Good gut health is crucial to a well-functioning immune system, which can help your body fight off infectious diseases like COVID-19.
What happens in your gut can also affect many other areas of your body, including your liver, respiratory system and even your mood.
But what is good gut health, and how can you achieve it?
You may have heard of the term ‘gut microbiome’. This is essentially the resident microbes living in our large intestine (including bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that help break down our food. These tiny organisms also assist in the general functioning of our gastrointestinal system. Any imbalance in the gut microbiome can lead to bloating, pain, diarrhoea, and in the longer term can put you at greater risk of cancer, depression and even dementia. All great reasons to look after yourself from the inside out!
Gut health is a trending topic in wellness culture and as a result there is a mass of information around which may not be evidence-based. Looking after your gut health doesn’t need to be tricky or expensive. It is simply a matter of feeding your microbiome the right nutrients.
What your gut likes most is foods high in ‘pre-biotic fibre’.
Avoiding excess alcohol and smoking, managing stress, and getting regular exercise will also keep your gut healthy and happy.
We still have much to learn but if you want to know more about your microbiome, watch this short video.
High ‘pre-biotic fibre’ foods
- Garlic
- Onion
- Asparagus
- Beetroot
- Green peas
- Snow peas
- Corn
- Savoy cabbage
- Chickpeas
- Lentils
- Kidney beans
- Baked beans
- Nectarines
- White peaches
- Watermelon
- Dates
- Barley
- Rye bread
- Pasta
- Couscous
- Wheat bread
- Oats
- Cashews.
