Feeling lethargic? The reason could be in your gut. Let’s take a look at some great foods that’ll boost your gut’s health.
Many people are surprised to learn that the simple act of improving the health of their gut has a spiraling effect on many other areas of their well-being. Digestive issues can leave you feeling bloated, uncomfortable and sore, and have a generally negative impact on your mood. Is there an easy solution for this?
Certain foods are great for boosting your gut health, and thereby assisting with your digestion. There are a vast variety of foods that can help ease acute digestive problems and symptoms. It’s all about knowing which foods to consume.
Leave It To Science
Multiple studies show one of the biggest factors that influence gut microbiota diversity is diet. Our bodies need probiotics and nutrients from the foods we consume in order to operate optimally. Thankfully, foods rich with gut-healing nutrients are delicious, and often already available in your own kitchen.
Case in point are prebiotic foods. These foods sustain the good bacteria in your gut. It helps you maintain healthy conditions in your gut, and does so by producing fermented by-products that act as sustenance for other microbiota.
The best sources of prebiotics are
- Asparagus and bananas;
- Garlic and chicory;
- Dandelion greens;
- Kiwifruit and leeks;
- Chickpeas, beans and onions.
What Are Fermented Foods?
Put simply, fermented foods are those that are technically raw. However, they’re also filled with beneficial bacteria, along with natural digestive enzymes. The reason for this is simple – these foods are naturally fermented by bacteria, similar to how the bacteria breaks down food in our gut.
Fermented foods offer the ability to boost the diversity of microbiota in the gut, while also assisting ‘resident’ bacteria to perform more efficiently. These foods also help reduce inflammation in the gut, thereby improving your microbiota profile. They also assist the body by better absorbing minerals and boosting digestion, and can even help improve mental health.
Fermented foods you want to add to your diet include:
- Yogurt
- Kefir
- Raw apple cider vinegar
- Coconut yogurt
- Kombucha
These are only a few of the many types of foods you can add to your diet to help boost your gut health. Often, you’ll be surprised to learn how easy it is to introduce and maintain these foods in your diet. Your gut will definitely thank you in future for doing so.
Author
Louis Stevens can often be found trawling the internet for interesting reads on health, wellness and nutrition topics. When not writing for Kolorex, a South African-based company, Louis loves reading about writing.
