Factors to improve Gut Health: A well-maintained healthy gut holds the key to a disease-free body. Gut health is heavily dependent on the abundance and the types of microbial colonies in the stomach. Many factors manage increasing colonies of gut bacteria, and diet is one of the most important and direct ones. Monika Manchanda, Chief Culinary Officer & Co-founder of LiveAltLife, shares some factors below that benefit gut microbes and improve our health.
Diet
Eating a diverse diet and including various foods can provide gut bacteria with multiple nutrients that support microbial colonies. In addition, two major categories of foods, probiotics and prebiotics, hold critical importance in maintaining and improving gut health and even alleviating gut disorders.
Probiotics
- They are fermented foods containing live bacteria that are good for our gut. Once eaten, the bacteria in probiotics settle in the intestines and colonize. Here, they help in digesting the food we eat and release beneficial post-fermentation products called post-biotics. They can even fight chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and even some cancers.
- Examples – Traditional curd and buttermilk, pickled vegetables and fruits, kombucha, kimchi, kefir, tempeh, aged cheeses, etc.
Prebiotics
- Also called the dietary fibres, they are the non-digestible part of certain foods. They are usually passed undigested and settle in the large intestine, where gut bacteria use them for their nourishment. It is therefore essential to include them in the diet regularly to keep the bacteria from starving.
- Examples – garlic, cold potato, onions, leeks, shallots, beans, lentils, pineapple, avocados, bananas, apples, almonds, pistachios, flaxseeds, etc.
Conclusion
Certain other factors play an essential role in strengthening gut muscles and improving gut bacteria - Physical activity like cardio workouts, stretching and weight-lifting, proper sleeping schedules, destressing through yoga and meditation, staying hydrated, reducing antibiotics consumption, refraining from processed and pre-packaged foods, etc.