Below, we’ll cover the basics of fortifying your gut while you’re on antibiotics. Plus: what you can do to promote gut restoration even further in the weeks and months thereafter.

How to protect your gut while you’re on antibiotics

Prioritize probiotics

Since antibiotics wipe out both good and bad gut bacteria, it’s common to experience digestive distress as you take them. “Studies show that taking a probiotic supplement can prevent upset stomach and diarrhea caused by antibiotic use,” says Bianca Tamburello, RDN, a dietitian on behalf of FRESH Communications. However, she and Greenfield both advise taking your antibiotic and probiotic at least a few hours apart so the latter has a better chance to survive.

Prioritizing foods with probiotics also get the green light. “While taking an antibiotic, eating probiotic-rich fermented foods like kraut, kimchi, and yogurt can help preserve gut health,” Tamburello says.

…And prebiotics

While you’re at it, Greenfield also suggests consuming prebiotics, which feed friendly bacteria. “If you take probiotics and prebiotics while you take antibiotics, you can prevent some of the damage being done by the antibiotic, which can help with gut recovery time,” Greenfield explains. Fortunately, there are plenty of healthy prebiotic foods to choose from—including but not limited to garlic, onions, and asparagus.

Be careful with high-fiber foods

It’s important to not only add things into your routine as you take antibiotics—but also consume a few others on moderation. For instance, while fiber is beneficial for your digestion and gut health at large, you’ll be better off saving fiber-rich foods for once you complete your Rx. “It’s recommended to avoid high-fiber foods while taking antibiotics because fiber may interfere with how quickly the antibiotic is absorbed,” Tamburello says. (This may be a bit confusing as many—though not all—fibrous foods are also prebiotic. Some high-fiber foods worth saving for your post-antibiotic regimen include beans and legumes.)

Make sure to chill out

Last but not least, lifestyle factors will also play a role in your recovery. “Decreasing stress and prioritizing rest while you are on antibiotics will help your gut be more resilient,” Greenfield adds.

Decreasing stress and prioritizing rest while you are on antibiotics will help your gut be more resilient,” Greenfield adds.

Tips to restore your gut after antibiotics

Once you finish your round of antibiotics, the standard tips and tricks for gut health apply. “After an antibiotic regimen is complete, eat foods high in probiotics, prebiotics, and fiber to restore the number and diversity of good gut bacteria and feed a healthy gut,” Tamburello says. “Probiotics increase the number of gut bacteria and promote gut balance,” while the last two “are especially beneficial when rebounding your gut health after a course of antibiotics.”

In fact, a 2019 study found that low-fiber diets exacerbated microbiota collapse and delayed recovery following antibiotic treatment, so be sure to rev up your fiber intake via veggies and pantry staples alike. “Most high-fiber foods have prebiotic benefits,” Tamburello reiterates, so they’ll typically offer two-for-one perks.

Further, Greenfield recommends eating a colorful diet rich in whole foods to promote the health of your microbiome. “Sunlight exposure helps balance circadian rhythm, which helps improve gut function,” she adds. “Since vitamin D can decrease gut permeability, adequate levels of vitamin D are important—ideally through sun exposure or supplementation.”

How long will it take to restore your gut after antibiotics?

Greenfield says that the answer to this question isn’t so simple to answer, as the research isn’t so clear-cut. Results will also vary based on which antibiotics you take, the specific bacteria strains measured, and similar considerations. That said, recent studies and reviews offer optimistic findings. Per a 2020 meta-analysis of 31 articles on gut microbiota and antibiotic use, “After cessation of treatment, gut bacteria recover, in most individuals, to their baseline state within a few weeks. Some studies suggested longer term effects from two to six months.”

“After cessation of treatment, gut bacteria recover, in most individuals, to their baseline state within a few weeks. Some studies suggested longer term effects from two to six months.”

In general, Greenfield says that the state of your gut and overall health before taking antibiotics will be highly influential in how quickly you’re able to restore your microbiome afterwards. “If you already had good gut diversity, the chances are the first round of antibiotics are not going to eradicate whole species of bacteria,” says Greenfield. “But if you already had weakened gut function, or have taken many rounds of antibiotics, the effects can be more damaging.”

Plus, additional factors that influence gut diversity—i.e., everything from your regular dietary and lifestyle habits, pre-existing conditions, medications, and stress levels—will inform your timeline for microbiome restoration.

To gain clarity and ensure that your gut health is trending in the right direction, Greenfield recommends getting a stool test done with a functional health expert. “I like to wait 14 days after taking antibiotics to test microbiome diversity. This gives us enough time to see what the bacteria look like after the antibiotic has been taken,” she says. From there, personalized protocols can lead the way and promote a greater abundance of the friendly bacteria your gut and greater health need to thrive.

While there are many types of antioxidants, which Mary Purdy, MS, RD, nutrition and sustainability advisor at Big Bold Health, calls a family of protective plant chemicals, an important group to know is carotenoids.

The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University describes carotenoids as a group of more than 750 naturally occurring pigments (in red, yellow, and orange) that can be synthesized by plants and algae. Fruits and vegetables contribute the most carotenoids to human diets and one of the key players in offering us some serious antioxidant power.

Health benefits of zeaxanthin

Purdy says that one of the most important things to know about zeaxanthin is that, like other members of the carotenoid family, it gets converted to vitamin A in our bodies. While we often associate vitamin A with eye health—Purdy says research shows that carotenoids’ antioxidant properties can protect against visual fatigue, macular degeneration, and cataracts—it serves many other important purposes throughout the body. “Vitamin A is also essential for supporting immunity and preserving the integrity of our gut lining,” she says.

Research shows that carotenoids can help our bodies fight infections, in addition to improving gene regulation and angiogenesis—a process that helps us best deliver oxygen and nutrients to various tissues to promote healing and prevent illnesses of all kinds. A comprehensive review of research conducted in 2021 found that zeaxanthin also appears to help protect against neurological disorders due to its ability to fight off inflammation and oxidative stress, which can play a role in protecting against all sorts of other inflammatory conditions, from allergies to chronic health issues. More specifically, zeaxanthin has been found to protect against different types of cancer and osteoporosis, as well as other bone-related issues to keep us healthy and strong for years to come.

More specifically, zeaxanthin has been found to protect against different types of cancer and osteoporosis, as well as other bone-related issues to keep us healthy and strong for years to come.

Best food sources of zeaxanthin

All these impressive health benefits likely have you wondering what the best sources of the antioxidant zeaxanthin are. According to Purdy, zeaxanthin is found in several types of vegetables such as orange and red peppers, yellow corn, cooked scallions, and can also be found in certain fruits like mangos. Additionally, you can find it in eggs and algae like the ever-popular spirulina and chlorella.

Zeaxanthin is found in several types of vegetables such as orange and red peppers, yellow corn, cooked scallions, and can also be found in certain fruits like mangos. Additionally, you can find zeaxanthin in eggs and algae.

“Using chemicals to grow food may reduce carotenoid content, so purchasing ‘Certified Organic’ can be a good bet,” says Purdy.

While Purdy hasn’t seen an exact recommendation for zeaxanthin consumption as an isolated compound, she notes that most research related to the nutrient indicates that the highest benefits are found when it is consumed alongside other carotenoids, micronutrients, protein, and healthy fats. Purdy highlights that dietary fats are especially important for proper zeaxanthin absorption, as it a diverse diet filled with fiber, omega-3 fats, and other delicious foods that help support a healthy gut—which will help your body absorb the nutrient.

Purdy highlights that dietary fats are especially important for proper zeaxanthin absorption, as it a diverse diet filled with fiber, omega-3 fats, and other delicious foods that help support a healthy gut—which will help your body absorb the nutrient.

Interestingly, Purdy explains that the absorption of carotenoids can be impacted by temperature—both positively and negatively. She says that high-temperature processing methods could decrease zeaxanthin concentration in raw foods but could improve its bioavailability in others, so it’s a safe bet to stick with moderately heated food sources.

Some simple ways to up your zeaxanthin intake is by starting your morning with scrambled eggs cooked low and slow to perfection—bonus points if you also serve it with some sauteed peppers cooked in olive oil for a healthy fat pairing. You could also get double the antioxidant power by whipping up a batch of mango-corn salsa with avocado for a tasty and nutritious appetizer. You can always add a serving of chlorella or spirulina to your morning smoothie to give it a vibrant color and help you feel more vibrant, too.

Ahead, see what two gut health dietitians recommend—and practice themselves—to support gut health and digestion upon rising.

5 RD-approved gut-healthy habits to try in the morning

“There are so many simple options for how you can boost your gut health first thing in the morning,” says Kara Landau, RD, of Gut Feeling Consultancy and nutrition advisor to the Global Prebiotic Association. “You just have to pick the one, or the few, that will blend most seamlessly into your routine.”

Here are some of the top morning lifestyle and dietary habits that can lead to major gut health gains.

1. Start your morning with a calming regimen

Many of us jump out of bed with a go-go-go routine, whether that entails scrolling through your inbox while you’re half asleep or rushing to get ready to head to work. However, these are less than ideal ways to kick off your morning on a relaxing note, and they can have negative repercussions for your mind and gut alike.

“The gut and the brain are connected through hundreds of millions of nerves, known as the enteric nervous system. This often means that what’s going on in our brain can influence what’s going on in our gut and vice versa,” explains Megan Rossi, PhD, RD, founder of The Gut Health Doctor. Rather than kicking off your morning in a rush or with stimulating activities, Dr. Rossi suggests replacing it with an activity that will prioritize the gut-brain axis. Think: journaling, meditating, or even taking a few deep breaths before climbing out of bed.

2. Move your body

Gentle forms of movement in the morning can also promote gut health. “Various activities have been seen to positively impact the diversity of gut bacteria, ranging from aerobic activities all the way to yoga,” Landau shares. Again, these benefits may be attributed to the gut-brain axis. “The calming and mental health benefits that come from these activities could be behind why the gut bacteria respond favorably to movement and mindfulness activity, resulting in increased probiotic abundance in the gut,” she continues.

P.S. She adds that mindful morning movements may be particularly beneficial for people struggling with IBS.

3. Get some sunlight

Taking a stroll may very well be one of the best morning habits for gut health, as you can reap countless benefits with each step. It’s calming while gently waking your body up for the day to come. All the while, you’ll enjoy gut-friendly perks from the sunshine vitamin.

“Many people think of getting morning sunlight as important only in relation to their circadian rhythm and assisting with hormones to keep them alert throughout the day,” Landau begins. “However, an interesting study in healthy female subjects showed that exposure to UVB rays—which boosted their serum vitamin D levels—was able to lead to significant positive changes in the abundance of a number of probiotic strains in their gut.” Plus, these results were more pronounced in the sunlight group than another group in which participants took a vitamin D supplement.

Since bacterial diversity is a key marker of gut health, Landau champions spending at least a few minutes outdoors each morning. Whether you take a short walk around the block or sit on your balcony, “Getting outside for a few minutes appears to be a fantastic option within people’s reach to support their gut health,” she explains.

4. Sip on coffee or tea

Now, for my favorite gut-friendly morning tip: enjoy a delicious cup of coffee. While Dr. Rossi emphasizes the importance of staying hydrated with H2O—for both digestion and overall health—she also advocates for caffeinating (so long as you can tolerate the stimulant). “Enjoy a cup of filtered coffee or tea in the morning, or decaf after noon,” she suggests. “They’re rich in phytochemicals, which your gut microbes love.” Even better, Dr. Rossi clarifies that moderate caffeine intake actually offers similar hydrating qualities to water.

If caffeine’s not your thing or if your gut is very sensitive, she advises opting for decaf coffee or tea, both of which will still provide good-for-you phytochemicals.

5. Build a breakfast with prebiotics and probiotics

Although probiotics tend to hog the spotlight in the gut health conversation, prebiotics are just as important since they feed beneficial gut bacteria. According to Landau, a sample menu for a prebiotic-rich breakfast could look like:

• Overnight oats with crushed cashews
• Sliced kiwi (hot tip: Dr. Rossi advises keeping the fuzzy peels on to triple the fiber content)
• A teaspoon of green banana powder resistant starch

“This mix offers a blend of prebiotics in the form of resistant starch, soluble prebiotic fiber, and even polyphenols,” she explains. “All work together to feed a greater variety of the probiotics in your gut, enhance digestion and motility, and help balance your blood glucose levels.” Essentially, this plant-powered prebiotic brekkie is a veritable MVP for gut health… but you shouldn’t skimp on probiotics, either.

By eating probiotic foods for breakfast, you’ll “naturally add to the variety of gut bacteria that are present in your body, further enhancing your gut health from the moment you wake up,” Landau says. She then calls out kefir as her chief recommendation. “Kefir probiotics are particularly valuable in their ability to stick in your gut to grow and multiply, compared to many other probiotic-rich foods that are known to be more transient and only remain for a few hours. This may be due to the greater diversity in strains present, as well as the abundance of bacteria due to kefir being fermented for a longer period of time.”

Fortunately, there’s a variety of ways in which you can enjoy your kefir—with my own recent favorites being Buchi Kefir Soda and Lifeway Oat Kefir. Both are dairy-free, so they’re great options especially for those who have trouble digesting the animal byproduct.

First, a recap on probiotics

New to the world of probiotics or need a quick refresher? “Probiotics are live microorganisms that provide health benefits when consumed,” begins Erin Kenney, MS, RD, LDN, CPT, of Nutrition Rewired. “The primary benefits of probiotics include improved digestion, immune system and mental health support, reduced inflammation, and lowered risk of certain diseases.” Not only can you find them in the likes of dietary supplements, but also in certain fermented foods and drinks.

The consumption of probiotics helps to support greater gut diversity. And when it comes to getting your fix of different strains, the more is (often) the merrier since various kinds can yield different beneficial effects on the body. “Consuming a variety of probiotics can help ensure that the gut microbiome is populated with a diverse range of beneficial bacteria, which has been shown to be important for maintaining a healthy gut and overall health,” Kenny explains. Conversely, she notes that a lack of microbial diversity in the gut is associated with health concerns including but not limited to IBD and allergies.

How often should you be rotating probiotics?

Since we know that a diverse gut is a healthy gut, it seems as though introducing new strains by rotating your probiotics would be a smart idea. But is there a specific timeline or schedule you should keep in mind?

“If you want to get a continuous beneficial effect from your probiotics, you should change probiotics every three months or with the seasons,” says Paulina Lee, RD, LD of Savvy Stummy. “If you were to take the same probiotic all year round, it may lose its effectiveness and even lend itself to gut dysbiosis by creating an imbalance of the very diversity you were trying to create.” By heeding her three-month rotating schedule, Lee says you’ll have a better chance to maintain heightened defenses in the gut as well as potentially avoid resistance of the probiotic.

Is it *always* necessary to rotate probiotics?

While it could very well be beneficial to diversify the types of probiotic strains you ingest, Kenney notes that research on the necessity of doing so is limited. That said, certain individuals—such as those with chronic digestive issues—may be better off than others by rotating their probiotic supplements.

With that, she notes that there are different types of probiotic classes themselves, including yeast-based, spore-based, and lactobacillus/bifidobacterium (i.e., broad-spectrum) blends. “There may be benefits to using certain types of probiotics for short periods of time when healing an underlying gut imbalance, and then switching to another kind during the repopulation stage,” Kenney explains. “For example, if someone has small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), they may not tolerate a broad-spectrum probiotic during treatment and instead use a spore-based or yeast-based probiotic to support symptom management.” In addition, she says that short-term use of lactobacillus probiotics can assist those who have trouble digesting lactose in dairy products.

“There may be benefits to using certain types of probiotics for short periods of time when healing an underlying gut imbalance, and then switching to another kind during the repopulation stage.”

Kenney adds that it could also be beneficial to integrate a new probiotic into your regimen if you’re making a major dietary change. “If someone is switching to a lower carbohydrate diet, a lactobacillus/bifidobacterium blend may be beneficial since they are not consuming fruits and whole grains, which feed the healthy bacteria in the gut to support regularity,” she shares. However, unless her clients fall under these examples, Kenney doesn’t typically call for rotating probiotics.

Next, despite Lee’s suggested probiotic rotation schedule shared above, she notes that supplementation isn’t an exact science. “We have lots of research to support the benefits of probiotics, but application of different strains on different disease states are still being evaluated,” Lee explains. For instance, while research shows that some strains colonize the gut post-administration, “the amount of viable bacteria that can colonize will depend on many factors—like dosage and probiotic formulation—and the individual’s gastric pH, intestinal motility and prior gut microbiota composition.” Moreover, Lee cites research showing that long-term use of the same probiotics can still yield beneficial effects (including one study in patients post-colectomy, who experienced reduced inflammation by supplementing with the same blend over nine months).

“We have lots of research to support the benefits of probiotics, but application of different strains on different disease states are still being evaluated.”

All things considered, the best probiotic routine will likely vary based on the individual at hand. “The type of probiotic and length of time may vary depending on the individual, their lifestyle, medical history, and other factors that impact health,” Lee shares. She advises working with a healthcare provider to find the best individualized protocol for your needs.

3 tips to promote gut diversity

It’ll ultimately be up to you (and your healthcare team) to see if it makes sense to switch up your probiotics every 90 days, seasonally, or based on changes in your diet and/or health status. That said, there are other tried-and-true ways to support gut diversity that don’t involve supplementation.

