from your gut problems.
3. Bone Broth
If you are looking for a comfort-food that eases your digestive system and can be prepared easily at home, bone broth is a good choice. It is packed with nutrients that soothe your digestive system and help it to fight against all types of inflammation.
Bone broth is rich in compounds such as gelatin and collagen, which are known for their healing characteristics. Also, the amino acids such as glutamine, arginine, and proline present in bone broth help safeguard the gut lining from infections and inflammations. Thanks to these compounds, the lining of your gut is strengthened, thereby improving your immunity to a great extent.
4. Ginger
You might have noticed that your mother or grandmother would ask you to chew a piece of ginger when you have problems such as gas, bloating and indigestion problems. Have you ever wondered why? Ginger is an essential spice used in most of the Ayurvedic medicines for its healing and anti-inflammatory properties.
Ginger is a rich source of Vitamin C, an element that is important for your overall immunity system. It is also packed with other nutrients such as manganese, potassium, copper, magnesium and more. Eat a piece of raw ginger on an empty stomach every morning to find a visible improvement in your gut ailments. You can also drink ginger-flavored teas for best results.
5. Asparagus
When you want to keep your gut healthy, you have to include a lot of probiotics in your daily diet. Asparagus is one of the best foods you should consume to promote the growth of healthy bacteria such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in your gut. This is because it is a rich source of inulin, the indigestible fiber that protects your gut from inflammations. It is also packed with Vitamin B and immunity-boosting antioxidants, which makes it a must-eat food for good gut health.
6. Sauerkraut
If you are a fitness fanatic, you might be familiar with this name. For those of you who don’t know what this means, it is nothing but fermented, sour cabbage. White cabbage, when fermented, becomes an excellent source of fiber and good bacteria that helps to keep the gut healthy.
Thanks to the increased awareness of people today, sauerkraut is more commonly available in supermarkets today than it was a few years ago. Including this in your daily diet will keep you free from digestive ailments, bloating, the formation of gas, etc.
7. Onion
Did you know that the onion, which you use in your everyday cooking, is one of the best foods for keeping your gut healthy and active? It is prebiotic and contains a large quantity of a potent antioxidant known as quercetin, which keeps your gut safe from the oxidative stress caused by free radicals.
Apart from this, raw onion is also a rich source of chromium and Vitamin C. While chromium helps in boosting insulin production, Vitamin C helps in boosting your overall immunity system. Eating a slice of raw onion on an empty stomach may result in bad odor, but it is one of the effective remedies to get rid of problems related to indigestion.
8. Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a magical ingredient that helps in many ways such as boosting immunity, reducing weight, preventing digestive problems, keeping inflammations at bay, etc. ACV is known for its antimicrobial, anti-fungal and anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Therefore, it reduces the yeast content in the human body, which, in turn, reduces the inflammations in the gastrointestinal tract. It also helps the body to secrete digestive diseases and aids the digestion.
9. Miso
Miso is a food item that is made from fermented soybeans. Commonly used in Japanese cuisine, Miso is now available in almost all parts of the world because of its goodness. Apart from fermented soybeans, you will also find rice or barley in this item, which makes it a filling dish. It is filled with nutrients that help in the secretion of digestion juices and the promotion of good bacteria in the gut area.
10. Kimchi
Though Kimchi is a Korean dish, it is popular in many countries today because of its nutrients. Kimchi is made from fermented vegetables, which help produce live probiotic cultures that promote the good bacterial growth in the gut and keep it healthy. Thanks to the huge presence of vegetables in it, Kimchi is also an excellent source of fiber and antioxidants; therefore, you can include it in your regular diet for boosting your overall immunity against infections.
11. Almonds
Almonds help in improving your gut health because they are rich in polyphenols and omega-3 fatty acids. They are also rich in fiber, which helps in improving your overall digestive health. It is highly recommended that you eat soaked almonds on an empty stomach for your body to absorb all the nutrients that these nuts have to offer you.
12. Brussel Sprouts
Brussel Sprouts are not only tasty but very healthy as well. Include these in your salads regularly to get immense relief from many kinds of ailments. The sulfur compounds present in these sprouts help to fight against the toxic H Pylori bacteria in the gut, thereby keeping it healthy at all times.
Important tip
Before trying foods to improve the overall health of your gut, always get yourself tested for food allergies if any. This will help you understand what foods would suit you and which ones won’t. Food allergies can worsen your already existing digestive problems; therefore, it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to maintaining a healthy body.
While trying out one or more of the foods mentioned above, always opt for fresh foods only. Processed or refined or canned foods are devoid of the nutrients that we have spoken about in the above sections.
FAQs
1.What can I do to improve gut health?
- Follow a high fiber diet.
- Watch This Digest Health Cure Video to the End
- Limit high fat foods.
- Take more probiotics.
- Stay hydrated.
- Eat more lean meats.
- Skip alcohol, nicotine, excessive caffeine, etc.
Top Doctor: 3 Foods You Consume Daily Surgeons Are Now Calling “Death Foods” Are Damaging Your Digestive Health (Watch Video)
2. What are the symptoms of an unhealthy gut?
- The symptoms of an unhealthy gut include-
- Upset stomach- gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, etc.
- Skin irritation- conditions like eczema.
- Sleeping problems- serotonin is a hormone that helps improve mood and sleep. This hormone is produced in the gut and the production is effected when gut is unhealthy.
- Unintentional weight loss/gain.
- Constant fatigue.
3. Are pickles good for gut health?
Fermented pickles like sauerkraut and kimchi can act as probiotics and support the growth of good bacteria in the gut. These bacteria help in the digestion and absorption of food and its nutrients.
4. What are the worst foods for gut health?
Fried foods are bad for gut health. You can replace these with baked food if necessary.
Food items that are laden with artificial sugars or fructose are very bad for gut health in the long run.
Eating large amounts of food that is very spicy can also ruin gut health.
5. Does fasting effect gut health?
Intermittent fasting can actually help your gut. It gives your gut a much-needed break from continuous digestion. This leads to a better performing gut later on.
After working at a a leading weight loss brand for over 8 years she decides to start her own expert blog where she reviews the market's top beauty , health & wellness products and helps clients make the right choice for their needs.
