Increase your fluid Prmooting by drinking Stimulant-free metabolism enhancement Joint health treatments non-caffeinated Joint health treatments efficiebt eating fruits and vegetables that have a high water content. With age, the muscles that help move food through the digestive system, including the colon, can become weaker and less efficient. For example, one meta-analysis found that three types of beneficial bacteria found in supplements — Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium longum, and Lactobacillus acidophilus — were associated with reduced IBS pain

Promoting efficient digestion -

They occur naturally in fermented foods like some yogurts and may be added to juices, snacks and supplements. Some research suggests that probiotics may help stomach upsets, such as diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome IBS and inflammatory bowel disease IBD.

Stress and your digestive system Stress is a well known trigger of tummy trouble. Intense emotional states can cause chemical changes that interfere with the normal working of your digestive system. Stress management is important to help avoid aggravating problems like IBS or indigestion.

Exercise, relaxation techniques like massage or meditation, and getting plenty of sleep can all help keep stress under control. Foods for tummy trouble What you eat is obviously one of the most important factors in your digestive health. Avoid, or severely limit, foods that trigger unpleasant symptoms such as wind, bloating, constipation or diarrhea.

Foods like beans, fizzy drinks, and fatty or fried foods, can all result in excess wind. Also go easy with acidic choices like grapefruit juice, coffee, tea or foods loaded with spices, in order to reduce the risk of heartburn and tummy ache. Heartburn and smokin g If you smoke — you increase your risk of more than 50 serious health conditions — and your digestive system is not immune from the effects.

Smoking can weaken the valve at the end of the oesophagus triggering acid reflux and heartburn. See your doctor, pharmacist, or clinic for help to quit now — for the good of your gut.

Drinking and stomach problems Regularly drinking more than the recommended daily limit for alcohol compromises your health — including the health of your digestive tract. Drinking too much hinders your ability to absorb important nutrients, and can increase stomach acid secretion which can damage the lining of the stomach.

Excess alcohol also increases your risk of constipation, diarrhea, heartburn and liver problems, as well as esophageal cancer.

Mindful eating for wind Rushing your food causes you to swallow air, triggering burping or wind. Taking time to be mindful of what you eat, and slowing the pace at which you eat, will help you reduce gulping air into your digestive system.

Skip to main content. Healthy eating. Home Healthy eating. Gut health. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. What is gut health and gut microbiome?

Why gut health is important Signs of an unhealthy gut How to improve your gut health Gut health and diet Gut health and breastfeeding Gut health and exercise Gut health and stress Gut health and sleep Gut health and probiotic supplements Gut health and antibiotics Myths about gut health Where to get help.

The health of your gut can impact both your physical and mental health. It is understood that there are links between gut health and: the immune system mental health autoimmune diseases endocrine disorders — such as type 2 diabetes gastrointestinal disorders — such as irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease cardiovascular disease cancer sleep digestion.

Signs of an unhealthy gut Your gut microbiome can be affected by: stress too little sleep lack of physical activity eating too many ultra-processed foods smoking and drinking alcohol taking antibiotics.

How to improve your gut health You may be able to improve your gut health through lifestyle and diet changes. Gut health and diet Your gut bacteria are influenced by what you eat. Eat a high fibre diet Fibre is important for our gut health for many reasons. Foods that are high in fibre include: vegetables beans and legumes fruit bread and cereals nuts and seeds.

They are found in some types of: vegetables — for example leek, onion and garlic legumes — for example chickpeas, beans and lentils wholegrains — for example rye bread, barley and oats nuts — for example pistachios, cashews and almonds. Aim to eat at least 30 different types of plant-based foods a week.

Limit ultra-processed foods Eat foods that are as close to their natural state as possible to support your gut health.

Drink water Water is the best fluid to drink and provides benefits to gut health. Drinking plenty of water may also be linked to increased diversity of bacteria in the gut.

Eat foods rich in polyphenols Polyphenols are plant compounds that may beneficially impact our gut microbiome. Foods rich in polyphenols include: herbs and spices colourful fruits and vegetables nuts and seeds green and black tea coffee cocoa and dark chocolate.

Eat slowly Chewing your food thoroughly and eating slowly may reduce digestive discomfort such as gas, pain and bloating. Eat fermented foods Fermented foods External Link have undergone a process in which their sugars are broken down by yeast and bacteria.

