05/24/2023
You’ve probably heard a lot about your gut microbiome from social media or on the news in recent years. There is a ton of scientific research going on in this field right now, and we are just beginning to understand how the health of the microbes in our digestive tract affect not only digestive disorders but our overall health as well. Not surprisingly, what we eat can affect our gut heath. If you’re having issues with your gut health, please reach out to the office to schedule an appointment. The following are facts to take into consideration. Nothing is wrong with the occasional steak or ice cream, etc.
Foods That Harm and Help Our Gut Health:
When it comes to the inner workings of our digestive systems, there’s still a lot we don’t know. How exactly the freeloading microbes in our gut interact with our brain, why they play an outsized role in chronic illness beyond our digestive system and what causes their composition to change, for better or worse. Certainly, we know some of this. We know that our gut microbiome, which is made up of trillions of bacteria and other bugs, is incredibly important for our digestive health as well as our overall health. We know it impacts common conditions like heartburn, less common conditions like Crohn’s disease and a host of issues in between. Still, gut health is an inexact science. Let’s talk about what we do know. Our gut microbiome is made up of good AND bad bacteria. Trillions of them. When in balance, the good bacteria keep the bad from causing havoc. People who have a healthy balance of these bacteria have better health outcomes, not just better digestive outcomes. Some of the foods we eat recharge and nourish the beneficial bacteria, while other foods damage good microbes, helping the bad flourish. If you eat a typical Western diet, chances are you’re upsetting the balance of good and bad bacteria. But there are foods you can add to your diet that can restore the balance.Let’s start with what you shouldn’t eat. Red meat helps feed bacteria that can raise cholesterol. Think of it as the partner in crime in why red meat increases your risk of heart disease. Some bacteria feast on nutrients in red meat and produce three metabolites — TMAO, gamma butyrobetaine and crotonobetaine — which are linked to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and death. Fried food studies in humans and animals suggest that heated oils, which are embedded in fried foods, damage the diversity and richness of our microbiome. Alcohol, especially in large amounts, can wreck our guts. Alcohol and its metabolites inflame the intestines, affecting other organs. It also can alter our gut microbiome composition; increase the permeability of the intestinal lining, allowing pathogens to cross that barrier; and affect the delicate balance of our immune systems. Too much sugar also throws off the balance of our digestive microbiome, increasing inflammation and reducing our bacteria’s ability to regulate the lining of our intestines. It can even damage our immune system. Just as bad foods can harm the beneficial bacteria in our guts, the right diet can help restore balance and nourish microbes that help us. Let’s focus on two types of foods that benefit our gut: probiotics and prebiotics. Foods that are considered probiotic undergo a process called lacto fermentation – they actually contain live bacteria which helps preserve them. Probiotics are found in fermented dishes in common Western foods like sauerkraut, kimchi and pickles and in foods like yogurt with live cultures. Sourdough bread, sour cream and some cheeses such as gouda, mozzarella and cheddar may also contain probiotics. Preparation of these foods matter. If you’re getting raw sauerkraut from the refrigerated section, it’ll have more probiotics than canned. Probiotics can be found in many Eastern foods, like kefir, a kind of fermented milk; tempeh, a fermented soybean product; kombucha, a fermented tea; and miso, a kind of Japanese seasoning that is made from fermented soybeans. You may be tempted to buy a supplement with probiotics, but food is still best way to get these helpful bacteria into your gut. Prebiotic foods contain fiber especially liked by beneficial bacteria, helping them grow and keep bad bacteria from flourishing. This fiber has names like inulin, oligosaccharides, pectin, beta-glucans and resistant starch. This fiber is a little different from the fiber you’re probably thinking about. Our stomachs can’t digest this type of fiber. Instead, it passes into intestines where good bacteria eat it. Common prebiotics include root vegetables like garlic, onions and leeks. Asparagus is also a prebiotic. Bananas, apples and berries are prebiotic as are whole oats, beans and other legumes. There are also some less common foods that are rich sources for the kind of fiber good bacteria likes. Dandelion greens, which are great in salads, green juices and smoothies, are loaded with fiber. So are Jerusalem artichokes, which are very different from artichokes we see in our grocery stores. They are a root vegetable
loaded with fiber that taste like potatoes when cooked. Chicory root tastes a lot like coffee and can be boiled into a tea. It’s often added to packaged foods to increase fiber content. Beyond probiotics and prebiotics, polyphenols, which are a type of antioxidant, are also beneficial to our gut microbiomes. They can help increase the good bacteria in our guts. You can find helpful polyphenols in fruits and berries, many vegetables as well as dark chocolate, tea, coffee and red wine. Polyphenols are also present in extra virgin olive oil.
Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, once reportedly said, “Bad digestion is the root of all evil.” Whether Hippocrates actually said it, or the saying has just been
attributed to him, we know that problems with our gut health reverberate throughout our body. That’s why it’s so important to eat a healthy, diverse diet. Many of these foods mentioned above are not part of a normal American diet – but that’s okay. I would encourage you to give them a try anyway. You may find you really like them, and your gut microbiome is going to love them!
