Having a healthy gut means being healthy in general. It affects almost everything in your body and it’s affected by everything you do to your body. All the alcohol, junk food, sleepless nights, pills, antibiotics you took will affect your gut flora.
And, did you know that if your gut health is disturbed that it will affect your entire immunity system?
You don’t have to be ill, to have gut problems. So, how to keep the gut health in balance? Do you take any gut health supplement? A mix of healthy food and gut supplements can do miracles for the health and balance of your guts.
Probiotics & Prebiotics
Source: Healthline
You probably know the importance of probiotics especially if you’re going through a not so pleasant experience of diarrhea or after you’ve been taking antibiotics that “killed” all the good bacteria in your guts.
Probiotics are the supplement for the good gut bacteria that will help build the bacteria population. Sounds nasty? Well, the truth is, the good bacteria are essential for your general health, immune system, and proper food digestion.
Probiotics contain good bacteria such as Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium long, and Lactobacillus Plantarum that are less likely to increase the production of inflammatory histamines.
When you get the probiotics, you should get something to feed them which are the prebiotics. If you haven’t heard of these fellows so far, they’re nourishment for the good gut bacteria. Prebiotic fibre will “feed” the gut bacteria and are essential for people who can’t consume enough fibre-rich foods.
Prebiotics will not only “feed” the gut bacteria but will also help it function properly and do their job to help you feel well, stay healthy and digest the food easily.
Collagen Protein
Source: Natural Force
Maybe you thought that collagen is needed only for great skin, hair and nails, but collagen is far more than that. This protein contains amino acids that are excellent for digestion. It lowes inflammation and keeps the gut barrier strong to keep everything that is not needed out. Also, the collagen will help in the protection of joints and bone loss. It’s essential as we get older, but also for people who workout vigorously.
Collagen makes up structures in your entire body, including your gut. The human’s body can naturally produce collagen, but after the age of twenty-five, the amount of collagen starts to decrease.
You can get it from food, such as bone broth or organs. However, nobody eats these types of food every day, so it means that none of us is getting a sufficient amount of amino acid building blocks that help in the collagen protein production.
Most of these products come in the form of powder, with a pleasant taste that can be mixed in your smoothie, yogurt or juice.
Licorice
Source: Stack3d
The well-functioning gut lining is a place where the good bacteria loves to live. Licorice root is has many benefits for gut health. It will successfully remove glycyrrhizic acid (a substance that naturally appears in licorice root that is believed to cause high blood pressure and low potassium levels).
This ancient herb was used for centuries because of its abilities to prevent and help leaky guts and leaky guts.
Licorice root is perhaps the only gut health supplement that is excellent for ulcers, but before you take this supplement and you have such issues, make sure you talk to your doctor first.
L-Glutamine
Source: Muscle Maker Supplements
This is also an amino acid that repairs injuries in the intestinal wall. With regular consumption, the gut wall will be strong and will have improved nutrition absorption. L_Glutamine is useful for the body production of cytokines. The immune system secretes cytokines as a sign of a problem, especially when it’s attacked by microorganisms, viruses or antigens. L-Glutamine supports the intestines and its main function is to provide fuel for the immune cells and with a strong immune system, your body can easily recover from illnesses, viruses, bacteria and so on.
If you’re regular at the gym, you know how important it is to fight sore muscles after a challenging workout.
Tips for Maintaining Gut Health
Source: Reader’s Digest
Gut supplements are an excellent way to help your body and give it some boost, but the supplements themselves can’t be a substitute for a healthy and nutritive diet.
Here are some tips to keep your gut health:
Eat Probiotic Rich Foods
Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir and yogurt are excellent for your gut health. These foods are packed with the good bacteria your guts need. It’s important to notice how you feel after consuming these foods. If you feel any problems with digestion, stop eating them and consult with a doctor.
Fibre
Fibre ferments in your gut and becomes food for the gut bacteria that will help you digest the food better. Digested fibre is broken into short-chain fatty acids that fight inflammation and keep the gut lining healthy. Vegetables and fruits rich in fibre (raspberries, apples, bananas, potatoes, corn, avocado, pear, broccoli, beats) will also provide you with the vitamins and minerals you need on daily basis.
Lower Sugar and Processed Foods
Sure it all tastes great and you are sort of addicted to it, but sugar and processed foods aren’t your gut friends. A lot of bacteria feed on sugar, so the more sweets you eat, the more the bacteria multiplies and disrupts your microbiome.
Reduce the junk food and the sweets; start slowly and begin to introduce fruits instead of chocolate any time you have the sweet tooth. Instead to munch on chips, you can start eating carrots or a healthy salad.
Sleep
Your entire health and immune system cannot get better if your sleep schedule is disrupted. Short hours of night sleep, going to bed after you’ve binge-watched an entire season of your favourite show, and getting up a few hours later won’t keep you healthy.
During sleep your body regenerates; lack of it will increase body toxins that will increase inflammation and will disrupt your entire health (including the gut health)
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