Great Foods For Gut Health
The gut microbiome is made up of about 100 trillion microorganisms that live in the gastrointestinal tract. A healthy gut microbiome is very vital to general health. According to Marisa Moore, gut health has other benefits aside from digestion.
Anna Binder-McAsey explained that about 70% of the immune cells and tissue of the body are found in the gut. An imbalanced microbiome can lead to persistent sickness, and food sensitivities, and increase the chances of developing chronic illnesses.
Making adjustments in your choice of food makes your gut healthy. Processed foods and sugar endangers the gut microbiome.
The foods listed below are examples of healthy diets rich in fiber. They can improve gut health.
Apple
Pectin which is the soluble fiber found in apples enhances insulin resistance, reduces cholesterol, and delays digestion giving you a feeling of fullness. Pectin is also found to be a prebiotic that aids in the growth of good bacteria in the gut, this was discovered during a 2019 study published in Frontiers in Microbiology. Moore further explains that lots of fiber are good for gut health.
Bananas
This is one of the most popular foods used by MyFitnessPal users. Bananas contain potassium and two types of fiber which are pectin and resistant starch. Pectin aids in digestion and resistant starch serves as food for the good bacteria in the gut. Resistant starch is mainly found in unripe bananas, that is the slightly green ones. You can still gain nourishment from unripe bananas if you don’t like unripe bananas which may taste bitter, Binder- McAsey says.
Beans
Find ways to incorporate beans into your diet plan. Black beans are rich in fiber which enhances the function of the intestinal barrier and helps the body fight against diseases. Moore explains that the different species of beans contain different nutrients, so the various kinds of beans like black beans, pinto beans, and lentils should be added to your diet.
Brussels Sprouts
Binder McAsey stated that Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, radish, bok choy, mustard green, and cabbage are in the mustard family. They have prebiotic fiber which serves as food for probiotics. These foods cause bloating for some people but this is not meant to happen because excess gas is a result of little or no probiotics in the gut to break down the prebiotic fiber in the food. If you feel flatulence after eating Brussels sprouts, it is advisable to eat foods rich in probiotics. An example is a kefir and yogurt. This fills your gut and slowly improves your vegetable intake.
Chickpeas
Chickpeas which are also known as garbanzo beans are good sources of plant-based prebiotics. Canned chickpeas contain a lower prebiotic fiber than dried ones.
Fatty Fish
Fatty fish are good sources of protein which improves gut health, examples of fatty fish vegetables are salmon and sardines. They contain omega-3 fatty acids which help in mood regulation, and cardiovascular health and also fight inflammation. Inflammation makes the gut unhealthy.
Fermented Vegetables
Fermented vegetables that are good sources of nondairy probiotics are sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles. When buying them look out for the ones with live cultures.
Other foods that are good for the gut and can improve your gut health are kefir, Leafy green, Nuts like walnuts and pecans, Sunchokes, Sunflower, Tempeh, Whole grain, and Yoghurt.