The key to a healthy digestive system is nutritious food and friendly bacteria.
Good gut bacteria help the body extract nutrients from food, while boosting the immune system in the battle against inflammation and disease.
To promote gut microbes, they thrive in plant-based diets, according to a study done at the Washington University School of Medicine in Seattle. This is due to plant-based foods ‘feeding’ the good bacteria in the digestive system.
The same research also found that a diet consisting of 1,800 daily calories is best, instead of the typical American-ish 3,000 calories that’s been linked to obesity and chronic illness. Rather than feeding unhealthy inflammation, plant-based foods help minimize it.
You don’t have to go full vegan to help healthy gut bacteria. Start with foods that are good for the gut, rich in nutrients, and offer a diverse range of fibers, which create healthy bacteria when they reach the colon.
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Pro-bacteria foods include bananas, blueberries, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, leeks, onions, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, cabbage and cauliflower, polenta, all kinds of beans, and fermented foods rich in probiotics, such as pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, and kefir.
Foods to avoid that hamper good gut health are fatty animal foods and high-fat cooking methods like deep frying. Also, be wary about taking too many antibiotics, as they’ll kill off all types of bacteria in your system, both good and bad.
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