It has been known that optimal digestive function is paramount to one’s overall health and wellness. The state of your gastrointestinal tract, also known as the gut, plays a critical role in supporting your overall health.
While the body does a pretty good job looking after your gut health, if you don’t tend to the numerous microbes in your gut, they may also contribute to some common health conditions.
Inside your gut there are numerous microorganisms called the gut microbiome, mostly made up of microbes. This symbiotic relationship between your body and the microbes in your gut has important roles for your health - you provide a home for these bacteria and they return the favour with health-promoting functions.
So, how do you look after these microbes and keep your gut healthy? Keep reading to learn more!
Importance of gut health
A healthy gut digests and absorbs the food you consume so that the body can use all of the nutrients for functioning. However, gut health is a form of wellness that many people do not pay nearly enough attention to. Poor gut health can seriously impact your quality of life. This is especially true if you have to constantly deal with diarrhea, bloating, nausea, constipation, and more.
One way you can nurture your gut microbes and improve your overall health is with a healthy diet that includes superfoods. The fibre, antioxidant properties, and anti-inflammatory abilities of superfoods can help rebuild gut flora in the long-term.
Foods that can help improve your gut health
Here are some examples of the best superfoods to maintain your gut health:
Maqui berry
The maqui berry is an exotic-looking plant that is dark purple in color and grows out in the wild in South American countries. They have used it for the various medicinal and health benefits its leaves, stems, and berries are able to offer.
Scientists have been able to study this closely and vouch for its superfruit name due to the presence of a high amount of beneficial chemicals in the plant and helps maintain the gut health in the body.
One of the parts of the human body which has the highest concentration of bacteria and viruses is the gut and having a diverse range of organisms in the gut is actually beneficial for one’s digestion and overall well-being, having to be kept in a constant balance. The maqui berry is able to help maintain this balance by increasing the number of good bacteria and keeps the intestinal tract in check.
You can learn about maqui berries and other incredible super berries here.
Turkey tail mushroom extract
This mushroom is called its unique name due to its unmistakable likeness to a turkey’s plumage. However, despite its eye-catching appearance, this magical mushroom has so much more in store for our bodies.
It is widely known as a health booster which enriches the body’s immune system and has been used as a traditional herbal supplement for many years in cultures all over the world.
Some of the major benefits that the turkey tail mushroom extract provides include protecting our bodies against antioxidants, boosting one’s immune system, and balancing the gut environment within our bodies. It is a simple and effective way to boost one’s overall energy by improving the physical body’s health and resilience against disease.
Maitake mushrooms
Maitake mushrooms grow in the wild regions of Japan and China, as well as in certain parts of North America.
Fitness experts, health buffs, and people from all ages and walks of life have been praising this mushroom for its ability to possibly help increase the health, vitality, and longevity of those who take it, and helps maintain the gut health of the body.
Maitake mushrooms could be able to do all these things due to the many vitamins and minerals present in them. In fact, these mushrooms are rich in antioxidants, beta-glucans, vitamins B and C, copper, potassium, fiber, and amino acids. These are some of the minerals your body would need in order to maintain itself in tip top condition, as well as be able to fight off infection and the development of disease.
The Maitake mushroom also appears to positively affect our digestive system. The mushroom could have an anti-inflammatory effect on the gastrointestinal tract, which could also help alleviate symptoms of IBS or irritable bowel syndrome, while maintaining a healthy and balanced gut environment.
Yoghurt and other fermented foods
Foods that have undergone the fermentation process, like yoghurt, can have a number of benefits for your overall health, especially when it comes to your gut.
The fermentation process involves the make up of a food being altered by microbes. During the fermentation process, the sugars present in these foods is converted into organic acids or alcohol by bacteria.
After fermentation process, good bacterias are present in the food which can help the microbes in your gut and intestinal system. One of the bacterias that is present in yoghurt, as well as other fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut and kombucha, is lactobacilli. When lactobacilli is present in high levels, it can help reduce the presence of bad bacterias, like Enterobacteriaceae, which is associated with inflammation and some chronic diseases.
If yoghurt is something you’re considering adding to your diet, be mindful that many flavoured varieties can have high levels of sugars present, so it’s best to consume plain natural yoghurt.
Look after your gut health with Superfoods Australia
Achieving optimal microbiome health can be helped by adding superfoods to your diet. Consuming superfoods can nourish, sustain, and grow good gut bacteria while enhancing one’s digestion. Some of the best examples of these foods include Maqui Berries, Turkey Tail Mushroom Extract, Maitake Mushrooms and even some fermented superfoods. Superfoods are great for health and fitness conscious people, and some are even better for those looking to rebuild gut flora.
If you want to get your hands on some of the superfoods we’ve mentioned today, or plenty of other incredible ones, you can shop online with us here at Superfoods Australia. We stock a huge range of organic and highly nutritional superfoods that you can have delivered to you no matter where you are in Australia. And just to make life a little easier, we have free express delivery for orders over $100 and AfterPay. So, what are you waiting for?
