BySally Kuzemchak, MS, RDSeptember 6, 2024Registered dietitian
It’s a no-brainer that what you eat and drink affects how your gut feels, from bloated and queasy to full and happy. But foods and beverages also influence your overall gut health, lowering or raising your risk of digestive diseases. These six categories are some of the known offenders. You don’t have to swear them off forever, but simply cutting back will do your gut good.
Ultra-Processed Foods
Most of us rely on some processed foods, like dry pasta and jarred peanut butter. But ultra-processed foods tend to have more additives like dyes, stabilizers, and emulsifiers, as well as more saturated fat and added sugar (think packaged cookies, sugary breakfast cereal, and frozen pizza). Studies have found that ultra-processed foods can actually change your gut microbiome – that’s the balance of healthy and unhealthy microorganisms – for the worse. An imbalance can make you more vulnerable to problems like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Unfortunately, the typical American diet is made up of about 60% ultra-processed foods.
Alcohol
Alcohol can wreak havoc on the gut. It can make you feel bloated and is a known trigger for heartburn. It’s also tough on the lining of your stomach and can lead to gastritis, an inflammation and irritation of the stomach lining that feels like a gnawing ache or burning feeling in your belly. As with ultra-processed foods, researchers have found that regular and heavy drinkers can experience negative changes to their gut microbiomes.
Fried Foods
High-fat foods like french fries are tough on your gut for a couple of reasons. First, fatty foods slow digestion, which can cause bloating, indigestion, and belly pain. Fatty foods are also linked to heartburn because they trigger more stomach acid, which can splash up into the esophagus and cause pain. People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may find that high-fat foods worsen issues like diarrhea and bloating too.
Artificial Sweeteners
Some sweeteners – like sorbitol and mannitol, used in sugar-free gum and candy – can aggravate symptoms like gas and bloating for people with IBS. There’s also some evidence that faux sweeteners like saccharin and sucralose may change the makeup of your gut microbiome for the worse. Studies are mixed and more research is needed, but there’s no doubt these sweeteners tend to be in ultra-processed foods, which aren’t good for the gut.
Sugary Drinks
Sweetened beverages like soda, teas, and fruit drinks are the number one source of added sugar in the diet for adults and kids. A diet high in added sugar from any source, including drinks and desserts, has been shown in animal research to damage the protective barrier in the intestine and encourage unhealthy bacteria to flourish. Swapping out sugary drinks for unsweetened is the fastest way to cut your intake of sugar.
Processed Meat
Bacon, sausage, deli meat, and hot dogs are all processed meats. Many of these are high in fat, which can aggravate symptoms for people with IBS and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Research has also shown that people who regularly eat processed meat have a higher risk of colorectal cancer.
So what should you eat? Here are some gut-friendly foods to choose:
Lots of plant foods. Getting at least 30 different kinds of plant foods a week (such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and herbs) has been shown in research to increase the diversity of healthy organisms in your gut.
Sources of probiotics. Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, miso, and sauerkraut encourage good bacteria in the gut.
Sources of prebiotics. These help feed your gut’s friendly bacteria and include onions, oats, apples, and sweet potatoes.
Fiber-rich foods. Plant foods and whole grains are good sources of fiber, like beans, oats, flaxseed, brown rice, and raspberries.
Leave a Reply