Making a few simple changes to your diet can do wonders for your gut health & improve your overall gut microbiome. Studies have shown that we get the most benefit from a diverse microbiome, as opposed to having just a few abundant strains.

The foods you eat help shape your gut microbiota, & play the most influential role in keeping you healthy. Nutrients like fiber, polyphenols, prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics all work together to support production & maintenance of good bacteria in the gut. Their presence also keeps the bad ones in check, and produces important compounds like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that keep your gut balanced.

Here are some easy dietary tweaks that can give your gut microbiome a boost!

 

Dietary Fibers

Role in Gut Health:

    • Dietary fibers, both soluble and insoluble, are fermented by gut microbiota to produce SCFAs, which are associated with reduced risks of gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer (Wong et al., 2016) (Fu et al., 2022).

Sources:

  • High-fiber foods include fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. These foods provide fermentable substrates that fuel beneficial gut bacteria (Wong et al., 2016) (Senés-Guerrero et al., 2019). Avoiding processed foods, high fat foods, and foods high in refined sugars is likely important for maintaining a healthy microbiome, as these foods may promote the growth of damaging bacteria.

Impact on Microbiota:

    • Increased fiber intake enhances the diversity and abundance of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, which are crucial for gut health (Krumbeck et al., 2016) (Senés-Guerrero et al., 2019).

 

Polyphenols

Bioactive Compounds:

    • Polyphenols found in fruits, vegetables, coffee, and green tea have been shown to regulate gut microbiota by promoting beneficial bacteria and suppressing harmful ones (Wang et al., 2024).

Health Benefits:

    • These compounds contribute to the production of microbiota-derived metabolites that influence gut barrier function, immune responses and anti-inflammatory processes (Wang et al., 2024).

 

Prebiotics and Probiotics

Prebiotics:

    • Non-digestible carbohydrates that stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria. They are found in foods like garlic, onions and bananas (Al-Habsi et al., 2024). A wide range of compounds act as prebiotics, including fructans and oligosaccharides.

      Studies have shown that galactooligosaccharide can help keep your gut microbiome “stable” and may support Bifidobacteria, a common type of “good” gut bacteria.

Probiotics:

    • Live bacteria that provide health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts. Common sources include yogurt and fermented foods (Al-Habsi et al., 2024). Probiotics regulate gut microbiota: An effective method to improve immunity.

Synbiotics:

    • Combinations of prebiotics and probiotics that work synergistically to enhance gut health by improving the composition and function of the gut microbiota (Krumbeck et al., 2016) (Al-Habsi et al., 2024).

 

Plant-Based Diets

High-Fiber Plant-Based Diets:

    • Diets rich in diverse plant foods improve gut microbiome composition and reduce gut symptoms. They are associated with increased energy and reduced hunger (Creedon et al., 2024).

 

Functional Foods

Role of Functional Foods:

    • Foods containing probiotics, prebiotics and polyphenols are considered functional foods that can modulate gut microbiota and improve health outcomes (Senés-Guerrero et al., 2019).

Examples:

    • Fermented foods, fiber-rich foods and foods high in polyphenols are examples of functional foods that support gut health (Senés-Guerrero et al., 2019).

 

Cautionary tale –  if you’re not used to including fiber in your diet, slowly increase over time. Introducing too much, too quickly will likely result in a bloated and gassy belly.

Remember – variety is key! The most diverse diet creates the most diverse & healthiest microbiome to benefit overall health long term.

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