How to Improve Your Gut Health
Published Tuesday, June 20, 2023
By Haley Shipston, Health Promotion Project Assistant
Gut health plays an important role in our bodies, and gut complaints are quite common. Sheri Maltais, Registered Dietitian, explained the relationship between gut health and overall health and well-being.
Q. What is gut health?
When referring to gut health, we are most often talking about our stomach, intestines and the trillions of bacteria found here. A balance of bacteria is key to proper digestion and the imbalance of bacteria has been linked to immune responses such as allergies, autoimmunity, chronic inflammatory conditions and more.
Q. What is a prebiotic? What is a probiotic?
Probiotics are live microorganisms that are found in foods such as yogurt, kefir, and other fermented foods such as sauerkraut, miso, kimchi, tempeh and komboucha. Prebiotics are food for probiotics like asparagus, garlic, onions, chickpeas, lentils, apples, and dried dates. Prebiotics also help feed pre-existing bacteria that we have in our gut.
Q. How do I achieve a healthy gut?
The make up of our gut bacteria starts before we are born and continues to build with exposure to food and environment. As we age, our gut bacteria changes in response to illness, antibiotics, fever, stress, injury and diet changes. You can maintain your gut health by eating foods high in fibre, and including probiotics and prebiotics. Eating a variety of vegetables, fruit and whole grain is a great way to increase fibre and prebiotics. Including a fermented food or drink or yogurt with live cultures daily is a great way to ensure you are including probiotics in your diet.
Q. Should I be taking a probiotic supplement?
As a dietitian, I promote food first and would suggest starting with food sources of probiotics first (like drinking plain kefir daily). Be mindful that probiotics are not yet regulated like other medicines and look for labels that say list “active”, “live cultures”, best before date and/or specific storage instructions. If you are looking to treat a specific concern, such as irritable bowel syndrome, speak with your doctor or pharmacist as each bacterial strain is unique and will have a different health impact.
Q. Should I limit certain foods to have a healthy gut?
When it comes to gut health, there is no one size fits all. However, there are diet patterns that may cause an imbalance of “good” and “bad” gut bacteria:
- High intake of saturated fat
- High intake of simple sugar
- High protein and low carbohydrate intake
- High alcohol intake
Q. What would you suggest I incorporate or focus on for my gut health?
Eating a variety of vegetables, fruit and whole grain is a great way to increase fibre and prebiotics. To boost good gut bacteria, include a fermented food or drink, or yogurt with live cultures daily.
Q. Is there anything else I should incorporate into my daily routine for good gut health?
For our guts, managing stress is an important factor. Look at ways to reduce stress such as daily meditation or getting outside for a walk and fresh air.
For more information about gut health and healthy eating, visit https://cdhf.ca/en/how-nutrition-can-support-gut-health-and-the-immune-system/.