The good, the bad and the bug-ly
20 Sep 2010
Bugs! The world’s full of them and so are we. Indeed, one of the biggest health stories of the past two decades is the importance of the bugs in our guts. Actually, good bacteria are vital not just for the digestive system (including helping us to absorb nutrients) but for our whole body, especially the immune system – our front line against illness.
But an overgrowth of bad bugs in our guts can encourage all sorts of problems including constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers and chronic stomach inflammation – caused by a nasty bug called Helicobacter pylori (which can lead to cancer). Bad bugs can also cause bad breath and body odour and, on a beauty note, an upset tum can ruin your skin and make you look haggard.
In her new book Good Gut Bugs, nutritionist Kathryn Marsden explains that to keep a happy balance of bacteria we need probiotics (‘guardian angels of the gut’) – both in food and nutritional supplements – and prebiotics, the nutrients found in many fruit, vegetables and wholegrains, as well as supplements, that provide the right environment for probiotics to thrive. The book is a mine of useful information and I do suggest investing in it.
Here are Kathryn’s tips for encouraging those good gut bugs:
Check your posture: if you are crouched or tense, you won’t breathe properly and you won’t digest properly either. When you’re eating, sit relaxed but straight so that your stomach and belly aren’t rolled up together. And don’t crouch over your desk.
Sit down to eat, and chew your food thoroughly before swallowing: this helps the whole digestive process. Savour the taste of your food; try pausing and putting your cutlery down between mouthfuls.
Don’t run on empty: eat regular meals and healthy snacks from breakfast right through the day, at two- to three-hour intervals, to keep your blood sugar stable. Most of all, avoid starving yourself throughout the day and then eating a big meal at night.
Make probiotics part of your daily diet: eat at least one, preferably two, servings of fermented milk products (yoghurt, kefir, buttermilk or a probiotic shot) every day. Take a good quality probiotic supplement year round if your budget permits, or for at least two to three months annually, and always after a course of antibiotics. Try Bionutri Ecodophilus; it has 20 billion live organisms but no fructooligosaccharides – which, although fine for most people,
can cause gas and are definitely not suitable for anyone with IBS.)
Eat lots of fruit and vegetables: many are helpful prebiotics.
Drink water: sip a full glass every morning when you get up, then leave bottles or glasses everywhere you’re likely to be. Herbal and green teas, and also fresh juices, count towards a goal of two litres daily. But remember, sip rather than glug.
Take milled flaxseed or psyllium husk fibre daily: both support good gut bacteria. Try two or three teaspoons with a glass of water before breakfast. You can also put it on yoghurt or fruit, but you must drink your glass of water too – fibre needs fluid
to work properly.
Take exercise: it’s vital for gut function and may reduce the risk of serious bowel disorders by as much as 40 per cent.
Good Gut Bugs by Kathryn Marsden is published by Piatkus Little Brown