Best and Worst Foods to Eat for Gut Health
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Dec 12, 2019
- 5 min read
Introduction:
What you eat directly influences the makeup of bacteria in your gut—known as the microbiome—which in turn impacts your health.
A healthy gut helps keep chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer at bay, and also can reduce inflammation, keep your brain healthy and help you maintain a healthy weight.
Eat more: Probiotics, prebiotics, fiber, polyphenols and fermented foods
Probiotics
Probiotics are the "good bugs" and can be found in fermented food like sauerkraut, kimchi, miso and yogurt. Eating probiotics adds good bacteria to your gut. The most common are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
In addition to helping balance your gut bacteria, probiotics can help if you have diarrhea, boost your immunity and keep your heart and skin healthy.
1. Sauerkraut
It is made from cabbage and salt. During the fermentation process, microorganisms eat the sugar present in cabbage and produce carbon dioxide and acids. The probiotics created during fermentation assist with digestion and add good bugs to your gut.
One cup of raw cabbage has 36% of your Daily Value for vitamin C and 56% DV for vitamin K.
Enjoy sauerkraut on a hot dog, substitute it for pickles on a sandwich or burger, add it to potato salad, or put it on a cheese plate and serve your friends something good for their guts.
2. Kimchi
It is also fermented cabbage, is the spicy Korean cousin to sauerkraut. It can have scallions, radishes and shrimp added to give it more flavor. Look for it in the refrigerated section near sauerkraut, other Asian sauces and pickles.
Kimchi is delicious added to a fried rice bowl with veggies and an egg.
3. Kefir
It is like drinkable yogurt. It's made when kefir grains, which are colonies of yeast and lactic acid bacteria, ferment the sugars in milk, giving it a slightly thicker consistency and tart flavor. Similar to yogurt, kefir is packed with probiotics.
Buy plain kefir (instead of flavored) to skip added sugars. Due to fermentation, kefir has a slightly tart and acidic taste, which makes it tasty added to a breakfast smoothie instead of milk. Or try substituting kefir for milk in overnight oats for a healthy combo of probiotics and fiber.
4. Kombucha
It is a tart, fizzy tea made by adding a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) and sugar to green or black tea. It's then fermented for a week or more. During fermentation alcohol and gases are produced, giving the kombucha natural carbonation. The amount of alcohol is usually less than 0.5% alcohol by volume (although some have been found to have closer to 2-3%).
Additionally, acetic acid and lactic acid bacteria are produced, the latter of which is known to function as a probiotic. When consuming kombucha made from green tea, you'll also get the antioxidant properties associated with tea. Keep in mind that some kombuchas, like those made from black tea, contain caffeine. Others have artificial sweeteners, which can negatively alter gut bacteria, so read labels.
5. Miso
Miso is a fermented paste made from soybeans, barley or rice. Similar to other fermented foods, beneficial bacteria are produced in the fermentation process. You'll also get some protein if you eat miso made from soybeans. A little bit goes a long way, which is good since miso is also high in sodium.
6. Tempeh
Tempeh is similar to tofu in that it's made from soybeans, but unlike tofu, tempeh is a fermented food, so it contains probiotics. Tempeh is made when soybeans are fermented and then pressed into a cake. It can then be grilled, sautéed or baked.
Tempeh is high in protein, making it a good option for vegetarians and vegans. It's also packed with B vitamins, calcium, manganese, zinc and copper.
7. Yogurt
Yogurt is probably the most popular probiotic and for good reason. It's made when good bacteria are added to milk, where they metabolize lactose to form lactic acid and other beneficial bugs.
Prebiotics
"Prebiotics are fibers that feed the beneficial probiotics in your gut," says Dianne Rishikof, M.S., RDN, LDN, IFNCP, a registered dietitian and integrative & functional medicine nutritionist at Health Take Guts.
"Ingredients to look for include galactooligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides, oligofructose, chicory fiber and inulin." Fructans and cellulose are two other prebiotic fibers.
In fact, you won't see most of these compounds listed on a label because they are present in foods that don't have labels—that is, fruits and vegetables (see our top picks for prebiotic-rich food).
8. Jerusalem Artichokes
Also known as sunchokes, Jerusalem artichokes have 47 grams of fructans in 1 cup (regular artichokes clock in with just 6 grams per 'choke). One cup also delivers 3 grams of protein, 2.4 grams of fiber, 25% DV for thiamin, and 28% DV for iron. The majority of carbohydrates in 'chokes are inulin, a prebiotic fiber that provides food for your critters. Thiamin (a B vitamin) supports healthy hair, skin and nails, and iron helps form red blood cells.
9. Leeks
One leek has 10 grams of good-for-the-gut fructans, and 1 cup has 35% DV for vitamin K and 12% DV for vitamin C. Vitamin K helps your blood clot, and vitamin C is an antioxidant.
10. Onions
Onions are chock-full of inulin, fructans and fructooligosaccharides. Not only are FOSs a prebiotic that help build up gut flora, they also help lower cholesterol and relieve constipation.
11. Raspberries
One cup of raspberries has a whopping 8 grams of fiber, about one third of your Daily Value. Raspberries are a rich source of polyphenols, potent antioxidants that your gut microbes love to nosh.
12. Beans and legumes
Don't steer clear of beans for fear of having gas. It's actually a good sign. When beans and legumes, such as black beans, chickpeas, peas, lentils and white beans, reach the large intestine (colon), they are still intact. It's there that gut bacteria feed on them. This process is called fermentation.
13. Asparagus
Not only is asparagus a powerful prebiotic for the gut, it may also be protective against certain cancers. This is because it contains glutathione, an antioxidant that fights off free radicals and other inflammatory compounds in the body.
14. Garlic
Think food-as-medicine when you cook with garlic. Garlic may help reduce the risk of heart disease and is also anti-inflammatory in the body. Inulin and fructooligosaccharides are the two main fibers in garlic—a dynamic prebiotic duo.
15. Bananas
Green bananas (the unripe ones) are best for the gut because they contain resistant starch, a type of indigestible fiber that produces more good bugs when your microbes feed on it. Resistant starch can also be created by cooking grains and then cooling them. So go ahead and make barley in bulk for the week. Ripe bananas are full of fiber too.
16. Pears
Pears are a prebiotic food for the gut but also contain pectin, a compound that helps lower cholesterol. One medium pear is just 100 calories but has 5.5 grams of fiber.
17. Watermelon
Watermelon is naturally high in prebiotics with 1 gram of fructan per cup. One cup also has 14% DV for vitamin C, an antioxidant that fights inflammation, is the building block of collagen and increases the absorption of iron.
Polyphenols
"Polyphenols are a type of plant chemical that gut microbes love," says Rossi. They are found in berries, apples, artichokes, red onions, tea, dark chocolate and other fruits and vegetables. Gut bacteria feed on polyphenols and produce beneficial substances.
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