5 Superfoods for Gut Health

Gut Health

Many Americans struggle with digestive issues, skin issues, and mood swings. If you fall into this category, it may surprise you to learn that these symptoms may be related to an unhealthy gut.

There are many symptoms associated with an unhealthy gut. If you are experiencing the following, keep reading to learn how you can support your gut!

Digestive symptoms of an unhealthy gut may include:

Gas
Bloating
Diarrhea or constipation
Indigestion
Food intolerances

Skin symptoms of an unhealthy gut may include:

Acne
Skin irritation
Rashes
Dermatitis
Psoriasis

Mood and other symptoms of an unhealthy gut may include:

Anxiety or stress
Depression
Irritability

Other common symptoms associated with an unhealthy gut:

Fatigue
Insomnia
Frequently getting sick
Unexplained weight fluctuations

As you can see, the gut can impact many processes within our body, which is why it is essential to keep it happy.

Have you heard a bit about gut health but want to know more before diving into this blog? Read our most recent blog on Why Gut Health Matters: 5 Ways your Gut is Impacting Your Health to explore more on this topic.

Before we continue, let’s dive a bit into why you may be experiencing these symptoms associated with the gut.

Normally, we have a lining surrounding our gut that protects foreign substances from leaking into the gut and causing an immune response.

In a condition known as “increased intestinal permeability” or “leaky gut syndrome” the lining of the gut is compromised, allowing these substances to go in and out of the gut that would not otherwise.

This can cause inflammation as an immune response and may be a result of many of those symptoms listed.

Increased intestinal permeability is often triggered by:

Diet
Stress
Medications
Environment

If you have this condition or want to ensure that you are maintaining your gut health, making sustainable changes in your diet can help strengthen the gut lining and reduce symptoms of an unhealthy gut.

More specifically, there are some foods that you may not realize greatly benefit your gut. In this post, we will dive into 5 of these superfoods for gut health.

These superfoods for gut health include:

Ginger
Yogurt
Sauerkraut
Garlic
Chia seeds

Each of these foods can greatly benefit your gut in moderation. We will also dive into some sneaky tricks for incorporating them into your diet. Let’s first look at how these foods can be beneficial.

What’s a Superfood for Gut Health?

A gut health superfood is a category of food that can promote digestive care. This means these foods can aid in digestion, promote balance of gut bacteria, and enhance optimal gut function.

So what makes them so good for gut health? Well, these foods generally contain nutrients that are known to boost gut health.

Nutrients beneficial to gut health include:

Fiber: Supports regular bowel movements and supports beneficial bacterial growth
Probiotics: Strengthens immune function and improves gut barrier function
Prebiotics: Selectively stimulates beneficial bacterial growth
Omega-3’s: Reduces inflammation in the gut
Antioxidants: Prevents oxidative damage by free radicals

In addition to this, a lot of gut superfoods are fermented. Fermentation is the process of adding probiotics to food.

These elements in gut superfoods are extremely important to your gut microbiome. When these nutrients are in abundance in one food, this makes up a gut superfood.

1. Ginger

As mentioned, ginger is one of these gut health superfoods that can be extremely beneficial for your gut.

Ginger contains smaller amounts of fiber that assist in regular bowel movement. Ginger also contains prebiotics that promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.

In addition, Ginger contains a component known as gingerol that reduces inflammation of the gut. It is also rich in antioxidants that protect the gut lining from damage.

These anti-inflammatory properties and digestive aiding abilities makes ginger a superfood for gut health.

2. Yogurt

Yogurt is another superfood for gut health that has extensive research on it’s gut healing abilities.

Yogurt is a fermented food. You may already know that yogurt contains an abundance of probiotics. This is due to the fermentation process that produces these probiotics.

In addition, prebiotics are also sometimes found in yogurt. These probiotics and prebiotics support gut health by promoting the good bacteria in the gut.

In addition, some yogurts can be fortified with omega 3 fats or dietary fiber that can also make this food even more beneficial to gut health.

3. Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is another popular superfood for gut health you may have heard of.

Similar to yogurt, sauerkraut is a fermented food. Therefore, it contains an abundance of probiotics that support good bacteria in the gut.

In addition, sauerkraut does contain smaller amounts of prebiotics and fiber that can also support gut health.

4. Garlic

Another gut superfood is garlic. Garlic is abundant in prebiotics that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria.

Garlic also contains components that act as antibacterial agents that are effective against killing bad bacteria and supporting immunity.

Antioxidants are also abundantly found in garlic which promotes the prevention of free radical damage to the gut.

5. Chia Seeds

Lastly, chia seeds, or even flaxseeds, can be a great source of omega 3’s, antioxidants, prebiotics, and fiber.

Therefore, chia seeds can promote gut health by reducing inflammations, preventing free radical damage, and aiding in digestion.

How to add Gut Superfoods into your Diet

Many people may find it hard to incorporate these gut superfoods into their diet as some are more niche, making it difficult to do so.

However, now that you are familiar with these gut superfoods and how they are each beneficial, let’s take a look at some sneaky ways to incorporate them into your diet.

Ginger: Use fresh ginger root in teas or smoothies for an extra kick. You can also incorporate ground ginger when cooking or baking in food such as stir fry, soups, curries, marinades, and more.
Yogurt: One easy way to incorporate yogurt is by having a yogurt parfait for breakfast. Add some granola, fruit, honey, and even chia seeds for more flavor and nutrients. Another sneaky way to add yogurt is by substituting it for sour cream in foods like burritos or in soups. You can also use it as a dipping sauce or salad dressing by combining it with other sauces such as ranch.
Sauerkraut: Adding sauerkraut to foods such as sandwiches, salads, or grain bowls is often an overlooked way of adding a burst of flavor and nutrients. Adding it as a side dish on sausage, roasted vegetables, or grilled meats is also a great way to do this.
Garlic: Add in minced as a cooking ingredient to sauté vegetables or meats in meals such as stir fry, soups, or sauces. This not only can be easy, but also delicious and adds an abundance of flavor.
Chia seeds: You can add chia seeds (or flax seeds) to foods such as yogurt, pudding, smoothies, oatmeal, or salads as an easy and convenient way of adding in extra fiber, antioxidants, prebiotics, and omega 3’s. Another way to do this is by adding a sprinkle of chia seeds when baking foods such as muffins or bread.

In addition, to enhance digestion of these foods, eat mindfully, stay hydrated and eat a variety of foods in a balanced diet to promote food digestion.

If you are having difficulty combining these foods, you could always consider taking supplements such as probiotics to get you started. Collagen is also another popular supplement that can promote gut health.

Wrapping it up

Now that you understand the importance of digestive health, it is extremely important to take proactive steps to support your gut health. Gut superfoods such as ginger, yogurt, sauerkraut, garlic, chia seeds, and more can help you achieve this.

If you could take anything away from this blog post, it should be that it is possible to make these changes in your diet to improve your overall well-being.

You can take small steps such as incorporating the foods when baking or cooking to promote your gut health.

If you want more support on your journey to healing your gut, working with a registered dietitian may be a great way to get the support you need.

Working with a Registered Dietitian will help you:

Build a positive relationship with food
Learn how to eat a balanced diet
Identify how to support your body through nutrition
Develop a sustainable lifestyle