The gut is an important part of our overall health. It is where we absorb essential nutrients and eliminate toxins.
A healthy and well-functioning gut can keep you energized, help regulate your weight, and prevent a range of diseases.
But what if your digestive symptoms are getting in the way? Fortunately, there are many natural remedies and drinks that heal the gut naturally.
- Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
Eating more fruits and vegetables is a great way to help heal your gut naturally. These foods are rich in nutrients and phytochemicals, or plant chemicals.
Fruits and veggies can provide your body with a wide variety of nutrients, including folate (which reduces blood levels of homocysteine), vitamin A (which boosts the microbiome in your gut and helps protect you from disease), potassium, magnesium and dietary fiber.
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and radishes can crowd out harmful bacteria that contribute to poor gut health.
Fermented foods, such as kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, and miso can also help boost the number of friendly gut microbes. However, if you have a condition called SIBO, these foods may not be beneficial for your gut.
- Drink More Water
Water is an important part of every body function, including digestion. It helps move nutrients from your stomach, intestines, and colon to your bloodstream; helps your kidneys remove waste; and protects your organs and tissues.
Hydration is also essential for maintaining normal bowel function, which prevents constipation and promotes regularity.
In fact, it’s one of the most overlooked things you can do for your gut health.
While it doesn’t have the same dramatic effects as some other dietary changes you can make, drinking enough water is key for improving your digestive health and keeping your gut microbiome healthy. It’s also good for your skin and brain, so it’s worth making a priority of getting plenty of fluid throughout the day.
- Take a Supplement
There are a number of supplements that can help you heal your gut naturally. These include probiotics, L-glutamine, and amino acids.
The good bacteria in probiotics can help to improve digestive health and reduce bloating, gas, and diarrhea. They can also support immune function, which is important for preventing illness.
Taking a multivitamin can also be helpful for healing your gut, as it can provide you with key nutrients such as zinc, needed for healthy cells in the GI tract; vitamin A, which is required to support microbial health and barrier function; and vitamin C, which can help to promote mucosal membrane health in the GI tract.
One of the most popular and effective gut-healing supplements is L-glutamine, which helps to repair and strengthen the intestinal wall, allowing for a healthier microbial community in the gastrointestinal tract. However, Sauceda cautions against taking it without the guidance of a qualified nutritionist or functional medicine practitioner.
Read More
- What to know about Gut Health
- How To Know That Your Gut is Healthy
- What are the Common Signs of Bad Gut Health
- What are the Effective Ways to Improve Your Gut Health
- What are the Foods That Help in Healing Your Gut
- How to Maintain a Healthy Gut
- What Causes Stomach Pain
- What are the Symptoms of Damaged Gut
- Avoid Toxins
There are many toxic substances that can disrupt your gut microbiome and prevent you from healing. These include cigarette smoke, tap water, alcohol, pesticides, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antibiotics.
Limiting the intake of these toxins is an important step to heal your gut naturally. Once you’ve eliminated these harmful substances, you can begin to eat more of the foods that support a healthy gut microbiome.
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens, cabbage, turnips, radishes, arugula, and mustard greens will help to crowd out bad bacteria. These fruits and vegetables will also provide a wide variety of nutrients and antioxidants to nourish your digestive tract. They will also boost your immune system, reducing the likelihood of you becoming sick.
- Exercise
Exercise is a great way to improve your health and wellbeing, regardless of your age or condition. It helps you lose weight, boost energy levels, and prevent diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
While everyone responds differently to exercise, it’s a good idea to find a workout that works for you and stick with it. Some examples of exercise that are beneficial for gut health include walking, jogging, biking, weight training, and yoga.
It’s also important to drink lots of water in order to support a healthy bowel and help your body remove toxins from the system. You’ll need at least 11.5 cups of water per day for women and 15.5 for men, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.