The health of your gut isn’t necessarily something you think about much when you’re younger. But many people start to think about it more as they get older, especially when other health issues also begin to be more of a concern. Eating the right diet for the health of your gut can be something you give a lot of thought to. If you’ve had any digestive issues, it can make you particularly interested in how to keep your gut healthy and happy. The good news is that there are lots of great foods that have been shown to have a positive effect on your gut health.
Enjoy These Foods for Better Gut Health | Lifestyle
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Yogurt
Yogurt has long been recognized as a top food for promoting gut health. Specifically, live yogurt contains probiotics, which are seen as good bacteria or friendly bacteria that help to keep your gut healthy. Sugar-free and full-fat yogurts are the best choice, and can be great for breakfast or to have as a snack. Yogurt drinks are a good option too, although they can be high in sugar. Recently, the fermented yogurt drink kefir has also become really popular as a healthy thing to include in your diet. It can be delicious in everything from smoothies to soups.
Olive Oil
There’s often a lot of debate about how healthy olive oil is. On one hand, it’s pretty high in calories, but then so are most oils. It can also be really good for your health in several ways and features heavily in the Mediterranean diet. Healthy gut bacteria and microbes flourish on a diet of fatty acids and polyphenols, which are both present in olive oil. It could help with problems with indigestion and might even be good for your pancreas. You can cook with it, drizzle it on vegetables, or use it in salad dressings.
Fermented Foods
Fermented foods have become very popular with people trying to care for their gut health. That’s because they contain lots of probiotics, and they can often have vitamins and fiber from vegetables. Fermented foods include things like kimchi, sauerkraut, and even sourdough. You can easily learn how to make kimchi and other fermented foods at home. If you have some jars, you can get started in no time. However, you do need to be attentive if you want to get it right. You may need to release air regularly or keep “feeding” what you’re making.
Fruits and Vegetables
If there’s one simple way to improve your gut health, it’s by making sure there’s enough fruit and veg in your diet. It helps you to get plenty of fiber and ensures you have healthy vitamins and minerals in what you’re eating too. Some specific foods can be particularly healthy for your gut, including garlic, Brussels sprouts, bananas, and even peas. But any fruits and vegetables can be good for the health of your gut, so get lots of them into your diet.
If you want to improve your gut health, try introducing some of these foods into your diet to make it more varied.
