For this and a variety of other reasons, we recommend steering clear of meat produced factory-style on a massive scale, including: industrial beef, industrial poultry, industrial pork you get the idea. Simple carbs, empty calories, processed carbs—call them what you will, refined grains are stripped of their fiber, and most of their vitamins and minerals too.

Some common refined grains: white flour, white bread, white rice; pastries, pastas and snacks made with white flour. A study in the UK found that artificial sweeteners can promote pathogenic changes in certain gut bacteria. Another study explored the effect of a dozen different sweeteners on the gut microbiome, and concluded that many were highly likely to raise the risk of both inflammation and glucose intolerance, which increases risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Steer clear of artificial sweeteners, including saccharin, sucralose and aspartame, as well as artificially sweetened drinks. Eat too much meat and high-fat dairy and the microbes in your gut will change. That might not be the best thing for your gut health.

According to a Harvard study , volunteers who ate an animal-based diet started to develop an abundance of Bilophila—microbes that like bile—to adapt to the bile needed to break down all that fat.

Kind of gross, to be sure, but also a problem because Bilophila can cause inflammation. Try to minimize animal products, especially fatty meats bacon, ribs, salami, pork rinds and cheeses.

They may also be rough on your microbes, according to a study reported in Diabetes Care. In the study, a test group that ate fried meat ended up with less diverse gut microbiota than the control group, with impaired blood-sugar balance and higher toxin and inflammation levels.

Hang on to those microbes by avoiding fried meat, like chicken-fried steak; french fries; corn dogs; doughnuts and other fried desserts. Variety is the spice of life—and the preferred diet of your various gut bacteria.

Skip to content. Patagonia Worn Wear Provisions. We're in business to save our home planet. View all results. The Best and Worst Gut Health Foods. In The Article. But how, exactly? Kombucha is a tart, fizzy tea made by adding a SCOBY symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast and sugar to green or black tea.

It's then fermented for a week or more. During fermentation, alcohol and gases are produced, giving the kombucha natural carbonation. The amount of alcohol is usually less than 0.

Pasteurization is used to limit alcohol content, which means commercial kombucha contains few if any probiotics. To keep the alcohol levels down on your homemade kombucha brew, make sure to keep it cold and refrigerated and shorten the fermentation time.

You could also try using a different type of tea. One study in the journal Nutrients found that kombucha made with rooibos tea had lower ethanol a type of alcohol and acetic acid aka vinegar acid concentrations compared to kombucha made with black or green tea. When fermenting tea, lactic acid bacteria are produced, which are known to function as a probiotic.

When consuming kombucha made from green tea, you'll also get the antioxidant properties associated with tea. Keep in mind that some kombuchas, like those made from black tea, contain caffeine. Others have artificial sweeteners, which can negatively alter gut bacteria and defeat the purpose of drinking it , so read labels—or make your own.

Miso is a fermented paste made from soybeans, barley or rice. Similar to other fermented foods, beneficial bacteria are produced in the fermentation process. You'll also get some protein if you eat miso made from soybeans. A little bit goes a long way, which is good since miso is also high in sodium.

Miso is great added to sauces, dressings and soup bases. Try it on this Miso-Maple Salmon. Tempeh is similar to tofu in that it's made from soybeans, but unlike tofu, tempeh is a fermented food, so it contains probiotics.

Tempeh is made when soybeans are fermented and then pressed into a cake. It can then be grilled, sautéed or baked. Tempeh is high in protein, making it a good option for vegetarians and vegans. It's also packed with B vitamins, calcium, manganese, zinc and copper.

Try marinating then grilling tempeh and add it to a salad. Yogurt is probably the most popular probiotic and for a good reason. It's made when good bacteria are added to milk, where they metabolize lactose to form lactic acid and other beneficial microbes.

A quick look at the ingredients list will also show you if there are bacteria in the yogurt. Do you have trouble digesting lactose? The probiotics in yogurt help digest some of the lactose milk sugar , so if you're lactose intolerant, you may be able to enjoy yogurt and kefir.

If you don't eat dairy, many companies now make dairy-free and vegan yogurts that contain probiotics. Pictured Recipe: Muesli with Raspberries.

When you're trying to establish more probiotic bacteria in your gut, you need to feed them with prebiotics so they can flourish and keep making more good bacteria.

But don't get bogged down in the scientific names. In fact, you won't see most of these compounds listed on a label because they are present in foods that don't have labels—like fruits and vegetables. Focus on a variety of whole foods. Apricots, dried mango, artichokes, leeks, almonds, pistachios and legumes, as well as polyphenol-rich foods, such as blueberries, strawberries, prunes, apples, flaxseed, olives and extra-virgin olive oil, are extra-high in prebiotics, Rossi writes in her book, Love Your Gut.

