Gut Health For Dummies (For Dummies: Learning Made Easy)

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Combat digestive symptoms and get trustworthy information to keep yourself healthy from the inside out

Gut Health For Dummies can help you restore and optimize your gut and its microbes, for better health day to day. Clear away the confusion and debunk the unscientific information found on social media with this essential guide. You’ll learn what makes the gut so important and how it influences the rest of your body, including your brain. Figure out how to manage digestive disorders and gut symptoms, confidently navigate the world of probiotics and other gut health supplements, and find inspiration for the diet and lifestyle changes that will support your health for years to come. This jargon-free Dummies guide will set you on the right path, giving you tips for adopting healthy habits, healing your gut biome, and being proactive for wellbeing and longevity.

Learn how the gut works and explore what may be causing your digestive symptomsCombat IBS and other gut disorders with the latest scienceSteer clear of myths, scams, and misinformation―discover what actually worksBe proactive in managing your gut health to ensure robust health and wellbeing at every age

For those who currently experience gastrointestinal symptoms, and anyone interested in learning about evidence-based ways to optimize gut health, Gut Health For Dummies is the right choice.


From the Publisher

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WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT GUT HEALTH?

At first glance, gut health seems to be simply about how your digestive tract is functioning. That’s definitely an important part, but if gut health stopped there it wouldn’t be the hugely popular topic it is today. The concept of gut health has been expanded by the scientific discoveries of the past two decades, which have shown that what happens in the gut really matters for overall health. Every day scientists are discovering the nuances of how the digestive tract and its resident microbes communicate with the lungs, the skin, the brain, and other organ systems. So gut health has come to mean not only a healthy digestive tract, but also the idea that activities in the gut can promote overall wellness or prevent illness, especially through what you eat.

This concept is a game-changer for health. It means that whether you have digestive symptoms or not, you need to pay attention to your gut health throughout your entire life – especially if you live in an industrialized country where typical high-fat, high-sugar diets are actively working against maintaining a healthy gut. I’m excited to see gut health gaining so much traction lately. As everyone works to collectively understand the implications of this new science, I think it may bring about a paradigm shift in public health because gut health forces people to focus much more on preventing chronic diseases through the actions they take every day.

WHAT ARE SOME FOODS THAT I SHOULD AVOID IF I’M HAVING GUT ISSUES?

The exact foods that bring on gut symptoms can be very different for each person. Sometimes it’s a broad category of foods, such as dairy products, and other times it’s a very specific food such as raisins. But in general, some foods are just bad news for the gut and its resident microbes. The research shows that high-fat, high-sugar foods (donuts being a prime example) put pressure on your gut microbes to cause poor health over the long term. Foods with artificial sweeteners (for example, sucralose) and emulsifiers (such as polysorbate 80) are also shown to cause gut disruption that can leave you susceptible to health problems. Even if these foods doesn’t cause symptoms right away, consumption over time can contribute to poorer gut health and maybe even digestive disease.

On the other hand, sometimes gut issues can be solved by adding foods to your diet rather than avoiding them. If you don’t have enough diverse sources of fiber in your diet (around 30 different types of plant foods per week), you may not be properly nourishing your gut.

Remember though, if you have a digestive disease you should consult your doctor for advice on what dietary plan might help with your symptoms.

WHAT ARE THE BEST FOODS FOR GUT HEALTH?

If you have a generally healthy gut, two categories of foods are shown to support your gut health: foods with live cultures (in other words, live microbes that are safe to consume), and foods with prebiotics (that is, substances that feed the microbes in your gut to give you a health benefit). A dish of yogurt gives you a mega dose of live cultures, and even fresh fruits and vegetables come with live cultures attached. As for prebiotics, foods such as garlic, onions, leeks, and bananas contain these substances, or you can get a bigger dose by taking a prebiotic supplement.

If you have recurring symptoms that you’re trying to get rid of, however, you should consult a doctor or dietitian about the foods that are most likely to help your gut health.

WHAT’S CAUSING MY BLOATING?

Bloating (a feeling of fullness) and distension (visible expansion of your belly) are very common gut symptoms. It’s normal to have a flatter belly in the morning, with gradual expansion as the day goes by. Pinpointing exactly where these symptoms come from can be tricky because so many different things can contribute, but your diet is an important factor. Fiber is often the culprit – either eating too much fiber or too little. Suddenly increasing your fiber intake, for example, is good for your health but your gut and its microbes may need a little time to adapt before the symptoms go away. Bloating and distension can also occur when you’re stressed out or when you take certain medicines.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS TO REDUCE BLOATING?

If you’re a generally healthy person and you’re experiencing bloating and distension, take a look at your fiber consumption. The vast majority of people need to increase their intake of fiber to help support a healthy gut, and over time this may help the symptoms go away.

Gentle exercise and stretching can also help reduce bloating. And – to the extent possible – reducing stress. Maintaining healthy habits over the long haul is key.

Kristina CampbellKristina Campbell

About the Author

Kristina Campbell (Victoria, British Columbia) is an experienced and adaptable science writer specializing in microbiome and gut health. She writes about these topics for many publications, including Alive Magazine (500K), Nature Outlook, Leaps (100M), and has authored two books: The Well-Fed Microbiome Cookbook and Gut Microbiota: Interactive Effects on Nutrition and Health. Over the past nine years in this field, she’s built trust with a wide network of contacts who are experts in gastroenterology, microbiology, food science, probiotics, microbiome biotechnology, and more. Because of her own personal experience with gut health problems over the years, she is eager to create the science-based resource she wishes she had as she navigated her gut health issues.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ For Dummies; 1st edition (March 19, 2024)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1394226586
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1394226580
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.2 x 1 x 9.2 inches

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