Flynn Matthews As medical science evolves, we are finding more and more evidence that our gut flora plays a major role in our overall well-being. We truly are what we eat. Maintaining a healthy gut flora is becoming a real challenge thanks to our fast lifestyles and bad eating habits.
We’re sacrificing nutrition for convenience with our food choices. Because of that, it’s important to add several foods that boost and maintain your gut flora. Here are three that we think are essential.
Yogurt
Yogurt is one of the strongest natural probiotics out there. It comes loaded with an array of good bacteria cultures that can successfully boost your gut flora. The key is to choose the right type of yogurt. Going with sugar-free, high-fat types is a proven way to go.
But wait, you can go one step further. Yogurts are great, but yogurt drinks such as Kefir might be a bit better. Kefir, for example, uses Kefir grains to enrich the yogurt (or milk) with symbiotic cultures. It’s very healthy and brings many benefits to your gut flora.
Fermented Foods
Fermented foods are a staple of many cuisines around the world. Humans have discovered fermenting out of necessity and need to store food for longer periods of time. As it so happens, fermented food is packed with healthy bacteria that will repair your gut flora and make it stronger.
That being said, not all fermented foods offer these health benefits. Only foods that are fermented using the natural fermentation process can actually boost your gut flora. Think kimchi or sauerkraut. Unfortunately, going to your local supermarket and stacking your cart full of pickles won’t help you much. Most, if not all industrially fermented foods use various agents to speed up the process. These agents lack the probiotic properties of naturally fermented foods.
Bananas
Let’s briefly step away from foods that replace or add to your gut flora and talk about one food that helps your existing gut bacteria grow stronger. Bananas are arguably one of the best fruits out there. They’re tasty, easily available anywhere, and packed with nutrients.
Bananas also provide your gut flora with nutrients they need to multiply and grow stronger. Adding just one banana to your daily nutrition can set you on the right path. On top of that, bananas are packed with all kinds of healthy minerals that also boost your immune system.
Food Over Medication
Gut flora can be maintained through medication as well. However, there is a strong case to be made for going with the old school way. Using pharmaceutical probiotics is a great way to immediately boost your gut flora and solve whatever issues you might have at the moment.
On the other hand, long term gut flora maintenance should be planned with food being the main catalyst. Adding one of these foods to your diet, or many others that achieve the same effect is easier than most people think. All it takes is a small adjustment period and a bit of effort. After a few weeks of being on this new diet, you’ll make your new normal.
