What foods are good for gut health?

There is so much information out there telling us what to eat, that it can be confusing, and often tiring, figuring out what’s best for our gut health. Generally speaking, the simpler the food, the easier it is to incorporate into our diet. Rather than trying to change what you eat altogether, have a go at gradually introducing gut-healthy foods into your usual diet, as well as trying some gut-friendly habits, such as mindful eating and physical activity. Not only will this be easier and more sustainable for change, but it may also allow time for your digestive system to adjust.

The gut microbiota consists of trillions of different microbes, all with their own characteristics and influence on our digestive health.¹ Some microbes may be helpful to us, some not so much. We can influence which types of microbes we have in our gut by eating particular foods.¹ Foods high in specific types of fibre, for example, contain antioxidants and beneficial bacteria that are thought to be especially helpful for supporting the gut microbiome and potentially contribute to good gut health.^2–5 Take a look at these gut-loving foods and start introducing them at mealtimes and when snacking.

A variety of different plant foods can encourage a highly diverse gut microbiome, which is good for digestive health.^6–8 These include:

1. Kefir

Kefir is a traditional soured milk drink that’s very versatile. It can be used as a plain or flavoured drink, added to breakfast cereals and smoothies, or used as a base for sauces and dips. There are also dairy free versions, called water kefir. A wide range of different beneficial species have been identified in traditionally fermented kefir, including L. paracasei, L. acidophilus, L. delbrueckii, L. plantarum and most predominantly, L. kefiri.^9,10 Some of the suggested benefits of kefir are improved protein digestibility, immune support and gastrointestinal symptoms, with some evidence suggesting benefits for the oral microbiome too.^4,11

2. Miso

Miso is a traditional Japanese soybean paste and carries a distinctive flavour and aroma. It is often used as the main component of miso soup, a versatile and healthy lunch or snack option. Miso can also be used as a marinade or a seasoning, thanks to its salty umami taste. There are a range of different miso products, depending upon the fermenting source (such as rice, soybean or barley), these differences can be seen by the colour of the paste, from beige, to red or brown. There are wide varieties of microbes found in miso, including bacteria and yeasts, with some of the proposed health benefits including managing cholesterol, supporting hormone balancing and improving circulatory health.^12,13

3.  Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is an easy accompaniment to meals; a spoonful is all you need. It’s made of finely chopped or grated cabbage and can be flavoured with all types of tasty herbs and spices, such as garlic, junipers, turmeric and dill. It doesn’t need a starter culture, which makes it simple to make at home. Using salt to ‘cleanse’ the vegetables supports the growth of beneficial bugs to create a pickled texture. Traditionally fermenting vegetables provides additional enzymes, vitamins and antioxidants, which are all helpful for supporting gut health.⁴

4. Onions

The benefits of onions are often overlooked but they contain a variety of beneficial compounds, which could be helpful for immune support, detoxification and inflammatory modulation.¹⁴ When incorporating more onions into cooking, try sautéing, baking, frying and grilling them. These cooking methods improve our accessibility to beneficial compounds.¹⁵ Additionally, onions also contain specific types of fibres that are good for our gut health and may promote the growth of beneficial Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria breve species.¹⁶

5. Garlic

Love or hate the taste and smell, the potential health benefits of garlic are numerous when added to foods to enhance taste, texture and nutrition. Mix raw garlic in olive oil and fresh herbs to make an amazing dip, especially when left for a day or two. The fermentable fibres from garlic may help to increase levels of Lactobacillus acidophilus beneficial bacteria, as well as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).^17,18 SCFAs are beneficial compounds that have far reaching positive effects on the gut and rest of the body.^19–21

6. Brightly coloured berries

Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, cranberries and raspberries all include many different nutrients.²² But we often forget to include them in our daily diet. Add strawberries to summer salads, cranberries to roasted veg and blackberries to breakfast smoothie bowls to increase and diversify your intake of these nutritional powerhouses. For gut health, we can thank these foods for supplying polyphenols, which may influence the representation of beneficial microbes, ward off less helpful bugs and support gut barrier function, which helps manage inflammatory processes.^23,24

7. Nuts and seeds

The healthy fat content of nuts and seeds is often highlighted but they are also a great source of fibre. In fact, the British Nutrition Foundation lists both as one of their top 10 sources of fibre.^25,26 Chia seeds are especially high in fibre, providing around 34g per 100g, meaning that if you add just a tablespoon of these to your breakfast each morning, you would be consuming over 5g of fibre.^26,27  A good start towards meeting our daily recommendation of 30g.²⁸ Fibre is helpful for increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria, reducing excess cholesterol and BMI (body mass index), and reducing inflammation and toxins in people with diabetes.²⁹ Additionally, fibre intake may help with symptoms of diarrhoea and constipation,³⁰ so may be useful for supporting overall gut health.

8.  Wholegrains

Wholegrain foods are the unrefined varieties of carbohydrates, such as brown bread, wholewheat pasta and brown rice. The fibre content between refined and unrefined foods varies a lot. 100g of wholewheat bread, for example, may have more then double the level of fibre compared to white bread.²⁶ As far as other nutrients are concerned, there may be as much as three times the amount of magnesium in wholewheat bread compared to white varieties.²⁶ For gut health, the level of fibre is helpful. For instance, wholegrains may help to reduce inflammatory markers,³¹ which can be a problem for people with digestive and gastrointestinal symptoms.³² Reducing inflammation may allow for healing to occur and therefore the alleviation of symptoms.³³ If you are not used to eating wholegrain foods, it may be helpful to gradually make the switch to these varieties. Some people may not be able to tolerate high-fibre foods initially. So, if you find that you easily get bloated after eating them, perhaps try some fermented foods or live bacteria supplements for a little while first, before gradually increasing wholegrains over a few weeks.

While increasing the consumption of these foods, many people also take a live bacteria supplement. Research behind these supplements has dramatically increased over the past 20 years.³⁴ Supplements can be helpful because they provide a standardised dose and strength, which can be variable in fermented foods. There are often different microbes that are obtained from foods compared to supplements, which explains why many choose to incorporate both in their diet. In addition, many live bacteria supplements can be added to food and drinks, therefore they can be easily combined.