1. Eat more fermented and probiotic foods

“A daily intake of fermented foods—like kefir, miso, sauerkraut, and kimchi that contain live microbes—can provide a wide variety of probiotic strains that bring diverse, beneficial bacteria into the gut,” Lee shares. Kenney suggests adding kimchi to scrambled eggs or kefir to a fruit smoothie to easily boost your go-to meals with fermented fare.

2. Stick to a diverse plant-forward diet

“Eating colorful fruits and veggies that contain polyphenols—like flavonoids and carotenoids—can feed healthy gut bacteria, especially Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia muciniphila,” the latter of which is inversely associated with inflammation and metabolic disorders, Lee says.

She also suggests prioritizing prebiotic foods, saying it’s one of the best ways to maintain gut diversity. “Prebiotic foods feed our healthy gut bacteria so that they can produce metabolites, like short-chain fatty acids, that can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress,” says Lee. Her go-tos include garlic, dandelion greens, onions, bananas, barley, and flax seeds.

However, a higher intake of plant-based foods at large is always a good idea for your gut and greater health. “Eating a diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds can help provide the gut with the nutrients and fiber needed to support the growth of beneficial bacteria,” Kenney adds.

3. Abide by healthy lifestyle basics

Dietary considerations aside, following the basics of healthy living can also allow your gut to thrive. “Moderate levels of physical activity can boost beneficial bacteria in the gut,” Kenney shares. You’ll also want to find healthy ways to manage stress—such as by practicing yoga or meditation—as well as get a solid amount of shut-eye per night. “Stress can reduce gut diversity, [as can] sleep deprivation,” she concludes.

The main lifestyle difference the researchers were interested in was the fact that these monks meditated for over two hours a day. They wondered if meditation might have an impact on the microbiome (which is the types and amounts of bacteria found in the gut, as analyzed from a person’s stool).

The resulting study, published in the British Medical Journal’s General Psychiatry, found that the monks had higher quantities of certain bacteria that are associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular disease. The exciting findings caught the attention of outlets like The Guardian, Healthline, and others. So, does the study show that meditation is good for the gut, and subsequently good for your overall health?

Unfortunately, it’s not so clear cut.

“I’m not sure how much I would really take home from that study,” Emeran Mayer, MD, a gastroenterologist, UCLA medical school professor, Seed Health board member, and the author of the book The Mind-Gut Connection, says. “There’s more limitations than positives.”

Dr. Mayer says the technical methods the researchers used to analyze the samples were outdated. The study size as a whole was small, and the control group (just 19 people) was not robust enough to draw conclusions of difference from. He’s skeptical that samples could maintain their integrity even in a refrigerated box for a trip down a mountain and on a plane; most studies, he says, require very controlled sample collection that happens in a lab. And he also points out that diet and the sedentary lifestyle of monks was not taken into account.

Speaking with Prevention, Martin J. Blaser, MD, professor and Henry Rutgers chair of the human microbiome at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, thought the study was “well conducted,” but didn’t think meditation could be pinpointed as the defining factor that accounted for potential differences in the microbiomes of the monks versus the control group.

So, essentially, even if the findings sound exciting, experts aren’t confident that this is the study for meditation x gut health enthusiasts to hang their hats on.

What’s the big deal with “gut health” anyway?

“Gut health” has been an exciting concept (and buzzword) for years, with proponents claiming that the population of diverse, robust bacteria inside of us can influence everything from chronic disease to mental health. Our stomachs produce a lot of the substances we need to fight disease, manage inflammation, and regulate our mood (for example, most of the body’s serotonin comes from the gut). So the “mind-gut axis” is an exploding field for research.

“It turns out that microorganisms can actually counteract the harmful effects of food, drugs, hormones in our bodies, either introduced from the outside or produced inside our bodies,” Ian Smith, MD, best-selling author and chief medical advisor for the probiotics brand Jetson, previously told Well+Good. “The sheer number of conditions that have been found to link back to gut health is in itself an exciting advancement: things like obesity, diabetes, liver diseases, cancer, and even neurodegenerative diseases.”

Still, some researchers caution that many of the claims are overblown, and Dr. Mayer gives the caveat that “the majority of really revolutionary findings in the brain-gut microbiome space has come from animal models,” which he says can’t necessarily be extrapolated to humans. Furthermore, what constitutes a “healthy gut” isn’t so clearly defined, and could vary from person to person.

“We don’t know what a ‘normal’ microbiome looks like,” Ali Rezaie, MD, a gastroenterologist and co-author of The Microbiome Connection, previously told Well+Good. “Your microbiome is unique to you, and there’s no known magic mix of bacteria.”

Okay, but could meditation positively impact your gut microbiome?

Dr. Mayer’s skepticism for the Tibetan monk study in particular does not mean he thinks the theory itself doesn’t hold water. A long-time meditation practitioner (Dr. Mayer and his wife even got married at a Tibetan monastery in Kathmandu), and an expert in studying the connection between the gut, body, and brain, Dr. Mayer says it makes sense that meditation could impact the microbiome in a positive way. That’s all down to the growing (but still not-definitive) body of research showing that meditation can possibly reduce stress, and evidence is amassing that stress can wreak havoc on the gut.

When we’re stressed, our sympathetic nervous system gets activated. That activation “changes the environment in which the microbes live, their habitat,” Dr. Mayer says, including blood flow, contractions, mucus production, and more. Certain neurotransmitters, like norepinephrine, can make their way into the gut, which “modifies gene expression of the microbes,” he says. A meta-analysis of studies found that more research is needed to further understand how stress affects the gut (much of the research has been done on mice), “but emerging human evidence has begun to corroborate preclinical findings” that stress can impact gut health.

“If relaxation and stress reduction and meditation decrease sympathetic nervous system tone and reactivity, then I think that will be the most possible explanation for changes in microbiome,” Dr. Mayer says.

Other studies have shown some promise for this hypothesis. One small study that looked at meditation practitioners who ate a vegan diet found a higher prevalence of beneficial bacteria versus a control group. A meta-analysis of studies that looked at topics including stress, the microbiome, epigenetics, and meditation concluded that “during stress, an altered gut microbial population affects the regulation of neurotransmitters mediated by the microbiome and gut barrier function. Meditation helps regulate the stress response, thereby suppressing chronic inflammation states and maintaining a healthy gut-barrier function.” While other papers suggest that these statements are not so clearly established as scientific fact, the stress-gut connection—and meditation’s ability to modulate it—are not so theoretically far-fetched.

So should you be making like a Buddhist monk and meditating for two hours every day for the sake of your microbiome? There’s probably no need to divest of all your worldly belongings just yet—but don’t ignore the potential power of a meditation practice to contribute to your overall health and wellbeing (and subsequently, your gut).

“The ultimate thing is really to have a microbiome-friendly diet, plus the contemplative component, you know, the half hour meditation,” Dr. Mayer says. “A healthy lifestyle should have both.”

However, if you don’t feel favorably toward veggies due to the gastrointestinal problems they can cause, you’re not alone. As registered dietitian Elaina Efird, RD discusses in a TikTok, vegetables (and other high-fiber foods) can feel uncomfortable on the gut for some people. While this is especially a common struggle for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), she says, people with a sensitive stomach often can’t digest vegetables as easily as others, too. It may even feel like the “bane of your existence,” as it has for many of Efird’s clients.

@elainaefird Try doing cooked veggies and avoid doing them in huge amounts at one time #dietitian #foryou #veggies #vegetables #fyp #ibstok #nutrition ♬ original sound – Elaina Efird RD, CEDRD, CSSD

But how do you know that side of broccoli, for example, is the reason behind uh, hours spent in the bathroom? And does that mean you can’t eat vegetables again?

Signs that you can’t digest vegetables easily (or that they’re hard on your gut)

According to Sarah Schlichter, MPH, RDN, the co-host of the Nail Your Nutrition podcast and CEO of Bucket List Tummy, the main symptom is gastrointestinal issues (which can show up in various ways). Some examples she lists include:

Stomach discomfort

In other words, if you feel bloated, gassy, or even nauseous after eating vegetables, it may be because your stomach is struggling to digest them. Be mindful of how you feel while and after eating to test this theory out.

Running to the bathroom (or not being able to go)

Interestingly, both constipation and diarrhea are additional signs to look out for. Schlichter says constipation is more likely “if one is not drinking enough water to counteract the fiber intake.”

Lastly, it’s important to note that symptoms like these—as well as fatty stools, stomach pain, and vomiting—are also signs of nutrient malabsorption, which Schlichter says can occur if the veggies you eat aren’t making your gut happy.

What to do if your stomach can’t digest vegetables easily

First, Efird shares that it’s totally fair to avoid vegetables if needed. (Seriously.) “If you’re someone who’s really struggling to eat vegetables because every time you do, you end up on the toilet, then maybe vegetables aren’t healthy for you,” Efird says. “It’s not worth it for you to try to force yourself to eat vegetables when you’re finding yourself on the toilet for an hour after just because vegetables are the stereotypically ‘healthy’ choice.”

“If you’re someone who’s really struggling to eat vegetables because every time you do, you end up on the toilet, then maybe vegetables aren’t healthy for you,” Efird says. “It’s not worth it for you to try to force yourself to eat vegetables when you’re finding yourself on the toilet for an hour after just because vegetables are the stereotypically ‘healthy’ choice.”

But as a lifelong fanatic of peas (it’s a hot take, I know!), I understand the desire to eat veggies or to want some of their nutrients. If this is how you feel, you can have them in a more comfortable way by:

Changing how you cook the vegetables

Cook the veggies longer or add specific ingredients to them. “Cooking the vegetables to a softer state and breaking down the plant fiber is one way to mitigate some of these symptoms,” Schlichter says. “Furthermore, consider adding butter or oil to the vegetables, as fats can increase fat-soluble vitamin absorption.”

Additionally, some people experience reduced symptoms by adding in bitters or digestive enzymes, Schlichter adds, which you can buy at vitamin shops and similar stores.

Drinking more water

Digestion is yet another situation in which hydration is key. “Fluids can help things pass through the digestive system quicker,” Schlichter explains. She advises drinking more water, especially if you already struggle to do that. (FYI, according to Harvard Medical School, an average of four to six cups a day is best.)

Paying attention to how much fiber you’re eating

Watching your fiber intake is another option Schlichter mentions. In other words, if you just ate a fiber bar, you may want to skip out on cauliflower that night.

On that note, consider looking at what else is in the veggie (or high-fiber food) you’re eating. “Beware of some of the additives in certain products, like inulin, sugar alcohols, and artificial sweeteners, which can also cause gastrointestinal upset and digestive difficulties in some people who are sensitive,” Schlichter says. (Side note: If you’re concerned that steps like these may trigger disordered eating for you, good for you for acknowledging that! Working with a dietitian who’s well-versed in eating disorders can help you navigate that in a less harmful way.)

Along this same vein, it can help to know which veggies are the worst for your gut. Schlichter says cruciferous vegetables (aka the leafy ones) as well as raw ones, like broccoli and cauliflower, are more likely to give you problems. On the other hand, some options that are lower in fiber include canned or well-cooked carrots, green beans, and vegetable juice.

If the tips above aren’t doing it for you, you may want to reach out to your doctor for more specialized care. “Give it a one to two week timespan to give your digestive system time to adjust, and then if symptoms have not improved, see a medical provider,” Schlichter adds.

While veggies are typically full of great vitamins, they can be hard on your stomach—which makes them not the healthiest choice for everyone. If popping a multivitamin ends up being the best choice for you, that’s okay! Health isn’t one-size-fits-all.

If you’ve already committed to incorporating more yogurt into your diet (kudos), the next step is making sure you are squeezing every possible benefit from it. Whether you’re partial to flavored yogurt, Greek yogurt, skyr, or non-dairy, plant-based yogurt, registered dietitian and nutrition expert Kristie Leigh, RD, director of scientific affairs at Danone North America, has tips that will ensure you’re getting the most out of every delicious spoonful.

How to reap the most yogurt benefits for gut health and digestion, according to an RD

1. When grocery shopping, keep yogurt cool by placing it alongside other cold items in your shopping cart

Dairy-based yogurt needs to be kept cold for food safety reasons. But temperature matters when it comes to all types of yogurt, including those that are plant-based, and here’s why (in addition to the food safety factor): According to Leigh, yogurt must stay between 32°F and 45°F to protect its live, active gut-boosting cultures, and she has some practical suggestions for maintaining this temperature.

First, Leigh recommends keeping yogurt in your cart next to other cold or frozen products while you shop, and then bagging those same items together to keep the yogurt cool on the way home. Once home, store the yogurt on a middle shelf—avoid the refrigerator door, where temperatures fluctuate more. “This will help ensure the live and active cultures and the quality of the yogurt are maintained,” says Leigh.

Once home, store the yogurt on a middle shelf—avoid the refrigerator door, where temperatures fluctuate more. “This will help ensure the live and active cultures and the quality of the yogurt are maintained,” says Leigh.

2. A little research can go a long way when it comes to finding the yogurt that meets your needs

Leigh points out that not all yogurts contain probiotics and there are many different types of probiotic strains, each of which confers different benefits. Knowing which specific strains (if any) are in your yogurt is key to knowing what you are getting out of it. For example, according to Leigh, the widely-used Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG strain has been shown to support immune health. It’s not always straightforward, however. For one, Leigh notes that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate the use of the word “probiotic” on food labels. That means that you will need to dig deeper to learn more about specific strains—especially because not all yogurts contain probiotics.

The first step, says Leigh, is searching the product label for the specific strains in the yogurt. The names of these strains usually consist of the genus, the species, and the specific strain, expressed as a combination of numbers and/or letters. Plugging the strain name into a search engine can help you figure out what benefits—if any—that particular strain is associated with. “There are products that contain many different ‘probiotics’ in one formula, but without the strain information you won’t be able to determine if the bacteria in the product are actually studied probiotic strains or cultures without a studied benefit,” says Leigh.

Leigh also stresses that when it comes to the number of probiotic strains in a serving of yogurt, more isn’t always better. “Depending on the benefit you are looking for, you may only need one probiotic strain to get that benefit,” she says. The same goes for the number of colony-forming units (CFUs), which are the number of live microorganisms in the product. “The number of CFUs needed to get the benefit is dependent on the probiotic strain, so without a little research, it’s difficult to know if you are getting the amount needed,” says Leigh.

Leigh also recommends looking for probiotic products with multiple benefits. “For instance, some yogurt brands can do double duty by supporting your gut health as well as your immune system. Activia+ Multi-Benefit Drinkable Yogurt is a great example—it’s packed with probiotics, supports your gut health, and has as vitamin D, zinc, and vitamin C to help support the immune system.”

3. Pair your yogurt with plant-based foods to diversify your diet

Though yogurt can do a lot of heavy lifting on its own when it comes to gut health, mixing it with plant-based foods can add flavor, texture, and additional gut-boosting benefits.

Citing findings from the American Gut Project, a crowdfunded citizen science project that collects data about the human microbiome, Leigh notes that people who consume 30 different types of plants a week have been shown to have greater gut bacteria diversity—an indicator of good gut health—compared to those who consumed 10 or fewer plants a week. “Luckily, many plant based foods pair deliciously with yogurt, like fruits, grains, vegetables and even nuts,” says Leigh. The takeaway? Topping your yogurt bowl with dried cranberries, cherries, banana slices, peanut butter, toasted almonds, or chia (or all of the above) is a major power move for your gut health.

First, why you may want more ginger in your diet

Ginger comes in many forms, but the ginger plant’s roots are what is commonly used as both a spice or ingredient in cooking and for medicinal purposes as a supplement. “Ginger is excellent for promoting health longevity because it contains compounds known as gingerols and shogaols, which create an antioxidant effect that reduces free radical damage in the body,” Trista Best, MS, RD, previously told Well+Good.

You can slice or grate fresh ginger to add to soups or sauces, use powdered forms as a seasoning on veggies, top a mocktail with candied ginger for flare, use pickled variations in poke bowls, drink it in the form of ginger tea, or take it as a supplement.

The root is known to “support digestive health by improving gastric motility and by helping to relieve bloating and gastrointestinal discomfort by reducing gas production,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, author of Read It Before You Eat It. “It also has anti-inflammatory properties to help support heart health and relieve symptoms of arthritis,” says Taub-Dix, adding that the root can help quell nausea and stabilize blood sugar levels.

When can ginger be bad for you?

While ginger is generally considered safe to ingest and despite all the its advantages, there are instances where someone may want to limit their intake or avoid it entirely, says Kyle Staller, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and spokesperson for the American Gastroenterological Association. (Whether you just simply keep an eye on your daily intake or decide to cut it out of your diet altogether is a conversation you should have with a healthcare provider, as the individual risks and dosage varies widely, according to Dr. Staller.)

The most noteworthy concern is for those with bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia, where the blood doesn’t clot properly, says Dr. Staller. “Ginger has mild anticoagulant, or blood-thinning, properties, which means it may increase the risk of bleeding,” he says.

What medication does ginger interfere with?

Because of its anticoagulant nature, anyone taking blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin or aspirin, or antiplatelet medications for heart health, such as clopidogrel, will also want to exercise caution. “Combining ginger with these medications can potentially amplify the effects and may lead to excessive bleeding or bruising,” explains Dr. Staller.

