Gut health is no joke! While it may be most commonly associated with digestive issues like gas, bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, and more, it’s important to remember that your gut plays a major role in practically every aspect of your overall health. An unhealthy gut means a weakened immune system, low energy levels, and even poor mental health. All of this is to say that you should take the health of your gut seriously.
Luckily, if you’re struggling with your digestive system, there are many steps you can take to set your gut flora back on the right track–no expensive treatments or fancy products required. With the help of Lisa Richards, registered nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet, and a few other experts, we’ll tell you exactly how to improve gut health naturally. Find all of the best gut-healthy habits below!
1. Eat diverse foods
One of the most important parts of improving your gut health (as well as your overall health) is maintaining a balanced, nourishing diet filled with diverse foods. “The foods we eat and the foods we omit can either improve our gut health or worsen it,” Richards notes. “When a diverse grouping of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains is the foundation of your dietary habits you are more likely to have great gut health along with lower risk of chronic conditions and illnesses.”
Overall, Richards says it’s important to prioritize whole foods (those in their natural form) over processed foods, which can be detrimental to your overall health and wreak havoc on your digestive system.
There are so many anti-inflammatory, gut-healthy options that can help increase the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Some of the most important types of foods to consider when it comes to gut health include fermented foods, prebiotics, probiotics, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. We’ll dive into each of these groups below.
2. Incorporate fruits, vegetables, and legumes
Fruits, vegetables, and legumes are staples of any healthy diet–especially if you want to improve your gut health. For starters, the polyphenols found in many of these foods can be a major game changer, thanks to the fact that they are anti-inflammatory, protect your body from oxidative stress, and increase the good bacteria in your gut flora. Additionally, incorporating plant-based meals into your diet can offer a great amount of diversity and fiber that your gut will love. Some of the best options include leafy greens such as kale and spinach, high-fiber fruits like apples and berries, and protein-packed legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, and beans.
3. Consider whole grains
Refined carbohydrates can take a serious toll on your digestive system, which is why choosing high-fiber, whole grains is an essential part of improving your gut health. Not only do they provide a good alternative to unhealthy refined carbs, but the fiber content can do wonders for your gut microbiota.
“Fiber feeds the good gut bacteria, while avoiding refined carbs and sugar will prevent feeding the bad gut bacteria and leading to dysbiosis (an imbalance in gut bacteria),” Richards explains. “Eating a diet rich in whole foods rather than processed foods will also improve gut health because you will be taking in more fiber, polyphenols, and avoiding refined carbohydrates and other ingredients in processed foods that wreak havoc on gut health.”
4. Eat fermented foods
If you haven’t explored the world of fermented foods yet, now’s your time to start–your gut will love you for it! Fermentation is the process of bacteria and yeast breaking sugar down into carbon dioxide and ethanol.
Nurse Practitioner Sarah Anderson explains that “[fermented] foods are filled with beneficial healthy gut bacteria that support a healthy digestive system” by bringing in beneficial bacteria and pushing out the bad bacteria. They also have anti-inflammatory properties, making them a fantastic choice for your overall health.
Some of the most beneficial (and delicious) fermented foods you can eat every day in order to boost your digestive health include kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Yum!
5. Reduce your stress
Your mental health plays a major role in your overall health, including your digestive system. Registered Dietitian (R.D.) Melissa Rifkin of MONAT told us that “Anxiety, stress, and depression are all thought to lead to intestinal distress because the brain and gastrointestinal tract are closely linked.” For this reason, persistent daily stress can set your gut off balance: “There is a chance the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut can be disrupted and lead to more digestive issues,” she warns.
For this reason, making an effort to reduce stress in your life is essential to improving your gut health. It’s important to figure out what works for you when it comes to winding down. This may include meditation, daily walks, breathing exercises, or simply spending more time with loved ones.
6. Add foods rich in polyphenols
A diet rich in healthy polyphenols is another major key to a healthier gut. Richards explains that these plant compounds, typically found in foods such as fruits, beans, nuts, teas, and red wines are fantastic for our overall health because they act as antioxidants to protect our bodies against free radical damage and oxidative stress. “When this damage is allowed to persist it results in chronic inflammation, which impedes gut health greatly,” she warns.
