The Good Gut and the Mediterannean diet

What Is the Gut Microbiome?

• Contains trillions of microbes and thousands of different bacteria living together in the small and large intestine.¹ 

• The microbes in the gut talk to your organs and immune system which effects your health. Diet, medications, and environment can make the gut unbalanced.¹

Why You Should Keep Your Gut Healthy

• A healthy gut may keep you from getting sick. A healthy gut lowers inflammation in the body and prevents substances from leaving your gut to the blood. When the gut is unhealthy, type 2 diabetes, problems with digestion, and poor bone health may occur.^{2, 3} 

• A healthy gut may help you maintain a healthy weight. Research has shown obese people are more likely to have unbalanced gut bacteria.⁴

• A healthy gut may improve energy. A healthy gut absorbs the food we eat to make energy for the body and^{5, 6} and may be linked to better sleep.

Diet Tips to Improve Gut Heath

• Follow an eating plan like the Mediterranean Diet. This diet may improve the gut microbiome for better heart health and metabolism.⁷   The fiber rich foods may protect the lining of the intestines, preventing substances from leaving the gut and into the blood.⁸ Eating this way can give you prebiotics (a source of food for the gut’s healthy bacteria) and probiotics (good bacteria that live in your body to help digestion). In one study prebiotics and probiotics were able to strengthen the lining of the intestine.⁹

• Eat at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day.

• Replace white rice with brown rice and white bread with whole wheat bread. 

• Eat beans and lentils. Eat nuts and seeds in small portions, a cupped hand.

• Eat low fat plain yogurt for a useful source of probiotics. 

• Cook with extra virgin olive oil.

 

Summary

Eating a whole foods diet like the Mediterranean Diet is a way to keep the gut healthy which may lead to less illness, a healthier weight, and improved energy. Simple changes like eating whole grain foods instead of white rice and white bread and fresh fruits and vegetables increases the amount of fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics in your diet for supporting the gut microbiome which may lead to better health. If you are dealing with poor gut health we can help!

References

1.https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/microbiome/#:~:text=Microbiota%20stimulate%20the%20immune%20system%2C%20break%20down%20potentially,in%20bacteria%2C%20not%20in%20plants%20and%20animals.%20

2. Sharma S, Tripathi P. Gut microbiome and type 2 diabetes: where we are and where to go? The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 2019; 63:101-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2018.10.003.

 3. D’Amelio P, Sassi F. Gut microbiota, immune system, and bone. Calcif Tissue Int. 2018; 102:415–425. https://doi-org.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s00223-017-0331-y.

4. Liu B N, Liu X T, Liang Z H, et al. Gut microbiota in obesity. World J Gastroenterol. 2021;27(25):3837-3850. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i25.3837.

5. https://well.org/peak-performance/energy-levels-balanced-microbiome/

6.  Smith R P, Easson C, Lyle S M, et al. Gut microbiome diversity is associated with sleep physiology in humans. PLoS One. 2019; 7(14):10. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222394.

7. Meslier V, Laiola M, Henrik M R, et al. Mediterranean diet intervention in overweight and obese subjects lowers plasma cholesterol and causes changes in the gut microbiome and metabolome independently of energy intake. Gut. 2020; 69(7):1258-1268. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2019-320.

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