These wise decisions benefit your brain and immune system by promoting a healthier microbiota.
Our gut flora balance affects much more than bloating and toilet troubles. It affects practically every aspect of our lives, from immune system function and hormone regulation to illness prevention and mental health.
There’s a reason we trust our instincts when making big decisions. We rely on nerves and neurotransmitters in our digestive tract to recognize and convey intuitive feelings to our brains. This pipeline of nerves and neurons connects directly with their counterparts in the brain, which is why the gut is often called our second brain.
The gut microbiota, which lives in the gastrointestinal tract, also governs our immune system’s innate and adaptive components, allowing immune cells to combat invading pathogens successfully. However, when the gut microbial community’s equilibrium is upset, as can happen with a poor diet, dysregulation develops, leading to autoimmune illnesses like Crohn’s disease or rheumatoid arthritis.
So, a healthy gut entails more than just regular bowel movements, though those are also essential. It suggests your microbiota’s good and harmful bacteria are getting along, and you’re feeling fantastic. With these microbiota-boosting beverages, you can toast to your sustained good health.
Kefir
According to research, consuming fermented foods with living cultures may provide “good” bacteria to the microbiome. Kefir, a tart fermented milk beverage, is one of those potent probiotics that can help restore balance to your microbiota.
Fermentation makes kefir simpler to digest for lactose intolerant since the bacteria and yeast have already broken down carbs such as starch and sugar.
Kefir-specific peptides are also produced during fermentation. In addition, kefir’s easy-to-absorb amino acid chains may make it more suitable for folks struggling to digest protein. Those who have ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, the elderly, and those on anti-acids, for example, may find it simpler to digest the proteins in kefir.
Green Tea
Including various plant meals and beverages are among the best strategies to populate the gut microbiota. When it comes to diversity, most people don’t think about teas, yet this is a reasonably simple method to add diverse plant species to your diet.
Matcha green tea, which has a high concentration of a powerful polyphenol called epigallocatechin gallate, is one of the most fabulous teas for intestinal health. In addition, black tea, chamomile, holy basil, turmeric/ginger, and pu-erh, fermented tea, are all helpful teas to include in your tea rotation. These teas’ constituents have pre-biotic activity, interacting with the gut microbiota to develop beneficial bacteria.
Some may object, saying, “But I despise the taste of green tea.” Here’s one approach to hide matcha tea’s grassy, occasionally harsh flavor: Blend green tea with banana, almond milk, and vanilla in a smoothie. Spano suggests mixing in pineapple to help balance the bitterness of the matcha. I’d combine it with pure pineapple juice and frozen pineapple.
Kombucha
Kombucha is a fizzy tea drink prepared by fermenting a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, often known as SCOBY and sugar. Emerging research indicates that kombucha may have antibacterial effects and influence the gut microbiome.
Kombucha consumption lowers the imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the intestines and may be effective in treating obesity. The findings also imply that the fermented beverage reduces oxidative stress and inflammation.
Water
Water is essential for intestinal health. Remember that since, like most people, you don’t drink enough water daily. Water keeps things flowing through your digestive system and aids in the absorption of nutrients from food. It’s also crucial since fiber is essential to healthy microbiota.
Dietary fiber is fermented in the colon rather than absorbed in the small intestine. It has been demonstrated to affect the microbiota and regulate glucose and blood fat metabolism, improving health outcomes. However, fiber attracts water into the intestine, which can dry you and cause bloating and constipation. Therefore, drink plenty of water whenever you consume additional fiber. People frequently need to pay more attention to this.
Bone Broth
Because of its high concentration of nutritional vitamins and amino acids like glycine, gelatin, glutamine, and collagen, broth prepared from the bones and connective tissues of chickens, cattle, and other animals has become a famous health elixir.
Poor gut health can result in a leaky gut, a disorder defined by a weakened gut lining that allows unhealthy substances to flow into your bloodstream, causing inflammation.
Collagen nourishes the intestinal lining, and gelatin absorbs water and helps maintain the mucus layer that keeps gut microorganisms away from the intestinal lining. Glutamine may also aid in treating disorders such as leaky gut by promoting normal digestion of all meals consumed because you are not only what you eat but also what you digest and absorb.
Learn more: How to Make Sofrito
