Gut inflammation is growing in Americans. It is often correlated with the Western Diets Americans tend to consume. If left untreated, gut inflammation can increase someone’s chance of developing a bowel disease later in life. Our gut is very important in our bodies. It is made up of “good” and “bad” bacteria that help our bodies fight off daily infections. Microbiome, microorganisms in a particular environment, in this case, our gut, can be affected by diet, stress, environment, medication, or stage of life. While research continues to evolve, we can do our part to keep our guts healthy!
Foods that are shown to improve gut health:
- Garlic and onion may have some anti-cancer and immune system-enhancing properties based on various studies, which are closely tied to some of the primary functions of the gut
- Fermented foods: kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, tempeh, miso, and kefir are all great sources of probiotics
- Collagen rich foods such as bone broth or salmon are beneficial to overall health and gut health
Tips to keep your gut healthy:
- Exercise is a great way to keep your body healthy and your gut
- Eat a healthy diet, consume fresh, unprocessed, clean food. Sugar is usually added to processed foods, which can negatively impact your gut health
- Manage your stress. Meditation, yoga, and journaling have shown to help reduce stress
- Eat more fiber!
