Good and bad breakfast foods for gut health

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It provides energy for the body to function after a long night, the stomach has digested all the food. Choosing a healthy breakfast will be good for the intestines, adding beneficial bacteria, and preventing gastrointestinal diseases. On the contrary, the food is not good as processed, many bad fats … can unbalance the intestinal microflora.

Here are some foods you can choose for breakfast and should limit.

Food to eat

Yogurt

A cup of yogurt in the morning boosts your gut with healthy bacteria like lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophiles. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, these live bacteria can have a positive impact on health, especially the digestive system.

However, people should avoid yogurts sweetened with artificial sugars such as saccharin and sucralose. A January 2019 study in the journal Advances in Nutrition found that some sugar substitutes alter gut bacteria in a bad way.

Oat

When it comes to gut health, oats are one of the best breakfast foods. Oats are rich in prebiotics that help feed good bacteria in the gut. Other sources of prebiotics include bananas, onions, garlic and beans according to the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. A 2018 study published in the journal International Journal of Molecular Sciences showed that oats are a rich source of beta glucan (a type of soluble fiber).

Vitamin

To make a gut-healthy smoothie, incorporate as many plant-based foods (fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, whole grains) as possible. According to research in May 2018 on mSystems Studies on the human microbiome have found that consuming 30 different plant-based foods per week leads to a more diverse and healthy gut microbiome.

When making smoothies at home or bought out, you should limit ingredients like juice, frozen yogurt, and sweetened milk because they often contain a lot of sugar.

Egg

Eating eggs good or bad for gut health depends on each person. According to International Foundation for Digestive Disorders, if you are experiencing intestinal problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) then you should be cautious when eating eggs. According to the Cleveland Clinic (USA), if your IBS tends to lead to diarrhea, eggs can help bind the waste products. However, if you experience the opposite effect of constipation, eggs can make the situation worse.

Limited party food

Bacon and Sausage

Processed red meat is not only bad for heart health but also affects the gut. According to guidelines from the American Cancer Society released in June 2020, eating only small amounts of bacon, hot dogs or other processed red meats may increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

According to a January 2019 study in the journal Clinical, red meat also has a negative impact on the gut microbiota. Heme iron (a natural form of iron) found in red meat leads to a disruption of the intestinal mucus barrier function.

Donuts

A quick, simple morning donut and coffee for a busy life. However, fried donuts contain a lot of fat. They are also made with refined grains and added sugar, with little or no fiber. They are not good for gut health.

A 2015 study published in the journal Nature Communications showed that, after just two weeks of eating different diets, those following a high-fat, low-fiber diet had significant increases in mucosal inflammation and negative changes in the microbiome – both two risk factors for cancer.

Waffles and pancakes

Traditional waffles and pancakes are made with refined grains such as wheat flour, barley. These grains don’t really have any gut benefits, especially when compared to whole grains.

According to a clinical trial published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2017, replacing whole grains with refined grains after six weeks resulted in an increase in stool weight and frequency as well as less stool frequency. positive effect on the intestinal microbiota.

Kim Uyen
(According to Livestrong)