Foods That Promote Good Gut Bacteria Growth

Feeling sluggish? Think about your gut! Good gut bacteria is fundamental to our overall health. Ensuring a healthy bacterial balance in your stomach can ward off viruses in your stomach and elsewhere in your body and aid with digestive issues like IBS.

Healthy guts also encourage nerves and hormones to act in a healthier way, which helps a lot with general well-being. There are heaps of ways that you can get good gut bacteria, including changing what you eat. This article will describe some of the best foods to eat to help with good gut bacteria!

Best foods to eat for good gut bacteria

Probiotic yogurts

Probiotic yogurts are marketed as one of the best foods for good gut bacteria. The bacteria is produced during the fermenting process. Natural yogurt is the best to eat, as well as yogurt that has extra added bacteria.

Fermented foods

Other fermented foods include kimchi, kefir milk, and kombucha.

• Kimchi is a staple Korean food. It consists of salted and fermented vegetables. You can try kimchi as a side dish or put it into a salad.
• Kefir is fermented milk, usually drunk on its own.
• Kombucha is a fermented green and black tea drink. It is generally drunk on its own but is often served with other flavors to make it more palatable.

All of these foods are excellent for gut health, thanks to the fermenting process.

Wholegrains

Wholegrain foods include cereals, certain types of bread, brown rice, and wholewheat pasta. Any kind of brown or wholewheat carbohydrate is always much healthier than its white counterpart.

Whole grains are full of fiber, which is excellent for digestion, and various non-digestible carbs. While this might sound like a nightmare for your digestive system, all it means is that your small intestine cannot digest them.

Instead, whole grain foods make their way to your big intestine, which grows particular bacteria while it breaks them down. This bacteria is – you’ve guessed it – the good gut bacteria that you need to have a healthy and strong digestive system.

Red wine (and other food high in polyphenols!)

Yes, that’s right – when enjoyed in moderation, red wine can actually be good for your gut!

Red wine is high in polyphenols. Similarly to whole grains, they need gut bacteria to digest efficiently, which enables their growth. As well as helping your gut bacteria, polyphenols also help to reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation.

While a glass of red wine can be good for you, try to make sure it is high-quality and, if possible, organic.

Other sources of polyphenols are green tea, dark chocolate, onions, blueberries, and broccoli.

Fruits and vegetables

With plenty of famous health benefits, it’s unsurprising that fruits and vegetables have found their way onto this list. Many fruits and vegetables are prebiotic, which means that they inherently promote good bacteria growth.

Other fruits and vegetables have specific benefits. For example, bananas contain inulin, which is a particular type of fiber that assists the growth of good bacteria. Leafy green vegetables are similarly high in fiber, and their large carb content helps to grow bacteria as they digest.

Tips for eating more good gut health foods

• Aim to consume something fermented – whether that be a glass of kombucha, a yogurt, or a shot of kefir – each day. Many people prefer to have this in the morning with breakfast.
• If you struggle to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your diet, try basing your meals around them instead of meat. For example, you could make vegetable curries or even something like a vegetable tagine. Cooked in a tagine pot this dish is flavorsome and delicious – and won’t leave you missing the meat at all!
• As tempting as it may be, don’t cite health reasons for drinking a whole bottle of wine – while you can enjoy a glass each evening as part of a healthy balanced diet, one is enough to encourage your gut bacteria to grow (and reap the other health benefits).
• Make simple swaps that will be easier to stick with. For example, try swapping one coffee a day for green tea and notice the improvement. Gradually substitute more over time, and don’t try to eliminate some foods – just enjoy them as an occasional treat instead.

In general

Consuming all of these healthy foods is a useful way to ensure that your gut is healthier and happier. All of these foods possess other health benefits as well – so when you add them to your diet, not only will your digestion feel fabulous, but you’ll be a generally fitter person as well!