WANT TO TRUST YOUR GUT? TAKE CARE OF IT.

WE SO OFTEN hear and use the phrases “trust your gut” or “gut feeling,” but have you ever really thought about what they truly mean? And then of course there’s the term “nervous stomach.” Think about it—when you’ve been under a lot of stress or something scares you, have you found yourself rushing to the bathroom or noticed that you had completely lost your appetite?

As it turns out, the gastrointestinal system and the brain communicate with each other via the gut-brain connection.¹⁹

I spoke with Dr. Taz Bhatia, a board-certified doctor in integrative medicine and author of Super Woman Rx, about gut health and how it’s truly the foundation of our overall mental, emotional, and physical health.

What Is the Gut-Brain Connection, Anyway?

Dr. Taz explains, “The digestive system is the foundation of health, something eastern systems of medicine like Chinese medicine and Ayurveda harped on thousands of years ago. Today, in research we are seeing how digestive health—based on the gut microbiome; the balance of gut bacteria, digestion, and absorption of fat; and the integrity of the gut lining-impact inflammation, the gut-brain connection, and the ability to detoxify.”

The gut is like a second brain that lines your gastrointestinal tract, all the way from the esophagus to the rectum. It has a name, too—the enteric nervous system (ENS)—and is comprised of two thin layers. It’s estimated to have anywhere between over 200 and 600 million nerve cells.²⁰

In short, what goes on in your gastrointestinal (GI) system can impact your brain function and play a role in your cognitive function and mental health—and vice versa. The health of the gut microbiome (the communities of bacteria that live in the gut) directly impacts how effectively our body absorbs and utilizes the nutrients in the food we eat, which in turn can impact the brain’s physiological, behavioral, and cognitive functions, because some of the major mood-regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin are produced in the gut.

A lot of our immune system function also takes place in the gut, as those gut bacteria interact with invading pathogens.²¹

Nurturing the health of your gut is one of the best ways to take care of your brain and support stable mental health and sharp cognitive function.

While anxiety and stress can cause GI disturbances and contribute to conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), when GI problems interrupt our daily activities, they can become the cause of our stress and anxiety. And stress further suppresses your immune system, making it hard for your body to fight off subsequent infections.²²

Think about how this connection plays out for you. For example, have you ever noticed that after you get sick and have to miss a lot of work time, catching up adds a lot of new stress and you find yourself struggling to feel well again?

“I think many people medicate individual symptoms like constipation or diarrhea, without trying to find the root cause and treat the whole picture or balance needed in the digestive tract,” says Dr. Taz. Watch for telltale signs that your gut health might be out of alignment, such as “irregularity in bowel habits including constipation, diarrhea, or change in digestive symptoms like bloating, reflux, or pain.” These could all signify that you need to pay more attention to what’s going on in your gut and take steps to address the issue.

What to Feed Your Gut

If you want to trust your gut, you should take care of it. Nurturing our gut health with the right foods can go a long way in supporting our overall wellness.

Probiotics

Probiotics are beneficial gut bacteria. There are many different varieties that perform different functions. They support regular digestion, impact nutrient utilization, and are part of immune system function. To keep your gut healthy, it’s important to get your probiotics from a variety of sources, so mix up food sources. We’ll talk about supplements below. Here are some of the sources I recommend most to my clients:

• Yogurt is one of the most approachable probiotic-rich foods. You can eat it for breakfast or a snack or use it in dressings and marinades. To get the most bang for your buck without the negative effect of sugar, artificial flavors, preservatives, or other additives, try to avoid the sweetened varieties and instead add your own cinnamon, honey, maple syrup, or fruit. If you don’t eat dairy, there are a lot of cultured nondairy options on the market, but check the label to see what’s in there.

• Kefir is another fermented dairy product that has a slightly tangier flavor and a thinner consistency than yogurt. Because it’s very low in lactose (most varieties are about 99 percent lactose-free), people who are sensitive to other dairy products may find they tolerate kefir without a problem. You can enjoy it on its own or add it to smoothies, a bowl of cereal, or use it to make overnight oats—more on that one later.

• Kimchi is a traditional Korean food that’s made by fermenting vegetables with lactic acid bacteria. It’s a delicious garnish for salads and stir-fry dishes. You can also eat it plain.

• Sauerkraut is made of fermented cabbage and is part of many traditional Central European dishes. To ensure that you’re getting live bacteria, choose a product that’s sold in the refrigerated section, and don’t panic if you hear it hissing and fizzing when you open the jar—that’s a totally normal part of the fermentation process, which actually continues even after packaging. Enjoy sauerkraut in a sandwich, tossed into salad, or as a topping for eggs or grain bowls.

