6 GUT-LOVING SUPERFOODS

Maintaining a healthy gut mucosa (lining) and balanced gut microbiota is vital for good health and wellbeing and for the prevention of disease. Here are six of our favourite foods to help keep your gut happy.

- Lisa Guy

Poor gut health can have a huge impact on both your physical and emotional health. An unhealthy gut can put your whole body out of balance, which can lead to a number of health issues including anxiety, depression, lowered immune function, weight gain, digestive issues and an increased risk of autoimmune diseases.

The gut, or gastrointestinal system, is made up of vital digestive organs that are responsible for many essential tasks. The gut breaks down food and absorbs nutrients to provide energy, and to build, repair and nourish the body. It plays the important role of removing waste and toxins and it's the body's first line of defence against harmful bacteria and pathogens. A large percentage of our neurotransmitters and immune cells are also produced in the gut.

Here are six superfoods your gut will love to add into your daily diet.

Whole oats

Having whole oats for breakfast is a great way to add more resistant starch into your diet. This important type of dietary fibre moves through the small intestine undigested, and instead it's fermented in the large intestine by your gut microbiota. The by-product of this fermentation process is the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), called postbiotics. These postbiotics play the very important role of providing fuel for your beneficial gut microbiota, along with reducing inflammation and ensuring the integrity of the gut lining.

Resistant starch is considered a prebiotic food as it encourages your beneficial gut microbiota to grow and flourish in the digestive tract. For optimal gut health you should be aiming to include a variety of fibre-rich sources in your daily diet, including resistant starch found in whole oats.