This post has been updated since its initial publish date to include more expert insight.
If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to make your gut health a priority in addition to other building blocks like a balanced diet and a killer workout routine. Luckily, one of the biggest factors that play into your gut health is, in fact, your diet. That means by working the right foods into your meals and cutting out some of the worst culprits of digestive issues, you can kill two birds with one stone on the weight loss front; you’ll be nourishing your body with everything it needs to shed pounds, and you’ll also be keeping your gut happy and healthy.
To discover some of the worst foods for digestion that you should kick to the curb if you want to reset your gut and lose weight faster, we spoke to registered dietitian and nutritionist Krutika Nanavati, medical advisor at ClinicSpots. She told us that sugary foods and fried items are somewhere at the top of the list. Find all of her expert insight below!
1. Foods Made With Refined Sugar
In general, processed and refined foods are some of the worst options for your overall health—and that includes your gut health. As Nanavati explains, "Processed and refined foods have been stripped of essential nutrients and natural fiber content." This is bad for a few reasons, but as far as digestive health goes, one of the main issues at hand is the lack of fiber. "Fiber is essential for helping to maintain the integrity of your gut microbiome and aids in digestion," Nanavati tells us.
Another major red flag raised by processed foods is the fact that they're typically packed with added sugars, preservatives, and other unhealthy additives, which Nanavati warns "can be detrimental to your gut health." Refined sugar, in particular, can feed bad bacteria in the gut, causing an imbalance in your microbiome. "[Sugar] can also cause inflammation and impair digestion," she says.
2. Fried Foods
Another type of food that can take a major toll on your gut health is anything fried. Just as with processed foods, these foods can be detrimental to your overall health for many reasons. When it comes to your gut, in particular, Nanavati says the main issue is the unhealthy fat content. "Fried foods are typically high in unhealthy fats which can damage the lining of your digestive tract, impair digestion, and increase inflammation," she says.
Nanavati adds that these foods "can result in an imbalance of gut bacteria, leading to dysbiosis and a variety of symptoms such as bloating, cramping, and gastrointestinal discomfort." Uh-oh! And, fried foods are typically fried in inflammatory oils that are also detrimental to gut health and weight loss plans.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, there are many factors that play into your digestive health, but diet is a major one. Of course, the effects of certain foods (such as something you may have an intolerance to, like gluten) will vary from person to person. However, if you're looking to reset your gut to get one step closer to your weight loss goals, cutting out processed foods and fried options is one great place to start.
