A healthy gut is a gift that people can gift to themselves. The gut works harder to digest the food people eat, produce vitamin that helps in proper blood functioning and help support a healthy immune system. The microbiome can be supported in many ways, like by eating fiber-rich and probiotic food, and in return, the microbiome will support the body. A healthy gut can be beneficial for boosting immunity, controlling cravings, managing mental health.
The best diet for gut health –
U.S News and World Report named the Mediterranean diet as the healthiest diet of 2021. It is less about following a strict regimen and more about focusing on healthy eating. This diet emphasizes healthy fat, fish, veggies, fruits, and whole grains. Because this diet prioritizes healthy ingredients rather than slashing calories or cutting out carbs, it’s one of the easiest to follow.
The Mediterranean diet is rich in whole grains and fibrous produce, which are important for a healthy gut. American Gut Project is the largest gut health project; the number-one indicator of a healthy microbiome was how many different plant-based foods a person regularly consumed, including fruits, veggies, and whole grains. This diet limits things like added sugar and process foods, which are not good for gut health.
The worst diet for gut health –
The ketogenic diet eliminates lots of healthy grains, fruits, and veggies to cut down carb intake. Keto is quite popular right now because it helps in quick weight loss. But because of its restrictive philosophy, it became difficult to follow in the long term. The ultra-high-fat diet that Keto follows creates long-term risks to gut health. In 2019, in a study, it was found out that a low-carb, high-fat diet increases inflammation in the gut while a diet that is low in fat decreases inflammation.
Following a low-calorie diet, nothing is wrong. Still, a recent study from researchers in the U.S and Germany found that a very low-calorie diet that includes just 800 calories per day results in a severe lack of energy caused by an unhealthy gut. Eighty overweight women were observed in the study, which showed that such an extreme diet could change the microbiome’s composition and cause increased inflammation.