Fermented foods include: yoghurt kimchi sauerkraut kefir kombucha tempeh. Gut health and breastfeeding Breastfeeding helps an infant develop a healthy gut microbiome, which may help protect against certain health conditions later in life. Gut health and exercise Regular cardiovascular exercise such as walking and cycling can stimulate the muscles of the gut to move digestive contents through the body.

Exercise can also positively affect the gut microbiome. Gut health and stress Stress can impact your gut health. What you eat, your gut health and your mental health are all linked.

Gut health and sleep Not getting enough or sufficient quality of sleep may impact your gut microbiome and may contribute to digestive discomfort. Gut health and probiotic supplements It is best to improve your gut health through food and other lifestyle factors rather than supplements.

Gut health and antibiotics While antibiotics can be very important and useful, they can also have a negative impact on your gut microbiome. Myths about gut health There are no miracle cures for good gut health. Where to get help Your GP doctor A dietitian Dietitians Australia External Link Food and Mood Centre, Deakin University External Link The Gut Foundation External Link.

Resources External Link , Food and Mood Centre, Deakin University. Blog External Link , Food and Mood Centre, Deakin University. How to improve your gut health External Link , Vic Health. Only half of participants reported any increase in gas at first and, by the end of the first week, that number had dropped to just 19 percent, making eating black-eyed peas a digestive tip you can live with.

The study also looked at tolerance for baked beans and pinto beans and found that tolerance for all of these increased over time.

The fuzzy fruit packed with vitamin C is making waves in the gastrointestinal community since a study published in June in the American Journal of Gastroenterology found that people who ate two kiwis a day were relieved of their constipation better than patients who consumed prunes or psyllium.

The group assigned kiwis also had fewer negative side-effects and enjoyed their high-fiber food most. Our digestive tract is full of bacteria, fungi, and even viruses.

The collection of these microorganisms live in delicate balance in the gut microbiome, which is why what you feed your microbiome can make a difference. Eating foods like yogurt that contain probiotics — certain microorganisms that reportedly play a role in digestion, support immune system, and manage inflammation.

A study published in August in Nutrients found that yogurt with a specific probiotic strain helped protect the gut microbiome from changes due to taking antibiotics that lead to diarrhea. Moses, MD , a professor in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington.

Moses says that some supplements contain better strains of probiotics, but he adds a disclaimer. Like any nonscientific therapeutic, probiotics are encouraged when they are part of a program that patients find clearly helpful for symptoms. Such a program may include prebiotic fiber and other proven recommendations.

A review published in June in Microrganisms found evidence lacking that probiotic supplementation improved digestive health in the elderly, though some small studies did find that probiotic supplementation improved chronic constipation.

Fish oil can benefit not only your heart, but your digestive tract as well because the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil tamp down inflammation. To start, you can try to move toward a Mediterranean diet and add fatty fish like salmon, halibut, and mackerel to your diet.

What doctors and researchers know now is that people with irritable bowel syndrome IBS , one of the most common reasons for visiting a gastroenterologist, may not be consuming enough of the omega-3 fatty acids from fish. In a small study published in the journal Medicine , researchers looked at the level of fatty acids in 30 Asian women with IBS versus 39 Asian women without the disorder.

They found that women with IBS not only had higher levels of depression, but they also had higher levels of unhealthy saturated fats in their blood, and lower levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

While a study published in December in Gut Microbes found that six weeks of taking omega-3 supplements induced small changes in the composition of the gut microbiome, supporting the theory that omega-3 fatty acids could have a prebiotic effect on the gut, but more research is needed to understand its role and mechanism in the gut.

Tumeric, a spice loaded with curcumin, has anti-inflammatory properties shown to help in a range of conditions triggered by inflammation, including heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease IBD , and even depression, according to a paper published in November in Drug Design, Development and Therapy.

The research also noted that curcumin helps regulate the gut microbiota, bring relief to people with IBD, and reduce inflammation that could likely lead to colon cancer.

A traditional Asian remedy for tummy aches and nausea and a favorite condiment used in Japanese cuisine, ginger is also a powerful anti-inflammatory, making it another good food for digestion and a natural digestive aid. A January review published in the journal Nutrients noted that several studies found ginger was associated with improved digestive functioning.

It also pointed to studies that found ginger reduced nausea, motion sickness, and the risk of colon cancer. Soothing, aromatic peppermint may help ease indigestion as well as some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome , making it a go-to natural treatment for gastroenterologists.

Peppermint oil can be included in many recipes or even tea , but more often is taken as a coated supplement, which allows it to pass into the digestive tract without causing heartburn , according to the National Center of Complementary and Integrative Health.

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