Our gut relies on a healthy balance of diverse bacteria to digest food and prevent infection and inflammation. Gut health also influences mental health, weight, blood sugar, and the liver.
Prebiotic foods like whole grains, vegetables, onions, garlic, and soybeans serve as food for beneficial gut bacteria. On the other hand, some foods can disrupt the gut bacteria balance or even kill beneficial bacteria, harming gut health. Web MD, a US health and medical media outlet, has compiled a list of the best and worst foods for gut health.
|Best Food|
fermented foods
Fermentation is a method of preserving food using bacteria and yeast. Fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut contain lactic acid bacteria. These bacteria are an excellent source of beneficial bacteria.
banana
Bananas provide your gut with inulin, a type of fiber that helps beneficial bacteria grow.
Green leafy vegetables = Rich in fiber and special carbohydrates that help gut bacteria.
Whole Grains = Our bodies cannot break down fiber on their own. When fiber reaches the large intestine, gut bacteria ferment it. This process produces acids that nourish intestinal cells and help protect the intestines from harmful bacteria.
polypherol
Polyphenols, a type of plant compound, protect cells from damage while fighting inflammation and infection. Colorful foods like tea and red wine are rich in polyphenols. The polyphenols in green tea help fight bad bacteria like E. coli and soothe symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease and peptic ulcers. Polyphenols can also promote the growth of good gut bacteria.
|Worst Food|
red meat
Red meat can promote the growth of gut bacteria that clog arteries. It's best to limit red meat consumption and instead eat lean proteins like fish or plant-based proteins like beans and tofu. If you can't completely give up red meats like beef, pork, and lamb, it's best to eat lean meats.
Fried Foods = A study on rats found that the heated oils in fried foods can damage healthy gut bacteria.
Foods containing antibiotics
Antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria because they can't distinguish between them. Farmers often treat animals with antibiotics to prevent infections. Eating these animal products can kill healthy gut bacteria. Furthermore, some bacteria develop antibiotic resistance over time, rendering them ineffective against drugs, creating superbugs that are difficult to kill.
alcohol
Drinking too much alcohol can disrupt the balance of gut bacteria and encourage the growth of harmful bacteria. Moderation is key when it comes to alcohol.
caffeine
Consuming too much caffeine, such as coffee, soda, or even chocolate, can increase the amount of caffeine in your body and cause it to fill your intestines. This can overstimulate your digestive system, often leading to diarrhea.
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I really like coffee.
Was it chosen as the worst food?
I'm successfully drinking one glass a day these days.
You can eat bananas easily
The cold wind is blowing these days, so I'm a little less worried about flies.
