Healing your gut, the natural way!
At some point, all of us have had to fight our gut issues. Some of these are simple—indigestion, heartburn, gas (flatulence) or nausea. But some of these may continue on for a long time and really affect your quality of life.
Most gut related problems can be divided into either 1) Structural or 2) Functional problems. Structural gut problems have something organically wrong with the gut—examples include inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis), gluten sensitivity which leads to inflammation in the small bowel, or more serious matters like colon cancer.
It is more often the functional disorders however, that create the never-ending symptoms. Because, when these individuals undergo detailed investigations (colonoscopy, etc.), everything checks out normally. But most of them do not get relief- from abdominal pain, nausea, cramping after eating or sudden bouts of diarrhea. Together, these symptoms form the basis of defining irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Recently, considerable attention has been paid to find supplements that can treat IBS effectively, particularly since these individuals have a fairly normal gut. Here are a few practical tips that can help improve gut function naturally:
Reduce intake of processed foods
One of the most important steps you can do to heal your gut naturally is to reduce intake of processed or packaged food and supplement your diet with more natural organic food that is freshly cooked. Food processing has been linked to creating GI disturbances which eventually lead to a leaky gut that defines these underlying symptoms. Packaging and preservatives over a long duration can wreak havoc on your gut microbiome, load you with non-essential and saturated fats, artificial colors, etc. Sounds convincing yet?
Reduce intake of sugars
By sugars, we mean processed sugars; those you find in pastries, cakes and cookies. Refined white sugar has a high glycemic index and excessive sugar intake has been linked to metabolic syndrome, obesity, insulin resistance all of which eventually lead to poor gut health. Improving your gut health naturally involves renunciation of processed candy and sugary-foods.
Add more fermented foods to your diet
Fermentation is a process in food technology that turns sugars into alcohol with the use of yeast. Fermented foods (like kimchi) work as an excellent source of fiber and a natural prebiotic for your gut bacteria. Lightly sweetened fermented drinks (carbonated, fruit based) are now available in the market and consumers have many ways of incorporating fermented foods in their diet.
Consider a prebiotic and a probiotic supplement
Much has been talked about proper prebiotic (food for your gut bacteria) and probiotic (new gut bacteria) supplements to help your gut heal naturally. While research is still ongoing, both of these seem to have a lot of utility. Fortunately, your diet can provide some of the natural prebiotics—foods rich in this category include avocados, turnips, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, fruit such as mango and watermelon. Probiotics can help your gut heal as well but there is additional research that is warranted in defining which particular individual can benefit with which strain of the bacteria.
One of the prebiotics studied now is using complex oligosaccharides, which are essentially non-digestible sugars, that are present in milk. In fact, human milk has a sugar called 2’-fucosyllactose (2’-FL) that is widely abundant and helps in the maturation of the gut of the newborn babies. Recently, 2’-FL has been studied in adults and has shown to facilitate the growth of the good gut bacteria leading to a significant improvement in gut health in adults.
HuMOLYTE™ is one of those prebiotic electrolyte mixes that delivers this prebiotic oligosaccharide (2’-FL) in a magnesium-rich sugar free electrolyte powder form. The prebiotic “gut healing” sugar can help preserve the lining of the intestinal tract and perhaps heal it, particularly after an injury from chemotherapy, antibiotics or inflammation.
Be liberal with fiber intake
Generally, fiber intake prevents constipation and proper gut motility is key to good gut health. Constipation can prevent gut healing and can lead to other complications. A high fiber diet that is typically rich in grains and vegetables allows gut epithelial cells to stay healthy and your gut microbiome (good bacteria) to flourish.
Add grains and seeds if you tolerate them
Using seeds of sunflower for example, has shown to improve gut health by increasing phytic acid bioavailability. Most people consume sunflower seeds as snacks and although detailed studies are still needed, there is some evidence that seeds and grains can help your gut heal naturally.
Improve hydration, particularly with a magnesium-rich electrolyte mix
Nothing could be more important to preserve gut integrity than hydration. Gut epithelial cells require a good amount of water and electrolytes (sodium, potassium and magnesium) for gut smooth muscle to stimulate motility. Electrolyte abnormalities can lead to impaired gut movement leading to constipation (and ileus in the hospital setting). Magnesium intake has shown to improve gut motility.
One of the easiest ways hence to maintain hydration and help your gut heal naturally, is to drink water with electrolytes in it. Once could make their own gut-health drink with lemon juice, water, sea salt and honey. Those who want it more on the go, HuMOLYTE™ (with 2’-FL) can certainly be the alternative. Click here to learn the Science of HuMOLYTE™ and see how this prebiotic can enhance your gut health in the future.
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