24/11/2024, 15:36 5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Gut Microbiome Today

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DIGESTIVE HEALTH

5 Simple Ways to Improve Your

Gut Microbiome Starting Today
Strategically adding certain foods to your diet and avoiding others, can alter the structure
of your gut microbiome to reduce risk for developing chronic disease and promote overall
health.

By Rachel Dyckman, RDN

Medically Reviewed by Justin Laube, MD
Published on March 31, 2022

Barley, beans, nuts, and seeds are diverse, gut healthy foods to add to your diet.
Nataša Mandić/Stocksy

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24/11/2024, 15:36 5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Gut Microbiome Today

Our large intestine houses trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria,

viruses, fungi, and archaea, collectively referred to as the “gut microbiome.”
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According to research published in July 2019 in the journal Nutrients, these
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microorganisms influence everything from our metabolic health and weight, to
our tendency towards anxiety and depression, colorectal cancer risk, and our
likelihood for developing autoimmune conditions and allergies. Actually, the gut
microbiome’s influence over our health is so profound that it’s often referred to
as an organ system.

Studies demonstrate that one of the most effective ways to shape our gut
microbiome is through our diet. Differences in the composition of our gut
microbiome can be observed in as little as 24 hours after making dietary
changes, according to another study, published in December 2019 in the journal
Nutrients. While the research is continuing to unfold, it is clear that certain foods
and dietary practices promote a healthier, more resilient gut microbiome, while
others trigger inflammation. Here are five simple, actionable practices you can
incorporate to potentially improve your gut microbiome starting today. And be
sure to talk to your healthcare provider about the best ways to incorporate these
foods into your diet, especially if you have certain health conditions.

1. Add Prebiotic-Rich Foods to Every Meal

In short, probiotics are the beneficial gut bacteria themselves, found in both
supplements and fermented foods, whereas prebiotics are food for probiotics.
More specifically, according to the International Scientific Association for
Probiotics and Prebiotics, prebiotics are substances that selectively feed our
healthy gut-associated microbes when we consume them. It’s important to
populate and support a healthy balance of these healthy microbes in our gut, but
we must also feed them properly with plenty of prebiotic-rich foods, so they stick
around and provide us with health benefits (and are not crowded out by the
more disease associated microbes).

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24/11/2024, 15:36 5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Gut Microbiome Today

Prebiotics are found in foods such as apples, artichokes, bananas, barley, oats,
chia and flaxseeds, alliums like garlic and onions, beans and legumes, green and
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black teas, and even cocoa. Adding chia seeds to oatmeal, cooking with a
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generous amount of garlic and onion, incorporating chickpeas and black beans
into salads, and enjoying a square of dark chocolate with a cup of green tea, are
all easy and delicious ways to increase your prebiotic intake.

2. Embrace Fermented Foods

Fermented foods are those produced or transformed with the help of

microorganisms, such as bacteria and yeast. Fermented foods act as a natural
probiotic supplement, populating the gut with beneficial microbes when we
consume them. A study published in the journal Cell in July 2021 found that
consuming a diet high in fermented foods increases the diversity of microbes in
the gut, and lowers markers of inflammation. Foods such as yogurt, kefir,
kombucha, miso, tempeh, sauerkraut, and kimchi are just a few of the many
fermented food options to choose from. Whether you incorporate kefir into a
smoothie, snack on Greek yogurt, add sauerkraut to a sandwich, or whip up a
tasty salad dressing with miso paste, your gut will surely thank you.

3. Include a Wide Variety of Plants in Your Diet

Just as a healthy ecosystem is rich in plant diversity, a healthy and resilient gut
microbiome is one that is diverse, encompassing a variety of microorganisms
with unique roles. The greater the microbial diversity in the gut, the greater the
health benefits. Think of it this way; we need doctors, but if everyone were a
doctor, there would be no teachers to educate, no police officers to maintain
order and safety, no engineers to develop essential technologies, nor farmers to
grow food. We need each profession to exist in order to have a well-functioning
society, just as we need a variety of gut microbes to have a well-functioning gut
microbiome.

