You have probably heard of ‘gut health’ but what does it mean and what can you do to keep your gut healthy? Read on for an overview of this emerging and fascinating area of nutrition science and simple steps to help you get started.
Gut Health
Gut health is gaining a lot of attention these days and quite rightly so. Researchers have discovered that the healthiness of your gut (the functioning of your entire gastrointestinal tract) is linked to many areas of our overall health beyond the more obvious such as IBS, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) and bloating.
Links have also been established with mental health, skin health, immune system functioning, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and cancer. We don’t yet have all the answers and more research is needed, but it is now widely accepted that supporting our gut health is key to our overall health.
The Healthiness Of Your Gut
The healthiness of your gut has been linked to the diversity of the microbiome within your digestive tract. It contains trillions of microbes from around 1,500 different species of bacteria, virus and fungi. The most diverse microbiomes are found in Amazonian tribespeople living in the rainforests and leading a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Their diets consist of fruits, vegetables and other items from the land and are therefore free from any form of modern, processed food. It is thought that modern life has contributed to a decrease in the diversity of our microbiomes due to the food we eat and how we live our lives.
So how can we improve our personal microbiomes and have a healthier gut?
Ensure Variety In Your Diet
What scientists don’t know at the moment is what your ideal microbiome should contain. Like with many other aspects of nutrition, it is a personalised approach. What works for you is unlikely to work for your friend, colleague or neighbour. Therefore, the advice at the moment is to encourage as much diversity as possible by eating a broad range of foods.
Leading gut health expert Dr Megan Rossi (@theguthealthdoctor), recommends aiming for 30 different types of plant-based food items per week. Think beyond fruit and vegetables to nuts, seeds, legumes and wholegrains.
If 30 is proving difficult, try 15 and work up from there. Trying out new foods can really make a difference here. Swap rice for a different type of grain. Roast a different selection of vegetables to your usual preference. Bulk up your regular salads with plant-based extras.
Up Your Fibre Intake
Fibre is an important part of our diet and certain high fibre foods can be termed prebiotics which means they feed the good bacteria in our guts. These types of food include artichoke, Brussel sprouts, beans, pulses and legumes. Including a variety of these within your diet can only be a good thing. Remember though to eat other types of vegetable too so you get that much needed variety.
Our government advises 30g of fibre per day but the average intake for adults is around 19g. Experts suggest 50g per day would give you and your body the most benefit. This is achievable by upping the variety of fruit, vegetables, bean, pulses and legumes.
However, if you’ve been habitually eating a low fibre diet it will be important to up your fibre content slowly. Don’t do it suddenly over night otherwise you may have issues including discomfort and wind.
Explore ‘Probiotic’ Food Options
A probiotic is the term for any food, drink or supplement that contains beneficial bacteria to complement our existing microbiome. So what counts as a probiotic?
Fermented Foods
While the process of fermentation has been around for thousands of years, these types of food are gaining in popularity. Options include sauerkraut, kimichi (a Korean dish with pickled cabbage and sauerkraut) and fermented beans such as miso and tempeh.
The fermentation breaks down some of the fibre that enables some of the good bacteria to thrive. It is also thought they make food easier to digest and nutrients easier to absorb. But don’t go overboard as they do tend to be quite salty, use them more as a garnish or as a relish. Fermented foods are also very easy to make at home, with lots of recipes available online.
Dairy Products
Kefir is a traditional homemade fermented drink that contains milk with live bacteria and has the most scientific evidence to support its use. There are plenty of options on the market. If you are buying yoghurts, look for options that contain ‘live bacteria’.
Drinks
Kombucha is a type of fermented tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast. Its popularity has exploded in recent years so you should have no problems finding it in stores. There is limited research that confirms its benefit on gut health. However due to its content, leading researchers suggest it should contribute to an improvement.
If you enjoy the taste then go for it. Some brands I’ve enjoyed drinking include HOLOS, Equinox, Kombucha Kat and No 1 Living.
One word of caution is that if you have IBS, many of the fermented foods can trigger gut symptoms. Speak to your healthcare practitioner if you are concerned. Remember eating a variety of plant-based foods will also aid your gut health.
Another consideration is that taking probiotics doesn’t cancel out a poor diet. Research has found it is the diversity rather than the specific quantity of good bacteria that provide the most benefit to overall gut health.
Keep Up Your Carb Intake
The recent trend for low carb diets can have a negative impact on your gut health. Fibre itself is a type of carbohydrate and if you restrict it, you aren’t allowing your microbiome what it needs.
The general advice is that you should follow a healthy, balanced and sustainable diet that suits you.
Learn To Manage Stress
There’s no denying that life can be stressful. Juggling work, family commitments, financial pressures, injuries and illnesses. Research has shown that stress and anxiety has an effect on your microbiome and how your gut functions.
Remember those feelings of butterflies in your stomach or a much needed trip to the toilet before an important presentation? This is all due to the neural and physical connection (the Vagus nerve) that runs from your brain through to your gut. This is a two-way communication between the organs.
The way in which you manage stress and/or anxiety needs to work for you but exercise, yoga, mindfulness or meditation are all helpful tools. If you’re new to mindfulness or meditation, some apps that you should check out are the Nourish App and Clementine.
For more information and recipes read ‘Food for a Happy Gut’ by Naomi Devlin and the online resource The Gut Stuff or The Gut Health Doctor.
Bio
Rebecca Stevens (MSc, BSc, ANutr) is an AfN Registered Associate Nutritionist. For more information, check out her website.
Brilliant, excellent, and very informative! You have covered pretty much all about how to keep your gut healthy. You have mentioned how eating different types of plant-based food and avoiding processed food is good for health, something I was not familiar with but worth trying.
John Gatesby recently posted…Do I Have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)?