What should I eat to improve Gut Health?
by Dr. Marli Botha
Gut health refers to the balance of micro-organisms that live in the digestive tract. Looking after the health of the gut and maintaining the right balance of these micro-organisms is vital for physical and mental health, immunity, and more…
Fortunately, just like there are a lot of things that can contribute to an unhealthy gut, there are a lot of things you can do to improve your gut health and bring your body back into balance:
5 Ways to Improve your Gut Health:
- Eat a diverse range of foods, in particular, legumes, beans and fruit that contain lots of fibre and can promote the growth of healthy Bifidobacteria as well as fermented foods such as yogurt and sauerkraut. These all contain healthy bacteria, mainly Lactobacilli, and can reduce the amount of disease-causing species in the gut.
- Eat prebiotic foods that stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria. Prebiotic-rich foods include artichokes, bananas, asparagus, oats and apples.
- Whole grains contain lots of fiber and beneficial carbs like beta-glucan, which are digested by gut bacteria to benefit your overall health.
- Increase your intake of polyphenols, plant compounds, found in red wine, green tea, dark chocolate, olive oil and whole grains.
- Take antibiotics only when necessary because they kill many bad and good bacteria in the gut microbiome, possibly contributing to weight gain and antibiotic resistance.
It is important to mention that no food is meant to be a cure-all for any condition, though there are certainly health and skin benefits contained within them. The one thing you should always do before using a new skin care product is to do a patch test to look for allergies and sensitivities.
