Gut health has been getting a lot of air time over the past few years and I for one am thrilled about it. Having a sick gut or a gut that is not working properly is something that most people in this world can relate to. It can affect so many aspects of our health from our mood, digestion, weight, sleep and more so it is important to be aware and to try to keep your gut healthy.
The health of your gut will be influenced by three main variables including stress, the barrier of your gut and your gut bacteria.
To keep your gut healthy, the first thing to keep in mind is having stress reduction methods in place Everyone will have stress in their lives from time to time, and stress is not always a bad thing, however having stress for a prolonged period of time can lead to a spike in cortisol, digestion issues and sleep problems to name a few. Make sure you are meditating, taking walks in nature, getting off social media and your phone and taking a time out to reduce that stress.
Improving your gut health and your gut barrier is a little trickier. A lot of it comes down to diet, sleep and lifestyle. Aside from eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, lean protein and reducing inflammatory foods such as those high in processed sugars, here are some nutrients that can assist improving your gut health.
Collagen
Collagen may benefit the health of your gut due to the large amounts of the animo acids glycine, glutamine and proline which is found in it. These amino acids have been shown to benefit the intestinal tract. Research has found that collagen peptides can improve gut barrier disfunction and contains powerful anti-inflammatory benefits.
L-glutamine
Glutamine works in three key ways to support the health and function of your gut. It positively impacts that balance of microbiome in the gut and it can increase the tight junction proteins, improve the integrity of your gut lining and it can help to reduce the inflammatory response in your gut as well.
Zinc Carnosine
Zinc Carosine offers numerous digestive and immune support benefits. It assists in supporting the mucosal lining and GI lining of the tissue in the gut. It also helps digestion which can improve your gut health and innumerable function.
Fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi
Fermented foods contain a number of beneficial “good” bacteria, or probiotics, which support the balance of the gut. Research has found that the probiotics found in fermented food can help strengthen the walls of your intestine which may contribute to the prevention of leaky-gut syndrome. It may also help to prevent the likes of allergies and eczema.
Bone Broth
Last but not least, bone broth is another great ingredient to add into your diet to assist with the health of your gut due to the gelatin ound in it that helps support your gut. Gelatine can help benefit those with leaky gut, IBS and other gut disorders. Bone broth is made from the bones, hooves etc. of animals and provides many healing and therapeutic benefits.
Article by Steve Collins, CEO of My Way Up. For a personalised program to assist your gut health, My Way Up is making it easier than ever to get your gut health in check. This one-of-a-kind brand provides a personal gut health regime that starts with an at-home test and includes personalised supplement or lifestyle recommendations.