Are Nuts Good For Your Microbiome
Nuts are one of natures nutritional treasures. Theyre full of beneficial short-chain fatty acids , prebiotic fibers, polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals. They also act as an excellent source for plant-based protein.
Studies show that plant-protein can increase beneficial microbes and decrease harmful pathogens like streptococcithe bacteria that causes strep throat.
Scientists have linked several nuts to microbiome health, including almonds, pistachios, and walnuts. In one study, subjects ate 43 grams of walnuts per day for eight weeks. At the end of their study, the subjects experienced increased microbiome balance and diversity.
Additional sources of high-protein plants include pumpkin seeds, peanut butter, tempeh, lentils, and tofu.
Jerusalem Artichoke A Delicious Weed
These little beauties are sometimes known as fartichokes due to their high inulin content that can make humans particularly gassy. Their name is a little deceiving because they have nothing to do with Jerusalem. In fact, they originated in a completely different place: North America.
Your gut microbes love inulin to snack on, but go easy on the Jerusalem artichokes. Too much and youll have a roiling belly ache from the gas produced during digestion. However, these edible roots are important because they nourish probiotic Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus, and they also contain other prebiotic fibres: fructo- and galacto-oligosaccharides .
Jerusalem artichokes look like a cross between knobby ginger roots and potatoes that you can roast, boil, steam, sautée, purée, and bake. They are seasonal and can be found in supermarkets and farmers markets in autumn and winter.
Processed Foods Can Harm Your Microbiome
Processed foods come in many shapes and sizes. Theyre foods that are made partially or entirely from extracted food substances such as oils, fats, or sugars. They can also contain added flavors, colors, and preservatives.
The issue with processed foods is cellular. Many types of food processing can break nutrient cell walls. This is a problem because your microbiome feeds off of intact cells. This is why the same food can have different effects on your gut, depending on how its been processed.
For example, processed meats are associated with higher disease rates than natural meats. And whole grains have nutritional benefits, while refined grains can cause health issues.
Glycerol monolaurate is a preservative added to many processed meats and bakery goods. In one study, researchers found that low-dose consumption of GML caused microbiota dysbiosis, metabolic syndrome, and inflammation in mice. More human studies are needed to fully know the effects of processed foods on the microbiome.
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Heres What We Know About Diet And The Microbiome
- Each of us has a unique mix of microbes living in our gut, which play a key role in our health
- Weâve identified 15 âgoodâ and 15 âbadâ gut microbes linked to health and specific nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns
- Food quality is as important as the food source
- Your gut microbiome can change rapidly when you alter what you eat – but there is no âone-size-fits-allâ microbiome diet
- Knowing how best to boost your microbiome starts with understanding whatâs living in your gut
- The ZOE Program enables you to discover your unique microbiome and get personalized recommendations for foods to help your âgoodâ bugs thrive
Foods To Eat For A Healthy Microbiome
Feeding your microbiome is as easy as feeding yourself.
Every time you eat, your body splits the feast. Some parts of your food contain nutrients that your body can easily absorb. And other parts travel to your colon, where your microorganisms have their own picnic.
Selecting smart foods can increase species diversity in your gut, which is incredibly important for your health. Every species in your microbiome serves a unique function in the body and can release distinct metabolites to promote wellbeing. A lack of species diversity can lead to dysbiosis, or an unbalanced microbiome, which is associated with several diseases.
Scientists have discovered that certain foods provide more fuel for your microorganisms than others. So, lets check out four foods that can help make for a healthy gut.
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Diversify The Foods You Eat
Having diverse gut bacteria has been associated with leanness, as well as protection from many diseases.;
You can add diversity to your diet by choosing a wide variety of foods, especially those high in plant-based prebiotic fiber. The American Gut Project found those who ate more than 30 different plant types per week had more diverse microbiomes than those who ate 10 or fewer types of plants per week.;
Eating a variety of foods in various states of raw and cooked can provide your body with a balanced gut microbiome. You dont necessarily have to strictly follow a microbiome diet to achieve a healthy gastrointestinal tract, Patty says. The challenge comes when someone eats a diet high in convenience foods that have processed because they no longer contain the nutrients the gut microbes need in order to thrive.;
What Are The Best Foods For Gut Health
To summarize, here are some of the best foods for gut health:
- Fiber. Think whole grains, beans and legumes, and whole fruits and veggies.
- Fermented foods. Sauerkrat, kimchi, tempeh, kimchi, miso, kefir, pickles.
- Greens. Dandelion greens, broccoli, asparagus, seaweed.
- Roughage: Jerusalem artichoke, jicama, flaxseed.
- Fruits. Bananas, apples.
- Also: garlic and gum arabic.
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The Ultimate Microbiome Diet Guide And Food List
It comes as no surprise that the second someone decides to lose weight; their immediate response is the dreaded diet. Diets dont have to make you miserable, and you dont have to suffer through cutting out all of your favorite foods. There has to be a point where enough is enough and you lose weight while not losing your sanity along the way! The many organisms in your gut form their own ecosystem known as the microbiome. By understanding this microbiome, you can understand a more efficient way to lose weight. A healthy gut diet will give you the results you so badly want. The best part about this diet is that it is easily doable. Anyone can use the microbiome diet to further their weight loss needs. So, here is the ultimate microbiome diet guide and food list to help you reach your desired goals.
