The gut is command central for the health of your digestive tract and immune system. Surprisingly, 70% of your immune system is in your gut. The mucus membranes and tight junctions that line this region are home to 70% of your immune cells and play a key role in immune surveillance, patrolling your body for harmful bacteria and viruses.
Your gut microbiome is made up of trillions of bacteria that live inside your digestive tract. These bacteria play a key role in nutrient absorption, immune health, and protection against infection. Plus, your gut and brain connect via an important nerve called the vagus nerve. Therefore, what happens in your gut affects your mental and physical health.
Among the most influential players in your gut are the microorganisms that live there. The lining of your intestinal tract is home to trillions of bacterial cells. Research into the gut microbiome is in its infancy. Nevertheless, a more diverse microbiome (with more bacterial species) is most beneficial for health.
Now, let’s look at some gut health hacks you can use to keep your microbiome, gut fit, and healthy.
Think Out of the Package
Most packaged foods are ultra-processed and low in fiber content. Studies show that people obtain about half of the fiber their bodies need for microbiome health. When you add more fiber to your diet, the gut microbiome changes quickly. One study found that increasing fiber intake for two weeks significantly altered the gut microbiome. Therefore, if you like instant gratification, adding more fiber will give you results quickly.
Despite these benefits, there are downsides to adding too much fiber to your diet too quickly. Your gut needs time to adapt to a higher fiber diet, thus introduce fiber in increments and give your gut a chance to adapt. Otherwise, you may experience bloating and flatulence. As a perk, studies show that a diet higher in fiber may reduce inflammatory markers.
Stay Away from Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners
It is no secret that sugar isn’t good for your health, but can it also harm your gut microbiome? Studies in animals show that sugar disrupts the gut microbiome and triggers intestinal inflammation. Whether this occurs in humans is unclear. However, it’s wise to avoid foods with added sugar and learn to enjoy foods in their natural state.
What about artificial sweeteners? They might sound like a healthier alternative to sugar, but there is evidence they negatively impact metabolic health, like sugar. In addition, there are concerns that such sweeteners alter the gut microbiome. So far, research has shown that saccharin and sucralose, the sweeteners in Sweet and Low and Splenda change the gut microbiome. It’s an area that needs more research. The best approach is not to go overboard with any sweetener and learn to appreciate the taste of whole, unprocessed foods without added sugar.
Correct Food Intolerances
Food intolerance can disrupt your gut health, and you may have them and not know it. These are not true allergies, since your immune system isn’t directly involved, but that doesn’t make them less disruptive to your gut. If you have a food intolerance, you might develop bloating, flatulence, or diarrhea when you eat it because your digestive tract can break down the components of that food.
An example, lactose intolerance is a common food intolerance in adults. As you grow older, you produce less lactase, an enzyme that breaks down the lactose sugar in dairy products. People with lactose intolerance develop food intolerance symptoms when consuming dairy foods, particularly milk.
The best way to determine whether you have a food allergy is to keep a food diary. Write down the foods you eat and the symptoms you experience each day and look for an association between specific foods and symptoms.
Add Fermented Foods to Your Diet
Fermented foods are rich in probiotic bacteria that boost the diversity of the gut microbiome. Now that you know that a more varied gut microbiome is better, it’s easy to see why fermented foods offer benefits. The most popular fermented food is yogurt with active cultures, but you can get probiotic bacteria by consuming fermented vegetables, such as fresh sauerkraut too. The added benefit of fermented vegetables is that they also contain the fiber gut bacteria need for energy and survival. You can even make fermented vegetables at home.
Limit Antibiotic Use
The use of antibiotics can save lives; however, they are often overprescribed for viral infections. Studies show it can take up to 8 months or longer for your gut microbiome to recover from a single course of antibiotics. If you need antibiotics, take them, but question your healthcare provider if they write a prescription for one. Antibiotics don’t shorten the course of a viral infection, and most upper respiratory infections are viral. If you take an antibiotic, add fermented foods to your diet or take a high-quality probiotic.
The Bottom Line
Gut health matters. The healthy gut is the foundation of a healthy body. As Hippocrates wisely said, ‘All diseases begin in the gut’. Take care of yours by adopting these healthy approaches to support digestion and gut microbiome health. Here’s to a healthy gut!
References:
- Genome Med. 2021 Jun 17;13(1):102. doi: 10.1186/s13073-021-00921-y.
- Myhrstad MCW, Tunsjø H, Charnock C, Telle-Hansen VH. Dietary Fiber, Gut Microbiota, and Metabolic Regulation-Current Status in Human Randomized Trials. Nutrients. 2020 Mar 23;12(3):859. doi: 10.3390/nu12030859. PMID: 32210176; PMCID: PMC7146107.
- Within NNSs, only saccharin and sucralose shift the populations of gut microbiota.
- “Microbiome study explains how sugar hijacks an essential ….” 28 Oct. 2020, .inverse.com/mind-body/how-does-sugar-influence-the-microbiome.
- Dethlefsen L, Relman DA. Incomplete recovery and individualized responses of the human distal gut microbiota to repeated antibiotic perturbation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Mar 15;108 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):4554-61. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1000087107. Epub 2010 Sep 16. PMID: 20847294; PMCID: PMC3063582.
- Shreiner AB, Kao JY, Young VB. The gut microbiome in health and in disease. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2015 Jan;31(1):69-75. doi: 10.1097/MOG.0000000000000139. PMID: 25394236; PMCID: PMC4290017.
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