Top Gut Healthy Foods You Need To Add To Your Diet Now (Credits: Pexels)
Everything starts with the gut and gut health is dependent on a delicate balance of the ecosystem of trillions of bacteria as well. And the gut doesn't just take care of digestion but it is also looking after other essential functions like mental well-being, skin and even the immunity. When we make poor lifestyle and diet choices that affect the gut, it leads to infections, acne, stress and sleeplessness as well. So, to take good care of yourself, you need to look after your gut.
Here are some expert suggested gut healthy foods that you should add to your diet today itself.
Prebiotic foods: Love for the good bacteria
These foods are rich in live, friendly bacteria that help in rebuilding the natural balance of the gut:
- Yogurt: It is an excellent source of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains. Have it unsweetened and opt for low-fat categories
- Miso and Tempeh: Fermented soy foods that are rich in probiotics and protein
- Pickles: Have the brine-fermented one, not the vinegar. It helps in providing probiotics with an added dose of fibre
- Kefir: Fermented milk beverage that is also rich in antioxidants and fibre
Prebiotic foods: Love for your microbiome
These are undigested fibres that serve as the perfect food for good bacteria
- Bananas: Specially the ones that are slightly green, they are rich in resistant starch that feeds the gut flora
- Oats and barley: Rich in beta-glucan that feeds the good bacteria and improves digestion
- Apples: Foster bacterial diversity and are pectin-dense
- Asparagus and Jerusalem artichokes: They are high in prebiotics that help in feeding the gut-friendly bacteria
Gut friendly drinks
- Water: Consume about 5-6 litres of water in a day. It helps in softening stool and assists in nutrient uptake in the body
- Herbal teas (like peppermint and ginger): Help in relieving bloating, gas, and cramping
- Green tea: It is rich in polyphenols that function as prebiotics and help in suppressing any type of inflammation
