In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleBrainHeartDigestive SystemImmune SystemWeightTips to Improve Gut Health
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Brain
Heart
Digestive System
Immune System
Weight
Tips to Improve Gut Health
Your gastrointestinal tract is host to around 100 trillion microorganisms. Yes, that’s trillion with a T. And these gut bugs—primarily bacteria but also viruses, fungi and other microbes—make up about half of the cells in your body.Wild, right? We’re talking about your microbiome. You’ve heard that buzzword, of course, but what can be trickier to wrap your head around is how vital your gut health is to much more than your digestive system.
“These microorganisms play a central role in your health, because they act as a chemical factory,” says gastroenterologistWill Bulsiewicz, M.D.“The food you put in your mouth, for example, comes in contact with these microbes, and the chemicals they produce influence so much of human health—your digestion, immune system, metabolism, mood, brain health, even the expression of your genetic code.”
Exclusive InterviewWe Asked a Gastroenterologist the Biggest Myths About Gut Health—This Is What He Said
Exclusive Interview
We Asked a Gastroenterologist the Biggest Myths About Gut Health—This Is What He Said
Read on to find some of the ways your microbiome impacts many parts of your body and learn ways to support the beneficial bugs in your gut through the foods you eat.
Does Inflammation Harm Your Gut Health? Here’s What Experts Say
The Connection Between Your Gut Health and …
Your Brain
It might seem strange that microbes all the way down in your gut could impact your brain, influencing things like mood and cognition. But it’s true, thanks to what’s called the gut-brain axis. “It acts as a sort of superhighway between your gut and your brain,” says Anderson-Haynes.
Your Mental Health
There are lots of factors that influence mental health—and many of them, like genetics, may be out of your control. That said, there is evidence that your gut health can directly impact not just mental health conditions—like clinical depression and anxiety—but also basic feelings of happiness, says Anderson-Haynes. In fact, research shows that more than 90% of your serotonin—a key brain chemical tied to mood—is found in your gut.
How Poor Gut Health Can Increase Anxiety and Depression Risk & What to Eat to Help
Your Cognitive Health
According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, gut health and Parkinson’s disease are strongly linked. As with Alzheimer’s, people living with Parkinson’s disease also have differences in gut bacteria and increased intestinal permeability. There are also likely other mechanisms at play. For example, researchers have found that the same proteins that cause Parkinson’s-related clumps in the brain are also present in the GI tracts of people with Parkinson’s disease.
The 6 Top Nutrients for Better Brain Health, According to Dietitians
Michela Buttignol
Your Heart
“Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. And if you look at the risk factors—high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity—every one of them is a chronic illness connected back to your microbiome,” says Bulsiewicz.
Your Digestive System
When you digest food, the microbes in your GI tract secrete enzymes that influence gut motility—a fancy term for how food moves through your bowels. “When gut motility falls out of balance, you get constipation or diarrhea,” says Bulsiewicz. “It can also bring on or worsen inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s and colitis.”
Like those with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis have less-diverse gut bacteria as well as fewer inflammation-fighting gut microbes. In addition, they tend to harbor unusually large numbers of a specific bacterium linked to intestinal illness, calledMycobacterium avium paratuberculosis(MAP). While it’s premature to say that this bacterium causes Crohn’s, it may be involved in initiating the inflammatory response that sets off the disease.
And if you’re one of the 10% to 25% of Americans living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), your gut bacteria might be involved as well. Although this condition has many triggers, like diet, stress and infection, experts believe that unfavorable changes in gut bacteria may be an additional contributor.
Get the Recipe:Tropical Gut Healthy Smoothie
Your Immune System
Your microbiome helps build a barrier within your GI tract that protects your immune system. But if the microbes are out of balance, the barrier gets weak and porous. Luckily eating a gut-friendly diet can help you tighten that barrier.
Your Weight
A growing body of evidence suggests that people with obesity tend to have a lower diversity of gut microbiota.Your gut bacteria may also influence where you carry your weight, especiallyvisceral fat. That’s the type of fat that collects around the midsection and has been linked to heart disease and other chronic conditions. One study of people with high amounts of visceral fat found that they had different species of gut microbes than those with low visceral fat levels.How can having fewer species of beneficial gut microbes impact your weight and fat distribution? It appears to alter certain weight-regulating hormones such as leptin and ghrelin and other substances that affect the way your body burns calories—impacting digestion, appetite, fat storage and inflammation.
