The condition of our gut contributes to our general health and well-being. It contains healthy bacteria and immune cells that fight infectious agents. So how do we keep it healthy? And what are the ways to improve gut health? A healthy gut has a massive contribution to a robust immune system, heart health, brain health, mood, sleep, and digestion. Why? The 40 trillion bacteria in our body that reside in our intestines, called the gut microbiota, are essential to our health. This microbiota contributes 50% of our body’s cellar makeup. If our gut is adequately taken care of, some bacteria can also bring many diseases. And the kind of bacteria that resides in our gut will depend on the food that we eat. Below are several ways to improve gut health.
Eat Vegetables And Fruits
Keeping your gut healthy doesn’t need to be expensive. Many vegetables and fruits are fiber-rich, which is essential for stimulating the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. High-fiber foods include beans and legumes, green peas, whole grains, raspberries, and broccoli.
Eat a Variety Of Nutritious Foods
Your intestines have hundreds of species of bacteria residing. Each bacteria has a specific role in your health, and each species requires a particular nutrient to grow. When you eat a diverse range of food, it will sustain the nutrients needed by each species. A diverse diet will lead to diverse microbiota, which is beneficial to your health.
Include Fermented Foods In Your Diet
Fermented food like kimchi and yogurts are rich in lactobacilli. Lactobacilli are good bacteria that are beneficial to your health. It can help reduce cholesterol and prevent diarrhea. Fermented foods are also good antioxidants, antifungal, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory. Therefore, it enhances the microbiota function and prevents the accumulation of disease-causing bacteria.
Avoid Sugar And Artificial Sweeteners
Consumption of too much sugar and artificial sweeteners can eliminate the beneficial bacteria in your gut. They have adverse effects on the gut microbiota, therefore compromising your health, specifically your blood sugar.
Eat Probiotic Food
Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain probiotics that help the growth of beneficial microbiota. Probiotics have also been proven to reduce symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Other than that, it aids in the metabolic process.
Choose A Plant-Based Diet
Eating more vegetables is beneficial than eating meat. It is because veggies have a higher content of fiber which is good for your gut. According to a study, vegetarian people have a low risk of cholesterol problems, diabetes, and obesity. However, eating meat sometimes is not that bad because nutrients, in essence, like protein, are also essential to our health.
Include Food Rich In Polyphenols In Your Diet
Food with polyphenols includes; cocoa, green tea, almonds, onions, broccoli, red wine, and blueberries. These foods have many health benefits like; they help reduce blood pressure, prevent inflammation, reduce cholesterol level, and oxidative stress. Polyphenols cannot be digested by our body cells, but our gut microbiota breaks them down.
Final Words
Gut health is essential because of its significant impact on our general health. If you don’t take care of it properly, like you don’t watch what you eat, some bacteria can cause diseases. To have a healthy gut, follow the number of ways to improve gut health mentioned above.