In addition to this protection, polyphenols also restore the balance of good bacteria in the gut. “Roughly 95 percent of the polyphenols we consume make it to the gut where they are broken down into metabolites by beneficial gut bacteria, and in turn they protect this bacteria and prevent the growth of bad or opportunistic bacteria,” Richards explains.
7. Increase probiotics intake
Did you know you can nourish your gut with live bacteria? These foods are known as probiotics, and they can do wonders for your digestive health, helping with issues such as irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea, breaking down lactose, and more. “There are many types of probiotics, each with a unique benefit,” Richards explains, citing Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces boulardii as a few examples. Fermented foods, as we touched on earlier, are one great source of probiotics.
Adding things like yogurt, kombucha, and even certain types of cheeses to your daily diet is a great way to up your intake of probiotic-rich foods and can make a huge difference in your gut health. You may also want to consider taking daily probiotic supplements.
8. Eat prebiotic foods
In addition to probiotics, you should also ensure you’re adding a good amount of prebiotic-rich foods to the mix. “Prebiotics essentially act as food for the healthy gut bacteria. They are foods and supplements intended to feed these bacteria and keep them thriving,” Richards says.
While these foods don’t contain live bacteria, they can allow those probiotics to thrive and, in turn, improve digestive health and help increase good bacteria in the gut. “Some of the more popular and effective prebiotics include onions, flaxseed, garlic, asparagus, chicory root, and leeks,” Richards lists.
9. Use spices
Spices don't only add incredible flavor to your meals; they can also be great for your digestive system! Richards shares three particularly tasty and beneficial options you can sprinkle into a range of meals: cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger. “Luckily, these cover both sweet and savory needs which makes them easily integrated into a regular diet pattern,” she says.
Cinnamon is equal parts sweet and anti-inflammatory, which Richards notes “prevents gut inflammation and ultimately dysbiosis.” Additionally, it contains some of those super-helpful polyphenols we discussed earlier, which promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut.
Ginger is another tasty spice that Richards says “keeps the gut working effectively by stimulating bile production and keeping food moving through the gut,” in addition to helping ease nausea, gas, and bloating. Try it in your tea!
10. Limit use of artificial sweeteners
Sugar isn't the only sweet ingredient that’s bad for your digestive system; it turns out that artificial sweeteners such as sucralose and aspartame can also have a negative effect on your gut health. Richards warns that these ingredients, typically found in processed foods (keep an eye out in those sugar-free snacks!), can “irritate the gut and cause dysbiosis in the gut's microbiome,” which can lead to digestive issues and “gastrointestinal discomfort like gas, bloating, and worse.” Uh-oh! For this reason, it’s best to stick to healthier, natural sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit–these are also much better for your overall health.
11. Exercise regularly
Just like your overall health and body weight are dependent on a range of factors, from sleep to nutrition to physical activity, great digestive health is about more than your diet. As it turns out, exercise plays a major role in your gut flora. An article from Healthline notes that staying active can actually “change the composition of your gut microbiome.”
In fact, one study from the University of Illinois found that just six weeks of regular exercise (30-60 minutes three times a week) can make a difference. However, researchers found that when participants went back to their normal lifestyles and stopped exercising, their gut microbiota reverted back to normal–which means it’s important to stick with a healthy workout routine!
12. Limit alcohol intake
As much as you may enjoy the occasional cocktail to unwind after a long day, it’s important to limit your alcohol intake as much as possible if you want to improve your gut health. Richards especially warns against drinking varieties with a lot of added sugar, which can “ultimately feed the bad gut bacteria and cause an overgrowth and imbalance in the gut.”
But it isn’t just the sugar in alcohol that can wreak havoc on your digestive system. “It also impacts gut health by damaging mucosal cells in the stomach which leads to inflammation and lesions,” Richards notes, adding that this can lead to an issue known as leaky gut, in which bile from your intestines may escape into your body.
So, while you shouldn’t necessarily be afraid of a glass of polyphenol-rich wine from time to time, it’s definitely best to take it easy on the drinking.
The Bottom Line
Digestive issues are a pain (literally!) to deal with–and when it comes to all of the things affected by your gut, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, which is why it’s so important to make digestive health a priority. At the end of the day, this mostly comes down to maintaining a healthy, diverse diet, exercising regularly, and keeping your mental health in check. If you follow all of the tips outlined in this article, you’ll be well on your way to a more balanced gut microbiome–and, in turn, a better quality of life.
