The 8 Best Foods For Gut Health

For anyone trying to take their gut health to the next level, you’ve likely posed the question -  ‘what are the best foods for gut health?’

After all, our gut health plays such a pivotal role in our general health and well-being - and nourishing this system with the right foods can put you a step closer to a healthy digestive system. 

Fortunately, there’s such a wide range of foods you can use to support the gut including almonds, oats, miso, legumes, and so much more. The best part? Each of these foods can support the gut in completely different ways - whether it’s by providing good bacteria or settling any discomforts. 

So, if you’re on the hunt for the best foods for gut health, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, we’ve listed 8 healthy foods you can use to heal and nourish your digestive system. Find out more below. 

Almonds 

Hot out of the gate on our list of the best foods for gut health, we have almonds - a tasty snack that can also support gut bacteria.

Almonds are believed to help support our microbiome by encouraging the production of a short-chain fatty acid known as butyrate. This production can help feed and nourish the cells lining the intestine. 

Try eating almonds by themselves as a snack between meals, or adding them to your morning smoothie. 

Oats 

Oats aren’t only good for keeping you warm on those chilly winter mornings - but they’re also a top-shelf food for gut health. 

Because they contain such a rich range of fibres, oats can help to nourish and feed the good bacteria in our microbiome. 

Not to mention, they’re really easy to enjoy - whether it’s in porridge or muesli for breakfast. 

Miso Soup 

Miso soup is another great food you can eat to rebalance the microbiome for better gut health. 

If you’re not quite sure what miso is, it’s a fermented paste made from soybeans or rice. Just like most other fermented foods, this paste is an excellent source of natural probiotics - which can help rebalance and repair the gut. 

You can enjoy miso in a soup or stew, as a salad dressing, or in a stir-fry. 

Yoghurt 

What kind of list would this be if we didn’t include yoghurt? After all, when we think of ‘foods for gut health’, yoghurt is typically the first on our mind - and it’s not hard to understand why. 

Yoghurts are typically packed to the brim with probiotic strains, such as lactobacillus casei, which help reinforce the microbiome and increase the number of good bacteria in the gut. 

The best part? It’s so easy to add yoghurt into your diet. Try grabbing a low-sugar greek yoghurt and mixing it with a handful of fresh berries or breakfast muesli. There’s no better way to start the day. 

Bananas

When it comes to our gut health, the humble banana certainly packs a punch. 

Firstly, bananas have a prebiotic effect on the microbiome, which means they can essentially feed good bacteria and stimulate their growth. Thanks to their high-fibre content, bananas can also help to regulate bowel function and may help ease discomforts like bloating. 

With all that said - our absolute favourite thing about bananas is that they’re a natural, cheap, and portable snack. Simply throw one in your bag and enjoy it on the go. 

Ginger

For anyone suffering from digestive discomforts such as indigestion, this one's for you. Ginger is an excellent food for our gut health because it triggers the stomach to empty quicker while also easing inflammation - which helps to manage any symptoms associated with indigestion. 

Adding ginger to your diet couldn’t be easier. For example, you could try adding a few slices of ginger into a hot cup of water to create a tummy tea. Otherwise, simply keep your eyes peeled for products that contain any natural ginger extracts. 

Kimchi 

If you’re looking for probiotic foods to add to your diet, you can’t go wrong with kimchi. 

Kimchi is a Korean fermented cabbage, similar to sauerkraut, with a delightfully spicy twist. Not only does it have essential vitamins and minerals, but kimchi also offers natural probiotics to help rebalance the microbiome and support gut health. 

Try adding kimchi to a fried rice bowl or enjoy it with your eggs. 

Probiotics - Bifidobacterium

We certainly can’t complete our list of the best foods for gut health without including bifidobacterium. After all, these probiotic strains offer a pretty impressive range of gut-related benefits - along with a bunch of research to support their success. 

In fact, bifidobacterium was used in the largest probiotic clinical study investigating bowel function - and shows the ability to encourage natural, regulated digestion. 

Adding more bifidobacterium into your diet couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is look for a supplement containing this particular strain in its ingredients list - such as these delicious Perkii Probiotic Shots. 

Head to the online store to shop now!

*The information in this article should be considered as advice only. Before using probiotics or implementing any of the information above, speak with a healthcare professional.