What’s more, “ginger may lower blood sugar levels, so individuals with diabetes should monitor their blood glucose levels closely if consuming large amountsor taking ginger supplements,” says Dr. Staller. While it’s recommended to consult your doctor before starting any supplement regimen—whether you have potential contraindications or not—those currently taking diabetes medication, such as insulin or oral antidiabetic drugs, who are also taking ginger, should talk to their provider about whether the dosage of their diabetes medicine should be adjusted.

It can also potentially cause complications during pregnancy

Studies also indicate that while ginger is effective at quelling nausea in pregnant women, you will want to limit the amount of ginger you eat while pregnant as the anticoagulant effects can put the mother at greater risk for miscarriage. It’s best to consult a doctor about your options, ginger included, if you are experiencing morning sickness while expecting.

Anyone with GI issues should also consume ginger with caution

Those with a history of GERD or acid reflux should keep an eye on their ginger intake, as ginger can cause heartburn and worsen gastric reflux, says Reuben Chen, MD, sports medicine physician and international chief medical advisor at Sunrider.

People with high blood pressure should also beware…but not for the reason you may think.

If you’ve been wondering: Does ginger raise blood pressure? You’re not alone—it’s a frequently asked questions in terms of when not to take ginger. But the answer is now. In fact, some studies, such as 2019 research published in Phytotherapy Research, have indicated that ginger may lower blood pressure, which in itself is not a concern. However, “if you are taking medications to control high blood pressure, combining them with ginger could further decrease blood pressure levels, potentially causing excessive lowering of blood pressure,” says Dr. Staller, though more research is needed.

How much ginger is too much?

Most people can safely eat ginger daily without overdoing it, but those at risk for excessive bleeding will want to cap their intake to no more than four grams a day, says Dr. Staller. Those with acid reflux concerns should divide these doses as to reduce the gastric side effects of ginger, adds Dr. Chen. Again anyone with diabetes,  bleeding disorders, are on blood thinners should exercise caution and speak with their doctor before adding ginger to their diet. Meanwhile, pregnant women should limit their ginger to no more than one gram a day, says Dr. Staller.

Lately, though, I’ve been committed to leveling up my snacking game. For instance, I’ve actually enjoyed replacing candies and fruit snacks with fresh or dried apples and a smidge of honey, or by munching on mixed berries. While I’m less partial to decadent desserts and pastries, sometimes the mood for baked goods strikes, which had me wondering if there was a healthier dupe to keep on hand. Enter: BelliWelli soft-baked snack bars.They’re gluten-free, probiotic-packed, low-FODMAP, and vegan—as well as specifically crafted for people who struggle with digestive issues.

BelliWelli Bars (8-pack) — $27.00

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As a veritable snack aficionado on a mission to forge more gut-friendly habits—not to mention an enthusiast for anything and everything related to the microbiome—I was intrigued to see for myself just how beneficial these bars could be. With that in mind, I ate one BelliWelli bar a day for a week straight to see how my cravings and digestion fared. I’ll leave you with my final BelliWelli review later on; but first, let’s cover how nutritious and GI-friendly these snacks truly are.

What makes BelliWeli a snack with belly benefits

Before we cover the good-for-you ingredients BelliWelli bars contain, it’s worth noting what they steer clear of. They omit dairy and gluten, both of which can trigger digestive issues for some. (Lactose intolerance affects as much as 70 percent of adults globally. In the United States, celiac disease affects about one percent of people, while non-celiac gluten sensitivity affects about 6 percent of people, according to a 2017 review in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.)

These bars are also free of sugar alcohols, which can exacerbate digestive distress in people with gut imbalances. “It is thought that sugar alcohols are poorly absorbed in the body and feed bacteria residing in the large intestines … [which can] create more gas and fermentation, thus promoting the imbalance that already exists,” Sarah Greenfield, RD, CSSD, previously told Well+Good.

With these potential red flags out of the way, which specific ingredients make BelliWelli bars a gut-friendly, healthy snack? To start, a single bar contains four grams of protein and three grams of fiber. (ICYMI, only seven percent of adults in the United States get enough fiber daily, despite its benefits for supporting regular BMs, cardiovascular health, and more.) “The bars also contain 500 million CFU probiotics—which is more than certain yogurts and kombuchas—so they keep your gut in check,” says Peyton Berookim, MD, MA, FACG, AGAF, a BelliWelli advisor and double-board certified gastroenterologist at the Gastroenterology Institute of Southern California.

“The bars also contain 500 million CFU probiotics—which is more than certain yogurts and kombuchas—so they keep your gut in check,” says Peyton Berookim, MD, MA, FACG, AGAF, double-board certified gastroenterologist

Dr. Berookim also notes the brand’s emphasis on employing high-quality ingredients. “Traditional bars usually contain preservatives to maintain shape, but BelliWelli lacks these artificial ingredients,” he says. As a note, the BelliWelli bars I sampled contained eight to nine grams of sugar—including six to seven grams of added sugar—the latter of which should be capped at 24 to 50 grams daily.)

Dr. Berookim calls out a few noteworthy ingredients that stand to support your gut and overall health, including:

• Cinnamon (which he deems as anti-inflammatory)
• Chia seeds (a rich source of plant protein, insoluble fiber, and omega-3s)
• Oats (a whole-grain soluble fiber)
• Acacia fiber (which he says is anti-inflammatory)
• Almond butter (another great source of plant protein)

Lastly, the GI doctor shares that these snacks are certified low FODMAP by Monash University. (FODMAPs include carbohydrates and sugar alcohols that can trigger digestive distress in the form of bloating, diarrhea, constipation, gas, and stomach pain.) All things considered, Dr. Berookim says the bars are much better tolerated than conventional treats for people who:

• Suffer from small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Experience bloat or any kind of digestive issues
• Have gluten or dairy sensitivities

“BelliWelli bars are a really great nutrient-dense alternative for anyone looking for a truly healthier and gut-friendly snack bar,” Dr. Berookim concludes.

My BelliWelli review

To start, let’s cover how these bars taste. At present, BelliWelli offers seven flavors. I sampled four of them—chocolate chip cookie, birthday cake, cinnamon swirl, and strawberry shortcake—during my week-long trial. I was surprised that each turned out to be tastier than I’d expected, and successfully hit the spot as far as my cravings were concerned. I’d say that they strike a happy medium between a conventional cookie and a protein bar, packing the satisfying sweetness of the former and lacking the typically chalky (or worse, cardboard-like) taste of the latter.

Now, for the million-dollar question: Did these bars yield discernible benefits for my digestion? On this point, I can’t say that they were complete game-changers, but I definitely think the results will vary from one person to the next. For instance, my digestion tends to be regular more often than not and I’m fortunate enough to say that I only experience stress IBS circumstantially (*knocks on wood*). I also consume and/or take probiotics daily—including Bacillus coagulans, the strain BelliWelli uses. (I did, however, pause taking probiotic supplements to better gauge my results from the bars alone.) And while I don’t track my fiber intake to a T, I’ve made a recent effort to make sure I have fiber-rich fruits and veggies daily, and always throw a hefty serving of chia seeds into my smoothies.

However, I do think that BelliWelli bars have the potential to move the needle for some people—namely those who are highly sensitive to gluten and/or dairy, lack fiber and/or probiotics in their diets, and experience ongoing digestive issues. Still, I was pleased to discover that these bars could actually be a decent dupe for cookies and similar sweet treats, all the while offering a balance of macros and probiotic perks. At the end of the day (literally and figuratively), I’ll gladly reach for one the next time I get a snack attack so I can continue the trend of satisfying my sweet tooth with nutritious fare.

“Half the team tried it yesterday and a few ended up…needing to use the restroom, if ya know what I mean,” one person wrote on Reddit.

“I got so sick after the olive oil latte. Coming out both ends,” another said.

With that, there have been some questions about olive oil’s impact on your GI tract and whether it can, in fact, make you poop—especially if you’re constipated. Turns out, there’s actually some research on this. Here’s the deal.

Can olive oil relieve constipation?

It’s a little complicated. “There are many guidelines on the treatment of constipation in adults and children. Currently, olive oil is not recommended by any of the adult guidelines by any major gastrointestinal society for the routine treatment of constipation,” says Ellen Stein, MD, a gastroenterologist and associate professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

But Dr. Stein points out that many cardiology and gastrointestinal societies suggest a Mediterranean-style diet, which includes olive oil, among other things. “Mediterranean foods from many different cultures feature olive oil, so it is a component of this healthy diet,” she says. And, when you’re eating well, you should be able to go number two regularly—provided you don’t have any underlying health conditions.

But data has suggested that there may be something to using olive oil specifically to help you poop. “Olive oil has a mild laxative effect on the colon,” says Priyanka Singh, MD, a gastroenterologist and assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “It lubricates the colon walls and holds water within stools, helping to soften them. This helps stool move more easily through the colon and promotes bowel movements.”

Dr. Singh notes that a few clinical studies have demonstrated this. One study found that olive oil relieved symptoms of constipation just as well as mineral oil—a known laxative—in patients on dialysis when it was taken daily for four weeks. Another study found that olive oil was effective at treating severe, chronic constipation in kids when used as an enema.

There’s also this to consider, per Dr. Stein: Olive oil contains fat, and certain fats can trigger a reflex that encourages your bowels to empty themselves. “Just getting some fat into a meal can be a trigger for a healthy bowel movement,” she says.

How much olive oil do you need for constipation?

This isn’t something that has been heavily studied, but Dr. Singh points out that the patients in the dialysis study had better BMs after taking one teaspoon of olive oil daily. “However, up to one tablespoon of olive oil is safe for adults to consume daily for constipation,” she says, adding, “Extra virgin olive oil is best.” (Extra virgin versions go through the least amount of processing, so they maintain the most vitamins and antioxidants.)

How soon will you get results?

Constipation is complicated, and it can happen due to a variety of factors. So there’s no guarantee that doing something like taking olive oil will help, er, relieve your issue.

Everyone is different, too, and experts say that the factors that led up to your constipation as well as your individual GI tract can have an impact on how well the olive oil hack works to get things moving—or if it does anything at all. “The response time may vary depending on the individual and the severity of their constipation,” Dr. Singh says. However, she adds, “bowel movements can occur within the same day.”

How to try this hack at home

There may need to be some trial and error here. “Olive oil may be consumed alone or paired with other foods or liquids,” Dr. Singh says.

You can also try a teaspoon of olive oil in your coffee—a known laxative—to see where that gets you. “Olive oil can enhance the well-known laxative effect of coffee,” Dr. Singh says. But she has a warning: “This combined effect may be too potent for some people.” (Save it for a time you’re near a bathroom.)

If you have the odd bout of constipation and want to see if olive oil helps, doctors say there’s really no harm in giving this a try, along with more proven methods like eating more high-fiber foods, hydrating well, and moving more. But if constipation is a regular thing for you, Dr. Singh says it’s important to get it checked out. That’s especially true if your constipation is happening alongside other symptoms.

“Any time constipation is getting worse than usual, accompanied by pain, weight loss, or rectal bleeding, it’s time to check in with your primary care physician and then, if needed, be referred to a specialist,” Dr. Stein says. “For most people, hydration, good soluble fiber intake like fruits and vegetables, and good movement like walking or exercise is very safe and effective for helping move along the bowels.”

If you want to promote better digestion and rack up wellness wins across the board, one of the best things you can do is to get more butyrate in your system. Never heard of it, or need an explainer of what it is and why it’s basically the unsung hero of gut health? Keep reading for a master class on butyrate, courtesy of board-certified gastroenterologist Kenneth Brown, MD.

What is butyrate?

Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) and a byproduct of the gut’s fermentation of certain foods. “Named for its four-carbon chemical structure, butyrate is produced when ‘good’ bacteria in the gut help the body break down dietary prebiotics such as polyphenols and fiber in the colon,” Dr. Brown explains.

“Named for its four-carbon chemical structure, butyrate is produced when ‘good’ bacteria in the gut help the body break down dietary prebiotics such as polyphenols and fiber in the colon,”
—Kenneth Brown, MD

Per a 2011 review in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, this SFCA is hard at work at the intestinal level; it “plays regulatory role on the transepithelial fluid transport, ameliorates mucosal inflammation and oxidative status, reinforces the epithelial defense barrier, and modulates visceral sensitivity and intestinal motility.” In plain English, this all means that butyrate is crucial to maintain intestinal homeostasis. Yet as we’ll soon see, it has the potential to offer many benefits not only for your gut but also other important facets of your overall health.

The benefits of butyrate

The positive effects of butyrate can’t be underestimated. According to Dr. Brown, these are some of the most impressive benefits of this gut-friendly, massively protective compound:

• It provides energy for cells in the colon lining. “Firstly, butyrate is a primary fuel source for the cells in the lining of the colon,” Dr. Brown says. “It plays a crucial role in supporting the growth and maintenance of these cells, which can help prevent leaky gut syndrome and other digestive disorders.” By regulating the assembly of tight junctions, butyrate strengthens the integrity of the intestinal barrier, thus reducing the likelihood of intestinal permeability and other manifestations of gut dysfunction.
• It staves off colorectal cancer cells. Given its positive effects on cells in the colon, butyrate is even linked to the prevention of colon cancer. “It has been shown to promote the differentiation of colon cells, which can help prevent the development of cancerous cells,” Dr. Brown explains.
• It’s anti-inflammatory. Since butyrate has anti-inflammatory properties, it “can help reduce inflammation in the gut and prevent conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease,” says Dr. Brown.
• It wards off cell damage. “Butyrate may increase the production of certain proteins that can help protect the colon cells from DNA damage and oxidative stress,” the gastro continues.
• It may mitigate the risk of metabolic disorders. It turns out that butyrate also stands to benefit metabolic health. “It may regulate blood sugar by improving insulin sensitivity through pancreatic gene expression,” says Dr. Brown. “This can help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders.”
• It has neuroprotective effects. There are many ways to protect your brain and cognition—and as far as brain-boosting dietary hacks go, revving up the production of butyrate is among them. “It promotes the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that is essential for proper brain functioning,” Dr. Brown explains. “This can help protect against neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.”

How to increase butyrate

By this point, it’s clear that butyrate is beyond impressive… which makes me wonder if and why most of us have been sleeping on this overachieving SFCA for too long. (Just me?) If you’re galvanized to get more of it in your diet and enjoy the world of benefits it can offer, Dr. Brown says that butyrate supplements exist… yet taking them isn’t necessarily the best protocol.

“One potential challenge with butyrate supplements is their absorption and bioavailability,” Dr. Brown shares. “Butyrate is rapidly metabolized in the body and can be broken down in the stomach and small intestine before it reaches the colon, where it is normally produced by the gut microbiome.” In other words, there’s a decent chance it won’t survive long enough to do its job where it needs to do it. Moreover, he notes that there are currently no official recommendations for butyrate intake. So what gives?

Dr. Brown says the best way to boost the presence of butyrate is to promote the natural production of it by eating a few key foods—namely those that are rich in polyphenols and prebiotic fibers, which includes the likes of fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. “Incorporating these foods into your diet can help support butyrate production and promote gut health,” he shares.

Dr. Brown says the best way to boost the presence of butyrate is to promote the natural production of it by eating a few key foods—namely those that are rich in polyphenols and prebiotic fibers, which includes the likes of fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

In addition, while it’s true that probiotic supplements aren’t a one-and-done solution for thriving gut health, Dr. Brown advocates for their use upon approval from a healthcare professional. “They can help to increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut, which can also help to increase butyrate production,” he says. That said, a food-first approach remains the gold standard to nurture your gut and promote overall well-being. By prioritizing probiotic-rich foods in your rotation—think kimchi, kefir, and Greek yogurt—in tandem with polyphenols and prebiotic fiber, you’ll boost the production of butyrate and chew your way closer to a stronger gut (and promote better health outcomes) in no time.

If your tummy doesn’t feel so great following a meal, you may have heard that a bit of caffeine might be able to get *things* moving along. But does after-dinner coffee actually help your gut digest your last meal of the day… or might it do more harm than good for your gut (as well as other aspects of your health)?

Below, with the help of Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN, of Real Nutrition in New York City, we’ll cover the pros and cons of drinking coffee after dinner.

How drinking coffee after dinner impacts digestion

Whether you opt for coffee in the morning, afternoon, or at night, you’ll generally experience speedier digestion. “This is because caffeine is a stimulant that increases gut motility and peristalsis which promotes elimination,” Shapiro says. “It also stimulates the production of digestive hormones, which promote the digestion of food in the stomach.”

You might already be familiar with coffee’s ability to bring digestive action to life, especially if you head to the bathroom to pass a BM shortly after finishing your first cup of joe at breakfast. According to Shapiro, the same mechanisms apply to drinking coffee after dinner—so yes, doing so can very well help your gut’s ability to digest your nighttime meal.

“Since coffee helps with the production of gastrin, hydrochloric acid, and bile, it will help to break down food in the stomach—including proteins and fats,” says Shapiro. (Ideally, you’ll be building a balanced plate with these macros plus complex carbs, some of which may include a colorful variety of plant-based goodies.) “Also, as coffee stimulates the muscles in the gut, it will increase motility, assisting digestion and moving food through the GI tract,” she says. The end result: less time to digest your food and faster relief in the form of a satisfying bowel movement.

Is post-dinner coffee suitable for everyone?

