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What to Eat for Gut Health: 7 Foods
20.02.2024 22:10
Eating a diet rich in any whole plant foods will benefit your gut health.
However, some specific foods offer even more benefits for your microbiome.
Without further ado, here are some of the best foods you should include in your diet to improve your gut health.
Sauerkraut
Raw, unfermented sauerkraut is teeming with bacteria, and the good kind! The living nature of the enzymes means it takes some getting used to, so start with small amounts of sauerkraut – a teaspoon per meal – to get used to it.
Polyphenols
Polyphenols are protective compounds found in many plant foods and are typically found in higher amounts in brightly colored fruits and vegetables.
Your gut microbes convert polyphenols from plants into something your body can use.
Plus, they have antioxidant properties and act as mini-cheerleaders for your microbes, helping them perform at their best. Colorful vegetables, fruits, tea, coffee, dark chocolate, legumes, and olive oil are all good sources of polyphenols.
Fiber
You'll get it if you eat plenty of the above! But most of us don't get enough fiber each day—you need at least 30 grams.
Fiber feeds gut bacteria and also increases stool bulk and softness, which helps maintain regularity.
Eat whole fruits and vegetables, including the skin if it's edible. Nuts, seeds, and legumes are also great. Start slowly, with an extra serving of fiber per day, and then gradually increase.
Kimchi
This dish originates from Korea, which has a history of over 3,000 years, where salt was used as a way to preserve vegetables during the cold winter months.
It usually contains cabbage and flavorings such as garlic, ginger, and chili peppers. Like sauerkraut, it contains live bacteria. Gradually add it to your diet and build up the volume.
Kombucha
If you like fermented foods, you'll love refreshing tonics like kombucha. It's made using live cultures called "grains" or "SCOBYs."
The cultures feed on the sugars in the enzymes, turning them into small amounts of alcohol, acetic acid, and carbon monoxide while the microbes multiply. It's a great alternative to preservative-laden sodas.
Kefir
This is another fermented drink, usually made from dairy, although you can make it from non-dairy milk products and even water.
Kefir grains are added to milk and water and ferment either natural sugars or added sugars (usually in water kefir), the by-products making it sour and slightly fizzy.
Kefir grains digest most of the lactose (milk sugar), making it easier for those with lactose intolerance to digest.
Leaven
Traditional sourdough is a living culture of flour and water, called a "mother" or "starter," containing a mixture of lactobacilli and yeast.
They produce beneficial byproducts that are good for your gut. The minerals iron, magnesium, and zinc also become more available during the fermentation process.
Sourdough can be stored for ages with minimal care, ready to bake whenever you want.
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