Gut Bacteria
Optimize Gut Health With a Plant-Based Diet
Optimize Gut Health With a Plant-Based Diet
A plant-based diet can improve health and prevent disease by feeding the good bacteria in your digestive tract.
Trillions of bacteria live in your digestive tract and play an important role in health. Of the thousands of species of gut microbes that live in your gut, however, some are healthy for your body—while others are not.
A healthful plant-based diet improves the health and diversity of your gut microbes, preventing and treating conditions like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases.
High-fiber foods feed the healthy bacteria that improve immune function, reduce inflammation and chronic disease, and even help regulate mood.
Prebiotics feed healthy bacteria. Good sources of prebiotics include Jerusalem artichokes, chicory root, raw dandelion greens, leeks, onions, garlic, asparagus, whole wheat, spinach, beans, bananas, oats, and soybeans.
Probiotics are live bacteria or yeasts found in fermented foods that, when consumed, take up residence in the gut and improve health. Healthy sources include sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, kimchi, and water kefir.
Red meat, high-fat dairy products, and fried foods all reduce the growth of healthy bacteria and enhance the growth of “bad” bacteria linked to chronic disease.
Avoid fried foods, saute with cooking spray or broth instead of oil, and use low-fat salad dressings, especially if you have diabetes or prediabetes. Most plant foods are naturally low in fat.
Overuse of antibiotics can kill off healthy bacteria. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimates that 80 percent of antibiotics are actually used in animal agriculture.
Exercising, getting enough sleep, and managing stress can all have a positive impact on your gut microbes.
Did you know we are only 10 percent human? Ninety percent of our cells are nonhuman, microbial cells. Since our diet influences our microbes, it’s true: We really are what we eat.
Meghan Jardine, MS, MBA, RD, LD, CDE, Associate Director of Diabetes Nutrition Education, Physicians Committee
Packed with glucosinolates that fight inflammation and cancer
Fight inflammation and stabilize gut bacteria
Rich in the prebiotic fiber inulin
Enhance immune system and destroy harmful bacteria
Crowds out unhealthy bacteria and boosts nutrient absorption
Do you have high cholesterol? Trouble losing weight? Indigestion? There’s a surprising link between all of these health problems—and it lives in your gut. Learn more about gut bacteria by downloading our free e-book. Fill out the form below and click on the “download” link after you click submit.
DID YOU KNOW?
Vegan diets lead to healthier gut bacteria.
Nutrition and the Gut Microbiome
Presentation by Leigh Frame, PHD given on July of 2019 at the International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine in Washington D.C.