Your gut health plays a crucial role in your overall well-being, affecting everything from digestion to immune function. But did you know that certain foods could be quietly wreaking havoc on your gut? If you want to support a healthier gut and feel your best, it’s time to rethink your plate. Here are 10 gut-damaging foods you’ll want to skip for better digestion and improved wellness.
10. Foods With Antibiotics
The meat that you consume may possibly contain Antibiotics that harm your gut health. How? Excessive exposure to foods containing Antibiotics may promote antibiotic resistance, where bacteria may resist the Antibiotic taken by your system. Also, it may kill helpful bacteria that protect your gut. The cause of Antibiotics in food is the farmers treating animals through Antibiotics to avoid serious infections.
9. Fried Foods
If you’re protecting your gut health, it’s time to say goodbye to all things fried from your favorite fast food chain. Fried Foods are often cooked in oils that contain high amounts of saturated and trans fat that irritate the stomach. This causes gas, diarrhea, and stomach pain in the long run.
8. Corn
If you love Corn but you’re having problems with your digestion, then it’s easy to point out the culprit. Too much consumption of Corn can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms because of its high amount of cellulose content. With this, your digestive system cannot break down cellulose, making corn pass through your system undigested.
7. Acidic Fruits
While Acidic Fruits are essentially good for the body, this is not the case for people suffering from acid reflux. So yes, it’s time to limit your intake of oranges and lemons that are high in acid. Note that even eating Acidic Fruits on an empty stomach will irritate your stomach even more.
6. Chili Peppers
Spicy food lovers, here’s some bad news for you. Chili Peppers may damage your gut health. How? They contain capsaicin that irritates the stomach and its lining. Eventually, the irritation will lead to diarrhea and abdominal pain. It can also worsen symptoms in people suffering from inflammatory bowel disease and acid reflux.
5. Refined Grains
Refined Grains strikes again, and this time, it’s about gut health issues. It’s time to say goodbye to white bread and pasta, as they are high-gluten foods. Refined grains have been linked to lower microbial diversity in the gut, which means reducing the good bacteria that protect your gut.
4. Processed Meat
Processed Meat is also linked to the decrease of good bacteria in your gut. It was found that this imbalance may cause obesity and other metabolic disease that your gut bacteria may protect you from. Also, red, processed meat may increase the likelihood of colon cancer.
3. Ultra-Processed Snacks
It’s time to steer away from the manufactured snack aisle as Ultra-Processed Snacks may come their way to cause gut problems. Why? These snacks that almost everybody loves are made with artificial ingredients and flavor enhancers in them. It may possibly weaken your gut barrier which causes inflammation and constipation.
2. Protein Bars
While Protein Bars are a much-preferred snack, they still contain artificial flavors and sweeteners that can upset your digestion. How? Non-nutritive sweeteners such as sucralose may change the gut bacteria balance which impacts digestion and metabolism. Also, sugar alcohols that are used in sugar-free products may cause gas and diarrhea in sensitive stomachs.
1. Raw Vegetables
Surprise, surprise, some Raw Vegetables may cause damage to your gut health. Why? Too much of it may contain insoluble fiber, like corn, that causes gas, diarrhea, and cramps when they make their way to your system undigested. Instead of risking, just cook them in less heat to preserve the vitamins that they contain.