While chronic bloating and indigestion can be indicative of numerous health issues (and should be checked out by a doctor), they oftentimes are signs of an unbalanced diet. Eating nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, drinking enough water, getting adequate sleep and exercise are all factors of optimal gut health, experts say. We reached out to nutrition and health experts for 3 fruit suggestions that aid your digestion. Read on for tips and insight from Jenny Fontana, NT, NCFAC, NCRC, nutritional therapist and Lisa Richards, registered nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet.
1. Bananas
According to Fontana, the number one fruit that she recommends for gut health and smoother digestion would be bananas. "We all associate bananas with potassium which is very important, but bananas are amazing for our gut health because of their fantastic prebiotic benefits," she explains. Most people, Fontana says, are onboard with the idea of probiotics to improve gut health. "What many fail to realize," she adds, is that "you need to feed those good gut bacteria to make improvements." With that said, bananas are "loaded with the prebiotic fiber that the good bacteria thrive on," she notes. "You need to feed your probiotic bacteria, so they will flourish and you will have a happy gut," Fontana advises, adding that "bananas are also great at helping to reduce bloating."
pineapple
2. Pineapple
Fontana also recommends pineapple to anyone looking to aid their gut, again because it "contains prebiotic fiber to help feed the good bacteria in the gut." It also contains a "fantastic enzyme, bromelain," which she says "aids in breaking down proteins and helps in digestion." This, she continues, is "extremely helpful for those following higher protein diets,
as they may struggle with "digestive discomfort" if their gut is not "breaking down the food properly."
3. Dragon Fruit
Richards suggests giving dragon fruit a try for healthy digestion. She believes that dragon fruit does not get enough attention for its "taste, versatility, and health benefits." Its outside appearance, "though beautiful," she says, can be "intimidating to most novice fruit consumers." Dragon fruit is great for gut health, she notes, because "the fiber it contains acts as a prebiotic." A prebiotic feeds the "good gut bacteria which regulate digestion" as well as many important processes in the body, including inflammation and immune response, she continues. When the gut is healthy and balanced, Richards concludes that the body is "better able to fight off illness and viruses." Adding dragon fruit to your fruit intake is a "great way to help keep the gut healthy," she adds. Dragon fruit is also unique in that it provides a rich source of plant-based iron, she says. "A serving of dragon fruit is 6 ounces and this gives the consumer 1 gram of iron."
