Six food combinations to boost your gut health

Most of us are increasingly aware of the importance of gut health, with its link to every aspect of our overall wellbeing – from our immune systems to our moods.

We know that to enhance the quality of friendly bacteria in our microbiome, the community of microorganisms within our intestines, we should be eating kefir for breakfast, ordering kimchi with our sushi and drinking kombucha with our evening meal.

Fewer of us realise, however, that the key to optimal gut health lies not just in the food we consume, but the way we combine those foods.

“Pairing certain foods with one another can have a big impact on the benefit our gut gets from them,” explains Laura Southern, a nutritionist and the founder of London Food Therapy. “It can increase the absorption of nutrients and antioxidants from ingredients, as well as helping good bacteria survive the digestive process.”

Even tiny tweaks to our meals can make a real difference, so here are our top pairing suggestions to maximise the gut-protective potential of our meals.

Add honey to your Greek yogurt

Live yogurt is an excellent source of probiotics, its bacteria and yeasts capable of restoring the balance of the microbiome. But to reach the large intestine alive, these micro-organisms must survive the hazardous journey through the mouth, stomach and small intestines, where digestive enzymes break them down.

American researchers recently found that adding honey to yogurt had a significant protective effect on B. animalis, the microbe contained in the yogurt, during digestion. Of the four types of honey they tested – clover, buckwheat, orange blossom and alfalfa – clover honey had the biggest impact.

“The honey has prebiotic properties, so it feeds and supports the probiotic in the yogurt as it’s digested,” explains Southern.

Honey has been used to treat digestive ailments for millennia, as well as to reduce infection and inflammation. A growing body of evidence suggests its prebiotic potential could make it a gut super-food.

Eat black pepper with turmeric

Turmeric, the yellow-hued spice often found in Indian cuisine, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and even anti-cancer properties, according to research. It is also believed to strengthen the intestinal barrier, help balance the microbiome and aid digestion. These properties are down to curcumin, its active ingredient.

Eating the spice in a curry or dhal, or even sprinkled on top of soup, is an excellent way to boost gut health – but combining it with black pepper makes its impact far more powerful. Piperine, a compound in black pepper, can increase the absorption of curcumin by up to 2,000 per cent.

Southern says that a quick twist of black pepper is a simple but valuable addition to many meals. “It has been shown to boost our ability to absorb vitamins and minerals, so it’s worth adding it to vegetables,” she says.

If you don’t like the taste of either or both, supplements are available which contain the two spices.

Drizzle olive oil on salads

We all realise that to improve our gut health, we need to eat more greens, which contain the fibre and nutrients needed to feed ‘good’ gut bacteria and limit the growth of harmful bacteria.

Eating a plate of salad with no dressing may sound like an abstemious choice for people trying to lose weight, but adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil makes it far better for us.

“A drizzle of good fat added to salad or cooked vegetables is a really easy way to support the gut, and ensure we get all the nutritional benefits from what we’re eating,” says Southern.

Olive oil’s antioxidant properties and ability to lower levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol and raise levels of ‘good’ are well-known, but studies have also found that the polyphenols it contains can be directly absorbed by the intestine. These have been shown to increase beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacteria in the gut.

When eaten together, the oil aids the absorption of nutrients, including vitamins A, D, E and K, all of which help balance the microbiome. Vitamins A and D also help maintain the integrity of the intestinal barrier, which protects the body from harmful toxins.

Add bok choy to miso soup

Miso paste, made from fermented soybeans and grains, is packed with millions of beneficial probiotic bacteria, making it an easy way to nurture the gut when made into soup, added to glazes or blended in salad dressings. One Japanese study suggested people who consume miso soup more often had lower levels of gastrointestinal issues, including reflux and indigestion.

Southern suggests adding prebiotics to maximise its gut-friendly impact.

“Adding a vegetable such as bok choy, or a sprinkling of seaweed flakes, will feed the good bacteria in the miso paste as you digest it,” she says. “By giving the probiotics fuel to support them as they go down, you’re improving the chances of them reaching the gut intact and having the nurturing impact you want.”

Research has shown that miso contains highly active enzymes that aid in the absorption of other vital nutrients, suggesting it will also help ensure the gut benefits as much as possible from the added greens.

Stir cinnamon into stewed apple

Stewing apple in a saucepan with a small amount of water and some raisins for sweetness has well-known soothing effects for the gut – and stirring cinnamon into them makes them even more gut-friendly.

Apples contain polyphenols which enhance the growth of good bacteria and reduce inflammation, the main cause of issues such as IBS and IBD. Their soluble fibre, pectin, also serves as a prebiotic, which provides food for beneficial gut bacteria. Cooking them releases this fibre, making it easier to digest, as well as making the apples less acidic and far gentler on the digestive system.

“Adding cinnamon makes the apples taste sweet and delicious, but it also boosts their anti-inflammatory impact, improves the absorption of their nutrients and balances the spike in blood sugar apples can cause,” says Southern.

Sprinkle seeds on porridge

A warm, comforting bowl of porridge is many Britons’ go-to breakfast on cold winter mornings, and oats are an excellent choice for gut health – as long as you go for the chunkier, less processed version.

“The fibre in porridge oats, beta-glucan, can act as a prebiotic, encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut,” says Southern. “The fibre also aids digestion and bowel function – beta-glucan forms a gel-like consistency in the gut which helps keep things moving - and helps you feel fuller for longer after eating it.”

Scattering a tablespoon of flax and chia seeds on top will add vitamins, minerals and cancer-protective antioxidants, significantly improve the meal’s nutritional punch, as well as boosting its benefits to the gut.

Both types are high in fibre, which is vital for gut health but which most of us under-consume. “When mixed into porridge, chia seeds form a gel, which enhances the porridge’s stimulation of gut movement,” says Southern. “This type of soluble fibre also feeds the gut’s good bacteria.”

Chia and whole ground flaxseeds, also known as linseed, are also one of the best plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids. “The good fats in the seeds slow down the digestion of the oats, stabilising blood sugar levels,” she says. “Omega-3s can also increase the good bacteria in the gut and reduce inflammation.”