Other precautions to take with this condition
There’s constant research being done on the benefits of specific practices to improve gut health. Though these methods may not help in severe conditions, they can reduce the harmful effects of common factors such as your diet, bacterial overgrowth, and chronic stress.
These factors lead to general wear and tear of the gut lining, and if they’re not taken care of right away, that could lead to serious consequences. In some cases, these practices may even reduce the symptoms of certain gastrointestinal conditions.
Balanced nutrition
Eating a healthy diet that includes all the essential nutrients that your body needs to function properly plays a vital role in maintaining good gut health. Your body needs both macronutrients (proteins, fiber, and carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) to work properly. Micronutrients like vitamin D and L-glutamine are especially critical for restoring the gut lining.
At the same time, reducing the intake of certain foods like fats and sugars is also crucial for gut health. Diets that contain high amounts of fat and sugar support the growth of harmful bacteria in your gut that could lead to inflammation.
Prebiotics
The scientific definition of prebiotics includes any compound that benefits the host while also serving as a food source for the good bacteria present in the host’s system. Although dietary fiber is widely considered one such source, other molecules such as polyphenols can also act as prebiotics.
Microorganisms feed on prebiotics to produce short-chain fatty acids that are released into the bloodstream and have a positive impact on the GI tract. Leafy green vegetables are a great source of prebiotics.
Probiotics
Probiotics are a group of microorganisms that have beneficial effects on your gut and overall health. Fermented foods such as yogurt are rich in probiotics. These probiotics have different health benefits depending on the type of bacteria they contain. Certain bacteria improve the production of vitamins in your body while others aid digestion. Specific groups of bacteria also break down disease-causing molecules.
There’s a lot of research being done on probiotics to measure their impact on restoring the gut barrier. Some probiotics also prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in your gut (specifically, the small intestine) which keeps your gut lining healthy.
Low FODMAP diet
FODMAP means fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, which refers to certain types of carbohydrates that your small intestine cannot easily absorb.
A low FODMAP diet is usually recommended for those with gut conditions like irritable bowel syndrome or other food sensitivities. Following such a diet is a way to keep your gut safe from harmful molecules and allow it to rest and carry out any necessary repair work.
A low FODMAP diet also allows you to identify specific foods that trigger a reaction. This is done in a three-step process.
- In the first step, you completely stop eating foods with high FODMAP content
- The second step involves eating these foods in very small quantities to identify which ones trigger a reaction
- The third step involves avoiding or limiting the foods that you’re sensitive to