When it comes to digestive problems like gas, constipation, and diarrhea; mostly your gut health is responsible. Your gut is a home for trillions of microbes which are both good and bad. Maintaining their balance is the key to keeping your digestive system well and preventing those digestive problems. To achieve the right balance and keep your gut healthy, you need to introduce superfoods to your diet. Don’t know what a superfood is? Read this article and find out. You can contact us by visiting our clinic or visiting our website at https://doralhw.org/ to know more about gut health.
What are superfoods and what do they do?
‘Superfood’ is not a scientific term but was created by food companies to highlight their nutrient-dense foods, beverages, and products. Many dietitians would agree that these foods have beneficial properties and should be included in a balanced diet. When managing gut health, some foods and beverages have nutritional properties that make them “super.”
These superfoods have some common traits: they look colorful, are rich in antioxidants, are nutrient-dense, contain organic compounds that support health, and are available easily. Consuming these superfoods helps you maintain a flourishing gut microbiome because it increases microbial diversity, and short-chain fatty acid production, and modulates the gut immune response by maintaining a solid intestinal wall barrier.
These foods also have anti-inflammatory properties that help lower inflammation (inflammation causes digestive symptoms like excess gas production, bloating, and changes in bowel movements if not managed on time).
5 Superfoods for a healthy gut
Here are some common superfoods to add to your diet to keep your gut healthy, including:
- Ginger:
Ginger is one the most powerful superfoods because it contains vitamin C and B complex, potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, and manganese which supports a healthy digestive system. It may help you ease discomfort while ensuring a healthy balance of gut microbiome. It also promotes circulation, stimulates the digestion process, alleviates nausea, and motion sickness, and even lowers the risk of colon cancer. Experts believe ginger has remarkable anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that lower inflammation and swelling from an illness or injury. So, if you’re struggling with indigestion, eat ginger 30 minutes after a meal to help you promote digestive balance.
- Leafy greens:
Leafy greens are another superfood with nutrients like vitamins C, K, and B complex, folic acid, beta carotene, iron, iodine, calcium, potassium, sulfur, and chlorophyll. Foods like kale and spinach are natural prebiotics that encourage the growth of healthy gut bacteria. These vegetables work as fuel for beneficial bacteria and nourish the lining of the digestive system. So, eat these greens regularly to ensure the growth of a good gut microbiome. Experts believe it also has anti-inflammatory properties that help relieve inflammation in the digestive tract.
- Protein-rich foods:
Foods rich in protein offer many health benefits like maintaining a healthy gut lining and immune system, helping to repair the body, assisting in recovery from illness and sports injuries, assisting in hormone production that promotes fullness to support weight loss, preventing muscle wastage, keeping blood sugar levels stable, and maintain healthy metabolism. People with IBS or bowel sensitivity should consume lean proteins to improve their bowel movements and keep their digestive system healthy.
- Kiwi:
Kiwi is high in vitamins B3 and C, potassium, soluble fiber, and the digestive enzyme “actinidin”, which helps to break down proteins and other substances. This enzyme also helps in digestion, muscle synthesis, and inflammation. It is also a major source of antioxidants. It is a natural prebiotic which aids in the absorption of nutrients and regulates gut function. It also aids in tissue repair. A study published in June 2021 in the American Journal of Gastroenterology found that people who ate two kiwis a day felt fewer symptoms of constipation than patients who consumed prunes or psyllium.
- Turmeric:
Turmeric, a spice loaded with curcumin, has anti-inflammatory properties that help manage conditions triggered by inflammation, including heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and even depression. Curcumin also regulates the gut microbiota, which relieves people with IBD and reduces inflammation that may lead to colon cancer. Studies reveal curcumin’s anti-inflammatory properties can soothe the digestive tract in a healthy supportive way, especially if you suffer from an inflammation-related issue.
Superfoods are foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals that help to keep the gut and digestive system healthy. You should include these foods in your diet to get their benefits for healthy gut function and prevention of inflammatory conditions. Add the above-mentioned superfoods to your diet for a healthy gut and better digestive system.
Having digestive issues, visit our gastroenterology clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment now!!! You can schedule an appointment with Doral Health and Wellness Gastroenterology Center’s best gastroenterologist doctors in Brooklyn. If you are looking for treatments, you can also talk to our specialists and inquire with them. To schedule an appointment, please visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212 or call +1-347-384-5690.
