How to Heal Your Gut
The gut has a moment. look up #GutTok on TikTok, and the hashtag has 606 million views. Your sister wants you to try the probiotic supplements she found on Amazon. Your cousin thinks it’s really all about that beforeBiotics, and you can really pack them in just by trying this “superfood” powder. You’ve also heard good things about bone broth. And kombucha. So what is legit and what is BS?
You are in the right place. And to put it bluntly: your gut feeling is worth the hype. It affects everything from your immune system to your brain to your heart, lungs and other vital organs. That’s why the saying “You are what you eat” is so well known.
When your gut is healthy, it has a good bacterial balance and your gastrointestinal tract is able to process nutrients. The scientific jargon for these bacteria is the gut microbiome, or microbiota: trillions of tiny organisms that help you absorb and digest food. When there’s an imbalance in your gut microbiome, you start dealing with all sorts of uncomfortable things like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and abdominal pain. It’s one of five key factors in a healthy gut, according to John Damianos, MD, an internal medicine physician specializing in gastroenterology at Yale New Haven Hospital.
What contributes to a healthy gut?
- Digestion (i.e. breaking down and absorbing nutrients)
- Organ function/inflammation
- agility
- Microbiota (bacteria, viruses, fungi, archaea)
- gut-brain connection
When any of these things get mixed up, it can lead to a variety of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, such as: B. inflammatory / autoimmune problems such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. “People with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, particularly symptoms such as weight loss or bloody stools, absolutely need to see a doctor to evaluate and diagnose their symptoms,” adds Dr. Damianos added.
Ultimately, “what can impact a person’s gut health varies from case to case, since every gut is as unique as their fingerprint,” says Jenna Volpe, a registered dietitian based in Round Rock, Texas. But here you have, Dr. Damianos and Jennifer Roelands, MD, a registered midwife and CEO of Well Woman MD, and Rhyan Geiger, a registered dietitian based in Phoenix, Arizona, general symptoms and causes of an unhealthy bowel, plus a few treatments that may help to heal your gut. Let’s get into that.
First, what are the symptoms of an unhealthy gut?
- gas
- gas
- abdominal pain (especially after eating)
- constipation
- Diarrhea
- nausea
- heartburn
Got it, so what causes an unhealthy gut?
A lack of the basic things you need for your overall well-being – a healthy diet, plenty of water, regular exercise, sleep – will negatively impact your gut. While the list below is not a definitive list, experts tend to agree that too much of the following can upset your gut:
- Elements of the SAD Diet: SAD stands for the Standard American Diet, which is high in processed foods and sugar. “This diet creates a microbiome of bacteria that absorbs nutrients poorly, leading to weight gain and symptoms of IBS,” says Dr. Roelands. Overdoing alcohol – arguably another common guest at the American dinner table – can also lead to chronic GI problems.
- Abnormal eating habits: Avoiding certain foods, skipping meals, not eating, and/or vomiting after meals can create an imbalance in your gut microbiome and lead to chronic problems like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and others. In fact, eating disorders and IBS are very closely related. “If you look at patients with disorders affecting gut-brain interactions, including irritable bowel syndrome, up to 44% of them have some type of eating disorder,” notes Dr. damianos
- Stress and Fatigue: It goes back to the previously mentioned gut-brain connection. “The brain and gut are two sides of the same coin – biologically they develop from the same parent cells – so if you have a problem with the brain,” says Dr. Damianos, “you’re more likely to have problems with the brain the gut and vice versa.”
What can I do to improve my gut health?
- Chew your food: “Digestion begins in the mouth, and chewing is one way to reduce the amount of work our digestive secretions have to do to fully break down what we eat,” explains Volpe. “That’s because at a certain point we’re making maximum use of the digestive secretions (like stomach acid, bile, and digestive enzymes).”
- Check your fiber intake: Most women should aim for 25 grams of fiber per day. Soluble Fiber— like apples, beans, and oats — is highly recommended for treating IBS symptoms, according to the American College of Gastroenterology. dr Adds Damianos: “There is a huge misconception that people with Crohn’s disease and diverticulitis should eat a low-fiber diet. Fiber is very beneficial in Crohn’s disease, and a high-fiber diet actually prevents recurrence, whereas avoiding fiber can do so cause flicker. Fiber can also help impede Diverticulitis.” (PS If you’re upping your fiber, drink plenty of water along the way.)
- Load up on fruits and vegetables: “Fruit and vegetables are high in prebiotics, or plant-based fiber, which encourage the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut,” Geiger recommends. They are a crucial part of diets like that Low FODMAP Dietwhich can help people with certain gut problems such as IBS, and the Mediterranean diet, which has also been used shown improve bowel problems.
What are probiotics and can they help heal my gut?
Probiotics are often mistaken for the “good” bacteria in your gut, but according to Dr. Damiano’s inaccurate. The correct definition of probiotics, such as recently updated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), are (ready to tackle your ~science~?) “live microorganisms which, when administered in appropriate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host .”
The average person doesn’t need a probiotic supplement for a healthy gut, but if you have certain gut issues (like IBS), your doctor can prescribe specific strains of probiotics to help.
A big word of caution, notes Dr. Damianos, is: “You can’t just take any probiotic off the shelf. There are just so many dietary supplements out there that don’t have any clinical data to support their use. Anything that claims to ‘cure’ your gas or, yes, even ‘cure’ your gut is most likely trying to take advantage of you.” As part of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Alliance for Education on Probiotics, Dr. Damianos on his Clinical Guide to Probiotics as a good resource to assess your probiotic needs.
What about prebiotics? Can they improve my gut health?
Part of the reason why experts consistently recommend plant-based foods is that they’re rich in prebiotics, which feed the healthy gut bacteria, says Geiger. Good sources of prebiotics include: onions, garlic, asparagus, whole grains, spinach, beans, bananas, oats, and soybeans, to name a few.
As for more expensive stuff like bone broth, kombucha, and other ~fancy things~ that claim to boost your gut? There isn’t enough data behind them yet to say they will absolutely help. So if something looks like an expensive panacea, it’s probably too good to be true. It’s best to go for whole foods recommended by your doctor or nutritionist.
If you have gut issues for whatever reason, all experts agree that keeping a food journal can help you keep track of what feels good and what doesn’t. Then make an appointment with a doctor or registered dietitian for advice on what can help from there.