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Foods for gut health support

When people want to do more to look after their gut, their go-to is to try to find the best foods for gut health (and worst) and base their diet around that. If only it were that simple!

Supporting your gut health is all about looking after the good bacteria and other microbes that live there. Your gut is home to trillions of microbes known collectively as your microbiome. For a healthy gut, you want to have a nice balance of lots of different good bacteria working together [1]. When your gut is in balance, it can have a positive effect on your gastrointestinal health (limiting unpleasant symptoms like bloating and constipation), as well as your immune system and even your mental health [2] [3].

With all the health benefits of looking after your gut, it’s easy to want a quick fix to balance out good bacteria. Instead, it’s all about making conscious choices about the foods you eat a lot of and which you have less often to keep your gut bacteria in check.

While there’s not really such thing as the ‘best and worst foods for gut health’, there are certain nutrients and food groups that can support gut health, and some which could have a negative impact if you eat too much of them.

Foods for gut health based on nutrients

Some nutrients have particular benefits for supporting your gut, and you can get them in lots of different foods for gut health.

Fibre

Dietary fibre is a type of carbohydrate found naturally in plants. Adults should aim to get 30g of fibre in their diets per day, but most of us don’t get enough [4]. Unlike other carbs, fibre isn’t broken down in the small intestine. It travels all the way through to the large intestine where it can be fermented to produce good bacteria like short-chain fatty acids [5].

Fibre is great for your gut health because it can absorb fluid in your gastrointestinal system and speed up your digestion to help make your trips to the loo more regular.

Good sources of fibre include [4]:

  • whole grain cereals (like barley and rye)

  • brown carbohydrates (like brown rice, pasta, and bread)

  • fruit and vegetables

  • nuts and seeds

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are important for keeping your body’s cells functioning properly, but your body can’t produce them on its own. Instead, you need to get them from the foods in your diet [6].

Omega-3 fatty acids can support gut health by balancing the good bacteria in your microbiome, supporting the production of anti-inflammatory compounds like short-chain fatty acids, and maintaining the integrity of your intestinal wall [7].

You can find omega-3 fatty acids in foods such as [6]:

  • fatty fish (like salmon and tuna)

  • nuts and seeds

  • plant oils

  • fortified foods (like some kinds of eggs and yogurts)

Vitamin D

Most of us know that vitamin D plays an important role in maintaining healthy bones and teeth, but did you know it can also play a role in supporting gut health? Vitamin D is linked to the ‘modulation of gastrointestinal microbiota’ - in simple terms, it can help to balance the good bacteria in your gut [8].

You can get a lot of the vitamin D you need from sunlight during the spring and summer months. You can top up your vitamin D levels all year round with foods like [9]:

  • oily fish

  • red meat

  • egg yolks

  • fortified foods

Polyphenols

Polyphenols are substances that are found in plants. They can work as antioxidants, protecting your body from some kinds of long-term damage. As their molecules are quite large, they don’t get absorbed along the gastrointestinal tract. Instead, they travel to the large intestine where they can help to balance gut bacteria and affect gut health [10].

Polyphenols are found in [11]:

  • vegetables

  • chocolate

  • tea

  • whole grains

  • olive oil

Foods for gut health

Including some of these gut-friendly foods in your diet could help you to balance your gut bacteria and feel good from the inside out!

Of course, top of our list is the mighty yogurt. Yogurt is a source of calcium, which supports the natural function of digestive enzymes. These enzymes play an important role in breaking down foods and managing digestive disorders [12].

Even though yogurt is made by fermenting milk, it can actually help with lactose intolerance. The good bacteria present in many types of yogurt can help people who are lactose intolerant to get the calcium they need to improve lactose digestion and support gut health [13].

Yogurt is really easy to incorporate into a healthy, balanced diet. You can add yogurt to smoothies or oats for a nutritious breakfast, include it as a base for dips and sauces, use it to thicken curries, or just eat yogurt on its own as a tasty snack.

Kefir is made by fermenting ‘kefir grains’ with either milk or water [13]. It contains lots of nutrients with health benefits, like calcium, magnesium, proteins and amino acids [14].

The compounds in kefir can help manage gut bacteria and reduce unpleasant symptoms of an unbalanced gut like constipation and diarrhoea [15]. Just like yogurt, kefir is also a good source of calcium so it can support the natural function of digestive enzymes.

You can add kefir to your diet in similar ways to yogurt or milk. Drink it on its own, add it to cereal, or use it in baking. You can even use kefir to replace a starter when making sourdough bread - handy!

Both yogurt and kefir are examples of fermented foods, but there are lots of others out there. ‘Fermenting’ involves adding microbes to one food source to make another. For example, kefir grains are fermented to produce kefir.
Other fermented foods include:

  • sauerkraut: raw cabbage fermented by lactic acid

  • kimchi: fermented vegetables (usually cabbage) seasoned with garlic and ginger

  • miso: fermented soybean paste

  • kombucha: a fermented black tea drink

There’s some evidence that fermented foods can help to balance the good bacteria in the gut [16]. So making simple swaps like a glass of kombucha instead of a fizzy drink or adding kimchi as a side to your next meal could help contribute to a healthy gut.

Artichokes contain lots of different nutrients that can help support gut health. As well as being rich in polyphenols, artichokes are a great source of inulin [17]. Inulin is a type of dietary fibre that can help to balance the good bacteria in your gut [18].

