Ask YOUR PHARMACIST
Q I’m trying to improve the health of my gut, so I’m wondering if taking a daily probiotic is essential. Are there any foods I should be eating, or any that should be avoided, to help improve my gut health?
Chemist Warehouse pharmacist Yuan Meng has this advice: Gut health has become an increasingly popular health topic over the last few years, and probiotics and diet are some of the subjects people most commonly have questions about.
Probiotics come in many different forms. Within the pharmacy they are often found in capsules sitting on the shelf or in the fridge, while in the supermarket they are readily seen in products such as yogurt and kombucha. Probiotics is a term that describes a product containing lots of “good” bacteria that is said to bring benefits to your gut and help support your current gut microflora.
Our gut microflora contains billions of microorganisms that work hard to build a strong barrier against toxins and “bad” bacteria, which in turn improves digestion and nutrient absorption and also helps to restore the gut microflora to a healthy state following any disturbance. With these effects in mind, it’s easy to see why probiotics may benefit individuals with certain gut-related conditions. However, it is important to remember that everyone is different and will therefore respond to products differently.
So, if you want to give probiotics a try, it is best to use them for at least four weeks to see if this is the right option for you.
Food is another major component that determines the health of your gut. Many health professionals will often suggest people try different things with their diet to find the right foods that make their gut the happiest.
Fibre-rich whole foods are always a good place to start experimenting – see what your gut likes, as there are so many options. Some good examples of fibre-rich whole foods are vegetables, fruits, wholegrains and legumes, as well as nuts and seeds. Fermented foods such as kimchi and kefir are also a good choice to make your gut happy, as they contain lots of healthy bacteria. There are also foods that can increase your gut’s workload, such as fatty fried foods, which are much harder to digest and can go on to cause stomach pain and heartburn.
Making changes to your diet can feel quite challenging, but you can always start with small tweaks, such as swapping out white bread for wholegrain or choosing to swap your daily snack for fruit. However, you should always keep in mind that the benefits from the food eaten today will last for only a short while, so if you are aiming for long-term benefits, it is important to stay consistent.
Overall, everyone is different, so it may take some experimentation with probiotics or different diets before you can find the right combination to help support your gut to be a healthy and happy one.