To start, let’s cover who may be best served by sipping on post-dinner java. “Individuals who are slower digesters or have slower motility, those who have time to sit after dinner, and those who want to stay up and stay out later may benefit from drinking coffee after dinner,” Shapiro says. If you feel sluggish after a big meal, she adds that coffee can put more pep in your step while stimulating digestion, allowing you to feel more energized and help keep feelings of heaviness at bay. Of course, you may also be in this camp if you already take to coffee well, don’t experience GI distress from it, and don’t struggle to catch your ZZZ’s with that extra caffeine in your system after the sun sets.

On the flip side, there are some people for whom it may be better to lay off coffee after dinner… or perhaps at any time of day, for that matter. “Individuals who are very regular or have diarrhea, have a hard time sleeping, and those who suffer from stress and anxiety may want to avoid it,” Shapiro says. “Plus, if you are sensitive to caffeine, you may want to consider avoiding it as it can interrupt your sleep.”

Digestion and sleep hygiene aside, Shapiro calls out one more important fact to consider. “Coffee can inhibit the absorption of iron, so if you are low in iron, you may want to avoid it at mealtimes,” she says. Since a 2021 study published in Lancet Haematology suggests that about 17 percent of premenopausal women are considered iron-deficient under new thresholds, it’s worth testing your levels to ensure that you’re not lacking this mineral—and that your coffee habits aren’t standing in the way of your intake.

4 tips to drink your way to better digestion after dinner

On a parting note, Shapiro shares a few final tips to sip your way to better digestion after dinner, whether you opt for coffee or another hot bev of choice:

1. Start small with espresso. “Ordering espresso is often recommended since it isn’t a lot of liquid, so it won’t make you even more full,” says Shapiro.

2. Take your coffee black. The RD notes that skipping on milk and creamers can also help to avoid potential GI discomfort.

3. Try out decaf. If you’re trying to cut back on coffee for whatever reason but like the digestive perks it offers, Shapiro says that decaf—which still contains a bit of stimulating caffeine—will make for a worthy substitute.

4. Enjoy another warm post-dinner drink. “For those who want to stop drinking coffee, you can try herbal tea or my personal favorite: hot water with lemon. These drinks help you to digest… and they feel elegant, too,” Shapiro adds.

The reason our digestion can get so messed up from travel is because our normal routines get thrown off. “Often on vacation, people may not follow the same routines they do at home. They may not take the same supplements, drink the same warm beverages, or sit for 15 minutes scrolling on their phone as they sip tea or coffee. These seemingly insignificant patterns set the body up on a schedule for consistent bowel movements,” Caroline Cederquist, MD, a board certified physician, previously told Well+Good.

And since “travel, whether it be airlines or via car/train where we are sitting down more and moving less tends to cause more digestive stagnancy, it leads to trapped gas, bloating, and constipation,” says Megan Gerber, RD, LD, IFNCP, CGN, a certified gastroenterology nutritionist and functional registered dietitian.

It’s rare to find a spot on the map that has a variety of good dining options, let alone restaurants that have gut-friendly foods. So when I got the opportunity to stay at the Sandals Royal Curaçao Resort last month to learn about their off-site restaurant dining program, I was over the moon.

About Sandals Royal Curaçao Resort

Opening its doors last June 2022, Sandals Royal Curaçao is an all-inclusive resort that’s nestled on 44 acres of land along the Spanish Water Bay with rooms averaging between $3,300 and $4,500 for a five-day stay for most rooms (this depends on time of year you visit). For suite and bungalow pricing, you can visit the site here. This bay-side resort has a whopping 350 rooms and suites—all of which overlook luscious palm trees, a two-level infinity pool, and views of the bay’s turquoise blue waters. While Sandals Royal Curaçao is a romantic paradise, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that it’s a food lover’s destination, too.

Perhaps my favorite part of the resort is its new off-site restaurant program, which takes guests off of the property to explore and support local restaurants on the island (a $250 voucher is available for guests who book for seven or more nights in a butler suite or diamond level category and roundtrip transfers are included). I was lucky to dine at one of the eight partner restaurants, Nultwintig, which serves up contemporary Asian cuisine, but there are seven other eateries, from Kome’s wood-fired meats to Mosa Cana Bar and Kitchen, serving up Latin and Caribbean fare.

The resort also boasts a whopping eight gourmet restaurants where you’ll find everything from sushi rolls (made from fresh tuna, eel, and other sources of fish) at Gatsu Gatsu, the resort’s Japanese restaurant, to seafood paella at one of the three beachside food trucks. Brought to you by culinary-trained master chefs, each dish is crafted using fresh and locally-sourced ingredients. It really is food heaven!

What I ate

The resort kept me well-fed, and I felt lucky to have had the opportunity to dine in at seven of the eight on-site restaurants: Butch’s (steak and seafood), Kanaal (cafe), Aolos (Mediterranean), Gatsu Gatsu (sushi), Pietra (Italian), and Vincent (modern European). A tip: some restaurants require reservations, so it’s a good idea to book early to reserve the one you want. While most of the breakfast spots reflected traditional American breakfast (think: eggs, bacon, and hash browns), I appreciated the variety of lunch and dinner options of Asian fusion, Caribbean delights, Italian, Mediterranean, and more.

At Nultwintig, the off-site restaurant, I was served a three-course meal, all of which was filled with RD-approved and gut-enriching ingredients. For starters, I ordered a shrimp carpaccio appetizer topped with coconut puree, cilantro, Spanish peppers, and mandarins. “Mandarins offer a rich source of vitamin C and fiber (both soluble and insoluble), both of which are gut-supportive,” says Samantha Schleiger, MS, RDN, CD, CLT, ITNCP, an integrative and functional medicine dietitian based in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. The soluble fiber forms of the mandarin “forms a gel in the digestive tract, then draws water into the gut to help soften stool, helping to ease bowel movements.”

I was also able to snack off of my plus one’s appetizer: ceviche marinated in citrus juices, lychee, coriander, and topped with plantain chips. Plantains are a great source of potassium, fiber, and vitamin A and C and support healthy digestion, according to Schleiger. On the other hand, coriander is a carminative herb that “helps with bloating and gas by helping to ‘move things along’ and promoting regular bowel movements,” says Gerber. For the entree, I tried wild rice and tuna yellow curry infused with fried okra—containing polyphenols, which have been shown to support commensal bacteria in the gut—and mushrooms to fuel the good bacteria.

Of course, I had to order yuca fries. Made from cassava, these crispy sticks offer a rich-source of fiber, “which is well known to support overall gut health,” says Schleiger. On occasion, I’d have a glass of red wine. Studies show that little to moderate red wine consumption can improve levels of beneficial gut bacteria, delivering more favorable gut microbiomes (it really gets things moving).

What I noticed after my meals

This might be TMI, but after all of the meals I had on- and off-site, I was able to use the bathroom with ease, noticing softer stools and my bowel movements working just as effectively, if not faster, as if I were at home. Not only did I leave the island more relaxed, I developed a newfound appreciation for herbs, spices like coriander, and how to better utilize ingredients like okra and mandarins in my main meals. Albeit small, these garnishes and toppings had a mighty impact on my GI health. Now, I’m a firm believer that travel and gut health can work in tandem. What probably also helped? The level of relaxation I was able to achieve at the resort (now that’s a no-brainer).

For more information about Sandals Royal Curaçao’s accommodations and pricing, visit their website here.

Why beans are good for longevity

Martin says it’s impossible to pin down a single benefit of beans most closely related to living longer. The macro-, micro- and phytonutrients in beans synergistically contribute to their positive effect on longevity. Here’s how that breaks down:

1. Beans are high in fiber

This quality impacts weight management through a variety of mechanisms, says Martin. “Maintaining a high amount of fiber in your diet is a key factor when it comes to longevity,” she adds, as fiber intake is associated with decreased risk of many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. In addition to helping to fill you up by providing bulk and slowing digestion, some of the fiber in beans also functions as a prebiotic, says Martin. This means it serves as food for beneficial gut bacteria, encouraging their production of short-chain fatty acids.

2. Beans are nutrient-dense

Rich in folate, zinc, and potassium, among other micronutrients, beans provide protein without some of the drawbacks that can come along with animal-based protein sources, says Louisa Paine, RDN at ZOE. She adds that studies show eating beans appear to be correlated with lower risk of chronic inflammation, heart disease, and some types of cognitive decline.

3. Beans promote a healthy gut microbiome

Because beans are a fiber-rich, whole plant food, they are likely to help promote a balanced, healthy gut microbiome, which in turn supports processes in many of the body’s systems, says Paine. “This may be one of the mechanisms that makes beans so healthy and good for longevity,” she adds.

4. Beans are satiating and are a good source of resistant starch

Thanks to their high fiber and protein content, beans tend to be filling and take longer for your body to digest. These qualities mean that eating beans can help stabilize blood sugar and keep you feeling satisfied long after a meal, says Kendra Gutschow, RDN, Noom Coach. The resistant starch in beans can help keep regulate blood sugar spikes. This is an especially important attribute of beans for people who have diabetes, says Kimberley Rose-Francis, RDN.

5. Beans are a staple among those who live longest

One of the common factors among residents in Blue Zones throughout the world is a high intake of beans, says Paine. And according to Blue Zones’ founder Dan Buettner, various types of beans including fava beans, black beans, soy beans, and lentils are the cornerstone of most centenarian diets. This means that the longest-living populations tend to enjoy a lot of beans and reap their protective benefits. In a 2020 lecture, Buettner went so far as to suggest that eating a cup of beans daily could extend your life expectancy by four years.

Health benefits of dried vs. canned beans

Nothing beats the convenience of canned beans. But if you’re trying to save money on groceries, dried beans are significantly cheaper per serving and can even come out tastier and with a better texture than their canned counterparts, says Martin. Nutrition-wise, both canned and dried beans are similar, but canned can be filled with excess salt (and even added sugar). This is an important factor to watch out for when buying beans, as it can detract from their overall health benefits. “Eating too much sodium is not ideal for overall heart health since it can raise blood pressure levels,” says Rose-Francis.

While dried beans have only a small amount of natural sodium, you’ll need to plan ahead if you’re wanting to make them, as most require soaking for an extended period or even overnight before cooking. A pressure cooker can also be a great way to cook beans, says Gutschow.

When making beans as a side, she recommends adding in sauteed onion, garlic, and other seasonings to match the flavor profile of your main dish (i.e., cumin for Mexican, basil and oregano for Italian, or turmeric for Indian curry). You can also serve beans as an entrée paired with vegetables and whole grains for an even more nutrient- and fiber-rich meal, says Paine. Aside from added salt, there’s no one kind of bean that promotes significant health benefits over others.

Like so much else in life, variety is the spice when it comes to enjoying them. “It’s ideal to feed your microbiome a variety of plants, including different types of beans,” says Paine. “This dietary diversity will help your microbiome to have a more diverse population of microbes, so mix it up as often as you can.”

How to eat more beans

The serving size for beans is 1/2 cup, says Martin. Nutrition varies slightly depending on the variety, but one serving of black beans, for example, contains 120 calories, 8 grams of protein, 22 grams carbohydrates, and 9 grams of fiber. If you’re not already eating beans regularly, Paine recommends starting small: Try a tablespoon or so a day and work your way up over the next few weeks. “This approach will give your digestive system and gut microbes a chance to get used to the beans and reduce the risk of side effects such as gas,” she adds.

Some of the healthiest ways to enjoy beans at home include:

• Adding beans to soups, stews, and chilis
• Swapping out half the meat in a recipe (such as a Bolognese sauce or tacos) for beans
• Using pureed white beans as a sandwich spread
• Substituting pureed white beans for milk or cream in a creamy soup recipe
• Roasting chickpeas with a little olive oil and seasonings until crispy to enjoy as a snack
• Pureeing cooked beans with spices to create a dip
• Layering beans in a grain bowl

You can even use beans to bake healthy desserts, like these delicious black bean brownies:

When buying beans, try to choose reduced-sodium or no-salt-added varieties if they’re available. This is true even if you’re planning to rinse the beans before using them, since rinsing won’t remove all of the sodium, says Martin.

While many recipes may call for using the entire can, discarding the liquid and rinsing beans before using them is a good idea because it helps both to lower their sodium content and reduce the chance they’ll cause gas (because you may recalls the tune about “musical fruit”). Rinsing is especially helpful for those who have IBS and may have trouble tolerating beans, says Martin.

Besides cooking your own dried beans, here are seven healthy bean products to try.

Somos, Mexican Black Beans 2-Pack — $8.00

Whether they’re tucked into tacos, enchiladas, or burritos, enjoyed on their own as a side, or jazzing up a salad, these heat-and-eat beans are soft and sweet, cooked with only garlic, onion, and a little sea salt. They’re part of an incredibly delicious lineup from Mexico-born co-founders Miguel Leal and Rodrigo Zuloaga, who teamed up with KIND founder Daniel Lubetzky to launch the brand earlier this year. Pair with Somos’ plant-based entrees like Mexican Peacadillo (made with peas) and cilantro lime rice for a perfect taco dinner.

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Lupii, Vegan Protein Bars Variety Pack — $35.00

A protein bar made with beans? We know, we know—it sounds like an odd combination. But flavors like peanut butter cacao nib, almond butter cinnamon raisin, and tahini lemon cranberry are so satisfying and tasty, you’ll forget they’re made with beans. Each one contains 10 grams of protein and relies on whole foods like dates, nuts, and lupini beans (which have three times the protein of an egg and three times the fiber of oats) for their chewy texture. We’re sold on these no-added-sugar bars for a snack or even an on-the-go breakfast.

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Daily Harvest, Gigante Bean + Artichoke Olio — $12.00

True to their name, these white beans are large and hearty, and pair perfectly with crisp asparagus, tender artichokes, and a creamy cauliflower-chickpea sauce that tastes truly decadent. This meal is part of Daily Harvest’s new Harvest Bakes line, which make for an easy, healthy, speedy lunch. Simply unwrap, remove the seal, and bake in a 450°F oven or toaster oven for 22-27 minutes before enjoying.

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Fillo’s, Cuban Black Beans — $7.00

The Latin American founders of this Illinois-based company founded Fillo’s on the premise that food that scratch-cooking (or at least, food that tastes like it) shouldn’t take all day. That’s why their 10 varieties—also including Peruvian lentils, Puerto Rican pink beans, Tex Mex pinto, Mexican Mayocoba bean and Panamanian chickpeas—are ready to eat straight from the shelf-stable, two-serving pouches. Each is made with sofrito, a combination of vegetables, spices, and herbs cooked in oil for maximum flavor and nutrients.

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Ayo, Waakye Beans & Rice — $6.00

Legumes are a staple food in cultures around the world, meaning many bean dishes offer a way to experience global culture. This authentic dish from Ayo Foods, a Chicago-based brand that showcases the cuisine of notable African chefs, spotlights a recipe from West African chef Eric Adjepong made with jasmine rice and South Carolina-grown red peas with red sorghum leaves. The microwaveable frozen meal is vegan, ready to eat in less than 4 minutes, and is packed with 12 grams of fiber and 15 grams of plant-based protein. Amp up the flavor with Ayo’s habanero-based pepper sauce.

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A Dozen Cousins, Bean Heat-and-Eat Pouches Variety Pack — $22.00

Founded by Ibraheem Basir, A Dozen Cousins beans are made with whole ingredients and incorporate heart-healthy avocado oil for added nutrition. This variety pack includes two heat-and-eat pouches each of six flavors, including Trini chickpea curry, Cuban black beans, Mexican cowboy pinto beans, refried black beans, Mexican cowboy pinto beans, Creole red beans, and classic refried pinto beans so you can stock your pantry and switch up your bean depending on your meal (and mood).

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Amy’s, Vegetarian Organic Refried Beans — $4.00

Many canned bean varieties contain high amounts of sodium and saturated fat due to added lard. Not this one. The top ingredient is organic pinto beans, along with organic onions, safflower or sunflower oil, garlic, sea salt, and spices. A half-cup serving has less than half the sodium of the regular variety and nearly a quarter of your recommended daily fiber.

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Childhood rumors about gum staying in your system for seven years (or forever?) immediately came to mind. This got me to thinking: What happens when you swallow gum… and is it even digestible? To decipher fact from fiction, I reached out to Peyton Berookim, MD, MA, FACG, AGAF, a double board-certified gastroenterologist at the Gastroenterology Institute of Southern California.

What happens when you swallow gum?

For starters, the GI doctor notes that gum is in a different category from most foods and even candy. “Gum is a very particular concoction of elements that are intended to make it indigestible,” Dr. Berookim says. Its constituents are exactly why you can chew it for hours on end but it still stays intact.

“Think about it: If it doesn’t easily disintegrate in your mouth after repeatedly chomping down on it and being exposed to digestive enzymes, such as amylase, then it won’t get completely broken down in the rest of your digestive system either,” Dr. Berookim continues. So yes—gum isn’t compatible with the digestive system.

Does swallowed gum ever get fully digested?

Recalling the childhood rumor of gum staying in your system for seven years after swallowing it, Dr. Berookim says this is more of a myth than anything… with one caveat.

“Our digestive enzymes can easily break down all of gum’s components except the gum base itself,” Dr. Berookim says. “Gum base is composed of an insoluble gum base—resins, humectants, elastomers, emulsifiers, fillers, waxes, antioxidants, and softeners—sweeteners, and flavoring agents.” FYI, he notes that gum base is exactly what makes it sticky and stretchy.

