Six tips to enhance your gut health, as shared by a nutritionist

The key to a healthy microbiome lies not just in the foods we eat, but how we combine them to aid the digestive process.

Combining certain foods can significantly impact your gut health. Picture: iStock

The key to optimal gut health lies not just in the foods we eat, but the way we combine them to increase the absorption of nutrients and antioxidants from ingredients, and help good bacteria survive the digestive process. Try these tips from nutritionist Laura Southern.

Top tips for a healthy microbiome

Add honey to your Greek yoghurt

Mix and match foods for a healthy microbiome. Picture: iStock

American researchers recently found that adding honey to yoghurt had a significant protective effect on B. animalis, a microbe in the yoghurt, during digestion. Honey has prebiotic properties, so it feeds and supports the probiotic in the yoghurt as it is digested, and has been used to reduce infection and inflammation. Its prebiotic potential could make it a gut super-food.

Eat black pepper with turmeric

Turmeric has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and even anti-cancer properties, according to research. It is also believed to strengthen the intestinal barrier, help balance the microbiome and aid digestion. These properties are down to curcumin, its active ingredient. Combining it with black pepper makes its impact far more powerful. Piperine, a compound in black pepper, can increase the absorption of curcumin by up to 2,000 per cent.

Drizzle olive oil on salads

There’s nothing better than crisp lettuce topped with peppery radish slices, crispy breadcrumbs and a creamy, tangy dressing. It’s near salad perfection. Recipe by Elizabeth Hewson. Picture: Nikki To

Greens contain the fibre and nutrients needed to feed good gut bacteria and limit the growth of harmful bacteria. Olive oil’s antioxidant properties and ability to lower levels of “bad” cholesterol and raise levels of “good” are well-known, but studies have also found that its polyphenols can be directly absorbed by the intestine. These increase beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacteria in the gut. When eaten together, oil aids the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K, help balancing the microbiome.

Add bok choy to miso soup

Miso paste, made from fermented soybeans and grains, is packed with millions of beneficial probiotic bacteria, making it an easy way to nurture the gut. Adding a vegetable such as bok choy, or a sprinkling of seaweed flakes, will feed the good bacteria in the miso paste as you digest it.

Stir cinnamon into stewed apple

Deconstructed Apple Pie from the Jean Hailes for Women's Health group.

Apples contain polyphenols which enhance the growth of good bacteria and reduce inflammation, the main cause of issues such as irritable bowel syndrome. Their soluble fibre, pectin, also serves as a prebiotic, which provides food for beneficial gut bacteria. Cooking them in a saucepan with a small amount of water and some raisins for sweetness releases this fibre, making it easier to digest. Cinnamon also boosts their anti-inflammatory impact, improves the absorption of their nutrients and balances any spike in blood sugar.

Sprinkle seeds on porridge

The fibre in porridge oats, beta-glucan, can act as a prebiotic, encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Scattering a tablespoon of flax and chia seeds on top will add vitamins, minerals and cancer-protective antioxidants, significantly improve the meal’s nutritional punch, and boost its benefits to the gut. When mixed into porridge, chia seeds form a gel, which enhances the porridge’s stimulation of gut movement.