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How to improve gut health naturally
Lily & Loaf Blog
Body
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Diet
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Digestive System
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Food
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Gut Health
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Health
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Immune System
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Lifestyle
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Nutrition & Wellbeing
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Probiotics
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Tiredness
03/02/2021 2:15pm
7 minute read
HOW DOES GUT BACTERIA AFFECT YOUR HEALTH?
Your gut bacteria can affect your health in many ways. They are a vital part of a healthy digestive system.
A healthy gut can improve your immune system, mood and mental health, and help your body to fight off a host of illnesses and infections. Your gut is home to millions of healthy, harmless yeasts, bacteria and other microbes. These ‘flora’ work together to keep your body functioning as it should. The key to maintaining a healthy gut is to create the conditions that help these healthy bacteria to thrive, so they can kill off any unhealthy bacteria or toxins which can cause long-term health problems.
AS YOU'D IMAGINE, DIET PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN THIS.
It stands to reason that what you put in your gut will have a significant impact on what goes on in there. Quite simply, if you give your healthy gut flora the right nutrients, they will flourish. If you don't they won't. We’ll talk a bit later in this blog about the things you can do to help develop healthy gut flora. In the meantime, there are a few symptoms to look out for which might indicate that your gut is not functioning as it should.
Tummy trouble, such as wind, constipation, bloating, diarrhoea, or heartburn, can all be signs of an unhealthy gut. Food intolerances are also usually the result of poor gut health. If you have an intolerance to certain types of food, it’s generally because you don’t have enough of the bacteria in your gut required to break it down, so your body has no way of processing it effectively.
And if you have poor gut health, you may have trouble sleeping or feel constantly tired. You may also be more susceptible to common bugs, like colds and flu, and struggle to shake them off.
DOES GUT HEALTH AFFECT SKIN?
One of the downsides of poor gut health is the effect it can have on your skin. Unless you have any underlying health implications, if you eat healthily and stay hydrated, you should be able to maintain healthy-looking skin. Acne, eczema, psoriasis, dry skin and rosacea are all skin conditions which can be brought on by poor gut health.
The primary role of the gut is to break down the food you eat, absorb the nutrients your body needs, and flush out the waste. However, if your gut doesn’t absorb those nutrients effectively, it can have a severe impact on your major organs, including your skin. When your body isn’t getting the nutrition it needs, one of the first places it shows up is the skin, because your body will start to prioritise your other organs.
If you have a nutritional deficiency, your body will send what nutrients it does absorb to your essential organs – like your heart, brain and lungs – first. This can manifest itself in inflammation, spots, redness, dry or flaky skin and a host of other skin conditions.
If you’ve noticed any changes in your skin’s appearance, no matter how subtle or dramatic, it could be a sign there is something amiss in your gut, so it’s worth checking it out. Many problems in the gut can be solved by simply changing your diet and eating healthier, so pay attention to the signs and be more mindful of what you consume.
HOW TO IMPROVE GUT BACTERIA HEALTH
There are several ways you can improve your gut bacteria health. Most of them require you to make changes to your diet and lifestyle, to boost and maintain your gut health. These include:
EAT A VARIED DIET
Your gut is home to thousands of different species of bacteria. While they all work together in harmony, each one plays a different role in your health. The more diverse your gut flora is, the healthier it’s likely to be. So, the key to maintaining a diverse gut flora is to eat a rich and varied diet, made up of lots of different types of fruit, veg, proteins and carbohydrates. If you’re concerned your diet is not varied enough to give you the nutrition you need, supplement it with natural, live bacteria.
EAT FRUIT, VEGETABLES & LEGUMES
Fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other essential nutrients which are vital for the maintenance of healthy gut flora. They are also high in fibre, which helps to stimulate the growth of gut bacteria. While all different types of fruit, veg and legumes are good, ones which have proven bacteria-boosting properties include raspberries, peas, artichoke, broccoli, chickpeas, lentils and wholegrains.
PROBIOTICS
Probiotics play a crucial role in strengthening the body’s digestive and immune systems, to help build your resilience to illness and disease. They can enhance the natural development of healthy bacteria within the gut, while at the same time killing off the more harmful bacteria that can lead to health problems if left unchecked.
FERMENTED FOODS
Bacteria plays a crucial role in the fermentation process, which converts the sugars in food into organic acids which are beneficial to the gut. Yoghurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha are all fermented foods which can improve your intestinal bacteria and ease the symptoms of many digestive conditions, including lactose intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome.
CUT DOWN ON SUGAR AND ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
Refined or processed sugar and artificial sweeteners can negatively affect your gut flora because they are stripped of most of their natural nutrients. They can also increase your blood sugar levels which, in turn, can impair your body’s insulin response.
PREBIOTIC FOODS
Prebiotics, such as fibre or complex carbohydrates, promote the growth of beneficial microbes in the gut. They can’t be digested by your body’s cells, but certain species of bacteria in the gut can break them down and use them for fuel.
WHOLEGRAINS
Like prebiotics, wholegrains contain fibre and non-digestible complex carbohydrates which can’t be absorbed in the small intestine. Instead, they make their way to the large intestine where they are broken down by the bacteria that live there
PLANT-BASED FOOD
While going full vegetarian or vegan is a big lifestyle choice to make, eating more plant-based food can be beneficial to gut health. Plant-based foods promote different types of intestinal bacteria than animal-based foods. Studies have found that vegetarian diets can reduce levels of disease-causing bacteria in obese people, as well as helping to reduce their weight, inflammation and cholesterol levels.
POLYPHENOLS
Polyphenols are another type of nutrient that human cells find hard to digest, so they make their way into the gut to be broken down by bacteria. They not only help promote healthy and diverse gut flora but can also help reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and oxidative stress. Good sources of polyphenols include cocoa, dark chocolate, red wine, grapes and green tea. They are also found in natural juice blends like Zambroza.
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