But just because we can’t digest gum fully doesn’t mean it’ll stay in our systems forever. On this point, Dr. Berookim says we can liken gum base to other items we routinely ingest that we can’t break down—such as insoluble fiber, watermelon seeds, and popcorn kernels. “[These] are not digestible, but still follow along the path of the digestive system and make their way out of our bodies,” he shares. (Cue the collective sigh of relief.)

How “bad” is it to swallow gum?

While swallowing gum isn’t ideal, Dr. Berookim says that doing so by accident is unlikely to cause digestive distress or any palpable damage. “Some people report an immediate stomach ache after ingesting their gum, [but] whether this is just a psychological response or a real physiologic effect is not completely known,” he says.

With that in mind, Dr. Berookim mentions that experiencing adverse effects after swallowing gum are more likely if you ingest a large mouthful of it. “Too much gum swallowed at once can clump together to form a larger clump also known as a bezoar, which is too large to move normally through the digestive tract and can potentially cause an obstruction.”

Children in particular require more caution in this regard. “Since the diameter of the small intestine in a child is smaller, the risk of obstruction increases,” Dr. Berookim says. In sum, he advises spitting out your gum once it loses its flavor or you’re done chewing it—but it’s not really worth stressing over if you gulp it down by mistake.

“Colorectal cancer is the third-most-commonly diagnosed cancer in men and women and second-most-lethal cancer,” says Yi-Qian Nancy You, MD, professor of colon and rectal surgery, director of the young-onset colorectal cancer program and associate medical director of the clinical cancer genetics program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. “It is also the number-one cause of death in men under the age of 50.”

Colorectal cancer includes colon and rectal cancer, and typically starts as a polyp or growth on the inner lining of the colon. While not all polyps form into cancer, some can. Dr. You says that these cancer cells can progress or start spreading, and typically colorectal cancer will grow deeper into the wall of the colon and rectum becoming stage two cancer.

Symptoms to look out for if you suspect you may have colorectal cancer?

Colorectal cancer can present itself in many ways, and some patients can even be asymptomatic and not know they’re sick.

Theodore R. Levin, MD, research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. and clinical lead for colorectal cancer screening at The Permanente Medical Group says that some of the main symptoms to look out for include: rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, weight loss, anemia, or change in bowel habits—particularly narrowing of the stools.

Extreme fatigue, weakness, and persistent pain in the abdomen that leads to excessive gas or cramps are also symptoms to keep an eye on, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Are there any lifestyle choices or factors that increase your risk?

Like most cancers there are modifiable and unmodifiable risk factors. Dr. You says that predictors that are out of a patient’s control can include a medical genetic predisposition due to family history. This can include inherited colorectal cancer syndromes such as Lynch syndrome, and your risk of getting colorectal cancer also increases as you get older.

But there are risk factors that can be brought on by lifestyle choices. “This includes smoking, high alcohol consumption, an unhealthy diet, or the so called ‘western diet pattern,’ lack of exercise, a sedentary lifestyle, and being overweight,” Dr. You says.

There is an association between drinking sugar sweetened beverages and an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to new research conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Are there specific things young people can do to prevent colorectal cancer?

Dr. You has three major tips for young people: She recommends learning what the symptoms of colorectal cancer are, paying attention to your body and not ignoring anything that may seem off.

“Young adults are busy and are not thinking they can get cancer,” she says. “They don’t always have a primary care physician at a phone call’s reach, and sometimes even the first physician they reach out to may not think of cancer. It is important to learn the symptoms, not ignore them, and seek care.”

Second, she recommends learning about your family history. She says that up to 20 percent of the young onset of colorectal cancer arises in patients with an inherited predisposition, so it is critical to make the diagnosis of the underlying syndrome, so that all at-risk blood relatives can have an opportunity to be proactive about their health.

Finally, make routine screenings part of your self-care practice.

“People tend to think of colon screening in terms of colonoscopy,” Dr. Levin says. “However, with the availability of non-invasive tests like the fecal immunochemical test and fecal DNA tests, it’s never been easier to protect yourself through screening.”

There are two main types of screening tests for colorectal cancer: stool-based tests and visual exams.

Stool-based tests can be done in the comfort of one’s home and involve sending in your stool to a lab for analysis. Because these do not involve a doctor looking at you physically, these are less invasive and typically less expensive.

Visual exams involve a doctor directly examining the inside of the colon or rectum, and this includes the colonoscopy. These do involve a certain amount of preparation and are performed generally every five to 10 years. If something abnormal is found, further diagnostic or treatment procedures, such as removing a polyp, can be done right away.

Why routine screenings are so important in early detection and prevention, specifically in younger people?

Colorectal cancer staging describes how much cancer is in the body, and diagnosis is the most powerful predictor of survival for long-term quality of life in survivorship.

There is opportunity for interception, which is why routine screenings are key. “It takes time for a polyp to develop into cancer and for a cancer to progress through the stages, so removing a precancerous lesion can completely prevent cancer, and diagnosing a cancer as early as possible can improve outcomes,” Dr. You says.

If you’re unsure what age you should start getting screened, experts agree you should consult with your doctor first. Some patients have  non-modifiable risk factors and others may have high-risk factors. Dr. You says that patients with Lynch syndrome should start screening around ages 22 to 25, patients with the chronic inflammatory bowel disease ulcerative colitis should follow strict guidelines, and patients with a first-degree relative that has or has had colorectal cancer should start screening at least 10 years before the relative’s age at diagnosis. The majority of the young patients who are at an average or normal risk should start screening at age 45.

“Being diagnosed with young onset colorectal cancer can feel scary, shocking, and isolating,” Dr. You says. “It is important to know that you are not alone. There are other young adults going through the cancer journey, and there are experts who are here to walk with you.”

Prime example? Sulforaphane (try saying that five times fast!), a powerhouse nutrient strongly recommended by board-certified gastroenterologist, gut health expert, and best-selling author, Will Bulsiewicz, MD. We asked him all about the ways that sulforaphane benefits our health, why it’s so important to prioritize in our diets, and the best ways to fit more into our meals.

The many ways that sulforaphane benefits your health

“Sulforaphane is a type of phytochemical, a nutrient found specifically in plants,” Dr. Bulsiewicz says, and in this case, it’s found specifically in cruciferous vegetables. That means you’ll find it in broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and certain dark leafy greens.

“We have long known that cruciferous vegetables have health benefits, including reducing our risk of cancer and other chronic diseases,” says Dr. Bulsiewicz. “Laboratory research suggests that sulforaphane may play an important role in the cancer-protective qualities of these foods.”

Additionally, according to Dr. Bulsiewicz, sulforaphane can do wonders for your gut health: “It can be helpful in reducing inflammation throughout the body, boost immunity, combatting hangover symptoms, and can be helpful for those who are struggling with hormonal health issues,” he says. The phytochemical is a powerful liver detoxifier, meaning it improves liver function and assists the body in detoxifying excess hormones, which can lead to clearer skin, alleviation of intense PMS symptoms, and more reliable periods.

How much sulforaphane should we be getting each day?

Unlike many vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients, there isn’t a recommended daily intake (RDA) or level of adequate intake (AI) suggested by the National Institutes of Health. Instead, Dr. Bulsiewicz says it’s much easier to turn your focus on maximizing your intake of cruciferous veggies on a regular basis. Go-getter that he is, Dr. Bulsiewicz even kicks off his day with a hefty serving of sulforaphane in the form of broccoli sprouts, which he says contain a whopping 50-100 times more of the nutrient than mature broccoli on the stalk.

“I start every morning with a smoothie highlighted by a generous handful of broccoli sprouts,” Dr. Bulsiewicz says. “You’ll know when you’re pushing the sprouts hard because you will taste the bitterness. Embrace it; it’s good for you!”

Another easy way to boost your intake is to prioritize sulforaphane-rich leafy greens in your salads instead of lettuce, says Dr. Bulsiewicz. He adds kale, arugula, and/or collard greens to his daily lunch salads whenever possible. Additionally, one of his favorite kitchen secrets is a technique he calls “Chop then Stop.” Dr. Bulsiewicz explains that more sulforaphane can be created in cruciferous veggies when you chew them thoroughly or chop them at least a few minutes before cooking. Whenever he’s using these veggies in a recipe, he chops them up, walks away for 10 minutes, and allows the chemical reaction to take place before cooking to best retain their sulforaphane power.

Another easy way to boost your intake is to prioritize sulforaphane-rich leafy greens in your salads instead of lettuce, says Dr. Bulsiewicz. He adds kale, arugula, and/or collard greens to his daily lunch salads whenever possible.

“The ideal way to get sulforaphane is through your diet,” Dr. Bulsiewicz says. “The reason being is that the evidence strongly supports consumption of the whole cruciferous vegetable, which will provide the sulforaphane but also provides fiber, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, and even protein and healthy fats. We can’t say with confidence that sulforaphane, when removed from all of these other nutrients, would function in the same way. With this in mind, we should strive to be consuming more of these health-promoting veggies.”

“The ideal way to get sulforaphane is through your diet,” Dr. Bulsiewicz says. “The reason being is that the evidence strongly supports consumption of the whole cruciferous vegetable, which will provide the sulforaphane but also provides fiber, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, and even protein and healthy fats.

What to do if cruciferous veggies don’t agree with you

Whether you are in the process of healing your gut and are having to limit your intake of cruciferous veggies for a period of time, are concerned about sprout intake due to pregnancy, or you simply don’t enjoy the bitterness of broccoli sprouts, there are several ways to up your sulforaphane intake with ease. But first, remember to speak with your healthcare provider before starting on any new supplements. If you are already on a supplement regimen, Thorne Health, a science-based gut wellness brand, makes a Crucera-SGS supplement in capsule form that’s packed with 50mg of sulforaphane in from broccoli extract.

Additionally, those serious about stepping up their sulforaphane game can check out Broc Shot, an Australian-based company devoted to making sulforaphane consumption pain-free and sustainable through stylishly packaged “shots” to down each morning before starting your daily routine. And once you’ve finished the pack of 10 shots, you can ship them back to TerraCycle label provided, for them to recycle and repurpose into other products.

Broc Shot’s co-founder Benjamin Silver was taking some time off after working for a popular coconut water company when he came across a study from John Hopkins University that showed how a beverage made from broccoli sprouts enhanced detoxification of air pollutants in China. He was blown away by the findings, that a simple beverage, and it’s main component, sulforaphane, could help the body detoxify from benzene, a known human carcinogen, and acrolein, a lung irritant, within 24 hours.

“I went into a deep dive that night and found that there are over 1,000 peer-reviewed clinical studies and articles on sulforaphane and its countless health and even beauty benefits including anti-aging and skin health, metabolic health, sports performance and recovery, cognitive benefits, gut health, immunity, cancer prevention and treatment, Alzheimer’s, autism, ADHD, skin conditions, and more,” says Silver. “I wanted to start taking it immediately but couldn’t find any good sources. It seemed that everything on the market was calling itself ‘sulforaphane’ but wasn’t, or it was synthetic, which seemed counterintuitive for a wellness product. So, I decided I needed to make a high quality, natural source of sulforaphane from whole broccoli sprout powder.”

Silver teamed up with Gracia Walker, a veteran of the beauty industry, and she too was blown away by the research on sulforaphane and broccoli sprouts. The pair got to work right away sourcing high-quality organic, hydroponically-grown broccoli sprouts and learning how to best retain the nutritional impact throughout the manufacturing process to offer a convenient and consistent way for consumers to boost their intakes. Broc Shot comes in an egg carton-like pack of 10 drinkable shots that are loaded with 15mg of the phytochemical. Silver and Walker explains that the key elements this product is designed to address are: inflammation, detoxification, and gut health.

Whether you’re looking to improve your digestion, boost your antioxidant intake, or want a high-powered way to positively impact practically every system in the body, upping your sulforaphane is a great place to start. And it’s easier than ever to do so now too, thanks to the increased popularity of broccoli sprouts, high-quality supplements, and, of course, Dr. Bulsiewicz’s “Chop then Stop” tip for turning your everyday groceries into superheroes.

“There’s something to be said for routine when it comes to both quality sleep and digestive health, and they also support one another,” says Kelly Jones, RD, LDN. That’s right, you can use your bedtime routine to your advantage to support your gut and digestive health.

Can your digestive system affect your sleep?

According to a 2016 study from the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, lower fiber diets with higher saturated fat and sugar intake showed lighter (less deep) sleep with more intermittent wake-ups. The researchers concluded that higher fiber, lower fat, and lower sugar meals, especially later in the day, can contribute to better sleep. It makes sense that gut-healthy, easy-to-digest foods would contribute to better sleep. Your body slows digestion when you sleep. So if you have eaten a full meal of things that will be a challenge for your stomach and its bacteria to digest— less quality sleep makes sense as a result.

Can probiotics help you sleep better?

As far as probiotics go, unless they’re fortified with a drowsy agent like melatonin or magnesium, probiotics don’t necessarily make you sleepy or induce sleep. However, having a healthy microbiome and supporting the growth of good stomach bacteria is good for your overall gut health (and gut-healing foods can help you get there). Having a healthy gut can help you digest your food better, which has been shown to promote quality sleep. In a way, yes, but popping some probiotics before bed isn’t necessarily going to have you counting sheep.

Can your gut health affect your sleep quality?

You might be wondering, “Can your gut cause insomnia?” and that is a good question, though it might be a bit more complex of an answer. Your tummy can certainly disrupt you, whether that’s gassy cramps, acid reflux causing a burn in your throat, or getting up to go to the bathroom. Typically your body takes a pause on going potty (especially number 2) throughout the night. So, if you’re waking up at night to go poop, you might want to make sure that you’re getting your system right during the day so that there’s no disruption at night.

Things that can get your system regular include eating a diet high in gut-healthy foods, easy-to-digest foods, probiotic foods, and more. Now, you don’t need to be eating your daily recommended fiber right before you dive into bed for a good night’s sleep. In fact, according to the Cleveland Clinic, you should aim to eat your last meal about three hours before you go to bed. This can help your body get to work with digestion since sleep tends to slow digestion, according to the Mayo Clinic.

There are so many gut-healthy foods out there that can support a healthy gut 24/7 and, in turn, help you sleep better. But generally speaking, these gut-healthy foods don’t need to be eaten right before bed for your GI system and stomach bacteria/microbiome to reap the full benefits.

What should I eat before bed for good digestion?

Gut-healing foods, gut-healthy foods, and probiotic foods sometimes have acidity or general pungency in common (think kimchi, sauerkraut, fermented foods). These are admittedly not… foods you want to be eating in front of the fridge from the jar right before you hop into bed. Talk about heartburn, am I right? But they are foods that generally benefit your gut overall. So eating this throughout the day or with meals, in quantities that don’t give you a tummy ache, is good for digestion round the clock.

Secondly, so that you’re not left wondering what to do when food is not digested—do your best to stick to consistent meal times, particularly with dinner. “When the body gets used to eating at around the same time, the release of digestive hormones and relaxation becomes more automated,” says Jones, which leads to easier digestion. “It’s okay to have some variation, but if your body never knows when it should expect to eat, stress hormones may run higher, too—especially if you go too long without eating.”

This higher amount of stress hormones can tend to slow digestion and even promote indigestion. Planning to eat well before your bedtime can give your body time to digest food, so you’re not googling “how to digest food faster.” The truth is that your body needs its own unique time to digest food, and that can vary between people and by the day or meal you eat. Instead of finding out how to digest food faster, planning your meals and bedtime with ample room, rest, and movement, can give your body the tools it needs to digest your food.

The best habits to help digestion at night

There are a few habits that are well worth trying before bed to help your digestion at night and beyond. Here are a few dietitians’ top tips for getting a good night’s rest and keeping your gut happy when you wake up.

1. Enjoy a tummy-soothing ginger or peppermint tea

Say you had a fun night out or a delicious dinner at home full of some not so easy to digest foods. Well, there’s no fault in that because even foods that give us a tummy ache, later on can be downright delicious (hello, mac n cheese, am I right?). And yet, when it comes to wondering what to do when food is not digested or you have a rumbly tummy, you can lean on some foods that naturally soothe the tummy. Peppermint, especially peppermint tea, is not only tasty but it is also known as an antispasmodic, meaning it calms the muscle of the stomach and increases the production of bile, according to Mount Sinai. Bile helps the stomach and your gut microbiome digest food — especially fats.

Another amazing gut-healing food includes Ginger. “Ginger has a calming effect on the digestive tract, and warm beverages may be soothing as well,” says Jones. Specifically, the root is known for helping ease gas and bloating—always a good thing to nip in the bud before you get in bed. It also promotes motility, aka it keeps things moving through your digestive tract, supporting your stomach bacteria and microbiome.

Brew up some ginger or peppermint tea before bed to help soothe your stomach; enjoy a ginger candy after dinner, or just toss some in with your dinnertime vegetables.

2. Try some light stretching or walking

While you might already know stretching or even light yoga is good for digestion, streaming a class at night for even just five minutes can improve gut health and put you to sleep, says Jones. Sometimes it’s not about what gut health foods you’re eating or what probiotic foods you packed into your meals— instead, it could be about moving more. Taking a walk after you eat can improve digestion if waking up with heartburn or running to use the bathroom is a common occurrence for you.

The most important thing, though, is that you really internalize gentle movement. Taking a run or CrossFit class right after eating is not the best idea and can give you a tummy ache with even the most easy-to-digest foods. Instead, light movements offer a chance to stimulate blood flow without igniting your fight-or-flight adrenaline response, which can slow digestion (which we don’t want).

