What are the worst things to eat for your digestive health?
It’s common knowledge that what we eat affects our microbiome, which is the vast and complex ecosystem of bacteria living inside our guts. Our microbiome in turn affects every aspect of our health.
A healthy gut is the foundation to a strong immune system and can offset inflammation, support a health brain, and reduce the risk of obesity. Luckily, we can make diet and lifestyle choices to cultivate peak digestive health.
- Artificial Sweeteners
Though artificial sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame and saccharin contain no calories and move through the gastrointestinal tract without being absorbed, they nevertheless can have an impact on the gut microflora, with some research showing they can even alter the microbiome’s composition. Other research has found a worrying link between chronic disease and artificial sweetener intake.
Try to avoid artificial sweeteners in your diet. Common sources are diet soda, snack or cereal bars, chewing gum and many processed foods – even “healthy” ones like yogurt. If you’d like a bubbly drink that’s actually good for your gut bacteria, try probiotic-rich kombucha instead of diet soda.
- Red Meat
Red meat contains a compound called carnitine, which, when it encounters gut bacteria, generates trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). TMAO has been connected with an accumulation of plaque in the arteries, i.e. atherosclerosis. This interaction between gut bacteria and red meat may have important consequences for overall cardiovascular health. Furthermore, factory-farmed meat typically contains traces of antibiotics that wreak havoc on beneficial gut bacteria.
A healthy choice is to eat red meat in smaller quantities, or replace it with omega-rich white fish, chicken or vegetarian protein sources such as tempeh and tofu. If you do eat red meat, choose high-quality, free range bison or beef.
- Processed and Refined Foods
Processed foods are tasty and convenient, but the truth is that they are totally lacking in nutrients or gut-healthy fiber and, even worse, they often contain huge amounts of unnecessary salt, sugar, artificial sweeteners, preservatives and other nasty additives. A thriving gut microbiome needs more – choose a wide range of fruit, vegetables and wholegrains to give your gut microbes a healthy does of polyphenols and fiber instead.
- Alcohol
Alcohol can have harmful effects on the delicate gut microbiome because it indirectly encourages the proliferation of unhealthy bacteria. You may be wondering if moderate alcohol use is all that bad, or whether the plant polyphenols in red wine offset any negative effects. For the time being, research is still ongoing, but moderation is likely the best strategy: limit to approximately one drink a day for women and two for men.
- Caffeine
Sadly, caffeine can actually accumulate in your gastrointestinal tract, whether it comes from coffee, cola, caffeinated energy drinks or even chocolate. Here it can aggravate the intestinal lining and lead to issues like diarrhea, cramps, pain or general stomach upset. Try to wean yourself off of caffeine with decaffeinated options or green tea as a low-caffeine alternative.
Bottom line
It’s the same dietary advice we’ve all heard for generations: eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, which will supply prebiotics that your gut bacteria can feed on. Include fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi or kombucha to supply good bacteria, and avoid red meat, caffeine, processed foods, artificial sweeteners and alcohol. These simple changes can support your gut health and diminish your chronic disease risk.
