What's All the Talk About Gut Health?

You’ve probably noticed “gut health” is getting a lot of attention lately as it’s become a trending topic in social and mainstream media. This is because recent research has discovered links between gut health and our immune system, chronic illnesses (diabetes, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and some cancers) as well as mental health and neurological conditions such as anxiety, depression and dementia.

Gut health is central to the trillions of microorganisms that live within your stomach and intestines. These organisms makeup what’s known as the gut microbiome – a delicate mix of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes. When the microbiome is healthy, it keeps a balance of good and bad bacteria. However, this balance can get thrown off by factors such as diet, lifestyle and medication. Everyone’s microbiome is unique and changes continuously throughout life. Sometimes it’s easy to tell when your gut health is out of balance because bloating, gas, diarrhea, stomach pain and nausea are all fairly direct signs that something in the gut isn’t working as it should.

Improving Gut Health

1. Diet– Nurturing the beneficial bacteria in your gut can improve the absorption of vitamins, boost immunity and help regulate your digestive system as well as your mood. On the contrary, a diet high in added sugars, high in saturated fats, and low in nutrientsinfluences the gut bacteria negatively by allowing harmful species to overgrow. Overall, it’s best to eat a wide variety of whole, natural foods that include plenty of probiotic and prebiotic sources, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grainsto encourage a diverse and healthy microbiome.

2. Lifestyle– Many people believe that only diet effects gut health. But there are many other lifestyle factors that can influence it too such as stress, insomnia, exercise and smoking.

3. Medications – Antibiotics are the best-known gut-altering drugs. When they’re prescribed to kill harmful bacteria, they often wipe out good bacteria too. Antibiotic overuse is a serious problem. It’s best to take them as prescribedand only when it’s deemed medically necessary. Other medications can impact gut health too including non-prescription painkillers and drugs used to treat acid reflux, diabetes and psychiatric conditions.

What About Supplements?

Probiotic and prebiotic supplements are a hot trend right now with many commercial claims that they can improve gut health by introducing and feeding good bacteria or protecting against harmful bacteria. One problem is that the supplement industry isn’t well regulated and there’s no guarantee that what’s in the bottle matches what’s on the label.

Instead of taking supplements, it’s best to promote gut health with a diverse combination of naturally rich probiotic and prebiotic foods. Probiotic foods contain good bacteria while prebiotic foods help stimulate good bacteria’s growth and survival while also discouraging the growth of harmful bacteria. Among the many options to consider, here are some natural probiotic and prebiotic food sources:

The Gutsy News Takeaway

Ongoing research continues to reveal how gut health plays a larger role than previously known in overall health. It’s best to support your gut health with improved lifestyle choices and by eating plenty prebiotic and probiotic foods to promote an ideal balance between good and bad gut bacteria. Speak to your primary care provider and registered dietitianabout optimizing your diet, drug regimen and lifestyle to achieve better gut health.