“Just do gentle with low-intensity twist poses, as these may help stimulate blood flow to your core for gastric motility,” she says. “This might be especially helpful if you’re dealing with bloating and constipation, so you’re more likely to be ready to go in the morning,” she adds.

3. Give your brain designated relaxation time

“Many people go to sleep with high stress, never winding down from a long day, or logging off of emails or parent duties minutes before they want to fall asleep. Due to the gut-brain axis, mental stress also stresses out our digestive tracts and vice-versa,” says Jones. This can result in constipation, diarrhea, or an upset stomach, depending on the person. By setting aside five to 10 minutes of meditation or another relaxing activity (like light reading) before bed, you’ll give your brain an opportunity to relax and get your mind off of the stressful stuff before you head off to snooze. That will have big benefits for your digestive health, too.

4. Eat some prunes

“Prunes or dried plums contain magnesium, calcium, and vitamin B6 which help produce melatonin, a hormone that makes us sleepy,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, RDN, author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club. Eat two or three about an hour before bedtime.  This lets you digest them but also get those benefits soon enough. Plus, eating prunes on a regular basis is good for your GI system since they have fiber to keep you regular. And stick to two or three—too many might have you running to the bathroom instead of the bed.

5. Turn off the news

Remember what we said earlier about stress levels? While staying in touch with what’s going on in the world is super important, catch up on the news in the earlier hours. “Since these are trying times, anxiety levels are peaked. Our mind-gut connection is very strong, and our emotions are often experienced as GI discomfort,” says Harris-Pincus. “I’ve been asking clients to avoid the news or Internet surfing for a couple of hours before bed to allow your brain to calm down for sleep,” she says. Your gut will thank you, too.

When it comes to answering the bigger gut health questions like what helps digestion at night, there isn’t a cookie-cutter answer for everyone. Everyone is different, and that includes your tummy. However, these are some helpful starters for trying to get better sleep and have a healthier gut 24/7.

And while it’s important to consume added and refined sugars in moderation, this neither means that you must nor should rid your diet of *all* sources of sweetness for good. In fact, Dr. Bulsiewicz himself recently shared his top picks for gut-friendly sweeteners on Instagram… with a caveat that moderation is key. “This is NOT to pretend that I never consume sugar or non-nutritive sweetener containing products… I definitely do. But whenever possible, I am preferentially targeting the upper parts of this list,” his caption reads.

 

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A post shared by Will Bulsiewicz MD MSCI (Dr B) (@theguthealthmd)

All said, you can very well satisfy your sweet tooth while being a bit friendlier to your gut. To see why these gastro-approved picks get the green light, we asked Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN, of Real Nutrition in New York City, for some additional insights.

The best gut-friendly sweeteners, according to a gastroenterologist and a dietitian

1. Fresh or frozen whole fruit

If you want to satisfy your craving for something sweet, whole fruit is the number-one way to go. Whether fresh or frozen, fruit in its original form offers fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants—all of which are highly beneficial for your gut and well-being. “Fiber interacts directly with gut microbes, which is essential to maintain gut microbiota diversity,” Shapiro says. “The healthy balance of microbes in the gut helps to prevent development of chronic inflammatory diseases.” All the while, micronutrients support everything from metabolism and immunity, as “antioxidants remove free radicals that predispose humans to [premature] aging and chronic diseases.”

Whether fresh or frozen, fruit in its original form offers fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants—all of which are highly beneficial for your gut and well-being.

Enjoy whole fruit on its own or integrate it into a bigger snack like yogurt. “Yogurt is a probiotic food that works perfectly with prebiotics in fruit to see the beneficial health effects,” Shapiro notes. Another super sweet, gut-friendly hack: Muddle fruit in a glass and add sparkling water for a delicious DIY tonic.

2. No sweetener at all

Used to adding a dash (or heavy pour) of sugar in items like coffee or tea? It may be hard to break the habit, but it could very well be worth doing so, even if you taper off slowly. “Sugar appears to tip the microbiome bacteria away from health support and more towards non-beneficial bacteria growth in the gut,” says Shapiro. Moreover, while your body needs carbohydrates to facilitate bodily functions and everyday activities, she says that sweeteners aren’t the right type of fuel to get the job done.

3. Applesauce or whole dates

Applesauce is minimally processed and whole dates are fruit in their original form, which makes them healthier alternatives for refined sugars, syrups, and artificial sweeteners. “Both ingredients retain the gut-health benefits of prebiotic fibers, vitamins, and minerals—and their original fruity flavors,” Shapiro explains. “Whole dates also contain proteins in forms of essential amino acids that are generally absent in popular fruits and support metabolic functions.” She deems the two to be ideal for cooking and baking in particular. Note: She advises opting for unsweetened varieties of applesauce, as many contain high-fructose corn syrup.

4. Maple syrup or honey

Yes, maple syrup and honey both pack a relatively hefty dose of sugar—about 12 grams and 17 grams per tablespoon, respectively—so you’ll need to be mindful of your intake. Yet Shapiro says that their phenolic compounds still make both options adequate substitutes for refined sugar. “The phenolic constituents give these two natural sweeteners their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, meaning they aid in reducing free radicals from metabolic processes in the human body,” she shares.

When you reduce oxidative stress, you lower your risk of developing inflammatory conditions and diseases—with Shapiro citing metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disorders among them. But it bears repeating that a little dab will do you if you’re committed to reducing your overall sugar intake to benefit your gut and greater health.

5. Stevia, monk fruit, or fruit juice

Dr. Bulsiewicz includes these three items at the end of his list and suggests using them sparingly. “Due to the naturally intense sweetness of stevia and monk fruit, only a very small amount is required to reach the same sweet level as refined sugar,” Shapiro explains. “Small amounts of these natural, zero-calorie sweeteners can induce a lower blood sugar spike after consumption [compared to refined sugar],” she adds. (However, some research on non-nutritive sweeteners demonstrates gut microbiome disruptions in mice, though further studies in human participants are necessary.)

“Due to the naturally intense sweetness of stevia and monk fruit, only a very small amount is required to reach the same sweet level as refined sugar,” Shapiro explains.

Finally, a small amount of fruit juice can help you satisfy your fix for something sweet. “Fruit juice still retains its vitamins and minerals, but it is processed and may be deprived of the gut-beneficial fibers,” Shapiro explains. For this reason, whole fruits still reign supreme to maximize the gut-boosting benefits.

Though we don’t always talk about it, we’ve all been there. Because into every life a little poop must, well, fall. And there are times when that sh** is decidedly… not normal. But do you know what constitutes an actual poop emergency?

Usually, changes in poop are no big deal. But sometimes, this very mundane, daily activity can signal medical issues that require more than just toilet paper. Before you hit the panic button (or go bidet shopping), read on.

Common poop emergencies: How to know when to go

The most common poop problems are usually diarrhea, blood in stool, and constipation. While less than fun, these conditions can typically be handled at home with over-the-counter medication and a little TLC. Dietary changes, medications, and even herbal supplements can all alter the consistency and frequency of poop, so it could just be a matter of eliminating the guilty party.

In some instances, however, there may be additional symptoms that signal a need for immediate medical attention, or signs of serious conditions that warrant a doctor’s input sooner rather than later.

Diarrhea

Loose, watery stool can be caused by viral or bacterial infections you get from person-to-person contact. Ingested pathogens (food poisoning) are another common culprit. You can even get diarrhea from emotional upsets, such as anxiety. Diarrhea can also be a symptom of an underlying condition, like irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease.

No matter the cause, you probably don’t need immediate emergency care unless diarrhea is accompanied by additional symptoms, like dehydration, significant pain or discomfort, or a sustained fever over 101 degrees fahrenheit, says Matthew Warner, MD, chairman of emergency medicine for Inspira Medical Centers. Any symptoms that worry you or differ from your norm, like dizziness or fainting, should also be checked out ASAP if they accompany diarrhea.

Dehydration might not sound serious, but it is absolutely a medical emergency: Dr. Warner cautions that dehydration may set in quickly when diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting. “Signs of dehydration to look out for include decreased urination, dark-colored urine, and dry, cracked lips,” he says. Babies may appear listless, have a sunken fontanel, or cry without producing tears. The people most likely to get dehydrated quickly from having diarrhea are children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing medical conditions, like immune system disorders and cancer.

Chronic diarrhea that lasts longer than a week, or that comes and goes consistently over any period of time, may not need a trip to the ER, but it warrants a chat with your healthcare provider. This is especially important if it contains dark blood, small solid specks, mucus, or pus.

Bloody stool

It can be scary to see blood in your poop. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean something awful is going on internally. “Bloody stool can be alarming, but often the bleeding is from local perianal irritation or hemorrhoids,” explains Dr. Warner. Hemorrhoidal bleeding is typically painless, and bright red in color.

While not an immediate emergency, bloody stool can also be a symptom of conditions that require medical treatment, like diverticulitis or Crohn’s disease. If you notice blood in your stool on an ongoing basis, have it checked out soon, especially if the blood is dark red, black, tarry, or contains specks, like coffee grounds.

However, don’t wait to go to the ER if you’re passing more than a cup of blood, or if your bloody stool accompanies any of these symptoms:

• Fever
• Severe abdominal pain or cramps
• Feeling dizzy or faint
• Rapid heartbeat
• Vomit that looks like coffee grounds

Constipation

Not everyone poops every day. What constitutes constipation for you may be different for someone else.

Like diarrhea, constipation can sometimes be caused by underlying medical conditions that require a healthcare provider’s input, like irritable bowel syndrome or hypothyroidism. But according to Dr. Warner, the main causes of this uncomfortable condition are not drinking enough fluids and not eating enough fiber.

Still, whatever your normal pooping schedule, if it’s been a week or longer since you did the deed and you’re in pain or have significant bloating, go to the ER. Providers there can help you pass the stool before it hardens and bulks up too much.

We recently caught up with Mahmoud Ghannoum, PhD, a microbiome researcher and co-founder of BIOHM, who shared a few general tips to help repair your gut if you’ve been feeling like it’s a little out of whack. Just keep in mind: Gut health is highly nuanced, and folks should approach the topic based on what’s best suited to their individual needs. (No single tip will serve as a cure-all, you know?) That said, Dr. Ghannoum breaks down five important ways to start giving your gut more of the nutrients it needs—and it might be easier to get on the right tract track than you might expect.

5 tips for healing your gut, according to a microbiome researcher

1. Modify your dietary habits depending on your specific needs

First things first, Dr. Ghannoum says what you eat (and how you eat it) plays a significant role in the health of your gut, especially if you’re one of the five to 10 percent of the worldwide population that sufferers from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

“Some people with IBS find that a low FODMAP diet—which restricts certain types of carbohydrates that can ferment in the gut—is helpful in reducing IBS symptoms,” Dr. Ghannoum says. According to Cleveland Clinic, this includes certain foods like legumes and wheat. That said, this certainly doesn’t affect the majority of the population, which is why Dr. Ghannoum stresses the importance of working with a registered dietitian or healthcare provider to develop a personalized plan to avoid any nutrient deficiencies down the road.

What’s more, Dr. Ghannoum explains that it’s important to adapt your eating habits in addition to changing what you eat. “For managing IBS symptoms, I also recommend the following dietary changes: avoiding large meals, chewing food thoroughly, adequate hydration, and eating slowly,” he says. Out of these, Dr. Ghannoum says adequate hydration is imperative for maintaining regular bowel movements and preventing constipation.

2. Reduce stress whenever possible

Though it’s hard to imagine how your mind can play a role in your gut, research has shown that the two are inextricably linked to one another. Namely, stress can wreak havoc on your gut health. That said, Dr. Ghannoum offers a few simple tips for reducing stress that can positively affect your microbiome. “Some examples of stress-reducing activities include deep breathing exercises, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and yoga,” he says.

Additionally, Dr. Ghannoum says it’s important to take a step back and work to identify and address the sources of stress in your life, whether they are related to work, relationships, or other factors. However, he notes that there are many ways to reduce stress, and what works for one may not work for another. Instead, it requires a bit of trial and error to figure out what works best for you.

3. Engage in exercise regularly, but don’t overdo it

It’s no secret that exercise can positively affect much more than just your gut health. Indeed, even one minute of exercise daily can help boost your longevity by up to 40 percent. That said, Dr. Ghannoum notes it’s important to avoid overdoing it either, which can have an adverse effect on your gut health. “Exercise can be helpful for managing IBS symptoms but can also trigger symptoms if not done properly. It’s important to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity to avoid any triggers,” he says.

“Exercise can be helpful for managing IBS symptoms but can also trigger symptoms if not done properly. It’s important to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity to avoid any triggers.”—Mahmoud Ghannoum, PhD

As such, Dr. Ghannoum recommends low-impact activities like walking, swimming, or yoga as a good place to start. He also notes that prepping the body for a workout is critical for your gut health. “It’s important to stay hydrated and avoid exercising on a full stomach. Also, incorporating relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, or mindfulness meditation before or after exercise can help reduce stress and promote relaxation,” he says.

4. Sleep, sleep, and sleep some more

Aside from being in a grouchy mood all day, Dr. Ghannoum notes that poor sleep can also equate to poor gut health. “Poor sleep hygiene can exacerbate stress, anxiety, and other symptoms associated with IBS,” he says. On the other hand, he notes that good sleep hygiene means sticking to a sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine in a sleep-conducive environment, and avoiding stimulating substances like nicotine and caffeine.

The microbiome researcher also says to avoid a long midday nap whenever possible. “It’s also important to limit naps to 30 minutes or less and avoid napping in the late afternoon or evening, as this can interfere with nighttime sleep,” Dr. Ghannoum says.

5. Give the gut natural probiotics to nosh on

Whether you’re just starting your gut health journey or have been practicing gut-boosting techniques for years, you’ve likely heard talk about probiotics. That’s because probiotics are live bacteria highly beneficial to gut health. “Some research suggests that taking probiotic supplements or eating probiotic-rich foods—like yogurt, kefir, fermented food—can be helpful for managing IBS symptoms,” Dr. Ghannoum says. However, before consuming any type of supplement, he recommends consulting with a healthcare professional to assess your needs. What’s more, Dr. Ghannoum notes that more research is needed to determine the best probiotic strains and dosages for the most effective gut health benefits.

A dietitian explains a low FODMAP diet:

But unfortunately, alongside the enjoyment of added sugar does come with some unwanted health impacts—including increased inflammation, altered gut microbiome health, and overall increased chronic disease risk. With this in mind, many of us are looking to reduce our intake while still satisfying our sweet tooth. Enter artificial sweeteners. “Artificial sweeteners can be a simple way to limit added sugar in your diet while balancing your blood sugars—but they’re not for everyone,” says Bianca Tamburello, RDN at FRESH Communications.

When these sugar alternatives hit the market, starting all the way back in the late 1800’s, consumers couldn’t get enough of them, thinking this was their answer. Fast forward to today and lots of research has been conducted on these artificial substitutes, some of which is quite frankly concerning. Let’s find out what the data shows about the safety, nutritional value, and health impacts of the most popular artificial sweeteners.

What the science says about artificial sweeteners and their health implications

Sugar alcohols

Sugar alcohols, such as erythritol, can be easily spotted on a food label, as they usually end in –itol, with classic examples including erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol. But don’t worry: These are not the same kind of alcohol you’d find in wine, beer, or liquor.

Also known as polyols, sugar alcohols do occur naturally and are typically extracted from plants that produce fruit-like berries. Because of this, they technically aren’t considered a true artificial sweetener as they aren’t chemically-based and they aren’t calorie-free—typically providing anywhere between a half to a third of the calories of regular table sugar. This translates to these substitutes offering slightly less sweetness than sugar and won’t spike blood sugars in the same way, making them a fan favorite of those with metabolic concerns, like type 2 diabetes. Plus, they are much better for our oral and dental health than sugar, just like artificial sweeteners.

Sugar alcohols are most commonly known to cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea, with some consumers even citing a laxative effect.

While this all sounds ideal, there are some unfortunate side effects associated with these alternatives. Sugar alcohols are most commonly known to cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea, with some consumers even citing a laxative effect. Not exactly ideal. This is likely related to the alteration of gut bacteria associated with these sweeteners.

Concern around erythritol in particular has recently heighted with a recent study published in February of this year out of the Cleveland Clinic. It found the artificial sweetener, erythritol, to actually be associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke.

And for all you animal lovers out there, especially those who love to sneak Fido some human food, it’s important to note that xylitol is toxic to dogs with the potential to cause liver failure and even death. Despite these concerns, sugar alcohols are considered foods safe to consume by the FDA.

Aspartame

Commonly known as Equal, aspartame is a common artificial sweetener composed mainly of amino acids phenylalanine and aspartic acid. It does contain four calories per gram but is a staggering 200 times sweeter than sugar, typically driving consumers to use less of it.

This substitute is the most well-researched of the bunch. The first cautionary note is that those with phenylketonuria or PKU, a rare genetic disease that prevents the body from properly metabolizing the amino acid phenylalanine, should avoid this sweetener due to its composition. Aspartame is also one of the highest dietary sources of methanol, a known carcinogen and neurotoxin. While the methanol found in this sweetener is typically bound and not able to impact our health, free methanol is released upon heating aspartame—and this free form of the molecule is the one to worry about as it breaks down into formaldehyde. However, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has found that methanol exposure from aspartame consumption does not pose a safety or health risk for humans.

