Building and maintaining healthy gut flora is important for the digestive system and increases well-being. A healthy gut contributes to a strong immune system and better digestion. This blog post presents seven tips to help you build and maintain healthy gut flora.
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Why is gut flora important?
The gut flora is more important than many of us realize. The human gut is home to trillions of bacteria, which form what is known as the microbiome. On the one hand, this microbiome is important for digestion, breaking down food into its individual components. On the other hand, it is important for our immune system, because it helps the body to recognize pathogens and thus activate the immune defense.
When digestion is smooth, important nutrients can be absorbed and the immune system works properly, it also has a positive effect on our general well-being.
What is important here is a balanced ratio of good and bad intestinal bacteria. If the bad bacterial strains predominate, this is referred to as an imbalance in the intestinal flora, which impairs digestion and increases the risk of illness and infection. There are even studies that suggest a connection between bowel health and the psyche.
Find out how to build and maintain healthy gut flora with our 7 tips:
Tip 1: A healthy diet
Highly processed foods that contain a lot of sugar, fat and artificial additives can have a negative effect on your gut flora by reducing the healthy intestinal bacteria and thus disturbing the balance of your microbiome. The effects: digestive problems, inflammation, a weakened immune system and a reduced sense of well-being.
Just as unhealthy foods can damage your gut flora, a healthy diet can also be beneficial for your gut health, so you can build up your gut flora and keep it healthy with the right foods.
The following foods and ingredients are recommended, among others:
- Dietary fiber: Dietary fiber is a indigestible food component that is found exclusively in plant-based foods. They have a prebiotic effect because they are fermented by the bacteria in the intestines and thus serve as food for the healthy intestinal bacteria. You can find dietary fiber mainly in whole grain products, legumes, nuts and seeds, as well as in vegetables and fruits.
- Fermented foods: Fermented foods such as yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha and kimchi are probiotic foods that contain health-promoting bacteria. These bacteria include, for example, lactic acid bacteria, which are important for healthy intestinal flora and strengthen the immune system.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids are said to reduce inflammation in the gut and promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria. They are found mainly in oily fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel, but also in plant-based foods such as flaxseed, chia seeds and nuts.
Tip 2: Stress reduction
For a long time, it was thought that the brain and gut function independently of each other. Today, we know that the two organs are connected and communicate with each other via the brain-gut axis. This axis is the site of hormonal, neurological and immunological signaling between the brain and gut. Since the function of the brain-gut axis has been known, it has also been known that stress can affect gut health.
For example, the release of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline affects intestinal activity, causing symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation.
In addition, stress impairs the functioning of the immune system and increases the risk of inflammation in the gut. This can lead to chronic intestinal diseases. How stress affects the gut varies greatly from person to person, but for everyone, reducing stress helps to alleviate the symptoms. This can be achieved, for example, with proven methods of stress reduction. Some of the best-known relaxation techniques include yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, tai chi, qigong, progressive muscle relaxation, and autogenic training. In addition, regular exercise can help to reduce stress.
To protect your gut from stress, you should build up a healthy gut flora. You can do this with a healthy, high-fiber diet and by consciously choosing probiotic foods.
Tip 3: Exercise
Exercise not only reduces stress, but also has a direct effect on gut health. For example, exercise promotes intestinal activity and prevents constipation. As the gut empties more quickly, toxins are also transported out of the body faster. In addition, physical activity strengthens the immune system and reduces the risk of inflammation in the gut.
However, excessive exercise can also have a negative effect on intestinal health. Recommended activities include yoga, walking and hiking, endurance sports such as running, cycling or swimming, and strength training. Incorporate these activities into your daily routine on a regular basis to benefit from the positive effects on your intestinal health.
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Tip 4: Get enough sleep
Sleep is an aspect that is often underestimated in connection with gut health. It is essential for a healthy body and also has a major influence on the intestinal flora.
A lack of sleep causes hormonal imbalance, which can negatively affect our eating habits and intestinal flora. Getting enough sleep, on the other hand, helps to grow healthy gut bacteria and reduce the risk of inflammation. Sleep also regulates our metabolic processes. If these become unbalanced, it can lead to digestive disorders.
A sleep duration of 7 to 9 hours per night is recommended. The optimal number of hours can vary from person to person and is somewhere in between.
However, in addition to the quantity, the quality of sleep is also crucial. To improve the quality of your nightly sleep, you should consider the following tips:
- Ensure a calm and relaxing sleeping environment: Ideally, your sleeping environment should be dark and quiet. You can use earplugs and eye masks to help.
- Create a sleep routine: Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every night. Getting into the habit will make it easier for you to fall asleep quickly and wake up in the morning.
- Avoid stimulants: Avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine before bed.
- No electronic devices: Try not to use electronic devices such as smartphones, televisions, laptops, etc. for about an hour before going to bed. These devices stimulate your brain and can negatively affect the quality of your sleep.
- Regular exercise: Regular exercise can also improve the quality of your sleep. However, you should avoid exercise for two hours before going to bed so that your body can wind down.
- Pay attention to your diet: Drinking enough fluids throughout the day is just as important for sleep quality as avoiding large, heavy meals right before bed.
