‘What you eat is what you are’.
Your food has great effect on your body and mind. As per the food type you get hormones. Food cycle is a long process which passes through different processes and organs. Gut is the king among the organs of digestive system. It has a great role to play. How does it work?
Bacteria and different microbes in the gut help your body digest food. These bacteria also helps the body fight harmful bacteria, yeast, and other microbes. Foods that promote gut health can feed good bacteria to the gut. Unhealthy foods may damage gut bacteria and also promote gastrointestinal problems.
In this article, we will explain about the worst foods for gut health, how they contribute to gastrointestinal problems, and why probiotic is the boon for a healthy gut.
Why is gut health important?
There is a complex colony of organisms that live in the gut can affect virtually every aspect of health. Researchers are beginning to understand the gut microbiome’s far reaching effects.
When your body does not have the right balance of bacteria, certain organisms can grow out of control, impacting on fungal and bacterial infections. A person who takes antibiotics may experience changes in their gut bacteria that make them more vulnerable to yeast infections.
So far, research suggests that gut health may play a role other situations too;
An unhealthy Gut can affect mental health, including depression and anxiety
Inflammation
IBS (Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome)
Obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome
Liver health
IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease)
Animal protein
Food like meat, dairy, and eggs do offer many health benefits. Meat, eggs & diary products are rich in protein and other nutrients, such as Choline. However, people who eat diets very rich with animal protein may suffer from Gut issues and gastrointestinal problems like higher risks of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic condition that may reflect poor gut health.
A 2019 study suggested that red meat may be unhealthy in long-run as it raises levels of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). TMAO is a byproduct of gut bacteria. Researchers say high TMAO levels to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
High FODMAP foods
High FODMAP foods are fine for many people but may cause gastrointestinal problems in people with bowel issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
FODMAP stands for:
Fermentable
Oligosaccharide
Disaccharides
Monosaccharides
Polyols
Fermentable foods, containing simple sugars, and those that contain sugar alcohols may irritate the stomach. Some high FODMAP food include:
Processed foods containing high fructose artificial sweeteners & syrups
Fruit juices
Honey, and many other sweeteners like agave
Condiments, such as jam
Even highly nutritious foods, such as figs, apricots, and avocados, are also high FODMAP foods.
People following a low FODMAP diet try an elimination diet., means cutting out and then slowly re-adding potentially problematic foods to see which ones cause gut problems.
Use of Antibiotics
Antibiotics are the medicines used to treat infections and diseases caused by bacteria, like UTI (Urinary Tract Infections). They work by killing bacteria or preventing them from multiplying. Antibiotic has been a saviour since years.
However, they affect both good and bad bacteria. A single antibiotic treatment can lead to harmful changes in the composition and diversity of the gut flora.
Antibiotics usually cause a short-term decline in good bacteria, such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, and can temporarily increase harmful bacteria like Clostridium. These bacterias you can get from Probiotic supplements, like Wonderpro.
Studies say, after completing a dose of antibiotics, most bacteria return after 1–4 weeks, but their numbers often don’t return to previous levels.
Too much of Alcohol consumption & Smoking
When Alcohol is taken as addictive, it becomes dangerous to both physical & mental health.
In terms of gut health, alcohol consumption can cause serious problems, including dysbiosis.
A study examined the gut flora of 41 alcoholics and compared them to 10 healthy individuals who consumed little-to-no alcohol. Dysbiosis was present in 27% of the alcoholic population, but it was not present in any of the healthy individual (Source:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
Tobacco causes cancer due to thousand chemicals in it.
Smoking causes harm every organ in the body and raises the risk of heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.
Cigarette smoking is also one of the most important risk factors for inflammatory bowel disease, a disease characterized by ongoing inflammation of the digestive tract.
Good foods for gut health
Experts says, nutritious foods may help promote gut health. Foods that are especially helpful include prebiotics, which help feed good bacteria, and probiotic, which can add beneficial bacteria to the gut.
These are some of the food style you can add to your diet plan:
Foods rich in polyphenols
A plant-based diet
Whole grains
Fermented foods
Lots of vegetables, legumes, beans, and fruit
Prebiotic foods
Prebiotics are foods or food ingredients that the body does not digest. But, bacteria ferment them and use them for food.
Prebiotics are a type of fiber, but not all fibers are prebiotics.
Some healthful prebiotic foods include onions, garlic, wheat, oats, soybeans etc.
Probiotic foods
Probiotics contain healthful bacteria. Some examples of probiotics include:
Yogurt
Cottage cheese and other milk products with bacteria cultures
Fermented foods
One of the best source of Probiotic is supplement. Probiotic supplements come with different combinations of bacteria, to know more click the link to read.
Note: WonderPro is a new Probiotic supplement that ensures your overall well-being by boosting your immunity. Probiotic supplements have massive advantages to the stomach related framework.