Restrictive diets may harm your gut bacteria

“Many people who try different restrictive diets are not aware that these may harm the gut bacteria and decrease diversity. This could increase the risk of a more sensitive gut.”

What we eat affects the all-important gut bacteria. A diet with a wide variety of colourful foods increases the amount of different nutrients we take in, which is important for the gut bacteria to thrive. Certain types of nutrients affect certain types of bacteria. It is desirable to have many different types of bacteria, and a lot of them. When you restrict your diet, there is a risk that this reduces the diversity of the gut bacteria. Gut bacteria adapt to what we eat, which means that we could increase the risk of developing a more sensitive gut. For example, the amount of a certain type of bacteria that produces specific enzymes involved in the digestion of fibres could be adversely affected. The risk is that those fibres do not get digested properly, and this can cause symptoms such as bloating and excess gas. 

Three simple ways to strengthen the gut microbiome:

1. Plant based – This means a colourful diet full of delicious foods such as vegetables, legumes, beans, berries, nuts and seeds, wholegrains and healthy oils making up the basis of what we eat. A diet like this will contain a lot of nutrients such as different polyphenols (a type of antioxidants) and fibres, which help the gut bacteria to flourish and thrive. This is not the same as being vegan. Instead you can add fish, chicken, limited amounts of dairy products such as kefir or yoghurt, and even red meat once in a while. Eating this kind of food supports the gut bacteria in the very best way. Also, choose whole foods as often as possible. This will limit the amount of different food chemicals, which according to the latest research could affect the gut microbiome negatively.

“It’s about including a wide variety of delicious foods rather than excluding food groups.”

2. Diversity – Regularly eating a wide variety of foods that includes all the colours of the rainbow will provide both you and your gut bacteria with all the important nutrients you need. According to scientific research, this contributes to a greater diversity of bacteria, which is hugely important as the different types of bacteria have many different tasks. Both your metabolism and your digestion will be positively supported by this kind of diet.

3. Create an enjoyable food culture – Eating mindfully not only adds positive feelings from the smell and taste of the food, but also lowers our stress hormones. Lower stress hormones means better digestion and a healthier gut microbiome. Creating a social community around the food table is another way of improving the digestion and microbiome, and also creating positive feelings around meals. Personally, I love to sit down at the table with family or friends. It adds so much value in so many different ways.