The 5 best vegetables to eat for a healthy gut

A little goes a long way

Here are the five foods with the highest prebiotic content. Image: Getty

Researchers in the United States have discovered the five most beneficial foods for creating a healthy gut microbiome, and the list may surprise you.

Sure, fibrous grains and fermented foods have always been spruiked as the superheroes for our digestive system, however, a new study shows that there are a couple of other foods you should be adding into your diet, to ensure a happy and healthy microbiome, . 

The research, published in the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies and presented at Nutrition 2023, the American Dietetic Association’s general meeting, analysed the prebiotic content of 8,690 foods, to see which had the best impact on digestive health. 

In the end, five vegetables reigned supreme, and they could be the cure for your troublesome tummy issues.

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The five foods with the highest prebiotic content

1. Dandelion greens: 155-243mg/g
2.  Jerusalem artichoke: 210 mg/g
3. Garlic: 191-193 mg/g
4. Leeks: 123-128 mg/g
5. Onions: 79-106 mg/g

“Eating prebiotic-dense foods has been indicated by previous research to benefit health,” said Cassandra Boyd, a Masters student at San José State University and co-author of the study.

“Eating in a way to promote microbiome wellness while eating more fibre may be more attainable and accessible than you think.”

Onions and garlic might give you a stinky breath, but they’re working hard on your gut health, too. In this case, the positive outweighs the negative.

Dandelion greens came in at top spot, followed by Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, leeks and onions. Image: iStock.

“The findings from our preliminary literature review suggest that onions and related foods contain multiple forms of prebiotics, leading to a larger total prebiotic content,” Boyd explained.

“Multiple forms of onions and related foods appear in a variety of dishes as both flavouring and main ingredients,” which means they’re a pantry staple for most, “thus would be a feasible target for people to increase their prebiotic consumption.”

So, how much would we need to consume to get the gut health benefits? Boyd says a person would need to consume approximately half of a small onion to get five grams of prebiotics – so really, not much at all. 

In fact, a lot of the time just a garnish could do the trick, because a little really does go a long way. 

Good gut health is essential for overall health and well-being. Image: iStock.

According to the School of Public Health at Harvard University, the gut microbiome consists “of trillions of microorganisms (also called microbiota or microbes) of thousands of different species…that are both helpful and potentially harmful.”

“Your gut biome includes trillions of different microbes, including bacteria, fungi, archaea and viruses,” dietitian Josh Reed told Body+Soul. “Bacteria make up the bulk of your biome with the majority living in your large intestine (aka. your gut).

“Good gut health is essential for overall health and well-being,” Reed explained.

“It contributes to normal digestion and absorption of nutrients, optimal immune function, regular bowel motions, improved mood, arousal, and stress management, as well a stronger resilience to exercise-induced gastrointestinal illnesses like runner's gut.” 

Consequently, an unhealthy biome contributes to declining health overall. In fact, “The microbiome is even labelled a supporting organ because it plays so many key roles in promoting the smooth daily operations of the human body,” per Harvard.

Originally published as The 5 best vegetables to eat for a healthy gut