Eating foods that promote gut health -- and avoiding foods that impair it -- is one of the best things you can do for your health.
Here are the best and the worse foods for gut health.
High-Fiber Foods / Prebiotic Foods
Eating a high-fiber diet supplies your body with various nutrients, regulates bowel function, and leads to the production of short-chain fatty acids and other essential postbiotic metabolites.
How?
The helpful bacteria in your lower colon ferment the soluble fiber you consume and then excrete postbiotics like butyrate. Experts believe that the health benefits attributed to probiotics come from postbiotics.
Most fiber foods contain both types of fiber -- soluble and insoluble -- so you don't have to worry about finding a highly soluble source. As long as you eat various fiber foods, you should be good to go.
Some great prebiotic food choices include:
| • | Nonstarchy vegetables, i.e., kale, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, artichoke, asparagus |
| • | Oats |
| • | Beans, lentils |
| • | Bananas |
| • | Dried peas |
| • | Leeks |
| • | Onions |
| • | Whole grains, i.e., quinoa, brown rice |
| • | Wheat bran |
| • | Oranges |
| • | Blueberries |
| • | Strawberries |
| • | Nuts |
| • | Seeds |
Prebiotic Supplements
Fiber-based prebiotic supplements are widely available to help feed the good gut bacteria and support a healthy gut microbiome.
They can be an efficient way to get prebiotic fiber, as it does not rely on you consuming a specific amount of fiber foods each day.
However, it's always best to get fiber by eating a balanced diet, as it provides the nutrients your body needs.
Probiotic Foods
Probiotic foods contain healthy bacteria and other microbes that promote health.
They are created by adding helpful bacteria -- often Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium -- and then subjecting them to a fermentation process. Probiotic foods promote healthy digestion.
Eating these fermented foods can help increase the number and diversity of healthy gut bacteria in your system.
| • | Probiotic-rich foods include: |
| • | Kefir (fermented milk) |
| • | Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) |
| • | Yogurt |
| • | Fermented soy foods, such as miso, natto, and tempeh |
| • | Kombucha (fermented tea drink) |
| • | Kimchi (fermented vegetables) |
Check the labels to make sure they contain active live cultures. Heat-treated (pasteurized) fermented foods will not have live bacterial cultures, making them worthless for gut health.
Worst Foods for Gut Health
There are several foods you should avoid or limit if you want a healthier gut. These foods usually feed bad bacteria and may kill the good kind.
The worst foods for your gut include:
| • | Ultra-processed foods |
| • | Genetically modified foods (GMOs) |
| • | Industrially-farmed gluten |
| • | Fast foods |
| • | Foods with added sugar |
| • | Red meat |
| • | Trans fats |
| • | Factory-farmed meat and fish |
| • | Convenience foods |
| • | Sugary beverages |
| • | Fried foods |
| • | Artificial sweeteners |
What About Postbiotic Foods?
There are no postbiotic foods. Instead, postbiotics are bioactive compounds that probiotic bacteria produce when they ferment fiber in the lower colon.
Thousands of postbiotic compounds have been discovered, each with unique health benefits. These compounds include:
| • | Short-chain fatty acids (butyrate, propionate, acetate) |
| • | Glutathione |
| • | Antimicrobial peptides |
| • | Hydrogen peroxide |
| • | Phytoestrogens |
| • | Vitamin K |
| • | B Vitamins |
Although all are crucial to health, the short-chain fatty acid butyrate deserves special mention.
Ivy League Doctors call butyrate the "optimal" postbiotic metabolite, noting that it is more potent and provides more health benefits than the other short-chain fatty acids.
Numerous studies indicate that butyrate:
| • | Defends against gastrointestinal diseases |
| • | Supports colon health |
| • | Promotes a healthy weight |
| • | Prevents gut inflammation |
| • | Supports gut barrier |
| • | Heals a leaky gut |
| • | Combat diabetes |
| • | Supports the immune system |
| • | And more |
The Best Diet for a Healthy Gut
So, the best diet for a healthy gut microbiome is one that includes:
| • | Fiber and prebiotic foods, and perhaps prebiotic supplements |
| • | Polyphenol foods, i.e., plant-based foods high in polyphenols |
| • | Probiotic foods, i.e., fermented foods that contain live strains of good bacteria |
| • | Postbiotic supplements containing butyrate |
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