Poor Gut Health Might Be the Reason You’re Not Losing Weight—Here Are 4 Things You Can Do About It
What You Can Change About Your Gut Health—and What You Can’t
You inherit a certain amount of your microbiome—which is unique to you—when you’re born. Everyone’s microbiome is completely unique, and some of it comes down to genetics, which you can’t do so much about, says Bulsiewicz. While your microbiome might not be the same as that of your friend who has never had GI issues or your cousin who seems to have a superhuman immune system, that doesn’t mean that your gut health is fixed for life. There are things you can do to help make yours the healthiest version that it can be.
12 Foods to Improve Your Gut Health Overnight
Gut-Healthy RecipesChickpea & Sweet Potato Grain BowlsRoasted Vegetable SoupGut-Friendly Veggie SandwichRoasted Squash & Lentil Kale SaladBroccoli-Pesto PastaSheet-Pan Salmon with Melting LeeksSheet-Pan Chicken with White Beans & MushroomsCrispy Curried Cauliflower BitesRoasted Broccoli & Kimchi Rice BowlCrispy Tempeh Steaks with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream SaucePumpkin-Date Overnight OatsFig Newton–Inspired Energy BallsThe Ultimate Gut-Friendly Snack MixCrunchy Chopped SaladMiso–Garlic Butter Roasted Delicata SquashRoasted Brussels Sprouts with Kimchi VinaigretteGut-Friendly Green Wellness Shot1of6
Gut-Healthy Recipes
Chickpea & Sweet Potato Grain BowlsRoasted Vegetable SoupGut-Friendly Veggie SandwichRoasted Squash & Lentil Kale SaladBroccoli-Pesto PastaSheet-Pan Salmon with Melting LeeksSheet-Pan Chicken with White Beans & MushroomsCrispy Curried Cauliflower BitesRoasted Broccoli & Kimchi Rice BowlCrispy Tempeh Steaks with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream SaucePumpkin-Date Overnight OatsFig Newton–Inspired Energy BallsThe Ultimate Gut-Friendly Snack MixCrunchy Chopped SaladMiso–Garlic Butter Roasted Delicata SquashRoasted Brussels Sprouts with Kimchi VinaigretteGut-Friendly Green Wellness Shot1of6
Chickpea & Sweet Potato Grain BowlsRoasted Vegetable SoupGut-Friendly Veggie SandwichRoasted Squash & Lentil Kale SaladBroccoli-Pesto PastaSheet-Pan Salmon with Melting LeeksSheet-Pan Chicken with White Beans & MushroomsCrispy Curried Cauliflower BitesRoasted Broccoli & Kimchi Rice BowlCrispy Tempeh Steaks with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream SaucePumpkin-Date Overnight OatsFig Newton–Inspired Energy BallsThe Ultimate Gut-Friendly Snack MixCrunchy Chopped SaladMiso–Garlic Butter Roasted Delicata SquashRoasted Brussels Sprouts with Kimchi VinaigretteGut-Friendly Green Wellness Shot
Chickpea & Sweet Potato Grain Bowls
Roasted Vegetable Soup
Gut-Friendly Veggie Sandwich
Roasted Squash & Lentil Kale Salad
Broccoli-Pesto Pasta
Sheet-Pan Salmon with Melting Leeks
Sheet-Pan Chicken with White Beans & Mushrooms
Crispy Curried Cauliflower Bites
Roasted Broccoli & Kimchi Rice Bowl
Crispy Tempeh Steaks with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Pumpkin-Date Overnight Oats
Fig Newton–Inspired Energy Balls
The Ultimate Gut-Friendly Snack Mix
Crunchy Chopped Salad
Miso–Garlic Butter Roasted Delicata Squash
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Kimchi Vinaigrette
Gut-Friendly Green Wellness Shot
1of6
What dietary tweaks can you make to support your gut health? Here are six research-proven strategies:
1. Fall in Love with Fiber
“Resistant starches, in particular, are a type of fiber that are like a banquet for your good gut bacteria,” saysBonnie Taub-Dix, M.A., RDN, CDN, author ofRead It Before You Eat It. “These include foods like underripe bananas, beans, chia seeds, some nuts, potatoes, and whole grains such as oats, sorghum and barley.”
Featured Meal Plan
2. Cook Up a Veggie-Packed Soup
“Different microbes enjoy different plants,” says Anderson-Haynes. And the more variety, the better. “Studies show that the people who consume the most variety of plants—specifically, at least 30 different types per week—are those with the healthiest guts,” says Bulsiewicz.Noshing on foods like vegetables, beans, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds will deliver the fiber your gut microbes need to thrive. Plus, plant foods also provide a range of health-promoting phytonutrients, including polyphenols—powerful antioxidants that Bulsiewicz says the friendly bugs in your gut can help unlock.
