Therapeutic foods for gut health

One of the things that led me to learn about functional nutrition was when my own son had obvious changes in his digestion and behavior after taking multiple rounds of antibiotics as a baby. I am now several years down the road as we continue to ride out his healing journey. After investing many hours in learning more about gut health, I have to say that the evidence is there and continues to grow for how important gastrointestinal health really is. There is a great amount of research that supports the gut-brain connection, the widespread impact of leaky gut (otherwise known as “intestinal permeability” in the conventional medicine world) and how the microbiome has a huge impact on someone’s health from an immune, neurological and metabolic standpoint. 

So what does that mean for you? Well, if you struggle with any of the following issues such as autoimmune disease, skin problems (like eczema, acne, or rosacea), food sensitivities, depression, brain fog or anxiety there is a good chance the issues may originate or at least have a gut-related component. Furthermore, if you already have GI issues such as chronic bloating or gas, take acid-reducing medication or struggle with chronic constipation then that is a clear sign that something is going on that is worth investigating further. 

How does one even begin to address issues that stem from the gut? There is no clear cut answer as everyone has their own history of stressors, genetic vulnerabilities and eating habits that were likely a culprit in creating their current predicament. However, I would say a good place to start is to incorporate certain therapeutic foods. These foods help promote a healthy, robust microbiome through different mechanisms. A healthy microbiome will then help displace/outcompete pathogenic bacteria, heal the intestinal lining/mucosa (aka repair leaky gut), impact brain/mood via the vagus nerve and promote short-chain fatty acid synthesis (which also are so important in the whole gut-health conversation). Let’s get started on learning about some of these functional foods! I like to categorize them into mineral-rich, prebiotics and fermented foods.

Mineral-rich foods

Minerals are needed to help our bodies make the stomach acid, digestive enzymes and keep our GI tract muscles contracting so they can move things along. Unfortunately, our soil and food is more depleted in minerals than ever so it’s worthwhile to prioritize mineral rich foods! Of course, you can always add in some mineral mocktails which are fun but there are also some specific foods that are great sources of potassium, zinc, selenium, magnesium and iron. Some mineral-rich foods to try: 

Beets, Coconut water, Brazil nuts, Fruit, Shellfish, Organ meats

Prebiotic Fibers  

These fibers are the food that our good bacteria consume which help keep the bad bacteria in check. In addition, these beneficial bacteria have a host of properties that positively impact the immune system and gut-brain connection. As a by-product from fiber-consumption, these good little bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate. These SCFAs have many positive roles within the body. They provide fuel for colon cells, have potent anti-inflammatory properties, modulate glucose metabolism and increase our own natural production of GLP-1. In other words, consuming prebiotic fiber is a simple intervention that can impact health in a big way. Here are some foods that are high in certain prebiotics:

Onion and Garlic, Asparagus, Apples, Legumes, Oats, Berries, Flaxseeds, Artichokes

Resistant Starches

Resistant Starch (RS) are starches that are “resistant” or unable to be digested by digestive enzymes in the small intestine so they go all the way to the large intestine where the good bacteria eat them. RS are also a type of prebiotic fiber but their formation is a bit more complex. They are truly amazing gut-loving foods! Resistant starch typically comes from starchy foods that have been cooked and cooled. The RS is created in the cooling process. Generally, if the food is reheated the RS is converted back to digestible starch. Therefore, the starchy food needs to be cooked, cooled, and eaten COLD. Some examples are:

Green bananas (can add to a smoothie or slice into oatmeal)

Cooked + cooled rice (brown rice sushi)

Cooked + cooled potatoes (potato salad)

Overnight oats

Cooked + cooled lentils or beans (three bean salad)

Fermented Foods

Fermented foods already possess good bacterial strains as a result of the fermentation process! I love fermented foods because they often contain multiple types of good bacteria strains AND there is some evidence that the probiotics from foods tend to colonize or “stick around” longer in the gut better than the probiotics from a supplement. A word of caution with these foods though- fermented foods often contain high amounts of histamine so if someone is histamine-sensitive they may not be well-tolerated. Here are some well-known fermented foods and some you may not have thought about including: 

Yogurt, Kefir, Miso soup, Tempeh, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Pickles, Pickled onions, Kombucha

As you can see, there are many ways to address and support your GI health that don’t include fancy supplements or another trendy product. If, however, you can’t tolerate or digest these  foods without them causing bloating or constipation, it might be time for you to take a deeper dive into your symptoms. At Purely Remnant, we focus on increasing your digestive ability to process a wider range of foods instead of simply avoiding them. We often use comprehensive lab testing like stool tests and bloodwork to understand what's impeding your digestive capacity and how we can increase your ability to digest these foods so that you can enjoy eating them again.