Aspartame is also the go-to sweetener for diet soda. One study published in Diabetes Care found that diet soda consumption was linked with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. And while the American Cancer Society has deemed aspartame to not be linked with cancer, one animal study found the sugar substitute to be carcinogenic to rodents. Regardless, Equal or aspartame has gained stamps of safety approval from multiple credible sources including both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and World Health Organization (WHO).

Saccharin

Saccharin, most commonly sold as Sweet’n Low, is a non-nutritive sweetener, offering zero calories per gram and can be over 300 times sweeter than sugar. This product was actually the first commercialized artificial sweetener and became popular during World War I due to sugar shortages. Our bodies can’t actually metabolize this common sub-out for sugar, so it won’t influence blood sugars in any way.

Famously banned in over 100 countries after a 1970 study showing its correlation to bladder cancer in rats, saccharin has since been reinstated after further research showed these effects were not present in humans. However, other studies have shown that this sweetener can alter our gut microbiome health, potentially resulting in digestive and overall health concerns (as the microbiome influences so much throughout the body—from brain health, to immune health, to chronic disease expression). An animal study also found long-term consumption of saccharin to be tied to impaired liver and kidney function, but again these findings have not been shown in humans. Ultimately, saccharin is also considered a safe food additive by the FDA and WHO.

Sucralose

The final artificial sweetener we’ll highlight here is sucralose, or Splenda: the most widely used of the bunch. This calorie-free sugar substitute is made in a lab through chemical processes that yields a shockingly sweet product—around 600 times sweeter than table sugar.

Often used in cooking and baking, you can expect sucralose to not impact your blood sugars, and this has generally been shown in the available data. However, a few studies have revealed that sucralose does have an effect on glucose and insulin levels in healthy adults, like this randomized control trial published in Nutrition Journal.

Sucralose may also not be the best baking ingredient. When it’s heated above 350 degrees Fahrenheit in combination with a fat source, a substance called chloropropanol may be produced. Chloropropanols are known to be carcinogenic. Though, another study later found that sucralose in heated foods posed no health risk—however this study was funded by a manufacturer of Splenda, Tate & Lyle Ingredients. Otherwise, research published in Nutrition and Cancer found sucralose to pose no cancer risk after assessing multiple long-term studies.

When it comes to gut health, a few short-term studies, including this randomized control trial, found sucralose to have no negative impact on the gut microbiome. The only long-term study looking at this topic was done with animals, and it did find this substitute to alter gut flora while also promoting liver inflammation. Sucralose was also included in a 2022 study alongside aspartame and acesulfame potassium (another artificial sweetener), where a correlation was found between these artificial sweeteners and increased cardiovascular disease risk. Despite this conflicting evidence, this sweetener has also been recognized as a safe food by the FDA.

‘Natural’ alternative sweeteners

In addition to the artificial sweeteners discussed above, there are also natural alternative sweeteners including monk fruit and stevia. These options are derived from plants, are anywhere between 100 and 250 times sweeter than sugar, and are non-nutritive so they won’t impact your blood sugars. Because they are sourced closer to the plant and less processed, they may actually provide some beneficial plant compounds that could help reduce inflammation throughout the body.

However, stevia has been linked to disruption of gut microbiome microorganisms and the EFSA panel concluded that there isn’t enough evidence to deem monk fruit’s safety—although it has been approved for safe use in the US by the FDA, alongside stevia.

The bottom line

So, what should you do with all this research-intensive information? Well, the bottom line is that while many of these artificial sweeteners have been studied fairly extensively and considered safe in the U.S., each brings up questions of concern when it comes to our health and poses unanswered questions. For this reason alone, the safest bet is to either avoid these options or use them sparingly.

The bottom line is that while many of these artificial sweeteners have been studied fairly extensively and considered safe in the U.S., each brings up questions of concern when it comes to our health and poses. unanswered questions

“Given that artificial sweeteners may cause unpleasant GI symptoms and trigger migraines in some people, I recommend trying to eat less added sugar to meet your goals as opposed to turning to artificial options—especially if you don’t like the taste or prefer to eat mainly whole foods,” Tamburello adds.

Thankfully, there are so many delicious sweetener options that are sourced even more naturally than stevia and monk fruit, including maple syrup, coconut sugar, and honey. Adding fruit, no sugar-added homemade fruit syrups, and dates to your baked goods are also great ways to impart sweetness with the added benefit of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds.

No matter which sweetener you choose—artificial, alternative, natural, or otherwise—it’s always a great practice to try to reduce how often we’re sweetening our food. This helps to break that positive feedback loop of needing more and more sweet treats throughout our days.

Listen to a dietitian explain the best sugar options:

Remember when kombucha was only available to those who brewed it at home? Needless to say, those days are long over. A now billion dollar industry, kombucha can be easily found at grocery stores, health food retailers, and even most gas station marts and bodegas. While the health benefits associated with this fizzy beverage have piqued consumer interest, there are still a few question marks when it comes to kombucha…including interesting (murky?) claims related to its trace alcohol content. Let’s take a closer look.

Health benefits of kombucha

First things first: For those who haven’t tried it, kombucha is tea that’s created by process of fermentation. In this case, fermentation is occurring when bacteria, yeast, and other microorganisms interact with tea and sugar, yielding tangy flavor and potent probiotic potential that many people love. Typically, these gut-promoting organisms are introduced through something called a SCOBY, or symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.

The health benefits that result from this tasty science experiment are certainly noteworthy. Kombucha is a good source of probiotics, or healthy bacteria, that can help boost the population of helpful bacteria in our gut microbiome. Beyond promoting healthy digestion and metabolism, a healthy gut microbiome is linked to many other positive health outcomes, from a stronger immune system to better brain and mental health.

Kombucha also provides a healthy dose of B vitamins including folate, niacin, B6, B12, thiamin, and riboflavin—all of which are vital for maintaining your body’s energy levels and metabolism. And thanks to the tea it contains, kombucha is full of plant compounds as well, especially EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), kaempferol, and quercetin. These compounds have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Finally, kombucha is high in organic acids like acetic acid, a potent antimicrobial agent that has also been linked to improved blood pressure regulation.

What to know about kombucha and alcohol

Glossy potential gut benefits aside, there are a few things to keep in mind when drinking kombucha…especially if you do so daily. While some kombucha brands certainly do contain more than a minimal amount of added sugar and/or caffeine (be sure to read labels if those are things you’re not interested in guzzling), one of the bigger debates surrounding kombucha is the alcohol it contains. Read: The fermentation process involved in creating kombucha will always yield some alcohol. But to legally be sold in grocery stores, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) mandates that every bottle of kombucha must have less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) to be sold as a non-alcoholic beverage.

Surprisingly, on their website, the TTB directly addresses the potential for kombucha’s alcohol content to increase as it’s sitting in the bottle, continuing to ferment. Here’s where things get interesting. In 2010, there was a widespread kombucha recall because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was finding alcohol content to be anywhere between 0.5 and 2.5 percent ABV. Fast forward 10 years, and a 2020 study done by the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control found that, after testing nearly 700 samples of kombucha (from brands many of us know and love), the alcohol content of 32 percent of bottles off grocery store shelves was actually measuring anywhere between one and in excess of three percent ABV. Considering a beer can have as little as four percent ABV, this is obviously a concern.

A 2020 study done by the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control found that, after testing nearly 700 samples of kombucha (from brands many of us know and love), the alcohol content of 32 percent of bottles off grocery store shelves was actually measuring anywhere between one and in excess of three percent ABV. Considering a beer can have as little as four percent ABV, this is obviously a concern.

But when you’re homebrewing ‘booch, it’s much easier to accidentally brew something closer to a hard cider than a fermented tea drink. Taking a small dive into the science here, when kombucha is made, alcohol is produced by the action of the yeasts in the mix and is then broken down by the bacteria introduced by the SCOBY to keep it from becoming a full-blown alcoholic beverage. So, if you have an imbalance here—namely an overpopulation of yeast and an under-population of bacteria—you’re going to end up with much more ethanol (aka alcohol) in your kombucha than you may have been intending.

This can also be exacerbated by brewing, storing, or transporting this fermented tea at higher temperatures (over ~73 degrees Fahrenheit) as it promotes yeast activity. This may very well be the root cause for bottles of kombucha in grocery stores having higher alcohol content than they claim.

Unaccounted-for yeast also exists naturally in the air, which can impact your process of making kombucha at home. Here are some ways to try to manage yeast populations at home:

• Avoid taking starter tea from your old kombucha brew at the bottom of the jar, as this is where yeast is most concentrated
• Limit how much sugar and fruit you add to the brew, as this is what the yeast feeds on
• Ferment for fewer days, reducing the amount of alcohol that can be produced
• Increase the bacteria in your brew through using a larger SCOBY
• Make sure the brew has exposure to air to keep those bacteria thriving

All of the above being said, more often than not, the kombucha you buy from the grocery will have the alcohol content mandated by TTB. However, there is still plenty of evidence suggesting that if you’re a frequent buyer, some of those bottles just might have a higher ABV.

This may not be a major concern if you drink the fizzy stuff infrequently, at home relaxing, or during some other time of leisure. But if you are sensitive to alcohol, have health concerns that alcohol exacerbates, or are pregnant, you may want to be cautious of how much kombucha you’re consuming. And always make sure you keep your ‘booch cold!

While there are a handful of caffeinated beverages out there that aren’t coffee (green tea, for instance, or even coffee kombucha, for a step in the right direction), I ultimately landed on replacing coffee with kombucha because I love the flavor and I know it doesn’t keep me up all night. (Plus, kombucha is great for gut health!) I made the swap in March, drinking kombucha both in the morning and throughout the day.

Here’s what happened when I replaced coffee with kombucha

1. The quality of my sleep improved

First, in an effort not to bury the lede, I noticed immediately that the quality of my sleep improved when I swapped kombucha for coffee—even if I drank kombucha at 6 p.m. or later. This makes sense, given how the caffeine content in a serving of kombucha compares to the caffeine in coffee. I was sipping GTS Synergy Kombucha, which has four to eight milligrams of caffeine per eight-ounce serving. An eight-ounce cup of coffee on the other hand, typically has about 96 milligrams (which is roughly 16 times the amount of caffeine).

One of the reasons that coffee was keeping me up until the wee hours of the night is that my body likely metabolizes caffeine relatively slowly, says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, a plant-based dietitian and owner of Master the Media in Stamford, Connecticut. According to Gorin, everyone has a unique sensitivity to caffeine as well as a distinct speed of metabolizing (or processing the stimulant in and out of your body), and these rates vary greatly from person to person. “An individual’s caffeine metabolism refers to how quickly their body metabolizes caffeine. You can either be a slow or a fast metabolizer,” she says. Of course, you can also fall somewhere in between.

Slow caffeine metabolizers need less caffeine throughout the day.

Because it takes my body longer to process caffeine, Gorin explains that drinking more of it (in the form of coffee) was keeping me up later at night because my body was still working through the stimulant. “’I’m a fast caffeine metabolizer, which means I can drink coffee and go to bed within a half hour. But if you’re a slower metabolizer, that coffee is going to stay in your system for a longer period of time, and that means that you probably need less caffeine throughout the day,” she says.

According to Gorin, the best way to test your own caffeine metabolism is to experiment: Start by weaning yourself off caffeine and observe how you feel as the day progresses, as well as how you sleep at night. As far as my trial run of replacing coffee with kombucha? “I think this was a really great experiment to show your body that, ‘Hey, you might not need four cups of coffee. You might just need that little bit of caffeine,’” says Gorin.

2. My digestion got better

Another reason I wasn’t the biggest fan of including coffee in my morning beverage line-up: Upon first sip, I had to run to the bathroom. While some people may drink caffeine to keep them on a regular pooping schedule, that’s not exactly a side effect I enjoy; I would much rather have a consistent and healthy number two routine, rather than relying on a specific beverage to dictate my bathroom habits.

To be fair, Gorin says that this could have more to do with the type of coffee I was drinking (usually drip coffee from a coffee shop) more so than the caffeine itself. Perhaps it was too acidic for my stomach, she suggests. Regardless, it’s undeniable to say that in replacing coffee with kombucha, my digestive system was more on track: I was pooping twice a day, thank you very much. When I was still relying on caffeine from coffee, my bowel movements were actually pretty irregular.

3. I felt more energized

When I replaced coffee with kombucha, I still felt energetic throughout the day, but I wasn’t bouncing from wall to wall (or running to the facilities). This is likely due to my improved sleep cycle as well as the fact that I was side-stepping the caffeine jitters I used to experience. “I think this experiment showed that your body feels a lot better with less caffeine: You’re sleeping better and your digestive system is happier. No more bathroom sprints is also a great thing,” says Gorin.

I was only supposed to try this experiment for two weeks, but honestly, because I discovered that I can still get the energy I need from kombucha without the sleep and digestive drawbacks I experienced after drinking coffee, I plan to keep riding the kombucha train indefinitely. Giving up coffee may sound intimidating, sure, but you know how the saying goes: You never know until you try.

Listen to a registered dietitian explain the benefits of kombucha:

“Stools may be too hard or too small, difficult to pass, or infrequent—fewer than three times per week,” says Brooklyn-based gastroenterologist Niket Sonpal, MD. “People with constipation may also notice a frequent need to strain and a sense that the bowels are not empty.” There are a number of different causes for constipation, he says, including diet (specifically, a lack of fiber or healthy fats), lack of exercise, stress, and dehydration are some of the most common. Signs of constipation also differ for everyone, but a feeling of fullness, not going, and discomfort are all symptoms. In terms of how often you should poop per week, what’s considered “normal” varies, but in general if you aren’t pooping at least every three days, you’re probably constipated. However, it’s best if you’re going to the bathroom at least once a day.

What to know about foods that help you poop as natural laxatives

When you’re dealing with some stopped intestinal traffic, changing your diet is a good first step. If you’re frantically googling “how to relieve constipation” or “foods to avoid when constipated,” there’s a lot of information out there that is confusing and at times contradicting. Slow down and consider fiber your new best friend.

The good news is that the best foods for constipation are also quite tasty and there are so many creative ways to incorporate them into your diet. Most natural laxatives contain fiber and offer constipation relief because they aren’t exactly digestible by the body. “Most dietary fiber is not digested or absorbed, so it stays within the intestine where it modulates digestion of other foods and affects the consistency of stool,” explains Dr. Sonpal.

Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, RD explains that soluble fiber is made up of carbohydrates and dissolves in water (think: fruit, oats, barley, and legumes) while insoluble fiber comes from plant cell walls and does not dissolve in water (think: wheat, rye, and other grains).

Which foods are best to help you poop regularly?

So, if you’ve ever wondered “Do bananas cause constipation?” No, they don’t, but they are one specific type of fiber. You need a balance of both types, so try to consume a mixture of the best foods for constipation (we’ll get to those in a sec). Exploring what foods to avoid when constipated is also, unfortunately, an important part of constipation relief. Some people are more sensitive to constipation-causing foods than others, but don’t worry– we’ll highlight some foods to avoid when constipated. Dairy fans, I know what you’re wondering, does cheese cause constipation, and the answer is complex. You definitely don’t have to worry about saying goodbye to any of your fave foods indefinitely even if they cause constipation. Timing is everything, even with going to the bathroom.

Add in some healthy fats, and you’ll be hitting the squatty potty in no time. With that in mind, here are the different foods that help you poop to keep things moving along.

1. Water

Other than building a campfire, I don’t know when water isn’t a solution. Sure, maybe water isn’t really a food, but it’s an essential part of the answer to the question “Does fiber make you poop” Without moisture like water or other liquids in your diet, the answer is the opposite actually. All that fiber in your system without proper hydration can back some folks up. 

“Make sure you’re drinking water—hydration, in general, will help push things out quickly,” says Zeitlin. Flatwater with lemon is her first choice, but La Croix fans fear not: The sparkling stuff will get the job done, too. Water keeps things moving because it loosens your stool and hydrates the membranes along your digestive tract. Hydrated membranes equal lubrication. Warm water is especially helpful for constipation.

2. Caffeine

Does fiber make you poop? Well, sometimes. Does coffee make you poop? To that, we can safely say yes. We’re getting the liquids out of the way first. There’s a reason why that 9 a.m. coffee has often got you running to the office bathroom by 9:45. “Caffeine is a stimulant. We always think of it as stimulating our brain in the morning, but it also stimulates your GI system,” says Zeitlin. This is because, according to the medical information library Statpearls, it stimulates your “gastrocolic reflex” i.e. the signal to your body to poop.

Caffeine isn’t a fibrous food so it’s not necessarily a sign your stool is getting the right amount of fiber. The chemical just trips an alarm, so to speak. So, Zeitlin says, it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough fiber and water as well. When it comes to wondering how to relieve constipation, a cup of coffee with a balanced, fibrous meal is a great way to tell your gut to keep it moving.

3. High-fiber fruit

Insoluble fiber is the material your body doesn’t digest. As a result, it makes your stool bulkier and less dense. This is good! It helps it move along and out of your body, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“You want to make sure you’re eating the skin because that’s where the fiber is,” says Zeitlin. Some of her and Sonpal’s favorite high-fiber foods? Apples, raspberries, peaches, guava, and papaya.

