Our human body has around 40 trillion bacteria and a vast majority of these are in our gut or bowel.
Collectively, these gut microbiomes are extremely important for overall health. However, certain types of bacteria in your intestines can also contribute to many diseases.
What we should do for our GUT HEALTH?
These are high in fiber, which your body can’t digest. However, certain bacteria in your gut can digest fiber, which stimulates their growth.
Beans and legumes also contain very high amounts of fiber.
Some high fiber foods that are good for your gut bacteria include:
- raspberries
- artichokes
- green peas
- broccoli
- chickpeas
- lentils
- beans
- whole grains
- bananas
- apples
Fermented foods have undergone fermentation, a process in which the sugars they contain are broken down by yeast or bacteria.
Some examples of fermented foods are:
- yogurt
- kimchi
- sauerkraut
- kefir
- kombucha
- tempeh
Many of these foods are rich in lactobacilli, a type of bacteria that can benefit your health.
It is important to remember that many yogurts, especially flavored yogurts, contain high amounts of sugar. Therefore, it’s best to opt for plain, unsweetened yogurt or a flavoured yogurt with minimal added sugar that is made only of milk and bacteria mixtures, also sometimes called “starter cultures.”
Additionally, to reap the gut health benefits, make sure the label reads “contains live active cultures.”
Prebiotics are foods that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut.
These are mainly fiber or complex carbs that human cells cannot digest. Instead, certain species of bacteria in the gut break them down and use them for fuel.
Many fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain prebiotics, but they can also be found on their own.
Resistant starch can also be a prebiotic. This type of starch is not absorbed in the small intestine and passes into the large intestine, where the microbiota break it down.
GUT HEALTH PRODUCTS
