9 Ways to Improve Your Gut Bacteria, Based on Science
Many factors, including the foods you eat, can affect the health of your gut, including the type of bacteria it contains. The best way to get a healthy gut is to eat a fresh, balanced diet.
There are around 40 trillion bacteria in your body, most of which are found in your gut.
Collectively, they are known as your gut microbiome, and they’re incredibly important for overall health. However, certain types of bacteria in your intestines can also contribute to many diseases.
Here are 9 science-based ways to improve your gut bacteria.
There are hundreds of species of bacteria in your intestines, each of which plays a specific role in health and requires different nutrients for growth.
Generally speaking, a diverse microbiome is considered a healthy one. This is because the more species of bacteria you have, the more health benefits they may be able to contribute to (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).
A diet consisting of different food types can lead to a more diverse microbiome (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
Unfortunately, the traditional Western diet is not very diverse and is rich in fat and sugar. In fact, an estimated 75% of the world’s food is produced from only 12 plant and 5 animal species (4Trusted Source).
However, diets in certain rural regions are often more diverse and richer in different plant sources.
For this reason, a few studies have shown that gut microbiome diversity is much greater in people from rural regions of Africa and South America than in people from urban areas in Europe or the United States (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Eating a diverse diet rich in whole foods can lead to a diverse microbiome, which is beneficial for your health.
Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of nutrients for a healthy microbiome.
They are high in fiber, which your body can’t digest. However, certain bacteria in your gut can digest fiber, which stimulates their growth.
Beans and legumes also contain very high amounts of fiber.
Some high fiber foods that are good for your gut bacteria include:
- raspberries
- artichokes
- green peas
- broccoli
- chickpeas
- lentils
- beans
- whole grains
- bananas
- apples
One study found that following a diet rich in fruits and vegetables prevented the growth of some disease-causing bacteria (9Trusted Source).
Apples, artichokes, blueberries, almonds, and pistachios have also all been shown to increase Bifidobacteria in humans (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
Bifidobacteria are considered beneficial bacteria, as they can help prevent intestinal inflammation and enhance gut health (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Many fruits and vegetables are high in fiber. Fiber promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, including specific types such as Bifidobacteria.
Fermented foods have undergone fermentation, a process in which the sugars they contain are broken down by yeast or bacteria.
Some examples of fermented foods are:
- yogurt
- kimchi
- sauerkraut
- kefir
- kombucha
- tempeh
Many of these foods are rich in lactobacilli, a type of bacteria that can benefit your health.
Research shows that people who eat a lot of yogurt appear to have more lactobacilli in their intestines. These people also have less Enterobacteriaceae, which is a type of bacteria associated with inflammation and a number of chronic conditions (16Trusted Source).
Similarly, a number of studies have shown that yogurt consumption can improve intestinal bacteria and decrease symptoms of lactose intolerance (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
What’s more, yogurt may also enhance the function and composition of the microbiome (19Trusted Source).
However, many yogurts, especially flavored yogurts, contain high amounts of sugar. Therefore, it’s best to opt for plain, unsweetened yogurt or a flavored yogurt with minimal added sugar that is made only of milk and bacteria mixtures, also sometimes called “starter cultures.”
Additionally, to reap the gut health benefits, make sure the label reads “contains live active cultures.”
Furthermore, fermented soybean milk may promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, such as Bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, while decreasing quantities of some other harmful strains of bacteria. Kimchi may also benefit the gut flora (20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Fermented foods like plain yogurt can benefit the microbiome by enhancing its function and reducing the abundance of disease-causing bacteria in the intestines.
Prebiotics are foods that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut.
They are mainly fiber or complex carbs that human cells cannot digest. Instead, certain species of bacteria in the gut break them down and use them for fuel.
Many fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain prebiotics, but they can also be found on their own.
Resistant starch can also be a prebiotic. This type of starch is not absorbed in the small intestine and passes into the large intestine, where the microbiota break it down.
Many studies have shown that prebiotics can promote the growth of several types of beneficial bacteria, including Bifidobacteria (22Trusted Source).
Certain prebiotics have also been shown to reduce insulin, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels in people with obesity, which could be beneficial for the prevention of conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Prebiotics promote the growth of several types of beneficial bacteria, including Bifidobacteria. Some studies suggest that prebiotics could also reduce risk factors for certain health conditions by decreasing levels of insulin, triglycerides, and cholesterol.
A baby’s microbiome begins to properly develop at birth. However, studies suggest that babies may be exposed to some bacteria even before birth (26Trusted Source).
During the first 2 years of life, an infant’s microbiome is continuously developing and is rich in beneficial Bifidobacteria, which can digest the sugars found in breast milk (27Trusted Source).
Many studies have shown that infants who are fed formula have an altered microbiome with fewer Bifidobacteria than infants who are breastfed (27Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source).
What’s more, breastfeeding is also associated with lower rates of allergies, obesity, and other health conditions that may be due to differences in the gut microbiota (30Trusted Source, 31Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Breastfeeding helps an infant develop a healthy microbiome, which may help protect against certain health conditions later in life.
