What Are the Best Ways to Improve Gut Health?

“Gut health” is a general term that refers to your digestive system’s state of health. The digestive — gastrointestinal, or GI — tract has a delicate balance of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that help to support the immune system. 

Some of the living microorganisms in the gut, also known as microbes, can cause illness. Others, though, are important for your well-being. Healthy gut bacteria helps to keep unwanted, bad bacteria in check, too. So it’s important to have a good balance. Disruptions in this environment can happen from common things such as antibiotic use and diet.

Having the right bacteria in proper amounts isn’t only important for gut functioning. It may also be important for your general health and emotional well-being. The good news is that improvements to gut health are possible with diet and lifestyle changes. Read on to learn more.

What happens if your gut doesn’t have the right amount of bacteria?

When your gut is “off,” you may be more susceptible to other health issues. Without enough good bacteria, the bad bacteria can thrive. 

There are a variety of signs and symptoms associated with an unhealthy gut. Gut health affects how the gastrointestinal system works, so it’s important to be on the lookout for these common symptoms:

• Bloating

• Constipation

• Diarrhea

• Heartburn

• Gas

• Stomach Pain

• Nausea

What are the signs of an unhealthy gut?

Signs of an unhealthy gut can go beyond digestive symptoms and irregular bowel habits. Other health conditions may be caused by changes in your gut bacteria, or your gut bacteria may change due to a health problem. It’s not quite clear which is the case. Research in this area is ongoing.

Health issues that have been linked to imbalanced gut bacteria include:

• Fatigue

• Skin issues

• Weight changes

• Autoimmune conditions 

• Obesity

• Diabetes

• Heart disease

• Inflammatory conditions

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What impacts your gut microbiome? 

It can take time and patience to figure out what’s causing bothersome digestive symptoms. You may need to see a healthcare provider to find the cause of your symptoms. Either way, learning more about what’s best for your gut health can greatly improve your quality of life.

There are a number of factors that can affect your gut health, including:

• Antibiotics 

• Diet

• Stress

• Age

• Chronic disease

• Infections

Let’s look at antibiotics, for example. They’re often prescribed to get rid of bacteria that’s causing bothersome symptoms. But the medication can also get rid of good bacteria, because most antibiotics can’t tell the difference between good and bad bacteria. This may cause new digestive symptoms or agitate existing ones by disrupting the balance within the gut. 

What are some natural ways to improve gut health?

Similar to a fingerprint, we all have our own unique microbiome that starts at birth. While there isn’t a magic pill for gut health, there are steps you can take to maintain or restore yours. 

Research suggests that you can promote a healthy gut microbiome by:

• Eating a whole-food, fiber-rich diet, and fermented foods such as pickles, sauerkraut, and yogurt

• Decreasing your stress levels

• Exercising regularly

Some individuals also choose to add in probiotics and fermented drinks like kombucha.

What is the best diet for gut health?

Eating for gut health is a real thing, according to recent research. Findings suggest that diets rich in whole-foods support a healthy gut, while diets higher in processed foods and added sugars don’t. 

This means that having fresh, unprocessed foods such as vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, and whole grains, for example, may be best for your health.

What’s the differentiator? A processed diet lacks enough fiber — an essential nutrient that helps good microbes to thrive in the gut.

What if you aren’t seeing improvements with your gut health?

Anyone can have issues with gut health, so it helps to be aware of symptoms and solutions. Consider talking to your healthcare provider if you aren’t seeing improvements with natural gut-health remedies. The gut can be a mirror for what’s happening in other parts of the body, so changes in bowel habits can indicate another issue.

This means there may be other aspects of your health that need special attention. Your provider may notice signs and symptoms of: 

• Infection

• Allergies

• Inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn’s disease or colitis)

• A condition such as celiac disease

They may order blood work or obtain a stool sample, schedule an endoscopy or colonoscopy, or prescribe medications for the issue at hand. 

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Written by:

Jewels Doskicz, RN, BA

Jewels Doskicz, RN, is an Arizona-based registered nurse with more than 20 years of hospital-wide clinical nursing experience. She has spent over a decade in medical writing and editing, with a focus on diabetes and autoimmune disease.

Edited by:

Kelsey Abkin

Kelsey Abkin has been working as a journalist since 2016. She has held many titles throughout her career, including editor, content strategist, digital strategist, and writer.

Reviewed by:

Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

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