5 ways to improve gut health

The gut microbiome — the bacteria, fungi and other microbes that live inside our gut — plays a role in many aspects of our health.

Having an abundant and diverse colony can help our bodies improve immune function, synthesize nutrients, control appetite and improve our mental well-being.

You can affect the health of your microbiome (for better or for worse!) based on the lifestyle choices you make on a daily basis.

Improving the microbiome is “a worthwhile investment,” says clinical scientist Sunni Patel. “And you’re never too young or too old” to begin with, he adds.

Studies have shown that environmental factors like diet have more of an impact than your genes on your gut health.

This means that what you eat is not only nourishing you, but also feeding and altering the trillions of microbes that live and thrive in your gut.

You can change these bacteria quickly, in a few days even, but it can take several months and routine maintenance for the changes and long-term benefits to appear, explains Patel.

But how do you do it?

eat vegetables

Plant-based foods like legumes, vegetables, fruits, pulses, seeds, nuts and whole grains contain the fiber your microbes love.

The microorganisms in your gut feed on the fiber you eat that is not digested in your small intestine.

“I recommend aiming for 30 ‘plant points’ every week,” says Megan Rossi, also known as The Gut Health Doctor (“the gut health doctor”), which means eating 30 different plant foods over seven days.

A healthy gut has a diverse community of microbes — each of which prefers different foods; so the more variety in your diet, the more diverse bacteria will thrive in your gut.

In addition to eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, you can increase your fiber intake by opting for whole-grain pasta, brown rice, and whole-grain bread.

While it is best to eat several of these fiber-rich foods, it has been found that simply increasing the amount of fiber you consume by as little as 6g a day (the amount in a bowl of high-fiber breakfast cereal or 2 thick slices of wholegrain bread) to have a beneficial effect on intestinal bacteria.

Eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables can also be beneficial, as it provides a variety of phytochemicals, compounds produced by plants that can help increase some types of gut bacteria.

Certain types of fiber and carbohydrates have been found to particularly stimulate the growth of friendly bacteria in the gut. Known as prebiotic foods, these everyday ingredients are an inexpensive and easy addition to your diet.

Bananas, onions, chives, garlic, cabbage, leeks, oats, asparagus, nectarines, blueberries and grapefruit are all prebiotic foods.

Following a diverse Mediterranean diet will ensure that you consume a lot of these foods.

It’s best to gradually increase the amount of fiber you eat, as well as drink more water, to avoid symptoms such as gas or bloating from changing your diet.

Some people may be sensitive to fiber. If this seems to be the case for you, check with your doctor before making any major changes to your diet.

Bet on fermented

Yogurt with live cultures, kefir (drink like yogurt, fermented from milk), kombucha (type of fermented tea), kimchi (spice made from fermented vegetables), natto (dish made from fermented soybeans) and sauerkraut (canned fermented cabbage) are some options.

These fermented foods have been transformed by microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast, traditionally as a way of preserving food or adding flavor.

Wine, cheese, bread, vinegar, and some pickles are also fermented, but may no longer contain live bacteria.

Several studies suggest that live microorganisms from fermented foods manage to reach the gut and can influence the microbiome, but more research is needed to understand the health benefits this has.

Regardless, many fermented foods are nutritious, containing vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, such as fiber, protein, and fat, necessary for good health. And they are delicious.

Fermented foods are cheap and easy to make at home. But if you’re shopping at the supermarket, check the label first, as sauerkraut and kimchi made with vinegar or pasteurized (killing bacteria) will not contain the beneficial microorganisms, although they will still be tasty.

Limit ultra-processed foods

Tim Spector, a professor at King’s College London, UK, advises limiting the amount of ultra-processed products in your diet, as they “reduce the diversity of bacteria” in your gut.

Highly processed, or ultra-processed, foods have also been linked to “bad” gut microbes by some research Spector has participated in.

There could be several reasons for this.

Processed foods can take the place of unprocessed foods with more fiber in your overall diet.

The food structure, or food matrix, is disrupted by mechanical or chemical processes, making food more quickly digestible so that it does not reach the large intestine.

The researchers suggested that this could also be due to the addition of sugar, fat, salt and other additives in these foods. More research needs to be done in this area.

Forget the late night snacks

Leaving a 12-hour gap between dinner and breakfast, called intermittent fasting, can benefit your gut microbes, explains Professor Spector, in his book Spoon-Fed.

One explanation behind the potential benefit could be that gut microbes “need to rest and recover as part of their daily circadian rhythm, which can be important for gut health,” he adds.

Other studies showed that after Ramadan, people who were fasting had increased levels of beneficial gut bacteria and microbial variety (greater number of different species in the microbiome).

But these studies are small and limited to specific ethnic groups—so more research needs to be done in this area.

And changing your eating pattern may not be helpful or beneficial for everyone, especially if it means replacing a healthy homemade breakfast with a processed convenience store snack later.

Do exercise

A recent small study looked at the impact of a nine-week indoor cycling program on college-age men in the US and found that the participants’ microbiome composition improved after the trial ended.

These results are similar to several previous studies, suggesting that exercise may alter the composition of gut bacteria, leading to “possible benefits for the host”.

The authors of the recent paper noted that “exercise, particularly high-intensity exercise, can promote a spontaneous shift in food choices in a healthier direction” and therefore “some changes in gut microbiota may be due to differences in food intake in addition to exercise.” in itself”.

A healthier microbiome is just one of the benefits you can get from a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help prevent food-related illness and provide you with the energy and nutrients you need to stay active and maintain a healthy weight, according to the UK Public Health System (NHS). in English).

Read the entirety of this report (in English) on the website BBC Food.