Some Random Gut Health Tips – 2 minute read

Welcome back to the What Supp Blog, your one stop shop for optimising body and mind. Today’s post will look at what has become a bit of a hot topic over the last few years; gut health. In light of having a mere 2 minutes to share some info, I’m going to bypass the fairly obvious recommendations of fermented foods, fibre and probiotic supplements. Well, almost bypass.

Below are just a couple of tips I’ve picked up that have seemed a little off the beaten track. I’d advise anyone to read more on this fascinating subject, but here are a few nuggets to keep you going.

1. Got a sweet tooth? Well be warned, Sucralose (table sugar substitute also known under the E number E955.) kills off gut microbes. Need something to fill the void? Erythritol is a good alternative sweetener option that won’t do damage.

2. Got a gut feeling or butterflies in your stomach? The vagus nerve is a connecting line directly between our brain and gut. Much of the feel good chemical serotonin that we produce happens in the digestive tract. Therefore, to ensure more happiness, feed your microbiome with as much probiotic and prebiotic rich food as you can.

3. Do you bulletproof your coffee? For those who’ve been hiding under a rock for the last few years, this is butter and MCT oil added to your coffee. Although some may warn you off, look for MCT oil that has not had the lauric acid removed, as it supports gut health and suppresses appetite.

4. Magnesium. This often overlooked mineral isn’t just an essential electrolyte that helps sleep, but it also increases mitochondria and gut microbes.

5. Beware acid blocking drugs such as those used to manage digestion. Dr David Permutter notes research (in his excellent book Brain Maker) that these drugs have been linked with onset of Alzheimer’s disease. He suggests this is potentially resulting from them upsetting the balance of the gut microbiome.

Alrighty, although this is no introduction to the deep topic of gut health, hopefully for those already familiar with the subject, this post may of given you some tips you didn’t already know about. For some more info on prebiotics and probiotics, check out this previous post http://whatsuppblogblog.com/2017/04/27/snack-hacks-5-prebiotics-vs-probiotics/

Till next time.