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24/11/2024, 15:36 5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Gut Microbiome Today

One of the best ways to increase the diversity of your gut microbiome, is to eat a
wide variety of whole plant foods. Data published in American Society for
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Microbiology in May 2018 from The American Gut Project, an initiative intended
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to help us better understand the human gut microbiome, demonstrated that
those who eat greater than or equal to 30 plant varieties per week have a more
diverse gut microbiome compared with those who eat less than or equal to 10
plant varieties per week. To reach your weekly quota, try adding one to two new
plant varieties to your grocery shopping cart each week, and visiting your local
farmer’s market to discover unique varieties of seasonal produce you may not
have tried before. Additionally, cooking with fresh herbs and adding them to
salads, starting your day with a plant-filled smoothie, snacking on fruit with nuts
and seeds, and incorporating plant-based proteins into your meals such as
beans and legumes, are all tasty ways to promote a diverse gut microbiome.

4. Toss the Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners may appear healthier than regular sugar since they’re
calorie-free, but some research indicates that they may actually wreak havoc on
our healthy gut bacteria. A cross-sectional study published in the Journal of
Obesity in October 2019 found that in those with morbid obesity, artificial
sweetener intake was positively correlated with gut microbiome changes linked
to insulin resistance, one of the main contributors to the pathogenesis of type 2
diabetes. Additionally, a meta-analysis published in July 2017 in the Canadian
Medical Association Journal demonstrated that among human prospective
studies, artificial sweetener intake is correlated with increases in body weight,
body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference over time, increasing risk for
chronic illness. While the mechanisms behind this phenomenon are likely
multifactorial, changes in the gut microbiome likely play a role.

Rather than regularly consuming artificial sweeteners, it’s likely healthier to

consume real sugar in moderation. To avoid artificial sweeteners, look out for
saccharin, sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, neotame, and
advantame on ingredient labels of foods, beverages, and supplements. These
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24/11/2024, 15:36 5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Gut Microbiome Today

are the artificial sweeteners currently approved by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).
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5. Steer Clear of Dietary Emulsifiers

Dietary emulsifiers are food additives that improve the texture and consistency
of various processed foods, by holding food particles together, according to the
FDA. They’re added to foods like salad dressing to prevent separation of oil and
water, ice cream and gelatin desserts to improve their texture and mouthfeel,
and milk alternatives to prevent their components from separating out.

While certain foods naturally have emulsification properties, like egg yolks,
emulsifiers can also be chemically synthesized or extracted. It is speculated that
unlike foods with natural emulsification properties, chemically processed
emulsifiers may have detrimental effects on our gut microbiota and as a result,
promote intestinal inflammation. According to a prospective study published in
the BMJ in July 2021, higher intakes of ultra-processed foods are significantly
associated with increased risk for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The study
authors theorized that ultra-processed foods often contain chemically processed
emulsifiers, and while the effects of these emulsifiers on the human gut
microbiome require further research, they postulate that they may be
detrimental.

Additionally, various therapeutic diets recommended for IBD, such as the IBD
Anti-Inflammatory Diet (IBD AID) and the Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet (CDED),
specifically restrict these emulsifiers. Maltodextrin, carrageenan, polysorbate-80,
and carboxymethylcellulose are examples of common chemically processed
dietary emulsifiers to look out for on ingredient labels. Since these additives are
only found in packaged, processed foods, centering your diet around whole,
minimally processed foods is an easy way to avoid them.

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24/11/2024, 15:36 5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Gut Microbiome Today

Justin Laube, MD
Medical
Health Conditions A-Z Reviewer
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Justin Laube, MD, is a board-certified integrative and internal medicine

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physician, a teacher, and a consultant with extensive expertise in…
See full bio

Rachel Dyckman, RDN

Author
Rachel Dyckman, RDN, is the New York City–based owner and founder of
Rachel Dyckman Nutrition, a private practice providing one-on-one…
See full bio

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