Whole grains contain lots of fiber and nondigestible carbs, such as beta-glucan. These carbs are not absorbed in the small intestine and instead make their way to the large intestine to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut.
Research suggests that whole grains can promote the growth of Bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, and Bacteroidetes in humans (32Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source, 34Trusted Source).
In these studies, whole grains also increased feelings of fullness and reduced inflammation and certain risk factors for heart disease.
However, keep in mind that some research shows that gluten-containing grains — such as wheat, barley, and rye — may actually negatively impact gut health by increasing intestinal permeability and inflammation in some people (35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source).
While this mostly applies to those with celiac disease or a sensitivity to gluten, more research is needed to determine whether eating grains that contain gluten may also alter the gut microbiome in healthy adults without these conditions.
SUMMARY
Whole grains contain nondigestible carbs that can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria within the gut microbiome. These changes to the gut flora may improve certain aspects of metabolic health.
Diets containing animal-based foods promote the growth of different types of intestinal bacteria than plant-based diets do (5Trusted Source, 38Trusted Source).
A number of studies have shown that vegetarian diets may benefit the gut microbiome, which may be due to their high fiber content.
For example, one small 2013 study found that a vegetarian diet led to reduced levels of disease-causing bacteria in people with obesity, as well as reductions in body weight, inflammation, and cholesterol levels (39Trusted Source).
A 2019 review noted that plant foods are rich in specific nutrients that can increase levels of beneficial bacteria and decrease harmful strains of bacteria to support gut health (40Trusted Source).
However, it is unclear if the benefits of a vegetarian diet on the gut microbiome are due to a lack of meat intake or if other factors may also play a role.
SUMMARY
Vegetarian and vegan diets may improve the microbiome. However, it is unclear if the positive effects associated with these diets can be attributed to a lack of meat intake or if other factors may be involved.
Polyphenols are plant compounds that have many health benefits, including reductions in blood pressure, inflammation, cholesterol levels, and oxidative stress (41Trusted Source).
Human cells can’t always digest polyphenols. Because they aren’t absorbed efficiently, most polyphenols make their way to the colon, where they are digested by gut bacteria (42Trusted Source, 43Trusted Source).
Some examples of foods rich in polyphenols are:
- cocoa and dark chocolate
- red wine
- grape skins
- green tea
- almonds
- onions
- blueberries
- broccoli
Polyphenols from cocoa can increase the amount of Bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in humans and reduce the quantity of Clostridia (44Trusted Source).
Furthermore, these changes in the microbiome are associated with lower levels of triglycerides and C-reactive protein, which is a marker of inflammation (45Trusted Source).
The polyphenols in red wine have similar effects and have even been shown to increase levels of beneficial bacteria in people with metabolic syndrome (46Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Polyphenols can’t be digested efficiently by human cells, but they are efficiently broken down by the gut microbiota. They may improve several health outcomes related to heart disease and inflammation.
Probiotics are live microorganisms, usually bacteria, that provide a specific health benefit when consumed.
Probiotics don’t permanently colonize the intestines in most cases. However, they may benefit your health by changing the overall composition of the microbiome and supporting your metabolism (47Trusted Source).
A review of seven studies found that probiotics have little effect on the gut microbiome composition of healthy people. However, there is some evidence that probiotics may improve the gut microbiome in those with certain diseases (48Trusted Source).
One review of 63 studies found mixed evidence of the effectiveness of probiotics in altering the microbiome. But the researchers noted that the probiotics’ strongest effects seemed to be in restoring the microbiome to a healthy state after it had been compromised (49Trusted Source).
Nevertheless, some studies have shown that probiotics can improve the functioning of certain gut bacteria, as well as the specific types of chemicals they produce (50Trusted Source).
You can increase your intake of probiotics by consuming more probiotic-rich foods, including fermented foods like kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut, and yogurt.
Alternatively, you can consider using a probiotic supplement. However, be sure to talk with your doctor before starting supplementation, especially if you are taking other medications or have any underlying health conditions.
SUMMARY
Probiotics do not significantly change the composition of the microbiome in healthy people. However, they may improve microbiome function and help restore the microbiome to good health in those with certain health conditions.
Your gut bacteria are extremely important for many aspects of health.
Many studies have now shown that a disrupted microbiome can lead to numerous chronic diseases.
The best way to maintain a healthy microbiome is to eat a range of fresh, whole foods, mainly
The best way to maintain a healthy microbiome is to eat a range of fresh, whole foods, mainly from plant sources like fruits, veggies, legumes, beans, and whole grains.
Just one thing
Try this today: Fermented foods are highly nutritious and can be a great way to add diversity to your diet while enhancing gut health. Try trading milk for kefir in smoothies, using miso as a base for soups and sauces, or adding tempeh to your favorite stir-fry recipes!
Current Version
Jan 23, 2023
Written By
Ruairi Robertson
Edited By
Cheryl S. Grant
Aug 5, 2021
Medically Reviewed By
Kathy Warwick, RD, LD
Source : Healthline Media
Link: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/improve-gut-bacteria#TOC_TITLE_HDR_7
Nutrigenomics Institute is not responsible for the comments and opinions included in this article
