These Are The Carbs You Should Skip From Your Diet Over 40, According To A Gut Doctor

Having a strong and healthy gut is important for your body’s overall health. When your gut is in good shape, it’s able to properly break down the food that you consume and transfer nutrients to your bloodstream. As reported by UC Davis Health, “A healthy gut contains healthy bacteria and immune cells that ward off infectious agents like bacteria, viruses, and fungi.” Moreover, it is also capable of communicating with the brain “which helps maintain general health and well-being.”

Sticking to a healthy diet is perhaps one of the best ways you can take care of your gut. Eating carbohydrates, for example, is essential to the body but unfortunately, some carbs just aren’t as nutritious as others. In fact, some options may even cause serious health problems. To know more about what kinds of carbs you should steer clear from for better gut health, we checked in with Dr. Charles Tabone, N.M.D., licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor and practitioner at the Goop-approved Pause Studio. Keep reading for more.

According to Dr. Tabone, “The gut plays a central role in the health of the body—influencing emotions, energy, body composition, sleep, hormones, etc. Some of the things we get away with in our teens and 20s start to catch up with us into our 40s and above.”

He adds, “When the health of the gut is compromised, it can lead to increased inflammation throughout the body and into the brain. Body pains and arthritis are often linked to food sensitivities and/or inflammation caused by poor gut health. When the lining of the digestive tract becomes ‘leaky,’ it is less capable of keeping foreign particles out of the bloodstream, leading to inflammation. Increased inflammation and poor gut health have also been linked to the development and progression of multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.”

Dr. Tabone also shares that “maintaining healthy hormone levels is essential for women over 40.” He explains, “Hormones are influenced by diet, stress, sleep, toxins, and gut health. Gut microbiomes play a major role in the regulation of hormones, specifically estrogen. Estrogen balance is essential for proper bone turnover, and inappropriate levels can result in osteopenia or osteoporosis. In addition, estrogen levels are associated with cardiovascular disease and breast, cervical and ovarian cancers.”