Key Topics Covered
Gut Health Defined
Microbiota – The collection of microbes that live in and on the human body.
- The microbiota of the gut has an integral role in:
- Digestion
- Immune function
- Brain health
- Metabolism
- Also linked with mood and mental health.
- Some people think of “improved gut-health” as a reduction IBS symptoms. Which is part of it, but focusing solely on that can be very different to a more broad view.
- e.g. Going low FODMAP can reduce IBS symptoms, but doesn’t necessarily improve gut health as it decreases diversity.
Ideal Gut Microbiome
- There’s no current consensus on what is a healthy or ideal gut microbiome research of the gut microbiome is still relatively new.
- At this stage, it is understood that everyone is different and therefore what is ideal can vary. However, the diversity of bacteria is important.
- Eat a Fibre Rich Diet
Fibre – A type of non-digestible carbohydrate that is found exclusively in plant-based foods.
- Recommendations – For adults are 25g per day for women and 30g per day for men.
- However, it is interesting to note that vegetarians and vegans who typically have a fibre intake of >40g per day tend to have better gut health.
- So there may be some benefit in going above the general recommendations.
- Increase your fibre intake slowly to allow your gut to get used to it.
- A sudden and drastic increase in fibre intake is not going to harm you but it may cause some uncomfortable symptoms including bloating and flatulence.
- This can be tracked in an app like Easy Diet Diary or MyFitnessPal.
2. Eat >30 different Plant-based Food each week
- The American Gut Project found that people who consumed 30 or more plant-based food per week had a more diverse gut microbiome. In comparison to those who had 10 or less per week.
- They also found links such as those with mental health conditions had microbiomes that were more similar to each other than they were to those without mental health conditions.
- Ways to improve the variety of plant food in your diet include:
- Having a handful of mixed nuts daily
- Make up batch of fruit salad for the week or have a different piece of fruit each day
- Use packets of mixed veggies – the more variety in a bag, the better
- Make up a mixed seeds jar to sprinkle on porridge, yogurt or salads
- Use some plant based proteins in your meals including legumes and soy foods
- Have a variety of canned legumes in your pantry and incorporate them wherever possible – a 4 bean mix is great!
- Choose a few different types of grains for the week including rice, quinoa, whole grain bread, couscous and pasta
- Diversity of food can also be a self-fulfilling prophesy. Our body adapts based on what we do. If we have a diverse intake, our digestive enzymes and gut bacteria adapt to handle this. If you stop eating certain foods/groups, these bacteria and enzymes are needed less, so diminish. When you reintroduce these foods/groups, you might get more symptoms because the body is less equipped to handle it.
3. Probiotics & Prebiotics
Probiotics – Live microorganisms found in certain foods, which when consumed in adequate amounts are beneficial to our gut health. Supplements can work, but we recommend food first, these include:
- Yoghurt
- Fermented milk products (kefir, buttermilk, Yakult)
- Fermented vegetables (sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi)
- Fermented soy products: Tempeh / Miso / natto
Prebiotic – A type of fibre found in plant-based foods, which promotes the growth and activity of good bacteria in the gut. These include:
- Vegetables – green peas, snow peas, corn, garlic, onion, leeks, asparagus
- Fruits – banana, watermelon, nectarines, dried fruit
- Legumes – chickpeas, baked beans, red kidney beans, lentils
- Cereals – couscous, wheat, barley, oats
- Nuts & seeds
Generally having a diet that is high in a variety of plant foods with a focus on including some probiotic-rich foods will do the trick.
4. Resistant Start
Can act as prebiotic fibre and also helps nourish good bacteria in the large intestine.
- Because it is more resistant to digestion, it ferments in the gut and favours the production of butyrate: a major bacterial metabolite fundamental for keeping the gut healthy and functioning normally.
- Although it is hard to measure, it looks like the average Australian consumes about 3-9g of resistant starch per day.
- Recommend: 15-20g have been linked with positive health outcomes. Most people likely would benefit from increasing their intake.
- Found in:
- Whole grains
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Starchy vegetables
- Some seeds
- Particularly prominent in:
- Unripe bananas and green banana flour
- Cooked and cooled grains and starchy vegetables such as potato, rice & pasta
Minimise intake of alcohol & meat products
- A high intake of cholesterol from animal products has been shown to decrease levels of bifidobacteria which is a particularly beneficial bacteria for gut health.
- The same thing goes for alcohol and gut health. Chronic alcohol consumption has been shown to result in gut dysbiosis which is an imbalance in the gut microbiota.
- You don’t need to completely cut these foods out of your diet but they also shouldn’t be a large part of your daily intake.
Summary
The microbiome is a complicated area of research. For the time being, we can be pretty positive that these things really move the needle for gut health:
- Follow a fibre rich, plant based diet that is rich in a variety of plant foods (ideally >30 different plant based foods per week)
- Incorporate foods rich in prebiotics, probiotics & resistant starch
- Limit consumption of alcohol and mear
- And even Lifestyle factors such as:
- Reducing stress
- Exercising regularly
- Maintaining a healthy weight
Useful Links/ Resources
Studies Mentioned
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