Experts are increasingly recognising the significance of gut health as a cornerstone for overall wellbeing, with a consensus forming among scientists, doctors and nutritionists.
So, when I received my initial gut health score, it was a robust 82 out of 100.
Zoe then reassesses your gut health after six months, and this is when mine scored an impressive 93 out of 100, a result I was quite chuffed with.
I followed two general guidelines to improve my gut health score: I ate no ultra-processed food I ate at least 30 different plants a week Scientists theorise that ultra-processed foods have a negative impact on gut health.
Here’s how I boosted my gut microbiome and how you can do the same:
There is growing agreement among scientists, physicians, and dietitians regarding the importance of gut health as a foundation for general wellbeing.
Trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms make up your gut’s unique microbiome, which is essential to many facets of our health, from supporting the immune system to influencing mental health and digestion.
There are “more bacterial cells in your body than human cells,” according to the medical website Healthline, which also describes bacteria as an extra organ that is essential to our well-being. In general, scientists and nutritionists classify these microbes as “good” or “bad,” with an overabundance of “bad” bacteria having the potential to cause inflammation and disease.
stories that were promoted.
Additional ways that the gut microbiota plays a crucial role in our health are as follows.
Blood sugar regulation may help lower the risk of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Some bacterial species can aid in the production of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, an antidepressant neurotransmitter that is primarily produced in the gut, which may have an impact on mental health.
Immune system boost: According to Zoe, a science and nutrition firm, “your gut microbiome can have a direct effect on your immune system, including on certain types of inflammation” and “scientists believe that the gut microbiome may be the central player that links chronic inflammation” to conditions like obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Researchers are realizing that a healthy gut microbiota is essential to our general well-being, a notion that has only lately begun to receive more attention, according to Wales Online.
How can you tell if your gut is healthy?
There is a good chance that your gut microbiome is in good condition if you eat a varied and healthful diet that includes many different types of plants but few unhealthy or highly processed foods. However, testing is the only way to truly know for sure. In order to achieve this, I enrolled in the Zoe program, a nutrition program that starts with a poo test to assess the health of your gut microbiota and a blood test to assess your blood sugar and fat levels. You can read more about that experience here.
I was already six months into my journey toward healthy eating, which included staying away from highly processed foods (you can read about that here), when I joined Zoe. I therefore had a strong gut health score of 82 out of 100 when I first got it.
After six months, Zoe reassesses your gut health, and I was thrilled with my score of 93 out of 100.
Which two golden rules did I follow?
I improved my gut health score by adhering to two general guidelines.
I didn’t eat anything overly processed.
Every week, I consumed at least thirty different plants.
Ultra-processed foods are thought to have a detrimental effect on gut health. According to Zoe, this could be the case “because ultra-processed food often lacks fiber, which plays an essential role in keeping your microbiome healthy.”.
“Eating a diet rich in highly processed foods was associated with an increase of ‘bad’ or potentially harmful gut microbes,” according to its Predict study.
“Evidence shows that some emulsifiers, sweeteners, colors, and microparticles and nanoparticles have effects on a range of outcomes, including the gut microbiome, intestinal permeability, and intestinal inflammation,” according to a study published in the journal Nature.
However, researchers think that eating a wide range of plants and fermented foods helps to improve the health of your gut microbiome and encourage “good” bacteria.
Here’s how you can improve your gut microbiota, just as I did.
