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OPTIMIZE YOUR GUT to Fight Disease: New Science of Eating Well - Dr. Tim Spector X Rich Roll PodcastOptimizing gut health -
Consider trying one or more of the following to improve your gut health naturally:. Chronic high levels of stress are hard on your whole body, including your gut. This is because your body releases certain hormones when it experiences stress.
High levels of these hormones affect your body and may compromise gut health. A few ways to lower stress may include:. Not getting enough or sufficient quality of sleep may have serious impacts on your gut health, which can in turn contribute to more sleep issues.
Try to prioritize getting at least 7—8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. Your doctor may be able to help if you have trouble sleeping. Chewing your food thoroughly and eating your meals more slowly may lower your chances of developing obesity and diabetes while also helping you make better food choices.
Drinking plenty of water may be linked to increased diversity of bacteria in the gut, though the source of the water also matters. One study also found that people who drank more water had less of a type of bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal infections.
Staying hydrated benefits your health overall and can help prevent constipation. It may also be a simple way to promote a healthy gut. While research is ongoing, adding a prebiotic or probiotic supplement to your diet may help improve your gut health.
People who have a severe illness or a weakened immune system should not take probiotics. Also, not all probiotic supplements are high quality or beneficial for your health.
You can try eliminating common trigger foods to see if your symptoms improve. Reducing the amount of processed, sugary, and high fat foods that you eat may lead to better gut health. Eating a diet high in fiber likely contributes to a healthy gut microbiome as well.
You may also positively impact your gut by eating foods high in micronutrients called polyphenols present in:. Diet and gut health appear to be very closely linked. Avoiding processed foods, high fat foods, and foods high in refined sugars is likely important for maintaining a healthy microbiome, as these foods may promote the growth of damaging bacteria.
You can eat certain foods that actively promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, contributing to your overall health. These superfoods for gut health include:. Research indicates that high fiber foods have a positive impact on gut health. These foods include:. According to a study in rodents, garlic may increase gut microbiome diversity and improve gut health.
A small study of 49 people similarly found that aged garlic extract increased diversity and levels of beneficial bacteria. Still, more research in humans should be done. Fermented foods are great dietary sources of probiotics. Examples include:. Research suggests that consuming these foods may improve the gut microbiome.
Collagen-rich foods such as bone broth and salmon skin may be beneficial for both overall health and gut health. A study indicated that supplements with collagen may benefit the gut microbiome in mice, though further research is needed.
To help your body make collagen, try eating more:. Each of these elements varies in different people, influencing their gut microbiomes in different ways. This variation results in individuals having unique gut microbiomes. According to one small study of 16 people, fasting was linked to lower levels of a bacteria that promotes colorectal cancer.
Research in animals also shows the benefits of fasting. A study in fruit flies found that intermittent fasting appeared to improve gut health and increase lifespan.
Another study in mice indicated that fasting promoted the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and reduced inflammation in the intestines. Some studies have found no impact of probiotics on the gut microbiome.
Still, other research suggests that probiotics may significantly affect the makeup of the gut microbiome and positively impact other areas of health, like immunity. You can improve your gut health by taking steps to improve your overall health.
This can include eating more fiber-rich foods, eating fewer ultra-processed foods, getting enough sleep, and managing your stress levels.
Some signs of unbalanced gut bacteria can include upset stomach, unintentional weight changes, and fatigue. The human gut is complex. While research is ongoing, it seems clear that the gut microbiome impacts whole-body health. A healthy gut contributes to:. Lifestyle and dietary changes may positively affect not only your gut health but your overall health.
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It can be found in leafy greens, vegetable oils, and broccoli. L-citrulline is an amino acid made naturally in your body.
It may also be taken as a supplement to help boost exercise performance, lower blood…. Gut health refers to the balance of microorganisms that live in the digestive tract. Looking after the health of the gut and maintaining the right balance of these microorganisms is vital for physical and mental health, immunity, and more.
Many microbes are beneficial for human health, and some are even essential. Others can be harmful, especially when they multiply.
In this article, we list 10 scientifically supported ways to improve the gut microbiome and enhance overall health.
To boost the beneficial bacteria, or probiotics, in the gut, some people choose to take probiotic supplements. These are available in health food stores, drug stores, and online.
