5 Awesome Foods That Are The Backbone of Gut Healing
There are so many options when it comes to gut healing. Between specific foods, nutrients within them, and supplements. As a naturopathic doctor, I have seen many patients that needed to be put on a gut healing protocol. Putting patients on a ton of supplements is never realistic or affordable. Making sure I follow the therapeutic order of naturopathic medicine is an important part of my patient visits.
Sometimes trying to find options to help gut healing process that fits your daily life is going to make the plan easier for you to follow.
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Here are the top 5 foods to help heal your gut:
Bone Broth
Bone broth contains many nutrients, but one main nutrient to point out here is glutamine. Glutamine is an amino acid that helps support your gut lining. Patients who have a history of inflammation and poor diet, likely has damage to their gut lining.
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body and is used by many different systems including the digestive system, immune system, and the liver. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is one of the largest utilizers of glutamine, helping with producing more cells that make up the GI lining and providing energy to the cells there.
Carrot Juice
Carrots contain a high amount of vitamin A which is an antioxidant that helps prevent against oxidative damage. Vitamin A is also important for maintaining the mucosal barrier in your gastrointestinal and respiratory systems. The mucosal barrier helps protect your body against pathogens like bacteria and viruses.
Ghee
Have you ever heard of ghee before? Ghee is clarified butter with a rich, nutty taste. Ghee is simmered down to just the fat, removing all the casein and lactose. Ghee is high in omega 3 fatty acids and butyric acid which is a short-chain fatty acid. Why are short-chain fatty acids so important? They are food for the cells of your large intestine, decrease inflammation in your gut, help support the gut barrier, and interacts with the immune system.
Fermented Foods
Foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and miso are fermented and contain probiotics. Probiotics are the actual strains of bacteria, live microorganisms. They are helpful for many things including producing nutrients (vitamin K, B6 and B12), creating a barrier between the outside world and your body, and preventing pathogens from taking over.
Chia Seeds
These are little seeds that when soaked, will absorb the water. They are a type of soluble fiber that are high in omega 3 fatty acids as well, which helps decrease inflammation, support your immune and cardiovascular system, and much more.
Because chia seeds are a fiber, they help keep your bowel movements regular. Having regular bowel movements helps your body get rid of waste and toxins from the rest of your body. Other benefits of fiber include lowering blood sugar after meals, lowering cholesterol levels, promoting fullness, and increasing gut microbial diversity.
These are just a few of the many types of food that help support a healthy gut and can aid in any gut healing journey. There are many other areas I like to look to help aid my patients healing, especially when it comes to the gut. The gastrointestinal tract is such a complex system and taking a look at the whole body is vital for healing.
So will you add in one of these to your diet to gain the gut healing benefits?
talk soon,
Dr. Alyssa
Miller AL. Therapeutic considerations of L-glutamine: a review of the literature. Altern Med Rev 1999;4:239-48.