Eat A Wide Variety Of Plants Fruits And Veggies
Sound familiar? There’s really nothing new about this advice. Just like their human hosts, the beneficial bacteria that make up our microbiome thrive on a diversity of fiber-rich plants and fruits. So go big on bananas, beans, onions, leeks, oats, whole grains, nuts, avocados, leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus; and fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut. The key is variety because it seems that different types of fiber benefit certain bacteria, which in turn benefit the body in specific ways.
Pictured: Avocado Salad. This 5-star salad boasts a bunch of healthy, diverse, and delicious fresh veggies.
Need another reason to choose whole, fiber-rich foods? Research is finding that certain food additives intended to emulsify, artificially sweeten, stabilize, thicken, and/or create pleasing textures in highly processed foods may also be doing serious harm to our gut microbiomes. These additives aren’t digested by humans; instead, researchers contend, they feed dangerous pathogens in our guts and may also harm the protective layer of mucus that coats the intestines. As unintended consequences go, these are doozies.
Writing in The New York Times, science writer Moises Velasquez-Manoff explains that “a growing body of evidence that common food additives can push our microbial communities in unhealthy directions…encouraging diseases like obesity, diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease.” For more, read Velasquez-Manoff’s article,;The Germs That Love Diet Soda.
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Top 10 Foods To Feed Your Gut Microbiome
If you feed your stomach with beneficial foods, your stomach will love you for it! Gut health. The microbiome. Its a thing. A big thing. Lets dive into what you should know and what foods are going to impact your health in the best way!
There are a hundred trillion microbes that inhabit your body.; Its called the gut microbiome. Our microbes.
They synthesize vitamins. They educate the immune system and help strengthen it. They regulate appetite and your weight. They play a role in your mood. Theyre important! And we are going to talk about beneficial foods to keep our gut microbiome healthy.
The Standard American Diet
The S.A.D diet is full of foods that are void of nutrients. Its processed. And highly processed diets starve our gut microbes. We should instead eat foods that feed it and keep it strong and healthy. Think: Plants!
A meal that lacks colors is not going to be a meal that will encourage vitality and a strong gut. It would do quite the opposite. So load up and eat the rainbow!
How Our Gut Microbiome Eats
Think of our gut microbiome this way: We need to eat, and our guts need to eat. The gut feeds on our leftovers- that is, the particles of food that our body cannot digest. These are leftovers that make it down to the colon.
How Quickly Can Our Gut Microbiome Change?
10 Top Foods To Feed Your Gut Microbiome
Which ones are you going to start including more of?
Try To Cut Back On The Red Meat
Aside from the fact that these days, many meat brands are known for raising their livestock with antibiotics, which is detrimental to your gut, there have been several studies that show healthier microbiomes in vegetarians. A vegetarians gut for example, will have a significantly smaller number of disease-causing bacteria that an omnivores gut. However, it is still unclear if this is due to the lack of meat being consumed, or the fact that vegetarians and plant-based individuals tend to consume a great deal more fibre than the average person.
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Advancement In Tech = More Insight Into How To Improve The Gut
In the past several years, astounding advancements in science and technology have allowed researchers to better understand the gut microbiome in ways they couldnt before.
This technological explosion has led to massive breakthroughs in understanding the roles of specific strains of bacteria within the gut microbiome. This includes identifying why and how these microbes directly impact specific areas of health.
What this means is that we can target certain microbes and encourage their growth.
We can intentionally make an environment within our digestive tract that fosters the species we want, and discourages the ones we dont want.;
Prebiotic And Probiotic Foods
These are the basis for the microbiome diet, and you should fill your diet with both prebiotic and probiotic foods. Prebiotics are a type of dietary fiber that provide food for the probiotic bacteria. Foods rich in prebiotics include artichokes, leeks, onions, dandelion greens, asparagus, and bananasbut remember that you cant eat bananas until phase two of the diet.
Probiotic foods include fermented foods, such as kombucha, sauerkraut, pickles, tempeh, miso, kefir, and yogurt. However, soy and dairy arent allowed during the first phase of the program.
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Microbes Live In The Gut
There are trillions upon trillions of microscopic entities that live and work together inside your gut, and when they are properly nourished, they make you healthier.
When you have a healthy gut, filled with a diverse collection of strong bacteria, the good guys are constantly working on your behalf to keep you healthy. Theyre always vanquishing the bad guys and creating a thick wall to your intestinal lining which keeps any harmful bacteria from leaking into your bloodstream.
Increase Your Intake Of Probiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms, usually bacteria, that provide a specific health benefit when consumed.
Probiotics dont permanently colonize the intestines in most cases. However, they may benefit your health by changing the overall composition of the microbiome and supporting your metabolism .
A review of seven studies found that probiotics have little effect on the gut microbiome composition of healthy people. However, there is some evidence that probiotics may improve the gut microbiome in those with certain diseases .
