In recent years, gut health awareness has seen a resurgence that is now reaching fever pitch. It seems that, after years of thinly justified cheat meals and tempting takeaways, we’re now more conscious of what we’re putting into our bellies than ever before. With this in mind, more and more people are on the lookout for foods, drinks and supplements that will keep them in their gut’s good graces.
For the uninitiated, your gut is home to trillions of microscopic workers that fight off harmful toxins and pathogens, while absorbing vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Together, these helpful bacteria make up your microbiome: a bustling ecosystem that pulls all of the resources you need from the food you eat.
The F-Word: Fibre
Fibre is essential for maintaining a healthy gut. It feeds and fuels beneficial microbes in your microbiome while producing SCFAs (short-chain fatty acids), which reduce inflammation and strengthen the lining of your gut.
On top of that, you’re probably aware that fibre is one of the best regulators for our bowel movements, helping to speed up digestion and prevent constipation. But you probably didn’t know that you’re almost certainly not eating enough of it. In fact, hardly anyone is.
Only 5% of us are getting the recommended amount of fibre every day, so here are some of the best fibre sources that you can include in your diet – no, it isn’t just fruit and vegetables.
- Split Peas: 16 grams per serving.
- Lentils: 15 grams per serving.
- Pistachios: 3 grams per serving.
- Bran Cereal: 10 grams per serving
- Raspberries: 8 grams per serving.
- Artichokes: 10 grams.
If you can hit your recommended fibre daily intake of 30 grams, you’ll start feeling the benefits within just a few days. You’ll also be less likely to encounter certain medical conditions in the long term, like pancreatic, stomach, and colorectal cancers.
Give Kefir a Try
Kefir is a probiotic fermented-milk drink that has seen a sharp increase in popularity over the past couple of years. If you’ve never tried it before, it tastes like a tangy natural yoghurt, but with a slightly thinner texture. It’s available in lots of different flavours, typically fruits like strawberry and raspberry.
But it isn’t just a pretty face. Kefir is full of diverse probiotics that help to flush out toxins in your microbiome and balance it with more helpful microbes that support digestion. In addition, it contains helpful anti-inflammatory compounds that can neutralise irritation – if you suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), this might be particularly helpful. Similarly, for those who are lactose intolerant, the fermentation process dramatically reduces the amount of lactose per serving, meaning it’s easily digestible.
There are also nutritional benefits to including some form of kefir in your diet, like the aforementioned drinks or kefir yoghurts. They’re low in fat and often a good source of protein, averaging 10-20 grams per serving. Moreover, they are packed with vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins B, B12, K, magnesium and calcium.
Stay Hydrated!
We aren’t drinking enough water. Why not? We all know it is literally essential for living, yet the majority of us are falling short when it comes to staying hydrated. Aside from the infinite number of other essential bodily functions that’d be impossible without water, our guts have a lot to gain when it comes to increasing our water intake.
Water is not only critical for the production of stomach acid (which helps to initially dissolve the nutrients we ingest), but it also prevents constipation when it is absorbed by fibre, which softens stools and means they can pass on smoothly. If you’re dehydrated, your intestines will absorb more water from the stools, which makes them harder and drier, leading to constipation and potentially haemorrhoids.
Much like fibre and kefir, good, old-fashioned water will transform a dry, barren microbiome into a paradise of optimal digestion, as the water you drink will increase the diversity of bacteria within your gut, reducing vulnerability to toxins and pathogens and enhancing the body’s immune function.
In Conclusion
It seems contradictory that so many of us are looking everywhere for new ways to improve our gut health, yet we already have such obvious gaps in our diets that need to be filled. The facts of the matter, to name a couple, are that we aren’t eating anywhere near enough fibre, and too many of us are forgetting to stay hydrated. If we can make consistent improvements in these areas, then adding kefir to our diets is the cherry on top.
Our microbiomes are complicated ecosystems, so it’s therefore easy to overcomplicate how we can best optimise them to improve digestion. But at the end of the day, the simplest steps forward are the easiest to maintain, so if we can master the basics, we give our gut the strongest foundation to thrive.
