How to optimise your gut health

21 Health Tips for 2021 Reading How to optimise your gut health 4 minutes Next Healthy Shopping Basket Boosts

1. Focus on fibre

Soluble fibres and resistant starch are a great source of energy for your good gut bacteria to feed on. Many of these are classified as prebiotics, as they are proven to benefit your health indirectly, through the stimulation and growth of good bacterial species.

Good sources of prebiotics include:

Vegetables (e.g. Jerusalem artichokes, chicory, garlic, onion, leeks, shallots, spring onion, asparagus, beetroot, fennel, cabbage, green peas and sweetcorn)
Legumes (e.g. soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, red kidney beans, baked beans)
Fruit (e.g. apples, nectarines, white peaches, watermelon, grapefruit, pomegranate and dried fruits)
Nuts (e.g. cashews and pistachios)

Just remember, as you increase your fibre intake, drink more water too, or you may end up feeling a little bunged up.

2. Choose fats wisely

The quality and quantity of the fat you eat could have an effect on your gastrointestinal ecosystem. Experimental studies show a diet high in fats, particularly saturated fats, reduce good gut bacteria while increasing bad gut bacteria. Conversely, a diet that is high in unsaturated fats (especially from fish oils) was found to increase beneficial bacterial species.

3. Consider probiotics

Probiotics are live, friendly bacteria taken orally, that survive the digestion process to populate your gut. They have shown real promise in modulating the gut microbiome and, in turn, influencing health outcomes. By promoting beneficial gut bacteria, they can indirectly increase the production of anti-inflammatory markers, which is particularly relevant in chronic inflammatory conditions. While further research is needed to better understand efficacy of different bacterial species and optimal dosing, they are generally regarded as safe and could well be worth a go.

Probiotics are also naturally present in some fermented foods, so you can boost your intake by consuming live yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, miso, tempeh and pickles (e.g. gherkins).

4. Fill up on polyphenols

'Dietary polyphenols' might be hard to pronounce, but they are well known for their antioxidant properties. In addition to protecting us from oxidative stress, they promote the growth of friendly bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. And, as if by magic, nature packages these little beauties in some of the best tasting healthy foods you can find: fruits, vegetables, seeds, tea, cocoa, and even wine. Herbs and spices, such as oregano, black pepper, cayenne pepper, ginger, rosemary and fenugreek are rich in phenolic compounds. They also exhibiting prebiotic potential, by selectively stimulating good bacterial species. Why not spice up your life and your gut health with some of these delicious, antioxidant polyphenols!

In summary, for us to optimise our gut microbiome, all the evidence – once again – highlights the need for us to move away from our typical Western diet, high in refined carbohydrates, processed meats and saturated fats, in favour of a balanced and diverse diet, packed with fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds, with some probiotics and polyphenols thrown in for good measure. Delish!

You can also add a good quality supplement to your daily routine, just make sure it contains high quality probiotics and prebiotics, like our own Gut Health capsules.