Diet & Gut Health

Gut health is becoming an increased area of interest within the medical community. Although we are still in the early stages of our understanding, recent studies suggest a clear link between diet, gut health and overall wellbeing including cholesterol, immune system and heart disease.

We know that our guts contain bacteria, trillions of bacteria in fact. The key is to ensure that the majority of these bacteria are what are known as ‘good’ bacteria.

The digestive system is incredibly complex. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to getting a perfect balance however, a diet rich in certain food can ensure your gut, and you, remain as healthy as possible.

Find out more by scrolling down, or click the button to make an appointment with one of our highly experienced GPs to discuss your diet and gut health.

Gut health is increasingly being linked to overall wellbeing.

There is increasing interest in what you digest not just what you eat. Your immune system involves your lymphatic system which follows the blood vessels around the whole body.

There is evidence that 70% of the immune system comes from the gut and gut bacteria.

Digestion

This begins in your mouth. If you chew your food 10 times you get much fewer nutrients out of your food than if you chew 20.  You get even more nutrients out of your food if you chew 40 times.

Gut microbes help digest food and also help with immunity. Gut bacteria (microbes) thrive when certain foods are digested, these are:

Gut microbes respond well to:

  1. Diverse diet of good quality plant-based foods

  2. Fermented foods

  3. Time-restricted eating

Gut microbes do not respond well to:

  1. Processed foods

  2. Refined carbohydrates

  3. Artificial sweeteners

Diversity of food groups

Fibre

The most important food for Gut Microbes is fibre. Every day we should be eating 30g fibre. More people are eating under 20g. For example, a baked potato with the skin is around 8g fibre.

Getting an extra 8g fibre has the following health benefits:

1.       10% reduction in heart disease

2.      15% reduction in type 2 diabetes

3.      8% reduction in colon cancer.

 

There are hundreds of different types of fibre and each one has different uses. We need to increase the diversity of our diets. We should try and focus on eating 30 different plant-based foods each week.

This should include whole grains, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices, vegetables and fruit.

 

IBS

Abdominal pain once a week is associated with passing a stool. This can be with diarrhoea, constipation, diarrhoea and constipation. Improving your diet can reduce the symptoms of IBS.

The health benefits affect not just your physical health but also your mental health. Reducing processed foods and eating more varied plants with 50g fibre a day has been shown to improve the mood in patients who are depressed.

 

Please see below appointment details.

If you would like help improving your gut health or have concerns about how your diet may be affecting your overall wellbeing, then we recommend you speak with one of our highly experienced GPs and dieticians.

What to expect from your consultation:

Our consultations take place with highly skilled GPs in a non-judgemental environment. During your consultation, we will discuss your symptoms and concerns. We will then discuss the best course of action for you. This may include sessions with our highly experienced dieticians.