Gut health = your health

The gut is more than just a hollow tube full of partially digested food.

Whilst its role in digestion is critical in turning the food we eat into energy to fuel our bodies and the building blocks to build and repair our tissues; the gut has several more essential functions including keeping inflammation under control, providing vital immunity to fight infection and preserving our mental well-being.

And it’s not just the gut itself that creates these effects – it is the trillions of bacteria that live in our gut! 

We have known for a few years now that ‘friendly’ bacteria in our gut are essential for good gut health – but it is now known that these bacteria, known as ‘probiotic bacteria’ are essential for the health of the whole body. 

Research has shown that a poor gut microbiome is associated with a high risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and many other cardio-metabolic diseases.  Other studies have shown that improving the gut microbiome also improves cognitive function.

So who are these friendly ‘probiotic’ bacteria and where do we find them?

A few key species of bacteria have been identified that create a healthy gut microbiome, two of the main ones are:

1.     Lactobacillus acidophilus: found in yogurt, kefir, tempeh, sauerkraut and cheese.

2.     Bifidobacterium: found in pickles, kimchi, kombucha, kefir, miso, yogurt, and tempeh.

There are several different strains of each type of bacteria so it’s best to consume a range of different probiotic foods to ensure you get a good mix.  Many supermarkets now stock a range of these products so you should find something to your taste.

Look after your friendly bacteria and they will look after you

Having a healthy gut microbiome does not just mean eating a few probiotic foods.  Those bacteria need something to feed on to keep them healthy.  Prebiotics are the source of nourishment for probiotics and essential to keep your gut microbiome fit.

Dietary fibre is the main source of prebiotics, so eat plenty of whole grains including beans, chickpeas and lentils, as well as fruit and green vegetables.  Onions, garlic and nuts also excellent sources of prebiotics so it’s easy to find something that suits you as well as your bacteria.

Fitting some pre- and probiotics into your daily diet may be one of the most impactful things you can do to improve your health.