BEST FOODS FOR GUT HEALTH 

High-Fiber Foods Like Beans, Oats and Fruits

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate found in plant-based foods, and it’s categorized as soluble or insoluble.

Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel that’s consumed by gut bacteria, says Alicia Romano, a specialized clinical dietitian at Tufts Medical Center in Boston and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Meanwhile, insoluble fiber passes through your digestive tract largely intact and helps provide bulk to your stool. “This makes food pass more quickly through the GI tract, thus promoting regular bowel movements,” Romano says.

Good sources of fiber include:

• Beans, dried peas and lentils
• Bran (oat and wheat)
• Dried fruits, such as prunes and raisins
• Foods made with whole grains, such as whole-grain bread, whole-grain cereal and whole-grain pasta
• Whole grains, such as barley, quinoa, bulgur and brown rice
• Fresh fruits, especially apples with skin, pears with skin, oranges, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Vegetables, especially artichokes, broccoli, green peas, winter squash, and white potatoes and sweet potatoes with skin

Probiotic Foods Like Kimchi, Kombucha and Kefir

Probiotic foods (like kimchi, kombucha and kefir) contain living microorganisms like the health-promoting microbes found in your gut. Eating probiotic foods can help boost your body’s population of beneficial bacteria.

Common bacteria groups found in probiotic foods include Lactobacillus (often abbreviated as “L.” on food labels) and Bifidobacterium (abbreviated as “B.” on food labels). Probiotic foods are made by adding microbes to food and/or allowing a process known as fermentation to take place.

Examples of probiotic foods include:

• • Fermented soy foods, such as tempeh, miso and natto
  • Kefir (fermented milk)
  • Kimchi (fermented vegetables)
  • Kombucha (a fermented tea drink)
  • Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage)
  • Yogurt, both dairy and non-dairy

Prebiotic Foods Like Asparagus, Bananas and Garlic

It’s not enough to eat plenty of probiotic-rich foods—you also have to eat foods that help keep these health-promoting microorganisms alive.

That’s where certain types of soluble fiber called prebiotics come in. Think of them as nutrient-dense food for your healthy gut microbes; when you eat prebiotic foods, you effectively feed the good bacteria that keeps your gut in balance.

Good prebiotic foods include:

• Asparagus
• Bananas
• Chicory
• Garlic
• Jerusalem artichokes
• Leeks
• Oats
• Onions
• Soybeans

Anti-Inflammatory Foods Like Fatty Fish, Flax Seeds and Walnuts

Anti-inflammatory foods contain nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids, that can help cool down inflammation. “These play a role in the natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways of the body, which may also promote the health of the gut,” Romano says.

Helpful anti-inflammatory foods include:

• Fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines and anchovies
• Flax seeds
• Fruits, such as berries and grapes
• Vegetables, such as broccoli, peppers and tomatoes
• Walnuts