A GUT FEELING
At this time of year, many of us are trying to move away from the rich and heavy foods of the festive season and eat things that are better for us. But what about the centre of the digestive action, our gut? Here are some easy ways to give your gut a boost and enhance your overall well-being:
1. Take probiotics and eat fermented foods
For a number of reasons, including taking antibiotics or having a bre-poor diet, the bene cial bacteria in your gut can become unbalanced and do fewer of the good things, such as creating vitamins and other essential nutrients as well as allowing us to digest a wide range of foods. To boost the bene cial bacteria, or probiotics, you can take probiotic-enriched foods or supplements. There is research that suggests probiotics taken this way can support a healthy microbiome in the gut and may prevent in ammation and other gut problems. Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut (and other fermented vegetables), ke r and some live yogurts are sources of probiotics.
2. Eat more fibre
Probiotic bacteria feed on otherwise indigestible carbohydrates/plant bres often called prebiotics. Having enough of these foods in your diet – which includes ordinary things like asparagus, bananas, garlic & onions and wholegrains – encourages bene cial bacteria to multiply.
3. Eat less sugar and sweeteners
Eating a lot of sugar may cause an imbalance of gut microbes. Research has suggested that the standard Western diet, high in sugar and fat, negatively a ects the gut microbiome, with many implications for health elsewhere in the body. There is also some evidence that using the arti cial sweetener, aspartame, increases the number of bacterial strains that are linked with metabolic disease, which in turn is linked to an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.
4. Only take antibiotics when necessary
Obviously, your doctor will know the best course of treatment for an illness, but many doctors feel pressured to prescribe antibiotics for illnesses that antibiotics have no e ect on, such as viral infections. This is especially true at this time of the year, when it often seems every second person is coughing and spluttering. While antibiotics are essential at times, it is worth noting that they have the major side-e ect of killing o many of the bene cial gut bacteria, resulting in a changed gut microbiome after the antibiotics are nished, an e ect that can be seen many months later.