Where Wellness Begins
The gut is not just about digestion; it’s the health axis through which your entire body runs. It helps regulate mood, energy, immunity, and even your skin. The foods that feed it are not what you’d expect or even typically seek out. Some taste tangy, others earthy, while others are sour in a way that makes you pucker a little. A few are so ordinary you might overlook them, sitting unobtrusively in your fridge or pantry. Together, they tell the story of how bacteria, fiber, and fermentation work behind the scenes to bolster the diversity of your microbiome. Let’s go through twenty that make the microbiome a healthier, more robust environment.
1. Yogurt
A classic fermented food. Yogurt is thick, creamy, tangy, and overflowing with live cultures swirling invisibly inside. Greek yogurt tends to get the spotlight, but even a plain tub can carry probiotics that settle nicely into your system. The trick is to skip the sugar-loaded versions and amend it yourself at home with a little honey, nuts, seeds, and berries.
2. Kefir
Kefir is yogurt’s drinkable cousin. It’s thinner, fizzier, and a little sour, and can be prepared with milk, coconut milk, or even in water. Originating from the Caucasus Mountains, kefir has dozens of strains of bacteria and yeast working together to create a tiny fermented ecosystem in a bottle.
3. Kimchi
Consisting of fermented cabbage, radish, garlic, ginger, and chili, this side dish is a staple in Korea. Rare is the meal where it fails to make an appearance. This dish hits a combination of tastes with its crunch factor, spiciness, and slightly sour aftertaste. The funkier it smells, the better it is for your gut.
4. Sauerkraut
This is another fermented cabbage dish, this time hailing from Germany. It is sour instead of spicy and shredded instead of chunky. Homemade sauerkraut carries more live cultures than the heat-treated stuff in cans. The tang lingers on your tongue, cutting through sausages, potatoes—whatever else happens to be sharing your plate.
5. Miso
This dish consists of fermented soybean paste and is salty and deeply savory. A spoonful dissolved into hot water becomes miso soup, a mild and soothing appetizer. In Japan, it is often served for breakfast as a gentle way of nudging the body awake.
6. Tempeh
Another soy-based meal, this dish consists of soybeans pressed into a dense, cake-like block that is held together by a friendly mold called Rhizopus oligosporus. It’s nutty, firm, and sliceable. In Indonesia, fried tempeh is a staple of street vendors and is usually served with sambal chili paste. It’s both a vegetable protein and prebiotic fiber source, which means it’s quite filling.
Fairuz Naufal Zaki on Unsplash
7. Kombucha
This fizzy fermented tea drink is produced through the use of a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). The drink ends up tart and sometimes vinegary depending on how long it ferments. Adding ginger, hibiscus, or mango softens the tang and adds an element of sweetness.
8. Garlic
When cooked, garlic unfortunately loses many of its more volatile healthy compounds. Raw garlic, on the other hand, is loaded with prebiotics—fibers that your gut bacteria eat. Chop it into salads, smash it into dips, or add it to your morning smoothie. The pungent flavor will linger on your breath, but microbes down below are celebrating.
9. Onions
This one’s another prebiotic heavyweight. It doesn’t matter if it’s red, white, or yellow, all onions feed gut bacteria like fertilizer feeds soil. If you add them into soups or slow braises, they’ll melt into a pleasant sweetness that feels almost unrelated to the eye-watering vegetable you started with.
10. Asparagus
This spring vegetable breaches the soil with slender spear-like tips that look like tiny crowns. It’s also a prebiotic-rich food that gut bacteria love. Roast it in a pan until it’s blistered or steam it with lemon juice for a dish that not only feels sophisticated but is fuel for your microbiome.
11. Bananas
You may be surprised to see this one on our list, but the resistant starch inside slightly underripe bananas passes undigested to the colon, where bacteria break it down and thrive as a result. Ripe bananas are still useful, but the prebiotic effect is stronger before the fruit turns fully sweet.
12. Apples
These crisp, juicy fruits contain a fiber called pectin. Pectin ferments in the gut, producing short-chain fatty acids that feed good bacteria. An apple a day not only keeps the doctor away but keeps your gut happy. Perhaps the two go hand in hand.
13. Oats
Whether they’re rolled, steel-cut, or soaked overnight to create a delicious porridge, oats carry beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that supports digestion and helps lower bad cholesterol. Stirred into porridge with fruit, they make breakfast feel both hearty and soothing.
14. Lentils
These small but mighty seeds are powerhouses for gut health. Available in red, green, and brown varieties, they’re all filled with fiber and resistant starch. In soups, stews, or curries, they add substance while giving your gut something to chew on.
15. Chickpeas
Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas can be blended into hummus, roasted until crunchy, or simmered in curries. Rich in fiber and resistant starch, chickpeas are not only delicious for dipping veggies in but also able to give your gut something to mull over.
Daniela Paola Alchapar on Unsplash
16. Almonds
Almonds do double duty as both snack and health food, offering your body a dose of healthy fats and prebiotic fiber in the skins. A handful a day can shift the gut microbiome toward more beneficial bacteria while helping your body outcompete the negative strains that might otherwise take up residence.
17. Dark chocolate
Yes, surprisingly, even dessert can help your gut. Cocoa is packed with polyphenols, which gut bacteria ferment into compounds that help the body control systemic inflammation. The darker the chocolate, the healthier it is for you. Be sure to limit yourself to a square or two, not the whole bar.
18. Seaweed
This food takes a variety of forms: nori sheets wrapped around sushi, wakame floating in soup, and kelp sliced into salads. Seaweed contains unique fibers that bacteria in the gut thrive on. Although inlanders may find it exotic, it’s just another vegetable of the sea, and coastal diets often feature it daily.
Bakd&Raw by Karolin Baitinger on Unsplash
19. Olive oil
A Mediterranean staple, olive oil can be extra-virgin, green-gold, fruity, or peppery depending on the harvest. Beyond its heart-healthy fats, olive oil feeds certain gut bacteria that produce anti-inflammatory compounds. You can drizzle it over bread or over salads or cook with it in your pan for a more indirect dose.
20. Ginger
This herb is warming, spicy, and slightly sweet. Fresh ginger can ease nausea and also support digestion and healthy bowel movements by stimulating your migrating motor complex. Some studies suggest it shifts the gut microbiome in favorable ways, so throw a slice into your morning smoothie for a fiery pick-me-up.
KEEP ON READING
