The 5 Foods To Avoid And How To Improve Gut Health
We recently wrote The 5 Best Foods To Improve Gut Health, continuing our topic of how to improve gut health and have a healthy digestive system, in this article we will mention the top 5 foods to avoid to improve your gut health.
1. Red Meat
Several studies have shown that when red meat interacts with the gut bacteria, it produces a compound called Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), responsible for building plaque in arteries which may cause heart disease. Eating red meat in moderation and having protein from different sources like fatty fish, chicken and also plant based protein sources is important.
Read our article on the 5 Best Vegan Snacks That No One Knows About.
2. Alcohol
Alcohol is nothing but empty calories that slow down the metabolism. Consumption of alcohol should be in moderation. Having alcohol everyday severely effects the digestive system of our bodies resulting in poor absorption of nutrients from food, consequently making it difficult to lose weight.
3. Processed Foods
Processed foods are high in sodium and saturated fats, consumption of which may result in heart disease. Processed foods include breakfast cereals, canned food, ready-to-eat over frozen foods, white bread, sodas. All these types of foods must be avoided to improve gut health.
Also read our list of 10 best kitchen gadgets for an easier meal prep to help stay away from processed foods.
4. Artificial Sweetners
Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose, have zero calories and no sugar. They pass through the body without being digested, yet they come into contact with the microflora in the gut, negatively changing the composition, according to research. Read more about the potential dangers of artificial sweetners.
5. Fried Foods
Fried foods are fried in oil that has high concentration of saturated and trans fat. These saturated and trans fat interact with gut bacteria to produce gas, and may result in stomach pain and diarrhea. To improve the gut health, it is important to limit fried food whenever possible. It is also recommended to use an air fryer instead of regular oil fryer to reduce the consumption of trans and saturated fats.