• Miso is a fermented soybean paste with a smooth texture and salty flavor that’s used frequently in Asian cooking. The most common varieties of miso you’ll see in stores are typically white, yellow, and red. You can use miso paste to make dressings, sauces, marinades, and soup bases. Just note that miso is not gluten-free, as the soybeans are typically fermented with barley and sometimes other grains. Avoid this one if you’re gluten-sensitive or trying to avoid gluten.

• Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage with a tangy flavor and fizzy texture. Bear in mind that many traditional and commercial recipes call for sugar, so scope out the label to see how much. If it’s more than 10 grams per bottle, enjoy it over the course of a couple days instead of in one sitting. Also important to note: Kombucha does contain a tiny amount of alcohol (around 0.5 percent) and caffeine, so take that into account if you’re sensitive.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are foods—usually high in fiber—that serve as food for probiotic bacteria, so to speak.²³ Having adequate sources of prebiotics in your diet helps promote an increase in probiotic bacteria.

A few good sources of prebiotics include:

• Apples

• Artichokes

• Asparagus

• Bananas

• Barley

• Chicory root

• Dark chocolate

• Garlic

• Jerusalem artichokes

• Leeks

• Oats

• Onions

• Wheat bran

Other Foods That Support Gut Health

In general, consuming enough fiber can also support digestive health by promoting regular bowel movements. Current recommendations are 25-35 grams per day for most healthy adults. Some good sources of dietary fiber include whole grains, beans, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber, when combined with water, forms a gel of sorts, which takes up space in the stomach and slows digestion. Some good sources include beans, apples, pears, oats, oat bran, barley, flax, sweet potatoes, and avocados. Insoluble fiber helps form stool bulk and helps food move through the GI tract. A few foods you can find it in include vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

Researchers have also looked at bone broth and its potential to support gut health. It’s easy to digest and provides a variety of vitamins, minerals, and important amino acids that support the healthy repair of tissue lining the GI tract. Specifically, the gelatin in bone broth has also been associated with an improvement in the integrity of the gut—meaning that it helps ensure that the lining of the intestinal tract is healthy and intact, and that it provides a secure barrier to keep bacteria in the GI tract from seeping out into the bloodstream.²⁴ When that barrier is functioning properly, it allows water and nutrients to pass through but prevents harmful substances from doing so.

Additionally, amino acids proline,²⁵ glycine,²⁶ and glutamine,²⁷ which are present in bone broth, have been associated with improved gut health. Bone broth also contains collagen,²⁸ which has been noted for its benefit to the intestinal lining.

While I wouldn’t suggest that you replace all of your water intake with bone broth, it can be part of a gut-healthy diet. If drinking a mug of hot, savory liquid feels weird to you, try using it as a base for homemade soups instead.

In addition to probiotic-rich foods and bone broth, Dr. Taz also recommends consuming adequate healthy fats. MCT oil is one of her go-to sources, but you can also use other healthy fats like avocados and olive oil. Among the many known health benefits, research in animals has shown that both avocado²⁹ and olive oils³⁰ may improve gut microbiota (the bacteria that live in the gut).

How to Use Supplements

I’m not a supplement-pusher, but I make a few exceptions, and probiotics are on my short list. Making probiotic supplements part of your wellness routine is one of the easiest ways to support gut health, especially if you’re not consistent with your intake of probiotic-rich foods. Because the different types of probiotic bacteria have different functions in the body, look for a supplement with a variety of bacteria as opposed to just one strain to ensure you cover more bases. A few must-have bacteria strains, Dr. Taz says, are lactobacillus, bifido bacteria, and saccharomyces boulardii.

There is a lot of confusion about the optimal number of bacteria to aim for. You’ll commonly see amounts from 1 to 10 billion CFUs (Colony Forming Units) on supplement bottles. Reading labels can make your head spin. Is more necessarily better? You’ll get different answers depending on whom you ask and which brands you’re considering. A lot also depends on what you’re trying to achieve by taking that supplement—are you trying to heal an acute issue or is your goal to support a baseline healthy gut microbiome? What I usually tell my clients is to purchase a multi-strain product with a CFU count between 4 and 10 billion and to increase the dose if they need more. However, for a specific health condition, consulting with a gastrointestinal specialist can be valuable.

While many shelf-stable varieties are now available, some may need to be refrigerated after opening. Ask your pharmacist if you’re not sure. And while serious side effects are very rare, Dr. Taz says to pay attention to any side effects like bloating or diarrhea, and to ask your doctor or pharmacist about any potential interference with prescribed medications.

Some supplements may provide a combination of probiotics and prebiotics, so check out your available options. What works for one person may not be the right fit for someone else. If you know you don’t get a lot of prebiotics from food sources, that’s probably the place to start.

Bottom Line

The health of your gastrointestinal system has a definite impact on your physiological, behavioral, and emotional health. Consuming a variety of prebiotics and probiotic-rich foods can help support gut health. Supplements are also available if you need help being consistent.