Take care of your gut by eating well

Something about the weather getting warmer makes one think about what it is they are eating. Though the cold is saying a very hard goodbye, a lot of us are looking forward to sunnier days and thus thinking about our health.

For most people a concern is the midsection, many people complain of bloating and discomfort etc, and some interesting research and findings have been published over the years about how your gut affects your health.

This past week, Sowetan was invited to sit in on the One Health Summit, themed “Your Gut’s Instinct” with experts from around the world, discussing the newest research on gut health and how it is beneficial. Dietician Mpho Tshukudu was amongthe speakers. During her talk, Tshukudu urged South Africans to introduce their indigenous foods back into their diets and also warned about the popular usage of  laxatives to clear digestive discomfort.

Sowetan took an opportunity to pick her brain about what we should be doing or avoiding to ensure a healthy gut.

What effects do products such as weight loss teas have on our gut health?

Many of these teas contain laxatives and may lead to diarrhoea, gut irritation, nutrient and water loss. Overall, they negatively affect the gut bacteria.

How do we ensure that our children have a healthy gut (what foods should they be eating)?

It is important for children to be exposed to a variety of whole foods such as:

• Grains – sorghum, millet, oats and rice.
• Protein sources such as beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. This helps to increase fibre and reduce meat intake.
• Colourful fruits and vegetables, including traditional morogo.
• Snacks such as vegetables (carrot and cucumber slices), fruit, nuts and seeds.
• Yoghurt (the live cultures found in yoghurt support gut health).
• Water instead of juices and fizzy drinks.

How does one measure/recognise digestive discomfort?

Digestive discomfort describes a range of symptoms which include abdominal pain, flatulence, bloating, borborygmi (the rumbling or gurgling noise made by the movement of fluid in the gut), constipation and diarrhea. 

Digestive complaints are mainly measured using questionnaires. In these questionnaires, patients self-assess the degree of their discomfort or the frequency and intensity of their digestive symptoms. Markers such as abdominal distension and transit time of stools can also be used.

How does crash dieting affect our gut health?

Crash diets usually include severely limiting food and energy intake to lose weight quickly. The common diet may include juices, low energy soups and laxative teas. Although crash dieting may help with quick weight loss, it is mainly water loss and not fat loss. Fat loss is associated with health benefits. When normal food and energy is introduced, one gains more weight than was initially lost.

Crash diets are low in fibre, prebiotics, proteins, fats such as omega 3s that have been shown to be beneficial for gut health.

What indigenous foods should we be eating to ensure a healthy gut?

• Grains such as millet and sorghum are high in fibre and complex carbohydrates.
• Cowpeas, sugar beans and butterbeans and lentils such as mung beans are good sources of protein, carbohydrate and fibre.
• Colourful foods like baobab, figs, pomegranate and num-num are high in fibre and polyphenols.
• Onion, garlic and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon and black pepper improve taste and are beneficial to gut health.
• Fermented dairy products – maas is the traditional version whereas yoghurt has a modern appeal. Many South Africans are lactose intolerant, but tolerate fermented dairy foods like maas and yoghurt. Choosing a yoghurt containing a blend of bacterial strains, including a particular strain of bifidus bacteria, helps to promote digestive comfort and well being when consumed daily.

How does alcohol affect our gut?

Alcohol irritates the gut in most people.

Is drinking apple cider vinegar good for our guts? What about lemon?

The tolerance of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar are individual. In some people it may ease gut discomfort and some may exacerbate them.   

Arguably most people will not know whether their gut is healthy or not as this is not something most people discuss when talking about health among each other. Tshukudu has compiled a checklist for those who are concerned about whether or not their gut is healthy and it involves looking at your bowel-movements.

Here is Tshukudu's checklist:

1. What does your poop look like? It should not float, and it should not be the texture of pellets, but rather, “it should be soft, like raw sausage.”
2. How often do you go to the loo? It’s important to note that everyone’s body is different and  defecating from three times a day to three times a week is “normal”.
3. There should not be a bad smell. Even our farts should not smell bad, explains Tshukudu.
4. And most importantly, ask yourself how do you feel. Are you uncomfortable?  If you’re struggling with constipation, diarrhoea, bloating or general tummy discomfort, this could all indicate that your gut is unhappy or not working optimally.