What goes in your body has a significant impact on your overall health, so it is always best to watch what you eat. Food affects your gut since it contains a microbiome, which houses trillions of microorganisms. These include bacteria, viruses, and fungi. While some of these microscopic organisms are associated with disease, the rest are crucial for your gut health. So, what are the worst foods for your gut health?
Foods that are Considered Worst for Gut Health
Generally, foods containing high trans-saturated fats are said to be the worst foods you can eat for your gut health. When you eat something that is bad for your gut, it disrupts the balance of good and bad microbes — and you may feel the unpleasant side effects creep in.
Here are some foods to avoid in order to have a healthy gut:
1. Red Meat
When you consume red meat, it increases the N-nitroso chemicals in your body, and they’re pretty damaging to the lining of the bowel. Therefore, frequently having red meat invites problems such as gout attacks, indigestion, and bloated stomach. It also increases the risk of other health issues!
You can switch to lean protein sources, including fish, plant protein, and other alternatives.
2. Fried Foods
The taste, smell, texture, and overall experience of Fried foods is pretty appealing — but just because it is delicious does not mean it is good for your gut health. Once you fry foods, you increase their energy density, resulting in many unwanted circumstances. Plus, it causes a loss of unsaturated fatty acids while the trans fatty acids increase. That’s not all; heat soaks up into the fried foods, affecting your gut health. Even the oils we use for frying foods are pretty unhealthy.
So when you munch on the Fried chicken the next time, do not be surprised when you struggle with an upset stomach later. It is one of the worst foods for gut health!
3. Heavily Processed Foods
Canned Vegetables might be vegetables, but they still count as processed foods, which is something you should avoid for a healthy gut. Heavily processed foods contain unhealthy additives such as sugar and preservatives, and they are low in fiber. Based on this, it can be said that they do not offer the ideal conditions for growing healthy bacteria. In short, white bread, frozen entrees, and fatty foods are on the list of worst foods to eat for gut health.
4. Dairy
You can enjoy yogurt and left as your preferred dairy products for a healthy gut. But when you have unfermented dairy products, it might disrupt the gut microbiome. For instance, if you have unfermented cow’s milk, it may change the gut floss in ways that are unhealthy. This leads to negative bacterial strains colonizing while the plywood bacteria is pushed out.
About having dairy, especially if you are lactose intolerant — it is literally the worst food to have for gut health.
Final Word
You should avoid dairy, fried foods, red meat, Heavily processed foods, alcohol, and a lot of foods to have a healthy gut. Talk to a GI expert if your gut is showing signs of trouble!
At Gastroenterology, you can talk to us at (281) 357 1977. Or, pay us a visit at 421 School St., Suite 110, Tomball, TX 77375.