Tip 5: Avoid or reduce antibiotics
Antibiotics are medications used in medicine to treat bacterial infections. They work by inhibiting the growth and reproduction of bacteria, thus rendering the pathogens harmless. However, antibiotics kill not only bad bacteria but also the beneficial bacteria in our intestines. This can lead to digestive problems and abdominal pain and weaken the immune system.
Nevertheless, taking antibiotics is often unavoidable. If certain illnesses are not treated with the right antibiotic in time, it can have long-term health consequences and reduce life expectancy. It is equally important to only take antibiotics when instructed to do so by a doctor and to follow the duration and dosage exactly. This is because the improper use of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance. If you have any doubts, always consult your doctor first.
When you take medications such as antibiotics, it is especially important to protect your intestinal flora. You can do this by consciously choosing prebiotic and probiotic foods. After consulting your doctor, it may also be useful to take dietary supplements to build up your intestinal flora.
Tip 6: Probiotics and prebiotics
To help you build up your gut flora, you should focus particularly on probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics are beneficial types of bacteria found in many fermented foods, such as yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut. The best-known probiotics are lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria. They maintain a healthy intestinal flora, fight harmful bacteria and are important for digestion.
Prebiotics, on the other hand, are indigestible food components that serve as food for the good intestinal bacteria, so to speak, and promote their growth. They are found exclusively in plant-based foods, particularly in wholegrain products, oats, oat flakes, porridge, pulses, root vegetables, bananas, nuts and seeds. We have listed the most important prebiotic foods for you.
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Tip 7: Avoiding toxins
Toxins and environmental pollutants can have a negative effect on our digestion by disrupting the intestinal flora and causing inflammation. Toxins can get into our food, for example, through pesticides used in agricultural production or through chemical additives such as colorants and preservatives that may be used in manufacturing.
The best way to avoid toxins in your diet is to eat mostly natural, unprocessed foods that are organic. In addition, pay attention to the ingredients in industrially manufactured products and try to avoid artificial additives. In particular, avoid so-called E numbers. Although they have an important function in making food last longer, they are also suspected of posing health risks.
By eating consciously, you can avoid harmful substances and thus support your gut health.
Summary of the 7 tips
A healthy gut is essential for your health and well-being. If you want to build up your gut flora and protect it, you should eat a healthy diet that includes fiber, fermented foods, and omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, you should pay attention to a probiotic and prebiotic diet.
For example, include dairy products such as yogurt, kefir or cheese in your diet, but also legumes, root vegetables and whole grain products. While taking antibiotics, you should pay particular attention to your diet to protect your intestinal flora. You can also help keep your food toxin-free by choosing organic foods and reading the labels on processed products.
However, it is not only nutrition that is important for a healthy gut. It is equally important to reduce stress, for example by using targeted relaxation methods. A good night's sleep also plays an important role. And last but not least, integrate exercise and sport into your daily routine, as this also keeps your gut fit.
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Frequently asked questions
When should you build up intestinal flora?
Healthy intestinal flora are important for your health and well-being. For this reason, you should take good care of your intestinal flora by supplying healthy intestinal bacteria with probiotics and prebiotics, integrating regular exercise into your daily routine and reducing stress.
Which foods are good for intestinal flora?
Foods rich in fiber are particularly good for the intestinal flora. These include, in particular, whole grain products, legumes, oats, vegetables, fruit and nuts. You can also support your intestinal flora with probiotic foods, for example, dairy products such as yogurt, kefir or cheese.
Are oats good for the intestinal flora?
Due to their high fiber content, oats are good for your gut flora. They have a prebiotic effect and thus serve as food for healthy intestinal bacteria. However, it is important to make sure you drink enough water when eating high-fiber foods to ensure that your gut is functioning properly and not becoming constipated.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that live in our gut. They are necessary to destroy harmful bacteria, digest food and keep our immune system functioning. The best-known probiotics are lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria. They are found mainly in fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir or sauerkraut.
What are prebiotics?
Prebiotics are non-digestible food components that occur in plant-based foods and promote the growth of healthy intestinal flora. Non-digestible dietary fiber is found, for example, in whole grain products, legumes, vegetables, and fruit.
How does an imbalance in intestinal flora manifest itself?
A disordered intestinal flora, also known as dysbiosis, can manifest itself in a variety of ways. It often results in digestive problems such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating and abdominal pain. However, it can also manifest itself in food intolerances or a weakened immune system. Some people suffer from skin problems when their intestinal flora is out of balance or complain of fatigue.
What helps digestion?
Dietary fiber is known for its digestive properties. These are indigestible food components that bind water in the digestive tract and thus increase the stool volume. This stimulates digestion. The most important sources of fiber include whole grain products, legumes, vegetables, fruits and nuts.
What harms the intestinal flora?
In addition to the usual suspects such as antibiotics, alcohol and tobacco, poor nutrition can also harm the intestinal flora. Foods that are particularly high in sugar and heavily processed foods can damage the intestinal flora. Furthermore, stress can also disrupt the intestinal flora.
