FtC health
Top Ten Ways to Heal Your Gut By Lisa Guy Poor gut health can have a huge impact on your physical and emotional health. An unhealthy gut can put your whole body out of balance and lead to a myriad of health issues including anxiety, depression, lowered immune function, weight gain, digestive issues, and an increased risk of autoimmune diseases. Looking at ways to maintain a healthy gut mucosa (lining) and balanced gut microbiota is vital for good health and wellbeing, and for the prevention of disease.
HERE ARE THE TOP TEN WAYS TO HEAL YOUR GUT: 1. INCLUDE RESISTANT STARCH IN YOUR DIET Resistant starch is a type of dietary fibre that’s not digested in the small intestine. Instead, it’s fermented in your large intestine by your gut bacteria. The by-product of this fermentation process is the production of short-chain fatty acids, namely butyrate and acetate, which provide fuel for your beneficial gut microbiota, help keep inflammation in check, and ensure the integrity of the gut lining (1,2). Resistant starch is considered a prebiotic food as it helps our beneficial gut microbiota to grow and flourish in the digestive tract. For optimal gut health, you should include a variety of fibre-rich sources in your daily diet including resistant starch found in wholegrains, legumes (lentils, chickpeas, red kidney beans, baked beans), nuts, some seeds, starchy vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, cassava, taro, sunchoke or Jerusalem artichokes, and yucca), and firm green bananas.
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