Real enemies of gut health are processed food, low fiber dietary foods, artificial sweeteners, chronic stress etc. The healthy gut has an ideal gut structure which balances between the good and bad bacteria and has less digestive problems. Your gut is the gastrointestinal system which performs digestion, nutrient absorption and excreting waste from our body. Our gut is a complex network that contains microbiomes made up of trillions of microorganisms. Microbiome is the community of microorganisms such as fungi, viruses and parasites living inside a given habitat. We are creating our real enemies of gut health by consuming unwanted foods.
WHAT’S DAMAGING YOUR GUT?
There are certain foods which can affect your gut health.
Sugar and artificial sweeteners: Sugar can also be called as white poison. It does not have any nutritional or health benefits but has adverse effects on our body. Excess sugar can cause many diseases.High intake of sugar can cause imbalance in the gut microbiome triggering issues like bloating and acidity.
Alcohol: Alcohol has many impacts on our health like leaky gut, increases the amount of intestinal bacteria . It can also cause imbalance of the bacteria in the gut causing dysbiosis. Consumption of alcohol also causes inflammation in the gut which may lead to cancer and liver diseases.
Fried Foods:Fried foods are always bad for our health which contain unhealthy fats, especially deep fried. They are high in fat so that it is difficult to digest, causing stomach issues. It can also increase the inflammation level and toxins in the body.
Red and Processed Meats: Red and Processed Meats contain carcinogens which can increase the risk of cancer (particularly colorectal cancer).
Refined Vegetable Oils: Refined oils are processed oils which are bad for your health. They go through many processes to make them edible.Sunflower, soybean, palm oil are some examples of refined oils. These oils are very high in trans fat . Usage of refined vegetable oil can cause high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, digestion and gut issues, inflammation and hormonal imbalance.
Carbonated Drinks: Soda, energy drinks, sparkling water are some of the carbonated drinks. Carbonated drinks can affect gut health and can cause other health issues in our body. Gas , bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, abdominal pain are caused due to the gas released by the carbonated drinks when consumed. High sugary carbonated drinks can promote the growth of harmful bacteria in the gut which can affect the digestion and immunity of the body.
Processed foods:Processed foods are foods or drinks that have been altered from its original state through cooking, freezing, adding preservatives to taste better and long shelf life. Consuming these types of foods can cause many health issues like increase in sodium, high cholesterol level, increase risk in cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Processed foods are very less in fiber and high in sugar which can interrupt the balance of gut microbiota.
Always reduce the intake of processed foods, sugars, artificial additives for the wellbeing of the gut health. Include nutritional and fiber rich foods in your diet , stay hydrated, get enough sleep and manage stress level all these can enhance the quality of your life. Adopt a healthy lifestyle and eating habit for a better you.