Some research has suggested that taking probiotics can support a healthy gut microbiome, and that it may prevent gut inflammation and other intestinal problems.
Probiotics feed on nondigestible carbohydrates called prebiotics. This process encourages beneficial bacteria to multiply in the gut. Research from suggested that prebiotics may help probiotics become more tolerant to certain environmental conditions, including pH and temperature changes. People who want to enhance their gut health may wish to include more of the following prebiotic-rich foods in their diet:.
Eating a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners may cause gut dysbiosis, which is an imbalance of gut microbes.
The authors of a study in animals suggested that the standard Western diet, which is high in sugar and fat, negatively affects the gut microbiome.
In turn, this can influence the brain and behavior. Another animal study reported that the artificial sweetener aspartame increases the number of some bacterial strains that are linked with metabolic disease.
Metabolic disease refers to a group of conditions that increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Research has also indicated that human use of artificial sweeteners can negatively impact blood glucose levels due to their effects on gut flora. This means that artificial sweeteners may increase blood sugar despite not actually being a sugar.
Managing stress is important for many aspects of health, including gut health. Animal studies have suggested that psychological stressors can disrupt the microorganisms in the intestines, even if the stress is only short-lived. In humans, a variety of stressors can negatively affect gut health, including:.
Some stress management techniques include meditation, deep breathing exercises, and progressive muscle relaxation. Although it is often necessary to take antibiotics to combat bacterial infections, overuse is a significant public health concern that can lead to antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotics are also damaging to the gut microbiota and immunity, with some research reporting that even 6 months after their use, the gut still lacks several species of beneficial bacteria. As a result, the CDC recommend that people discuss antibiotics and alternative options with their doctor before use.
Regularly exercising contributes to good heart health and weight loss or weight maintenance. Research has also suggested that it may also improve gut health, which may, in turn, help control obesity.
Working out may increase species diversity. A study found that athletes had a larger variety of gut flora than nonathletes. However, the athletes also ate a different diet to the control group, which could account for the differences in their microbiomes.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults engage in at least minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week, along with muscle strengthening activities on 2 or more days each week.
A animal study indicated that irregular sleep habits and disturbed sleep can have negative outcomes for the gut flora, which may increase the risk of inflammatory conditions. Establish healthful sleep habits by going to bed and getting up at the same time each day.
Adults should get at least 7 hours of sleep per night. Just as antibiotics can disrupt the gut microbiota, so too can disinfectant cleaning products, according to the results of one study. The research analyzed the gut flora of over infants ages 3—4 months.
The researchers found that those who lived in homes where people used disinfectant cleaning products at least weekly were twice as likely to have higher levels of Lachnospiraceae gut microbes, a type associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity. At age 3, these infants had a higher body mass index BMI than children without exposure to such high levels of disinfectants.
Smoking affects gut health as well as the health of the heart and lungs. It also greatly increases the risk of cancer. A review of research published over a year period found that smoking alters the intestinal flora by increasing potentially harmful microorganisms and decreasing the levels of beneficial ones.
These effects may increase the risk of intestinal and systemic conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease IBD. Studies have demonstrated a significant difference between the gut microbiomes of vegetarians and those of people who eat meat. For example, in one small study , people with obesity followed a strict vegetarian diet that eliminated all animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs, for 1 month.
At the end of the study, the participants had lower levels of gut inflammation due to the altered types of gut microbes. They had also lost weight. By making appropriate lifestyle and dietary changes, people can alter the diversity and number of microbes in their gut for the better.
Positive changes a person can make include taking probiotics, following a fiber-rich vegetarian diet, and avoiding the unnecessary use of antibiotics and disinfectants. Other simple lifestyle changes a person can make include getting enough sleep and exercising regularly.
However, a person should talk to their doctor before making any drastic changes to their diet. This is because for some people, such as those with irritable bowel syndrome or other medical conditions, probiotics and fiber-rich or vegetarian diets may not be helpful. The gut microbiome affects many aspects of human health, and the foods people eat can have a huge impact on the bacteria in their gut.
Learn about the…. Probiotics foods contain live, healthful bacteria that may help promote better gut health. In this article, we list the best probiotic foods and ways…. The microbiome diet aims to promote good bacteria in the gut. Learn if it works, foods to eat, foods to avoid, and the pros and cons.
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