Though commonly referred to as Jerusalem artichokes, this tuber isn't an artichoke at all but rather a part of the sunflower family. Also known as sunchoke, sunroot or wild sunflower, they look similar to gingerroot.

One cup of Jerusalem artichokes delivers 2. Thiamin a B vitamin supports healthy hair, skin and nails, and iron helps form red blood cells. Try sunchokes roasted with olive oil and garlic or raw in salads they have a texture similar to water chestnuts.

Leeks are high in good-for-the-gut fructans. According to the USDA , 1 cup of leeks has 1. Leeks can be added to almost any dish—try adding them to an omelet or sautéing them to mix with roasted potatoes.

Alternatively, rub whole leeks with oil and grill briefly; then toss with your favorite vinaigrette. Try our Oven-Braised Leeks that require only 15 minutes of prep. Onions are chock-full of inulin, fructans and fructooligosaccharides FOS.

Not only are FOS prebiotics that help build up gut flora, but according to a review of the literature published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences , they also help to improve a plethora of conditions, including diarrhea, osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Onions are highly versatile: Add to soup or salad, grill and put on top of a turkey burger, or roast with herbs and serve as a side. According to the USDA , 1 cup of raspberries has a whopping 8 g of fiber, about one-third of your Daily Value DV. Raspberries are a rich source of polyphenols, potent antioxidants that your gut microbes love to nosh.

According to a review in the journal Neural Regeneration Research , polyphenols act as prebiotics by enhancing the growth of beneficial bacteria and inhibiting the growth of pathogens. Raspberries are delicious when eaten fresh but are just as nutritious purchased frozen and thrown into a smoothie.

Or add them to yogurt, oatmeal or high-fiber cereal. Many steer clear of beans for fear of having gas, but flatulence is actually a good sign that your gut bacteria are hard at work.

When the fiber in beans and legumes, such as black beans, chickpeas, peas, lentils and white beans, reaches the large intestine colon , it's still intact. It's there that gut bacteria feed on them. This process is called fermentation. And the byproduct may be some gas. So while it may be awkward, you can feel good about it because your microbes are doing what they're supposed to.

A high-fiber diet in particular affects the type and amount of microbiota in the intestines. Dietary fiber can only be broken down and fermented by enzymes from microbiota living in the colon. Short chain fatty acids SCFA are released as a result of fermentation.

This lowers the pH of the colon, which in turn determines the type of microbiota present that would survive in this acidic environment. The lower pH limits the growth of some harmful bacteria like Clostridium difficile. Growing research on SCFA explores their wide-ranging effects on health, including stimulating immune cell activity and maintaining normal blood levels of glucose and cholesterol.

Foods that support increased levels of SCFA are indigestible carbohydrates and fibers such as inulin, resistant starches , gums, pectins, and fructooligosaccharides. These fibers are sometimes called prebiotics because they feed our beneficial microbiota. Although there are supplements containing prebiotic fibers, there are many healthful foods naturally containing prebiotics.

The highest amounts are found in raw versions of the following: garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, dandelion greens, bananas, and seaweed. In general, fruits , vegetables , beans , and whole grains like wheat, oats, and barley are all good sources of prebiotic fibers.

Be aware that a high intake of prebiotic foods, especially if introduced suddenly, can increase gas production flatulence and bloating. Individuals with gastrointestinal sensitivities such as irritable bowel syndrome should introduce these foods in small amounts to first assess tolerance.

With continued use, tolerance may improve with fewer side effects. If one does not have food sensitivities, it is important to gradually implement a high-fiber diet because a low-fiber diet may not only reduce the amount of beneficial microbiota, but increase the growth of pathogenic bacteria that thrive in a lower acidic environment.

These include fermented foods like kefir, yogurt with live active cultures, pickled vegetables, tempeh, kombucha tea, kimchi, miso, and sauerkraut. The microbiome is a living dynamic environment where the relative abundance of species may fluctuate daily, weekly, and monthly depending on diet, medication, exercise, and a host of other environmental exposures.

The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

The Nutrition Source does not recommend or endorse any products. Skip to content The Nutrition Source. The Nutrition Source Menu. Search for:. Home Nutrition News What Should I Eat? Future areas of research What is the microbiome?

How microbiota benefit the body Microbiota stimulate the immune system , break down potentially toxic food compounds, and synthesize certain vitamins and amino acids, [2] including the B vitamins and vitamin K.