You can get artichokes into your diet by:

  • adding them to salad

  • including them in rice dishes

  • adding them to savoury bakes like bread or pies

  • making artichoke dip

Pulses like beans, lentils and chickpeas are extremely high in fibre. One portion can contain as much as a third of your recommended daily fibre intake! [18] As we know, fibre plays a really important role in gut health, helping to feed the good bacteria in your gut and keep everything flowing regularly. Adding more beans into your diet can be a really easy way to support a healthy gut.
Add low-sugar baked beans to toast or a jacket potato for a gut-friendly lunch, or toss some extra kidney beans into your next chilli or stew to get more fibre into your dinners.

Small but mighty, almonds are a rich source of dietary fibre and monosaturated fatty acids [19]. Eating almonds can help your gut bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids which play an essential role in keeping your gut healthy by strengthening your gut barrier and reducing inflammation [19] [20].

There are lots of ways to add more almonds into your diet, like:

  • eating almond butter on toast
  • sprinkling almonds on top of yogurt or cereal
  • including almonds in home baking
  • adding toasted almonds to salad

Olive oil (particularly extra virgin olive oil) is rich in polyphenols and monosaturated fatty acids which can help to support gut health by balancing gut bacteria [21].

Olive oil is really versatile and easy to incorporate into your diet. For example, you could:

  • sautée meat and vegetables in olive oil instead of butter

  • use olive oil as a base for homemade salad dressings

  • dip bread into olive oil as a snack or starter

  • add olive oil into homemade dips like hummus

Foods to limit for gut health

The following list is by no means the ‘worst foods for gut health’ - there’s no such thing! But eating too much of these foods could start to give you unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms of poor gut health.

The types of protein you eat can have an impact on how your gut bacteria function, affecting your overall gut health [22]. Eating too much of fatty red meats like lamb and beef can cause your gut bacteria to produce toxins that can have a negative effect on your gut health as well as your overall health [23].

Instead of high-fat animal protein, try switching to leaner options like lean pork or turkey breast. You could even try to cut out animal protein altogether and get your protein from plant-based sources like chickpeas, lentils and tofu instead.

FODMAP stands for[24] :

  • fermentable: foods that don’t break down in the intestine and instead ferment in the large bowel

  • oligosaccharides: foods that are can’t be digested in the small intestine

  • disaccharides: e.g. lactose

  • monosaccharides: e.g. fructose
    and

  • polyols: sugars found in some fruits and vegetables as well as artificial sweeteners

Your GP might recommend a low FODMAP diet if you’re getting a lot of gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, constipation, or diarrhoea that they think might be caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) [24].

Low FODMAP diets can be helpful for people with IBS who are sensitive to certain FODMAPs, but they can be pretty tricky to maintain as they mean cutting out a lot of foods like [24] :

  • wheat (including wheat flour and wholemeal bread)

  • fruits like apples, figs and pears

  • vegetables such as garlic and onion

  • beans and pulses

  • most dairy products

Most of which actually support gut health in people who aren’t sensitive to FODMAPs! If you think you might benefit from a low FODMAP diet, you should speak to your GP about your symptoms and make a plan together.

The easiest way to think of refined grains is that they make ‘white’ carbohydrates like white bread, pasta and rice, as opposed to whole grains which make brown bread, pasta, rice, etc.

Refined grains are made from cereal crops like wheat, rye, barley, oats and rice. Unlike whole grains which contain - you guessed it - the whole cereal grain, refined grains have had part of the grain removed, which is what takes away the brown colour and makes the food white instead [25]. Refined grains can have 75% fewer nutrients than whole grains, and contain a lot less fibre[26], meaning they don’t have nearly as many benefits for your gut health.

To support a healthy gut, try to swap out refined grain products for whole grains instead to get more fibre into your diet and feed the good bacteria in your gut.

Foods that are high in saturated fats can limit the diversity of your gut bacteria, meaning they can’t perform their many functions as well and you can’t reap the health benefits of a balanced gut [27].

Foods with high saturated fat include[28]:

  • fatty cuts of meat

  • some meat products like sausages

  • butter and lard

  • cream

  • snacks like chocolate, biscuits and cakes

Fat is an important part of a healthy, balanced diet, so you shouldn’t try to cut it out altogether [28], Instead, look for foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, like nuts and seeds, fatty fish, plant oils and avocados[28].

Greasy fried foods like burgers and chips are harder to digest, and can give your gut a lot of extra work to do [29]. We’re not saying you can’t partake in the odd weekend takeaway - just be mindful of how much you’re indulging in fried foods if you want to support your gut health. You can also use the grill instead of frying foods for an easy swap that your gut will thank you for [29].

A healthy, balanced diet

As with most things, the key to supporting a healthy gut is balance. Generally speaking, the best foods for gut health are ones that are high in gut-friendly nutrients like fibre, polyphenols and omega-3 fatty acids, but they need to be eaten as part of a balanced diet for you to see the real health benefits.

Following the Eatwell Guide will help you find the right balance of food groups to support your overall health. Listen to your body and pay attention to what foods make you feel good and the ones that might be linked to gastrointestinal symptoms like an upset stomach, and make the choices that feel right to you.

If you need any support in finding the foods that are good for your gut health, or want to discuss trying a low FODMAP diet, get in touch with your GP.

Reviewed on May 2024 - Authored by Dr. Zoe Williams

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