Gut healing foods: 7 surprisingly stomach friendly treats

The old adage "you are what you eat" takes on a whole new meaning when considering the trillions of bacteria residing in our gut, each bite influencing their delicate balance. There’s growing evidence that this microbiome can affect everything from our digestion and immune system to our moods and heart health.

A recent OnePoll survey revealed a fascinating disconnect: while 43% of respondents actively took steps to improve their gut health, 41% acknowledged needing to do more.

Perhaps the constant barrage of expensive, niche fermented products like kimchi, kefir, and kombucha touted as the ultimate gut-boosters contributes to the confusion, leaving people unsure about the most effective dietary choices to nurture their gut bacteria.

Yet there are plenty of other, rather more alluring foods that will do the job. It’s all about embracing a wide variety in the diet, says Laura Southern, nutritional therapist at London Food Therapy.

"People assume you need fancy foods such as sauerkraut, but the most important thing is variety, with fibre from grains, fruit and vegetables to feed resident microbes, plus live dairy products to provide extra bacteria," she advises.

"Cutting back on processed food controls the bad bacteria." We look at some of the foods and drinks that research suggests can help maintain a healthy gut – without fermenting a single cabbage.

1. Beer

A swift half might actually be good for you according to research in June 2022 from NOVA University in Lisbon.

A small group of men aged 23 to 58 were given a 330ml bottle of lager every night for a month. Scientists then used stool analysis to measure healthy stomach bacteria and discovered it had increased by 7%.

That’s thought to be because plant micronutrients called polyphenols provide fuel for gut microbes. Beer is the only source of hop polyphenols in the human diet.

Professor Eric Claassen, a scientist from the University of Amsterdam, recommends Belgian beer for gut health. He says that the double-fermentation process of beers such as Hoegaarden and WestMalle Tripel produces an acid that kills bad bacteria in the stomach.

However, experts say the effects are only felt with one drink a night.

2. Chocolate

Dark chocolate is full of cocoa polyphenols, plant chemicals known to be anti-inflammatory, good for your heart, and which also have a big impact on digestive health.

"There’s a symbiotic relationship between the polyphenols in chocolate and your intestinal microbes," says nutritionist Kim Plaza at Bio-Kult supplements.

"Your gut microbes make the polyphenols more readily available and absorbable, while the polyphenols influence the bugs to grow. It’s best to eat raw or 80% dark chocolate."

3. Bread

For years, sourdough enthusiasts have championed its digestibility advantage over regular bread, and now science backs their claims.

A 2021 study from the University of Bolzano in Italy found that volunteers who consumed sourdough bread displayed healthier gut bacteria compared to those who ate commercially produced bread.

Researchers attributed this to sourdough's higher content of resistant starch and amino acids, both of which provide nourishment for gut microbes, thanks to the unique combination of wild yeast starter and a longer fermentation process.

4. Avocado

In 2020, scientists at the University of Illinois found that study participants who ate one avocado a day had a greater abundance of microbes in their intestines after 12 weeks.

They also had a more diverse array, all of which is good news for gut health. It’s all to do with the monounsaturated fats and fibre in avocados, according to Southern.

"There’s a lot of fibre in an avocado – approximately 12g – which provides food for your bacteria," she says.

"The good fats act as a lubricant to help prevent constipation."

5. Cheese

Move aside yogurt, cheese may be the new champion of gut-friendly foods! While yogurt often takes centre stage for its live bacteria, research is revealing cheese can be just as beneficial.

A study conducted by scientists at the Universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus demonstrated an exciting link. Participants who followed a cheese-rich diet for two weeks showed an increase in short-chain fatty acids within their intestines, a sign of flourishing gut flora.

The secret to cheese's probiotic prowess lies in its ageing process. Aged cheeses, particularly those that haven't been heat-treated, like mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan, tend to contain beneficial bacteria.

Additionally, feta boasts a wealth of Lactobacillus plantarum, a "good" bacteria commonly found in fermented foods, while studies suggest Roquefort cheese possesses anti-inflammatory properties favourable for gut health.

6. Potato

It’s not often the humble white potato wins health accolades (its sweet cousin hogs the limelight), but a study at China’s Jiangsu University in 2021 might change that. Scientists found that potatoes increase the abundance of good bacteria in the gut and reduce bad bacteria.

"Potatoes are full of resistant starch, a type of fibre that travels to the large intestine to become a food source for resident bacteria," says Southern.

"How you cook potatoes makes a big difference to resistant starch. One of the best ways is to boil new potatoes, put them in the fridge and eat them cold the following day. Sadly, chips aren’t a great source!"

7. Red wine

Good news for red wine drinkers – they have a more diverse range of flora in their gut than drinkers of other types of alcohol, according to a 2019 study by King’s College, London.

Scientists studied 458 pairs of twin sisters and put the results down to the high concentration of polyphenols in red wine, which act as fuel to the microbiome. A Spanish study backs this up, finding that a large glass of Merlot increases two types of bacteria in the gut associated with slimness and low cholesterol. Don’t say we don’t sometimes bring you good news.