Our diet is by far the biggest influence on maintaining a healthy gut microbiome which is essential for health. Here’s a quick video explainer.
A healthy gut microbiome is being increasingly shown by a mountain of research studies to be essential to human health.
Benefits of a healthy gut microbiome
The bacterial composition within our digestive tract not only governs the correct functioning of our digestive system. It also influences our mental health and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease via the gut-brain axis, regulates our immune system via activity within the mucosal lining of our intestinal tract, and contributes to our risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, colon cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune diseases, lung diseases such as COPD and asthma, liver disease, allergies, endometriosis, rosacea and even fibromyalgia.
A healthy and diverse gut microbiome is a strong predictor of healthy ageing and reduced mortality risk overall.
How to get a healthy gut microbiome
Of all the factors that go into creating a healthy and diverse gut microbiome, our diet is by far the greatest influence, with changes observable rapidly.
Here is a quick and fun video by a Columbia University medical school professor and gastroenterologist explaining the importance of the gut microbiome to your health, and how the food you choose to eat affects its microbial population.
And the best food to eat for a healthy gut and a long and healthy life?
Fibre from plants, polyphenols from brightly-coloured vegetables and fruits and unprocessed and nutrient-dense foods including nuts with a minimum of processed foods, refined grains such as bread, sweetened beverages and processed meats.