EAsy wAys to boost gut heAlth

Dietitian Dr MEGAN ROSSI explains exactly why the trillions of bacteria that live inside you are so beneficial and what you need to do to look after them

ANYONE with stomach problems, such as bloating and IBS-type symptoms, is likely to be aware of the importance of gut bacteria. But improving the diversity of the trillions of bacteria that live in our gut (38 trillion is a commonly quoted figure) is increasingly being seen as a way to achieve good health in general.

Around 1,000 to 1,500 species of bacteria have been identified in the gut microbiota (the mixture of bacteria, yeasts and fungi found in the digestive tract), and study after study is showing the potential importance that diversity has for maintaining good health.

This is more helpful than talking about good and bad bacteria, which gives the impression that taking a probiotic can cancel out eating a bad diet, when it can’t. Research suggests the state of our microbiota may affect a multitude of health issues, from general immunity, IBS, bloating, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis to the stiffness of the arteries in heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions and even mental health problems. “We now believe the gut microbiota can affect just about every organ in the body and is very important in the body’s immune system,” says dietitian Dr Megan Rossi, research fellow at King’s College London, who also runs The Gut Health Clinic in London’s Harley Street.

“It’s early days, in that we’ve yet to determine whether intervening on the gut microbes can improve the health of our other organs, with diets targeting gut microbes, but that’s where science is heading. It’s looking promising in many areas, including mental health,” she says.

Here, Megan explains how to achieve a healthy gut based on the latest science and research.

“You need to eat as wide a range of plant-based foods as possible,” advises Megan. “I tell people to aim for 30 different types each week – that’s nuts, seeds, wholegrains, legumes and fruit and vegetables. Research has suggested that if you’re having fewer than 10 of these plant-based foods a week, your microbial diversity isn’t very strong.

“Vary the foods you eat from week to week and always be open to trying new things.”

Eat fibre-rich foods. The fibre found in high-fibre foods including beans, pulses, artichokes, legumes and Brussels sprouts, contain prebiotics that ‘feed’ the beneficial bacteria that live in your gut. If you can increase the amount of fibre you eat, it will benefit pretty much every organ in your body, including your heart.

“Current Department of Health guidelines recommend we should be eating 30g fibre a day, but most of us are only eating 19g,” says Megan.

“I believe we should be aiming even higher. Increase the amount you eat gradually to give your body time to adjust to it.”

Include healthy fermented foods in your diet every day. Fermentation involves bacteria or yeast to make foods such as yogurt, kefir (a fermented drink made from milk that contains live bacteria) and kombucha (made from fermented tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast).

They generally contain a range of different types of bacteria so are believed to be beneficial for the gut microbiome. “Kefir is the one with the most scientific evidence behind