Tips That'll Help Heal Your Gut

The gut microbiome is a hot topic in the health world, with a wealth of reliable and inaccurate information flooding your social media feeds. But the bottom line is that they are important to our overall health, and researchers are investigating exactly how they relate to digestive health, mental health, and more.

The microbiome refers to the trillions of microorganisms (also called microbes) that live in your body, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The gut microbiome refers specifically to the microbes in your gut, particularly your colon. These microbes help metabolize indigestible food, boost immune function, and control inflammation. They also produce metabolites (substances our bodies use to break down food), including vitamins, enzymes, and hormones, according to Jill Kreshi, a microbiome researcher and registered dietitian in the division of gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at Cleveland Clinic.

You should think of your gut microbiome as "a little pet that lives in the intestinal tract," Kreshi tells CNET. What we eat fuels them, which can affect our health.

Here are some tips for keeping your gut healthy and how to spot a gut that might be unhappy.

A sign of an unhealthy gut

"If you're bloated or have a lot of gas, the composition and function of your gut microbiome can be disrupted," says Kreshi, adding that the only way to be sure is to measure it.

Other symptoms of an unhealthy bowel can include vomiting or stomach pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, skin irritation, food intolerances, and other symptoms. While it's important to see a doctor to find out the cause of your health problems and rule out other conditions, making changes to your diet or routine that can improve your gut and overall health is a good first step.

It's also important to remember that there is no set standard for an ideal, healthy gut microbiome, because everyone's makeup is so different, says Kreshi.

1. Eat these gut-healthy foods

Our gut microbiome favors foods we can't digest. This includes high-fiber foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts — foods that we know we should eat because of their nutritional content.

According to Cresci, foods that should be cut out or eaten in smaller amounts are cutting out foods that are high in sugar and fat and low in fiber.

"It's all about eating a Western diet, which is a disorganized microbiome," he said.

In addition to eating a gut-healthy diet that doesn't coincide with a heart-healthy diet , eating fermented foods can help replace your good microbes and their metabolites. Krishi cites yogurt, kombucha, and kefir as examples.

2. Record the medications you take

Taking antibiotics has been known to disrupt the family of "good" bacteria that thrive in your body, at least temporarily. Some of the common side effects of taking antibiotics are nausea, diarrhea, and the development of yeast infections. If you have been given antibiotics or you have frequent infections for which you often take antibiotics, ask your doctor what you can do to lessen disruption to your microbiome.

Other medications that can disrupt our microbiome, Kreshi says, are medications that alter the pH of the stomach and produce acid. Examples include over-the-counter proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine H2-receptor antagonists (H2 blockers), which are used to reduce acid reflux symptoms.

By keeping track of your medications, you can help determine the cause of your symptoms and take appropriate steps to improve your gut health.

3. Find the right probiotic or supplement

In addition to including more yogurt or fermented foods in their diet, some people may look to probiotics in hopes of balancing their gut, as probiotics are designed to mimic healthy microbiota . If you're considering taking supplements, including probiotics, it's important to know that probiotics are strain-specific and "each strain has its own way of working," Kreshi told CNET.

For example, some probiotics are designed to help people with diarrhea caused by antibiotics, but they won't work for people who use them for regular bowel movements.

"Whatever your problem is, you want to take what you learn," he says.

Unfortunately, remember that probiotics don't completely eliminate what you eat.

"If you're malnourished and want to keep eating bad foods, but want to improve your microbiome, probiotics won't help," says Kresci. "You have to do the rest."

4. Get more sleep

A good night's sleep is another general health tip that is directly linked to gut health. According to Krishi, our microbiome also follows circadian rhythms . If we eat when our gut microbiome is not ready, we will not be prepared to properly process the nutrition from our food.

Lack of sleep also increases stress and cortisol, which negatively affects mental and physical activity .

"There's a lot going on with the interaction between the gut and the brain, so the signals go back to the microbiome and vice versa," says Kreshi.

Perhaps most importantly, when we're stressed, we don't have the energy to give up many of the things that keep us healthy, including exercising or finding nutritious food—both of which affect gut health.

"If you're feeling sleepy, groggy, or tired, you're less likely to do things that we know are good for your microbiome," says Kreshi. "So it is self-perpetuating."

The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to provide health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have about a medical condition or health goals.

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