Foods to Nourish the Gut

There are hundreds of different types of bacteria living in the gut. Ensuring we have healthy colonies of the good strains of bacteria helps to prevent dysbiosis (incorrect gut flora), supports immune health, protects against the development of food sensitivities and maintains the health of the intestinal mucosa.  They also metabolise certain foods and aid in the synthesis of nutrients such as folate and vitamin K.

Top Gut Foods
Probiotic Foods - adding good bacteria into our diet

• Yoghurt - a fermented milk (without sugar or sweetners)
• Miso - fermented soybeans
• Sauerkraut - fermented cabbage
• Keffir - fermented milk.  Can be made with any type of milk or even coconut water
• Kimchi - similar to sauerkraut with cabbage, radish, cucumber + spices
• Fermented vegetables - a wide variety of vegetables can be fermented - carrots, beetroot, zucchini, asparagas, beans, eggplant & capsicum
• Kombucha - a fermented black tea
• Tempeh - a fermented soybean product. Great in stirfries
• Buttermilk - a fermented milk product
• Natto - fermented soybean

Prebiotic Foods - for creating the right environment in the gut

• Jerusalem Artichoke
• Dandelion Greens
• Leek
• Asparagus
• Chicory Root - as a coffee substitute or in a powder form
• Acacia Gum - a thickener and emulsifier for use in home cooking

As well as those that help, many common dietary and lifestyle factors are well known to compromise digestive health and function.  Are you compromising your gut health with these:
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• Medications:  including proton pump inhibitors, antacids and histamine-2-antagonists decrease the acidity of the stomach environment.  This may result in decreased gastric digestion of foods, thus increasing the likelihood of the development of food sensitivities, irritation and inflammation, and comprised nutrient absorption.
• Medications: anti-inflammatory medications can cause localised inflammation of the digestive tract, compromising the structure of the intestines and increasing intestinal permeability (leaky gut).
• Medications:  antibiotics - also destroy the good bacteria of the digestive tract.  This may result in overgrowth of bad bacteria or fungus in the digestive system.  Ultimately this can lead to intestinal inflammation and increased intestinal permeability
• Excessive consumption of alcohol decreases the good bacteria, allowing the bad bacteria and fungus to flourish = inflammation and increased intestinal permeability
• A high intake of refined sugar in the diet decreases the good bacteria, allowing the bad bacteria and fungus to flourish = inflammation and increased intestinal permeability
• Low dietary intake of prebiotic fibres which feed the good bacteria of the gut can reduce numbers and allow growth of the bad bacteria and fungus.

Vanessa Winter
BHSc, BEd, Dip.Herb.Med., Dip.Nat.,NMHNZ 

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