How To Balance Your Gut For Better Health And Digestion?

Polyphenols, found in foods like colourful fruits and vegetables, green tea, and dark chocolate, can benefit your gut microbiome.

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Written By: Tavishi Dogra | Published : September 7, 2024 1:14 PM IST

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Medically Verified By: Dr Veerendra Koujalagi, Lead Consultant- Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, SPARSH Hospital, Yelahanka

Your gut is crucial, extending far beyond digestion. Comprising the stomach, intestines, and colon, it excretes waste. Within this complex system resides the gut microbiome, a diverse community of bacteria and microorganisms contributing to a balanced and resilient system that affects your mood, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular disease, and sleep. Therefore, it is essential to maintain a balanced and healthy gut microbiome.

What Causes Poor Gut Health?

Gut microbiome, leading to poor gut health:

  1. Stress: Chronic stress can increase intestinal permeability, often called "leaky gut," allowing harmful bacteria to proliferate.
  2. Poor Nutrition: Sugar can harm beneficial gut bacteria and cause inflammation, leading to an imbalanced microbiome.
  3. Long-term Use of Antibiotics and Antacids: While sometimes necessary, these medications can decrease essential nutrients like B12 and kill beneficial bacteria in your gut, potentially leading to long-term health issues.

Signs Of An Unhealthy Gut

Your gut health can affect your body in many ways, and an unhealthy gut can manifest through various symptoms, including:

  1. Digestive Issues: Gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, and heartburn are common indicators of poor gut health.
  2. Sleep Disturbances or Fatigue: Poor gut health can interfere with sleep, leaving you tired even after adequate rest.
  3. Unintentional Weight Changes: Changes in diet or exercise may indicate that your gut is imbalanced, affecting nutrient absorption and fat storage.
  4. Skin Irritation: Skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema may be connected to the types of bacteria in your gut, with lower levels of beneficial bacteria impacting your skin's health.
  5. Frequent Illness: Results in a higher frequency of infections like the common cold.

The Role Of Nutrition In Gut Health

Here are some critical dietary practices to support gut health:

  1. Eat a High-Fibre Diet: Fiber aids digestion and supports the growth of beneficial bacteria. Aim for fibre-rich foods like vegetables, beans, fruits, and whole grains.
  2. Include Prebiotic Foods: Prebiotics act as fertilizer for the good bacteria in your gut. Foods like garlic, onions, leeks, chickpeas, and oats are excellent sources of prebiotics.
  3. Diversify Your Diet: A varied diet with different types of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
  4. Limit Ultra-Processed Foods: These foods often contain gut. Stick to foods as close to their natural state as possible, like fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
  5. Stay Hydrated: nutrient absorption may also increase the diversity of gut bacteria.
  6. Consume Polyphenol-Rich Foods: Polyphenols, found in foods like colourful fruits and vegetables, green tea, and dark chocolate, can benefit your gut microbiome.

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