The first step is knowing what to eat and what to stay away from. To learn more, we spoke to health experts to find out the best food for a healthy gut and foods to avoid.
How Food Affects Gut Health
When you eat anything, your gut bacteria recognizes it and uses it as information. Those bacteria will “tell” the immune system, hormones, and brain how to use the information from the food, Dr. Amy Shah, MD, a double-board-certified medical doctor and author of I’m So Effing Hungry: Why We Crave What We Crave—And What to Do About It, explains. Together they figure out what to do with that food and how best to absorb the nutrients. Food is literally information, and that information is created and distributed by gut bacteria. “Not only is your gut crucial for digestion, but the good bacteria in your gut are linked to immunity—with 70% of your immune system residing in your gut,” says Carissa Galloway, RDN, Premier Protein nutrition consultant and personal trainer. “Since your gut is where food is digested, what you eat lays the groundwork for the health of your digestive system and can give your body a boost, or a set it back, depending on what you eat. A good foundation for gut health includes a fiber-rich diet with prebiotics and probiotics.”
The Best Food for Better Gut Health
Foods that contain fiber are best since fiber is one of the most essential nutrients for the gut. “My absolute favorites are leafy greens like spinach, onions because of their special type of fiber (prebiotic fiber) and broccoli, because it contains another gut healthy compound called glucosinolates,” says Dr. Shah. “These compounds break down into a compound called indolocarbazole, which helps regulate the microbial makeup of the gut.”
Foods to Avoid that Harm the Gut
Ultra-processed food
If you read the ingredients on a package and they have additives that you could not find in the kitchen—Doritos are a good example—it’s considered ultra-processed. Ultra-processed foods are correlated with poor gut health, Dr. Shah explains.
Sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas and juices
Juice may sound healthy, most processed juices have zero fiber and are very high in sugar. Since fiber is essential for good gut bacteria, when you drink a lot of soda, you’re filling yourself with food with no fiber, tons of additives and sugar, Dr. Shah states. This feeds the wrong kind of bacteria.
Processed, fried meat
There is some evidence that fried meat, especially processed red meat, can trigger the growth of bacteria in the gut that leads to clogged arteries. It’s best to stick to lean protein sources, like fish, or plant protein like beans or tofu, Dr. Shah explains. There’s some new debate that perhaps this recommendation is more limited to processed red meat, not all red meat, but the evidence is still unclear. Galloway agrees that limiting your intake of red meat is important to maintain good gut health. “There are chemical compounds in red meat, like l-carnitine, which can alter the makeup of your gut biome. If you are a red meat eater, then aim for no more than one to two servings weekly,” she says. Next up: Trying to Improve your Gut Health And Nothing Is Working? Here’s How to Start Restoring It
Sources
Amy Shah, MD, a double-board-certified medical doctor and author of I’m So Effing Hungry: Why We Crave What We Crave—And What to Do About ItCarissa Galloway, RDN, Premier Protein Nutrition Consultant and PersonalTrainerEuropean Heart Journal: “Impact of chronic dietary red meat, white meat, or non-meat protein on trimethylamine N-oxide metabolism and renal excretion in healthy men and women”
