Foods To Keep Your Gut Healthy And Happy
(Vaidya) Dr. Piyush Juneja
Jun 5, 2024•3 min read
A healthy gut is crucial for the body’s well-being and is described as your “second brain.” It plays a key role in digestion, immunity-building and mood enhancement. Keeping the gut healthy by eating healthy food enhances good bacteria growth, speeds up digestion, and allows better nutrient absorption. Let’s discuss some of the best foods for gut health and how they work for you.
Best Foods For Gut Health
Greek Yogurt
The main shining star in the gut health diet is Greek yogurt. It contains live bacteria and yeast, which are commonly known as probiotics and are good for the digestive system. The probiotics allow for a healthy balance of gut microbiome. Greek yogurt will work well in improving your digestion and reducing any bloating or other discomforts. The thick and creamy texture makes it excellent for addition to smoothies, breakfast bowls or you could even have it plain with drizzled honey. Make sure to get unsweetened yogurt as added sugars can do some ugly things in the gut.
Kefir
Kefir is nothing but liquid yogurt and it contains more probiotics. This food for gut health is prepared when kefir grains are added to milk and left to ferment. The end product is quite tart and slightly fizzy with beneficial bacteria and yeasts. Kefir helps restore balance of good gut bacteria as well as improves digestion and immune system. If you’re lactose intolerant, consider using coconut milk for making kefir!
Sauerkraut
As one of the best gut foods, sauerkraut has been savoured for centuries not only for its taste, but also for its health benefits. Healthy bacteria in sauerkraut develops as it ferments, which helps to create a healthy gut.It contains all the probiotics, vitamins, and fiber, which would help you to have a healthy gut. Mixing a few spoons of sauerkraut with your daily meals would actually help in the digestion process and bring down the inflammation.
Kimchi
Kimchi is used in Korean cuisine for its spicy and sour taste. Similar to sauerkraut, this food to improve gut health is a fermented vegetable dish from cabbage, radish, and other greens. Kimchi is rich in probiotics, fiber, and vitamins that help the gut. Consume a meal full of kimchi for its anti-inflammatory benefits like regulates gut flora and improves digestion. Besides those health benefits, the spicy taste of kimchi makes this gut health diet amazing, when used with rice, soups, and wraps. For better gut benefits, find the old, classic kimchi with minimal preservatives. You'll be surprised by the difference!
Bananas
Bananas are the go-to food for gut health when you seek something gentle on your stomach. This fruit contains inulin, a prebiotic fiber that feeds good bacteria to your gut. Potassium and magnesium are just a couple of several nutrients in bananas that help with digestion and reduce bloating. Add bananas to your gut health diet, toss them in a smoothie, oatmeal, or just eat a banana on the go.
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are nutritional powerhouses that contain a lot of fiber. As foods to improve gut health, these seeds are essential for maintaining digestive health. Whipped in water or milk, chia seeds form a gel-like substance, which cleanses your digestive tract as a natural detoxifier. With high fiber content, everything stays normal inside your digestive system, which is very important for healthy gut life. Toss soaked chia seeds into your favorite smoothie, yogurt, or even overnight oats, and you're good to go!
Oats
Oats is another source of fiber, which contains soluble fiber, beta-glucan, that helps to support the growth of healthy gut bacteria. Apart from feeding good gut bacteria, this food for gut health helps balance your bowel movements and reduces constipation. Oats are versatile and easy to cook, like an oat-based smoothie is a great way to have them in a gut health diet. Sprinkle oats on yoghurt, chia seeds, or bananas to have a supercharged breakfast in the morning!
Garlic
Garlic also does much more than just flavour your food. As one of the best gut foods, it is a beneficial prebiotic that helps feed the good bacteria that live in your gut, supporting digestion and well-being of your immune system. Garlic contains inulin to stimulate beneficial bacteria growth, helping further with digestion while supporting the immunity. Add fresh garlic to your gut health diet, whether it is as a stir-fry, dressing for a salad, or any other dish.
Apples
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but it also keeps your gut at ease. Its strong sources of pectin, a family of soluble fibres with prebiotic functionality in the gut, helps feed the good bacteria and reduces inflammation in the body while bringing about better gut digestion. Whether raw, baked, or pureed into a smoothie, apples are a delicious and hassle-free way to feed your gut.
Conclusion
Adding these foods to improve gut health to your daily meals will make it easy to support your gut. These include probiotic foods such as Greek yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi, with high fiber in the oats, chia seeds, and apples that keep your gut running. A happy gut is a happy you!
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FAQs
What is a gut health diet?
Foods that have the power of probiotics and prebiotics nourish the gut microbiome.
How can I support my gut health with diet?
Get the power of probiotics and prebiotics through food like yogurt, kefir and kimchi. A diet rich in fiber such as bananas and apples will improve your digestive system.
How can I include gut health foods in my meals?
It is easy to incorporate gut-friendly foods in your meals, like include Greek yogurt as a breakfast bowl, add kefir in the smoothie and eat fermented vegetables as sauerkraut or kimchi in salads or as a side dish. Add some oats and chia seeds to your morning routine and keep bananas or apples around for snacks.
What foods should be avoided for gut health?
One should avoid or limit processed food, artificial sweeteners and alcohol.