Love Your Gut Week is running from 16-24th September this year, it is an initiative of Yakult UK and Ireland in association with Guts UK, St Mark’s Hospital Foundation, The IBS Network and the Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology, Crohn’s & Colitis Ireland and the Irish Practice Nurses Educational Association. It aims to highlight the importance of maintaining a healthy gut and provides lots of useful free resources on the website http://www.loveyourgut.com.
Maintaining gut health is vital for overall health as it is involved in many essential functions such as nutrient absorption, metabolism, immune response and maintenance of the gut microbiome [1]. The gut microbiome is particularly important as it is involved in the regulation of fat metabolism and the production of vitamins and short-chain fatty acids (primarily acetate, propionate, and butyrate, products of fibre fermentation and crucial for gut health)[2], dysfunction of these has been associated with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), obesity and metabolic syndrome[3].
Diet is considered to have a large impact on gut microbiota and on the Love Your Gut website they recommend ten tips to make improvements:
1. Have a varied, balanced diet rich in fibre
2. Eat a healthy breakfast
3. Five a day of fruit and vegetables
4. Drink enough fluid
5. Limit dairy if lactose intolerant/sensitive
6. Know your vegetables and fruits – some are poorly digested and can cause gut discomfort e.g. leeks, onions, beans, lentils, cauliflower and sprouts.
7. Limit bread intake if causing gut discomfort
8. Choose lower fat products
9. Pace yourself while eating
10. Limit alcohol intake
See their website for more information including lifestyle tips, recipes and contacts for further help and resources.
References
1. Kogut, M.H. and R.J. Arsenault, Editorial: Gut Health: The New Paradigm in Food Animal Production. Front Vet Sci, 2016. 3: p. 71.
2. Koh, A., et al., From Dietary Fiber to Host Physiology: Short-Chain Fatty Acids as Key Bacterial Metabolites. Cell, 2016. 165(6): p. 1332-1345.
3. Bischoff, S.C., ‘Gut health’: a new objective in medicine? BMC Med, 2011. 9: p. 24.
MLT Nutrition 