If the idea of eating 30 plants a week sounds daunting, think of a bountiful salad or a pot of soup like thisRoasted Vegetable Soup. The satisfying soup features nine plants in a single bowl, getting you more than one-quarter of the way there in just one meal!
We Should Be Eating 30 Plants a Week, According to a Gastroenterologist. Here’s How to Do It
3. Explore the Wide World of Fermentation
Fermented and cultured foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, tofu, tempeh, sauerkraut and miso are filled with gut-friendly beneficial bacteria, says Anderson-Haynes. Research reveals that the compounds created during the fermentation process actually interact with the microorganisms in the GI tract, potentially improving gut health in both the short and long term.For the biggest punch, start your day with probiotic-rich yogurt (there areso many ways to use it) or aBerry-Kefir Smoothie. AddRoasted Broccoli with Kimchi Vinaigretteto your dinner plan, or sip a glass ofkombuchainstead of soda.
Get the Recipe:Frozen Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Bites
4. Stock Up on Gut-Healthy Snacks
What youdon’teat can be just as important as what youdoeat. “There’s good evidence that [certain] ultra-processed items like chips, cookies and fast food—items that are high in added sugar, sodium and saturated fat, and low in nutritional value—can allow ‘bad’ gut bacteria to flourish and create inflammation in the body,” says Anderson-Haynes. “Plus, if you’re eating lots of highly processed foods, it tends to crowd out the healthier whole foods in your diet.” That doesn’t mean you have to completely eliminate processed foods from your diet: popcorn, roasted nuts and whole-grain crackers are all great options to stock in your pantry for snack time—and your gut will thank you for it.
5. Shake Up a Fabulous Mocktail
You’ve probably heard the recommendation to limit your alcohol consumption to no more thanone to two drinks a day.That’s because as yummy as a glass of jammy cabernet can be, alcohol is a toxin. And it can damage your gut microbes if you consume too much.
A good deal of the research on the link betweenalcoholand gut health has been done in people with alcohol use disorder. So, it’s not totally clear how moderate drinking may or may not impact your microbiome. There is evidence, though, that heavy drinking can cause what’s called dysbiosis, or an imbalance of levels of unfavorable microbes compared to beneficial ones, says Bulsiewicz.
With all the amazing nonalcoholic options out there now—from ourWatermelon-Lime Mocktailtohop seltzers—it’s easier than ever to trade booze for something equally as tasty.
6. Swap Out Some Saturated fat
“Polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 fatty acids found in fish like salmon, [and in] walnuts and avocados, produce healthy gut microbes that may reduce the risk of a number of chronic diseases,” says Anderson-Haynes. She recommends replacing saturated fats, like butter and coconut oil, with healthier polyunsaturated ones, like nut and seed oils, when it makes sense. Since the American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to a maximum of 6% of your daily calories, it’s also a good move for heart health.Try aSalmon Burger with Quick Picklesinstead of a beef burger, cook with olive oil more often than with butter, and top your toast with avocado instead of cheese. Your friendly gut bugs will thank you.
What’s the Difference Between Saturated Fat and Unsaturated Fat?
Bottom Line
Gut health plays a crucial role in your overall health and wellbeing—and what you eat can profoundly impact it. Focusing on healthy foods like fiber-rich fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains, as well as lean protein such as omega-3-rich fish and cultured and fermented foods can shift the balance of good gut bacteria you have and may help protect your mental health, bolster immunity, keep weight in check and stave off conditions including heart disease and digestive issues.
More Ways to Help Your Gut
25 Gut-Friendly Recipes to Make for Dinner
I Took Long-Term Antibiotics for a Year—Here’s What I’m Eating to Help My Gut Health Bounce Back
Credits
Recipes & Photography:Alex Loh; Hilary Meyer; Amanda Stanfield; Liv Dansky; Giovanna Vazquez; Amanda Holstein; Marianne Williams; Julia Levy; Craig Ruff; Liz Mervosh; Jasmine Smith
Visuals & Design:Michela Buttignol; Cassie Basford; Maria Emmighausen
Special Thanks:Penelope Wall; Victoria Seaver, M.S., RD; Megan Ginsberg; Sophie Johnson; Alysia Bebel; Allison Little; Taylor Boeser; Anne Treadwell; Beth Stewart; Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD; Cam Wimberly; and the entire staff of EatingWell.
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Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
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