5 Ways to Keep Your Gut in Perfect Shape
Gut health is about the balance of microbes living in the digestive tract. Taking care of the health of your gut and sustaining the appropriate balance of these microbes is essential for mental and physical health, immunity, and so forth.
Lined-up below are five ways to maintain your gut in perfect condition.
1. Eat Less Sugar Foods
Consuming excessive sugar or artificial sweeteners can cause gut dysbiosis—a condition that disbalances gut microorganisms.
The 2015 study in animals observed that the conventional western diet, rich in fat and sugar, can harm the gut microbiomes. As a result, this can affect the brain and behaviour.
Another animal study explained that the artificial sweeteners aspartame enhance the prevalence of some bacterial strains connected to metabolic conditions.
Metabolic disease infers a range of disorders that raise the risk of developing diabetes and heart conditions.
Artificial sweeteners in humans can negatively influence blood glucose levels due to their effects on gut flora. This implies that, while not being a sugar, artificial sweeteners may raise blood sugar levels.
2. Eat Prebiotic Foods
Prebiotics are meals that beneficial bacteria enjoy. Prebiotic meals include fibre and pass through the digestive tract without being completely digested. When prebiotics reach the large intestine, they provide food for the beneficial bacteria that reside there.
Leeks, onion, asparagus, garlic, and bananas are the common prebiotic foods you are advised to consume. Chicory root and Jerusalem artichoke are two lesser-known prebiotics.
In any case, a range of fibre-rich foods – fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains, and seeds — should suffice. Most Americans consume less than 50% of the recommended amount of fibre.
3. Reduce Your Stress Levels
Stress management is essential for many health facets, including gut health.
Psychological stresses have been shown to alter the bacteria in the intestines, even if the stress is just temporary.
A range of stresses can harm gut health in humans, including:
- Psychological stress
- Environmental stress, such as severe heat or cold
- Circadian rhythm disturbance
- Sleep deprivation
Meditation, deep breathing, and gradual muscle relaxation are some of the common stress-reducing approaches to keeping your gut in perfect shape, but be sure to also seek help from professionals at the Centre for Gastrointestinal Health.
Regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and eating a nutritious diet can all help to alleviate stress.
4. Exercise Regularly
Exercising regularly is great for heart health and weight reduction or maintenance. According to research, it may also boost intestinal health, which may help manage obesity.
Working out boosts the diversity of species. A 2014 study discovered that athletes have a more diverse gut flora than nonathletes.
The athletes, however, eat a specific diet than the control group, which might explain the disparities in their microbiomes.
Research by the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans reveals that adults should participate in at least 150 minutes of activity per week (moderate to intense) and muscle-strengthening exercises on two or more days per week.
5. Try Various Cleaning Products
According to the findings of one study, disinfectant cleaning agents, like antibiotics, can affect the gut microbiome.
In a 2018 study, the intestinal flora of nearly 700 newborns aged 3–4 months was observed.
Researchers discovered that people living in houses where disinfectant cleaning solutions were used at least weekly were twice as likely to have greater levels of Lachnospiraceae gut bacteria, a kind related to type 2 diabetes and obesity.
At three years old, these newborns had a greater BMI (body mass index)than children who had not been exposed to such high doses of disinfectants.
Bottom Line
Keeping a healthy gut is beneficial to the general health and immunological system.
You can improve the diversity and amount of microorganisms in your gut by adopting the proper lifestyle and dietary adjustments.
Taking probiotics, eating a fibre-rich vegetarian diet, and minimal use of antibiotics and disinfectants are all examples of positive adjustments a person may make.
Other essential lifestyle modifications include getting adequate sleep and regular exercise.