Adults should get at least 7 hours of sleep per night. Just as antibiotics can disrupt the gut microbiota, so too can disinfectant cleaning products, according to the results of one study.

The research analyzed the gut flora of over infants ages 3—4 months. The researchers found that those who lived in homes where people used disinfectant cleaning products at least weekly were twice as likely to have higher levels of Lachnospiraceae gut microbes, a type associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity.

At age 3, these infants had a higher body mass index BMI than children without exposure to such high levels of disinfectants. Smoking affects gut health as well as the health of the heart and lungs. It also greatly increases the risk of cancer. A review of research published over a year period found that smoking alters the intestinal flora by increasing potentially harmful microorganisms and decreasing the levels of beneficial ones.

These effects may increase the risk of intestinal and systemic conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease IBD. Studies have demonstrated a significant difference between the gut microbiomes of vegetarians and those of people who eat meat.

For example, in one small study , people with obesity followed a strict vegetarian diet that eliminated all animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs, for 1 month. At the end of the study, the participants had lower levels of gut inflammation due to the altered types of gut microbes.

They had also lost weight. By making appropriate lifestyle and dietary changes, people can alter the diversity and number of microbes in their gut for the better.

Positive changes a person can make include taking probiotics, following a fiber-rich vegetarian diet, and avoiding the unnecessary use of antibiotics and disinfectants.

Other simple lifestyle changes a person can make include getting enough sleep and exercising regularly. However, a person should talk to their doctor before making any drastic changes to their diet. This is because for some people, such as those with irritable bowel syndrome or other medical conditions, probiotics and fiber-rich or vegetarian diets may not be helpful.

The gut microbiome affects many aspects of human health, and the foods people eat can have a huge impact on the bacteria in their gut. Learn about the…. Probiotics foods contain live, healthful bacteria that may help promote better gut health.

In this article, we list the best probiotic foods and ways…. The microbiome diet aims to promote good bacteria in the gut.

Learn if it works, foods to eat, foods to avoid, and the pros and cons. The tens of trillions of microbes that live in the gut have some important implications for health, but do you know what they are? We investigate. Probiotics may benefit overall health as well as gut function.

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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. Medically reviewed by Cynthia Taylor Chavoustie, MPAS, PA-C — By Jayne Leonard on May 28, Probiotics and fermented foods Prebiotic fiber Eat less sugar Reduce stress Avoid taking antibiotics Exercise Sleep Avoid disinfectants Quit smoking Vegetarian diet Summary.

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Take probiotics and eat fermented foods. Share on Pinterest Kimchi may help improve gut health. Eat prebiotic fiber. Eat less sugar and sweeteners.

Reduce stress. Share on Pinterest Sleep deprivation can negatively affect gut health. Avoid taking antibiotics unnecessarily. Exercise regularly.

Get enough sleep. Use different cleaning products. Avoid smoking. Eat a vegetarian diet. Share on Pinterest By eating a vegetarian diet, a person may improve their gut health. How we reviewed this article: Sources.

Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. Go to bed early — at least 30 minutes before you normally do on a weekday — for quality sleep. Fiber is key to a happy gut , especially indigestible fiber.

Indigestible fiber , aka prebiotics, boost the bacteria you already have instead of adding new bacteria, like probiotics. Feed the bacteria in your gut with:. Simple sugars feed bacteria and can lead to overgrowths of less beneficial or harmful bacteria and reduce diversity.

Check out the ingredient list in breads, sauces, and condiments and keep your daily intake under the recommended limit of Fermented foods contain beneficial live bacteria.

Some examples include:. These probiotic foods can help improve intestinal health and digestion by supporting and introducing beneficial microbes. When choosing fermented foods, be sure to pick items that are low in sugar like unsweetened yogurt.

Older studies have found that exposure to pets as infants and children can:. Further research is needed to better characterize the effect of pet ownership on the human gut microbiome. Play outside. Lounge on the grass. Exposure to the natural microbes around us can help replenish our microbiota and encourage diversity.

Keep the early bedtime to wake up refreshed tomorrow and stay in sync with your circadian rhythm. Diets that are loaded with fruits and veggies and low in meat have been linked to more diverse microbiota and an abundance of good bacteria like Prevotella.

Meat-heavy diets can increase the abundance and activity of microorganisms that have been linked to inflammatory bowel disease. Proper hydration is key to keeping food moving through your intestines properly, and this movement is vital for a healthy gut. Antibacterial chemicals can cause antibacterial-resistant microbes and harm beneficial bacteria in your mouth.

Animal studies have found that stress reduces beneficial bacteria and increases harmful bacteria in the gut. Keep up a healthy sleep pattern and go to bed early to wake up sharp tomorrow.

Even partial sleep deprivation can alter your microbiome , and recent findings suggest that these changes reduce your cognitive function. A healthy, low stress lifestyle with an emphasis on sleep, exercise, and plant-based foods is the best way to support good gut bacteria.