One review of 63 studies found mixed evidence of the effectiveness of probiotics in altering the microbiome. But the researchers noted that the probiotics strongest effects seemed to be in restoring the microbiome to a healthy state after it had been compromised .
Nevertheless, some studies have shown that probiotics can improve the functioning of certain gut bacteria, as well as the specific types of chemicals they produce .
You can increase your intake of probiotics by consuming more probiotic-rich foods, including fermented foods like kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut, and yogurt.
Alternatively, you can consider using a probiotic supplement. However, be sure to talk with your doctor before starting supplementation, especially if you are taking other medications or have any underlying health conditions.
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What Experts Say
The microbiome diet claims to optimize gut health. Experts agree that eating prebiotic- and probiotic-rich foods and limiting added sugar both support gut well-being. However, phase one is unnecessarily restrictive and the supplement recommendations have little scientific support.
What Can You Eat
The microbiome diet is a three-phase program that begins with an elimination diet, removing common trigger foods such as soy, corn, eggs, and dairy. The diet becomes less restrictive as you move throughout the phases, and by the end of phase three, you should be eating a primarily gut-friendly diet.
Microbiome diet recipes can be found in abundance on the internet, but you can also try anti-inflammatory recipes and Mediterranean recipes, many of which are also good for your gut. The full details of the microbiome diet can be found in Dr. Kellman’s book .
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Cocoa Feeds Your Microbiome
Lets start with an easy one: chocolate. Thats rightdelicious chocolatey cocoa powder is beneficial for your microbiome.
Cocoa contains plant compounds called polyphenols. These compounds promote the growth of two genera of beneficial gut bacteria: Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.
Cocoa is also rich in a specific type of polyphenol: flavonoids, which have numerous health benefits. Flavonoids contain antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, and anticarcinogenic properties.
A 2010 study used cocoa flavanol drinks to measure their effect on select gut microflora. Researchers found those who drank the high-cocoa option for four weeks ended up with more beneficial gut microbes. The cocoa increased their populations of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli and also decreased the numbers of potentially bad bacteria, Clostridia.
Typically, the darker the chocolate, the more cocoa bean it contains. So look for dark chocolate with the least additives. It may be more bitter, but your gut will act sweeter.
Other foods that are high in polyphenols include cloves, peppermint, flaxseed, black elderberries, and olives.
Broccoli: More Reason To Eat This Popular Veggie: Its Good For Your Gut
Not everyone is a fan of this green cruciferous veggie, but its health benefits are undeniable.
In a 2017 study in the Journal of Functional Foods, when mice ate broccoli with their regular diet, it improved their intestinal health.
The effects may also apply to other veggies in the cruciferous family. So load up on cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, and cabbage. Add them to stir-frys, roast them, steam them, or grate and pile them on top of your favorite salad.
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Apples: An Apple A Day Keeps The Doc Away
Maybe the easiest fruit to find, apples are an excellent dietary addition.
They are high in fiber. And, a 2014 study in Food Chemistry found green apples boost good gut bacteria.
Eat apples raw as a snack. Or you can even enjoy them stewed. Stewed apples have been found to be good for your microbiome, and they may also help to heal your gut.
When buying apples, choose organic if possible because apples are on the Environmental Working Groups Dirty Dozen list of produce with the most pesticides.
Add Probiotic Foods Into Your Diet
What are probiotic foods? These are foods that contain microorganisms that have a health benefit.
There are several different kinds of helpful microorganisms that are added to foods like yogurt, or are naturally found in other fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi that give them a;health-promoting effect. Give one of these foods a try in the new year. You might be wondering if probiotic supplements are as beneficial as probiotic food. So far there isnt enough evidence to say that so stick with food.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The article reflects solely the authors’ views. See the original for a full list of funding disclosures.
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Ways To Improve Your Gut Bacteria Based On Science
There are around 40 trillion bacteria in your body, most of which are found in your gut.
Collectively, they are known as your gut microbiome, and theyre incredibly important for overall health. However, certain types of bacteria in your intestines can also contribute to many diseases.
Many factors, including the foods you eat, can impact the type of bacteria found in your digestive tract.
Here are 9 science-based ways to improve your gut bacteria.
Which Foods Are Beneficial For A Healthy Gut Microbiome
New research finds an association between healthy bacterial compositions and certain dietary patterns and food groups. What is more, the findings suggest that diet is likely to become a significant and serious line of treatment for conditions such as Crohns disease, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome.
New research examines different food groups and their effects on gut health.
The term gut microbiota describes the trillions of microorganisms that live inside our guts, affecting how well we absorb nutrients from our food, how efficiently our immune defenses work, and even the extent to which we feel anxious or relaxed.
As an increasing body of evidence shows, the balance between healthful and unhealthful bacteria in our gut influences a much wider range of health factors than scientists previously believed. These include aspects as diverse as blood pressure, the aging process, and the likelihood of developing anxiety or depression.
So, keeping our gut healthy is important not just for digestive health but also for overall physical health and even mental well-being.
In this context, researchers from the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands set out to examine which diets and food groups have the most beneficial effects on gut health.
UMCGs Laura Bolte is the lead researcher of the study, which the team presented at the United European Gastroenterology Week in Barcelona, Spain.
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