Gut Health - Indicator to good health ?

 

Gut health – Indicator of good immunity?

What is gut health?

Gut health is the controlling center of simple and complex processes in stomach. It is said around 80 % of total health issue crops from stomach health. Around 70% of T cells, immune cells are integrated in gut, proving this, poor gut health means poor immunity.

Poor gut health is directly linked to chronic gastrointestinal (GI) issues like Irritable bowel movement (IBS), lactose and gluten intolerance, chron’s and celiac diseases.

Good gut health is foundation to good health.

Let us review top and not so good foods influencing gut health.

 

Top foods which are useful for healing distressed gut and fixing immunity issues

1. Prebiotics: - Prebiotics are wonder foods, which flourish the growth of good bacterial strains required for maintain gut integrity. Foods like bananas, onion, garlic, inulin fiber are great examples of prebiotic foods.

2. Probiotics: -Probiotics are great in maintaining symbiotic association of good and bad bacteria in the gut. Inclusion of probiotic food source helps in getting sufficient dosage of its requirement.

3. VitaminB6 rich foods: - Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) like sweet potatoes, potatoes are responsible to sooth stomach linings and relaxing nerves. They are soothing for distressed gut and immunity.

4. Apples: - Apples are perfect combination of soluble and insoluble fiber, which are great inclusions as immunity boosters and gut healers.

5. Water: - Considering 68% of body weight is water, hydration level determines gut and immune health. A dehydrated state of body will not comply with complex biochemical reaction. To maintain gut integrity, optimal water levels, have a very important role.

6. Fiber rich foods: - Soluble and insoluble fiber present in fruits like apple, pear, banana is great for ailing stomach. Adults require around 25-30gms of fiber per day. It is achievable by including whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables in the diet.

7. Broccoli- Broccoli is great for gut health. It has anti-inflammatory properties and helps in fixing gut issues like ‘leaky gut’. Broccoli is good for immune cells too.

8. Proteins: - Proteins are important for building and maintenance of body cells and tissues. Gut health is largely influenced by proteins. Poor gut health will lead to partial digestion of proteins, people who lack in proteins also tend to have poor gut health. Protein rich foods also facilitate growth of good bacterial strains in gut. Proteins are also involved in production of immune cells.

After knowing some good foods which help in keeping gut and immune cells stronger, let us look on food which are not gut and immune friendly:

Sugar products	Processed products	Caffeinated beverages	Red meats	Raw eggs
Genetically modified foods	Fried foods	Foods containing mono sodium glutamate (MSG)	Alcoholic Beverages	Ready to eat products

Gut health maintenance should be the point of discussion, as most acute and chronic issues are associated with poor gut health.

To heal ailing stomach, importance lies in its diagnosis. As it is right said ‘Your gut says about your health and ailments’, what you feed it, you get that in return.