This will have the single biggest impact. While your microbiome may change quickly with what you eat, there are no quick fixes or overnight miracle workers for a healthy gut.

Mandy Ferreira is a writer and editor in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can keep up with her on her blog and on Twitter. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

VIEW ALL HISTORY. Having healthy gut bacteria is important for your health. However, many diet, lifestyle and other factors can negatively affect the health of your gut. Leaky gut syndrome harms your digestive health and may be linked to several chronic and autoimmune diseases.

Here's a leaky gut diet plan to improve…. Discover which diet is best for managing your diabetes. Getting enough fiber is crucial to overall gut health. Let's look at some easy ways to get more into your diet:.

A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. The 3-Day Fix to Resetting Your Gut for Good.

Medically reviewed by Jerlyn Jones, MS MPA RDN LD CLT , Nutrition — By Mandy Ferreira — Updated on December 11, Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Keep it up Your microbiome consists of trillions of microorganisms that live in your digestive system, helping to release nutrients in your food and aid your overall health.

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Jump To:. April 29, What foods can affect gut health negatively or positively? What can you do to support the good bacteria in your gut? What are the signs or symptoms that there are problems with your gut health? Anything else people should know about gut health?

Topics Nutrition. Read More by Sarah Zizinia. Add it to salads or spread it on your sourdough. Whilst we cannot be ensured that all of the bacteria survive digestion to be beneficial it is believed that other properties help preserve some bacteria during digestion.

Use it as a flavouring for savoury dishes. The properties within garlic act as a fuel source to allow the bacteria to do their job better which overall improves gut function and can help heal your gut.

Fresh ginger can help in the production of stomach acid and it stimulates the digestive system to keep food moving through the gut. Add fresh grated ginger to soups, stews, smoothies or stir-fries. Pour boiling water on grated ginger to make refreshing ginger tea.

Why not learn more about your gut health by visiting our Gut Health Hub. Along with the article about best foods for good gut health , discover some fascinating facts about your gut , ways to keep regular bowel movements , and learn more about understanding symptoms associated with your stomach and the digestive system.

You may have seen yoghurts or yoghurt drinks that contain probiotics on the supermarket shelves. The belief is that probiotics boost the number and variety of beneficial, or good, bacteria in the colon, to help your digestive and possibly general health. Fermented vegetables such as kimchi Korean pickled cabbage and sauerkraut, miso and kefir a fermented milk are ingredients that are also naturally rich in probiotics and have become go-to gut health foods in recent years.

Prebiotics are non-digestible foods that stimulate the growth or activity of beneficial bacteria in the intestines. They essentially provide the food that the probiotics need to thrive.

Examples are artichokes, leeks, onions, garlic, asparagus, bananas, legumes, honey, oats and lentils. Prebiotics can also be manufactured artificially and used as supplements for better gut health. Read our article about probiotics and prebiotics , and learn more about these healthy bacteria and how they work.

NOTE: Altering your diet suddenly may cause changes in bowel habits or other symptoms. You'll also have access to a wealth of health and wellbeing articles, videos and advice on a range of health issues.

Medically reviewed by Llinos Connolly on 1st April Next review date: April There is a lot of confusion around symptoms associated with the stomach and the digestive system Here for you, not for profit. Private healthcare for everyone for £ Other signs of problems with the microbiome are less obviously related to the gut.

People may experience:. Because inflammation is at the root of so many issues, resolving that inflammation through natural means will improve gut health in many ways, explains Bard. The body wants to achieve homeostasis balance.

Cleaning up the gut can help reduce some of the chronic inflammation in the body. Probiotic foods have live bacteria in them, so eating probiotic foods stocks your gut with these supportive microorganisms. Probiotic-rich foods include:. Supplements can help, but to support your gut, a probiotic needs to bypass the acid in your stomach and reach the colon, where beneficial bacteria live.

And maybe take a high-quality, multi-strain probiotic to fill in the gaps. Prebiotics are foods that fuel the healthy microbes in your gut. These foods are usually high in prebiotic fiber that microbes are going to munch up, Bard says.

Prebiotic foods include:. Be sure to consume a diverse diet with all types of fiber. Our goal is for them all to live in harmony. Stress can influence the microbiome, too. Constantly having high stress-levels contributes to a poorly functioning gut. Ultimately, ongoing stress prevents your gut from working the way it should.

Techniques like deep breathing, meditation, mindfulness, and getting adequate rest can help. Find out more about stress management and the importance of self-care.

Exercise and physical activity can help your gut, too, and not only by supporting a healthy weight. As with everything, moderation is key.

Gentle activities, such as walking, cycling, yoga, or swimming, can keep you moving and improve your overall well-being. Learn more about exercise for people with Gaucher disease.