Be Good To Your Gut

It may surprise you to learn that the key to good health lies with the bacteria in your gut. Here’s how to care of your microbiome, so it takes care of you.

- Karen Fittall

With gut health on everyone’s radar these days, we are more aware of the importance of tummy-friendly foods, the way our gut can influence our overall wellbeing, and the benefits of looking after our unique supply of “good” bacteria.

When it comes to eating a diet rich in health-boosting prebiotics and probiotics, yoghurt is one of the best foods for keeping our microbiome in top shape.

But what if eating dairy leaves your stomach feeling less than happy?

THE LACTOSE DILEMMA

Milk sugar, or lactose, is found naturally in dairy products. It is up to our small intestine to produce lactase, an enzyme that breaks down this form of sugar in the body. As the lactase gets to work, lactose is converted into two forms of sugar – glucose and galactose – and absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestinal lining. It may sound quite straightforward, but dietitian Karen Inge says the process is easier said than done.