by Athirah Sofea
The term “gut health” might be familiar to our ears but not many of us really know what it does to our body. Keeping a good and healthy gut is advantageous to our overall well-being as gut microbiome is the foundation of our health. Your gut aids the digestion of your food intake, absorbs nutrients and is the fuel to maintain your body. Good gut health occurs when you have a balance between the good and bad bacteria as well as yeast in your digestive system.
Poor gut health makes it more challenging to stay healthy as it affects your immune system and hormones. There are several factors that can contribute to poor gut health, this includes our diet, environment, antibiotic use, stress, sleep and genetics. Affected gut microbiome can influence an individual in different ways such as stress, poor nutrition, autoimmune disease, fatigue, mood changes, feeling discomfort and intolerant to some food.
Here’s how you can improve your gut health naturally.
- Eat fibre-rich and probiotic-packed food
Fibre is a plant-based nutrient that reduces the risk of metabolic diseases by stimulating the growth and diversity of good bacteria in the gut.
Sweet potatoes, spinach, beets, carrots and fennel are full of naturally gut-enhancing fibre. The presence of probiotics in fermented food like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut and kombucha have gut-boosting abilities. - Consider a supplement
Probiotic supplements can give the microbiota a boost and restore gut health under certain conditions and help prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Talk to your doctor if you’re interested in a probiotic supplement. - Exercise often
Researchers have found that exercise promotes an increase in diversity of healthy bacteria in the gut. High-intensity training in particular contributes the most to gut bacteria diversity and function in relation to overall wellness. - Limit your alcohol intake
Drinking too much may lead to gastritis, an irritation of the gut in which it becomes inflamed, which is a sign of an unhealthy gut. Such inflammation can cause heartburn, chronic discomfort, ulcers and bacterial infections. The inflammation will affect how well the microbiota works and can throw it off balance. - Reduce stress levels
The gut is known as the second brain. Our mental health and the gut are connected, an imbalance in gut bacteria can result in psychological symptoms, like brain fog and irritability. Finding ways to manage your mental health and stress levels may help reduce gastrointestinal symptoms. Adding some physical activity to your day can increase the quality and quantity of health-boosting gut microbes.
Improving your gut health does not just happen overnight, it requires dedication and consistency. You can achieve optimal gut health by managing what you consume and having a healthy lifestyle.
