The Secret To A Healthy Gut
A healthy gut contains healthy bacteria. To keep your gut healthy, make sure to follow a healthy diet by consuming the best foods for the gut. Avoid the following 7 eating habits to avoid gut health problems:
- Addicted to Eating Fried Food
Fried foods can cause flatulence, even worse is GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). This is because the saturated fat in fried foods triggers stomach acid to rise. When stomach acid rises, the mouth will taste sour or bitter, and the chest and heartburn will feel sore. In addition, due to the high calorie and trans fat content, fried foods increase blood pressure, bad cholesterol, and obesity. All of these problems can contribute to heart disease.
2. Alcohol Addiction
Excessive alcohol consumption will cause the small intestine to lose its barrier function. This makes it easy for pathogens to enter the bloodstream. When alcohol gets into the large intestine, bowel movement disorders or chronic diarrhea can occur. Alcohol consumption has also been linked to cancer. In the mouth, alcohol can cause oral cancer, as well as in the stomach, alcohol can cause stomach cancer.
- Tendency to Eat Red Meat
Red meat that is processed into foods such as sausage and bacon, or meat that is cooked too thoroughly will produce carcinogenic substances triggering the formation of cancer cells. In particular, processed meat is classified as a class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO). Colon cancer is the result of eating too much red and processed meat.
- Eat and Drink Too Much Sugar
Not many people are aware of the effect of excess sugar on digestive health. Bad bacteria in the intestine will multiply rapidly if continuously given sugar intake. This condition will threaten the good bacteria in the intestine so it interferes with its performance in maintaining digestive health. So, consumption of foods high in sugar and sugary drinks affects the balance of bad and good bacteria. The balance of bacteria in the digestive tract will help control eating by creating a feeling of fullness. Instead of consuming more sugar, it is better to get fiber rich foods.
- Long-Term Use of Artificial Sweeteners
Not only excess sugar in the body can disrupt the balance of good bacteria in the digestive tract. Artificial sweeteners that function as sugar substitutes will also harm digestion if consumed in excess. Most artificial sweeteners enter the digestive system undigested. In addition, studies have also found that artificial sweeteners can be harmful to gut bacteria. People who consume artificial sweeteners have a different profile of digestive bacteria compared to those who do not consume them. Artificial sweeteners help people who want to reduce their sugar intake and lose weight as long as it is on a short-term program.
- Reheat Cooked Food
A diet high in calories and fat and low in fiber, including fast food, increases a person’s risk of developing cancer and flatulence. Prepared foods, which are heated in a microwave, contain artificial ingredients such as added sweeteners, preservatives, emulsifiers, thickeners, and flavors. All of these ingredients can be harmful to gut health. Food emulsifiers alone have been proven to increase colon inflammation by altering the microbiome and damaging the gut lining.
Which of the above diets have you managed to avoid? Feel free to share your experience in the comments section below.