4. Dried fruit

Using prunes for constipation is super smart. One could say your grandma was right all along—prunes are a tried-and-true constipation remedy for a good reason. Prunes are high in fiber as well as sorbitol, says Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD. “Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol found in fruits which can speed up the GI system,” she explained. Sorbitol is a natural laxative which is why prunes are so great for constipation. A little (1-2 prunes or a small glass of juice) goes a long way though. This is also good to keep in mind for when you’re not constipated and want to enjoy some prunes.

If prunes aren’t your vibe or texture for snacking or solving constipation, you can always add them to a smoothie with flavor-masking ingredients like peanut butter or fruits. This is also a great chance to add other number-two-inducing foods. Dates can also make you poop in a similar way to prunes, says Taub-Dix. It’s okay to admit that prunes aren’t your deal– plenty of dried fruit relieves constipation.

5. Raw green vegetables

Yup, you guessed it—veggies have got a lot of fiber, too. “We’re going to get the most amount of fiber from our veggies if they’re raw, so you want to eat them salad-style,” says Zeitlin. Some of her high-fiber vegetable faces include broccoli, peas, spinach, kale, and artichokes, all of which are filled with fiber. If you’re making a salad, add some beats for additional fiber and tomatoes for added hydration, and you’ll be good to go… literally.

6. Oatmeal

That AM oatmeal habit may be doing you more favors than you realize. It’s high in—you guessed it!—fiber, which can “push things out quickly,” says Zeitlin. Sprinkle on some nuts, seeds, and fibrous fruits as well.

7. Yogurt and kefir

Breakfast foods really are the MVPs of bowel movements, aren’t they? These two foods are filled with gut-healthy probiotics that can help soften stools, Beckerman said, helping to ease things through your system. When it comes to choosing between kefir and yogurt, you may opt for kefir if you haven’t had a lot of fluids as it’s more of a liquid than regular yogurt.

8. Healthy fats

“We want healthy fats to kind of lubricate your stool and intestinal linings,” explains Zeitlin. Think Nuts and nut butter, which pair beautifully with all that fiber-packed fruit. Olive oil is also a great pick and will make a delicious dressing for that raw green veggie salad.

9. Beans

Beans beans the magical fruit…you get the point. Beans, Beckerman said, are full of fiber to help ease constipation symptoms. Incorporating them into your diet isn’t just a gut-healthy win, they’re also packed with protein and minerals.

10. Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are a great food for constipation because they are an excellent source of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, according to the Cleveland Clinic. They’re also small and often tasteless so adding them to salads, smoothies, or even a glass of water is a great idea.

11. Tea

Some plants support your digestion and colon as well as hydrating. Peppermint tea has stomach-soothing properties if you also have indigestion while possessing the hydrating properties of water. Lemon verbena tea and licorice root tea have shown positive laxative effects in several studies here and here.

12. Aloe

Aloe is a succulent plant that is often incorporated into juices and drinks, and it has shown impressive laxative properties in the text Herbal Medicines. Picking up aloe juice or tea could really help get things moving. Just remember that you should be eating food-grade aloe, and not the topical kind.

What foods help constipation fast

On the other hand, according to Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, RD, if foods that help you poop cause you to go immediately, it could be a sign of an allergy, sensitivity, intolerance, or that something was bad. So while you want to load up on foods that will move your system, you don’t want anything that’s going to make it happen too quickly.

What foods make constipation worse

Foods that are low in fiber include sugary pastries, not having enough fluid in your diet, and some highly processed foods that are made with refined vs whole grains.

What are the most constipating foods

The National Institute of Health reports that dairy products like blocks of cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, meats both raw and cured lunch meat, and sweets like chocolates. Does cheese directly cause constipation? Not exactly, it just means that you have to be aware of your fiber and water intake when eating foods like these. In fact, healthy fats are perfectly useful for your body when keeping things moving and pooping at a regular pace.

One important point to remember is that foods that move you won’t do as good a job without a partner, like fluids, says Taub-Dix. Whether it’s water, sparkling water, tea, or whatever beverage you choose, it’s essential to pair beverages with fibrous foods to help them move foods through your system and help you get rid of them.

Hopefully, you’ve learned a little bit more about how to relieve constipation. It’s not easy to feel all stopped up and figure out what to eat as a result. Sometimes things that relieve constipation don’t necessarily sound good, but getting creative in the kitchen is a great way to get things moving in the bathroom.

“As a gastroenterologist, I know that all health begins and ends in the gut,” says Kenneth Brown, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist and GI doctor based in Plano, Texas. “My patients struggle to know what to eat, but healthy eating does not have to be complicated. The main thing that I do is avoid overly-processed foods and try to cook at home at often as possible.” With that in mind, you’ll want to ensure that your pantry is stocked with nutrient-rich staples that promote the health of your gut and entire body—including oils for cooking, dressings, smoothies, and more. Keep reading to see which ones get Dr. Brown’s stamp of approval.

5 gut-friendly oils for cooking, according to a gastro

So… what makes an oil good for your gut, exactly? “Gut-friendly oils are those that are easy to digest and do not cause irritation or inflammation in the digestive system,” Dr. Brown says. Such oils will naturally offer benefits that go beyond gut health, too, making it all the more essential to keep them in your pantry (and put to good use). According to Dr. Brown, the following oils are worth buying and using to the very last drop.

1. Olive oil

It’s no surprise that olive oil made the cut on Dr. Brown’s list, as it’s among the healthiest types of oils on the planet. It’s also a major staple of the Mediterranean diet, a style of eating that “represents the gold standard in preventive medicine,” according to one review of the longevity-promoting dietary plan. “Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, which has been shown to be heart-healthy,” Dr. Brown shares. “It contains several polyphenols that have anti-inflammatory properties.” (Inflammation, as we know, is the root cause of countless health conditions and diseases—including ones related to the gut.)

“Gut-friendly oils are those that are easy to digest and do not cause irritation or inflammation in the digestive system,” Dr. Brown says.

Polyphenols, Dr. Brown continues, are the molecules that give color to fruits and veggies, but they also offer big-time benefits for your gut and greater health. As he explains, “Your microbiome uses polyphenols as prebiotic food that break down into potent anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective compounds.”

2. Avocado oil

Dr. Brown also gives the green light to avocado oil. Similar to olive oil, it’s “also rich in monounsaturated fats and polyphenols, but has a higher smoke point than other oils,” which makes it especially beneficial for cooking. Plus, it shares another commonality with olive oil: Both are revered across Blue Zones, or regions around the world where inhabitants live notably long and healthy lives.

Moreover, a 2019 review states that plant-based fat sources rich in “monounsaturated fats and, in some cases, polyphenols, and other phytochemicals, have been associated with increased bacterial diversity” in the gut. The more diverse your gut microbiome is, the better, so don’t skimp on the avocado oil to use in your home-cooked meals.

3. Flaxseed oil

This gut-friendly oil may be less common in most households compared to the previous two, but it’s well-worth keeping on hand to add in your smoothies, dressings, and dips. Dr. Brown notes that it’s a rich source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential omega-3 fatty acid, as well as an all-star for safeguarding digestion. “Flaxseed oil may help improve digestive health by increasing the production of mucus in the intestines, which can help protect against irritation and inflammation,” says Dr. Brown.

4. Chia seed oil

While chia seeds and flaxseeds are more similar than not—they’re both great sources of plant-based proteins, fiber, and healthy fats—chia seeds actually have a bit of an edge on each of these fronts. And while we encourage you to continue prepping the likes of chia seed pudding, adding chia seed oil into your rotation is a great idea, too. “Chia seed oil is rich in omega-3, omega-6, and other fatty acids,” Dr. Brown says. “It [also] has anti-inflammatory properties and may help reduce inflammation in the gut,” hence why the GI doc always keeps it stocked in his own kitchen.

5. Coconut oil

Coconut oil earns the last spot on Dr. Brown’s list of gut-friendly oils, which he says is rich in fatty acids and vitamins that show promise for skin health, as well. Moreover, a 2017 study in mice found that those fed a high-fat diet containing coconut oil had fewer bacterial markers associated with Crohn’s disease. Mice fed even small amounts of coconut oil (or cocoa butter) “had less severe small intestine inflammation,” which suggests that using coconut oil in place of less healthy fats can yield improvements in those struggling with gut inflammation.

But if you don’t experience digestive distress, can tolerate most foods well, and pass solid BMs on a consistent basis, does that indicate that your gut microbiome is in tip-top shape?

Can you have great digestion despite gut imbalances?

Gut microbiome researcher Nathan Price, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Thorne, gets right into things, saying it’s not truly possible to have stellar digestion if you don’t have a healthy gut. “There is more to digestion than the clear signs we are all too familiar with, such as bloating, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, or gas,” says Dr. Price. “Digestion breaks down food into nutrients, which the body uses for energy, growth, and cell repair—all of which are essential for the body’s needs to work properly and stay healthy.” If your gut is imbalanced, you may (or may not) experience manifestations of digestive discomfort, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

If your gut is imbalanced, you may (or may not) experience manifestations of digestive discomfort, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

“The gut microbiome impacts our digestion in many ways that are harder to feel and only become visible through testing,” Dr. Price continues. “For example, some bacteria will break down compounds in our food and make byproducts that can be harmful to heart health. They can also transform health-promoting nutrients, blocking their absorption into our bodies.”

In addition, your microbiome impacts how you break down macronutrients. Dr. Price offers another illustration: If your microbiome digests complex carbohydrates more into simple sugars than other compounds that promote good health, you may experience a greater spike in blood sugar—and thus may experience accompanying side effects. “In fact, studies have shown that our responses to food we digest and how it affects our blood sugar is actually predictable from your individual microbiome, which has major consequences for personalized nutrition recommendations,” Dr. Price says.

Simply put, digestion is a complex process that goes well beyond how you feel after consuming food and how comfortably (and often) you pass bowel movements. “If you don’t have a healthy gut, then that is always going to impair your digestion to one degree or another,” Dr. Price reiterates.

“If you don’t have a healthy gut, then that is always going to impair your digestion to one degree or another,” Dr. Price reiterates.

Additional signs of poor gut health

Symptoms associated with digestive discomfort aren’t the only signs indicating that your gut may be in bad shape. In fact, there are plenty of instances in which gut imbalances could be causing you to feel unwell.

Dr. Price reminds us that most of serotonin—an all-important neurotransmitter for mental health—is produced in the gut. So if you’re feeling more down or anxious than usual, or even routinely struggle with mental health challenges, nurturing your gut could very well translate into discernible benefits for your mind and mood.

If you’re feeling more down or anxious than usual, or even routinely struggle with mental health challenges, nurturing your gut could very well translate into discernible benefits for your mind and mood.

“Serotonin also is involved in a wide range of biological processes, including bone health, healing from wounds, blood clotting, and sexual desire,” Dr. Price says. He also mentions that gut imbalances can contribute to fatigue and will often interfere with how well you sleep at night. (These callouts only scratch the surface, as your gut will impact countless other aspects of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.)

Simple tips to support your gut (and how to gain clarity on how healthy it truly is)

Whether or not you feel like your digestion isn’t as optimal as it once was or could be, it’s never a bad idea to take proactive steps to support your gut health. Fortunately, this could be as simple as finding a healthy outlet to manage stress, whatever that may be.

As far as diet goes, Dr. Price recommends staying hydrated and eating high-fiber foods, many of which offer prebiotic perks. (Note: While not all dietary fibers are prebiotics, all prebiotics are dietary fibers.) While probiotics tend to hog the spotlight in conversations around gut health, Dr. Price emphasizes just how crucial prebiotics are. “Studies have shown more long-lasting changes in the microbiome and gut health by altering the foods that feed your microbiome (prebiotics) over the introduction of new bacteria (probiotics) that often have trouble competing to survive and persist,” he explains.

This isn’t to say that you should pass up your go-to probiotic foods or supplements; prebiotics and probiotics work synergistically, with the former promoting the latter’s chance to thrive for the long term. Tip: Some fermented foods can pack both prebiotics and probiotics—including some personal faves, kimchi and sauerkraut—offering two-in-one support.

Finally, if you make these adjustments and still get the sense that your gut health isn’t optimal, it’s probably time to dig deeper. “You can do individualized testing of your microbiome and get personalized insights backed by science,” Dr. Price explains. He recommends Thorne’s Gut Health Test, an at-home stool test that measures good and bad bacteria, pathogens, micronutrients, and much more. “Importantly, what you can do is take a test, do the intervention, and then test again to make sure you are getting the changes you really want to see.”

A diverse and healthy microbiome influences your immune system, mood, and energy levels, helping you feel your best. So in the spirit of upping your inertia and being your most productive self throughout the day, let’s try incorporating more gut-healing foods and living a more well-balanced lifestyle. Here’s how.

How your gut health and energy levels are linked

While the two may not seem directly related, the microorganisms in the lining of your digestive tract play a large role in your mood, sleep, and how much energy you absorb from the food you eat.

A healthy gut leads to happier hormones, specifically serotonin, a hormone and neurotransmitter that carries messages from the brain to different cells in your body. And 95 percent of this chemical messenger is produced in the gut. This connection is known as the gut-brain axis.

A healthy gut leads to happier hormones, specifically serotonin, a hormone and neurotransmitter that carries messages from the brain to different cells in your body. And 95 percent of this chemical messenger is produced in the gut. This connection is known as the gut-brain axis.

Serotonin is a “feel good” chemical, and when levels are normal, you’ll tend to feel calmer, more focused, and happier. It also works with another chemical messenger, dopamine, to promote quality sleep. Melatonin often gets all the credit as the sleepy-time hormone, but your body needs serotonin to make melatonin, which then regulates your sleep-wake cycles.

When the “bad” gut bacteria start to overtake the good bacteria, the balance in the gut microbiome is disrupted and could alter the amount of serotonin produced, affecting mood and sleep in a negative way.

When the “bad” gut bacteria start to overtake the good bacteria, the balance in the gut microbiome is disrupted and could alter the amount of serotonin produced, affecting mood and sleep in a negative way.

Besides balancing your hormones, a healthy gut microbiome and digestive system will maximize your body’s ability to break down and absorb nutrients and energy from the food you eat.

When you eat yogurt for breakfast, that food is broken down into usable nutrients as it travels through your digestive tract. What was yogurt now becomes protein for muscle building, fat for insulation, and carbohydrates for energy. Micronutrients like vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus are also broken down and transported through the body to the cells that need them.

A healthy gut will help you extract the most nutrients possible from your food, making the most of each bite.

3 easy ways to boost your gut health and energy levels

Several variables come into focus when we talk about gut health, a lot of which we most likely don’t even know yet since new research is continuously emerging. Based on what we know, here are some science-backed ways to boost your gut health and improve your energy levels.

Add more prebiotic foods to your plate

Probiotics get a lot of attention as the good bacteria that will help keep your gut healthy, but without prebiotics, those good bacteria won’t be able to thrive and do their job.

Prebiotics are mostly non-digestible fibers, including resistant starch, inulin, and pectin. These fibers make their way through your digestive tract intact and then act as food for the microorganisms in your large intestine. Your gut bacteria then metabolize and ferment these fibers, giving off beneficial byproducts known as short-chain fatty acids to help fight inflammation and support immunity.

Eating oats, beans, onions, asparagus, green beans, raspberries, and peaches, among other prebiotic foods, will help keep your gut bacteria well-fed. Just be sure to add them slowly if you’re not used to eating high-fiber foods to avoid unpleasant side effects like gas and bloating.

Give fermented foods a try

Now that you’re eating foods to feed the good bacteria in your gut, try adding fermented foods, which can introduce additional beneficial bacteria into your digestive tract. Having abundant and diverse species of microorganisms in the gut can help keep bad bacteria from growing and disrupting the immune system or causing inflammation.

Fermentation happens as microbes like bacteria and yeast feed off of sugars in the food. Acids like lactic acid or acetic acid, or even alcohol are byproducts of this process which can help with preservation, change the flavor, and can even increase the digestibility and nutritional content of the food. Common fermented foods include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha.

Manage your stress levels

When we think about the gut, it’s too easy to lean only on food as the answer to all our problems. Managing your stress levels could arguably be the most important thing you can do for your gut health, overall health, mood, and energy.

Stress and depression release stress hormones that lead to inflammation and can reshape the gut microbiome, further lowering mood and energy. The relationship between stress and gut health is well-known, so taking steps to keep calm is an obvious choice for improving our energy levels and the gut microbiome.

What is the best way to beat stress? Try some of these cortisol-reducing foods or stress-reducing activities the world’s longest-living people rely on.

“While often feared and avoided due to their high-carb content, potatoes can be great for gut health thanks to the resistant starch they offer,” says Caroline Cederquist, MD, double-board-certified family practice andf unctional medicine doctor, co-founder and chief medical Officer of bistroMD. “Resistant starch, which is essentially a starch resistant to digestion, acts as a prebiotic and feeds beneficial gut bacteria. [Because of this] and other anti-inflammatory properties potatoes supply, eating them can lower the risk of chronic inflammation and related health conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, and obesity.”

Moreover, Daina Trout, MPH, chief mission officer of Health-Ade, says potatoes contain a high amount of fiber, the thing a healthy microbiome loves most. “Friendly bacteria turn these fibers into short-chain fatty acids, like butyrate, which trigger a host of beneficial outcomes, including a less permeable gut lining, decreased inflammation, and stronger immunity,” she says. Of course, Trout notes, “frying your potatoes or loading them with sour cream would be counterproductive as they are probably twice as inflammatory as a potato could offset—keep them baked and broiled when you eat them.”

Below, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite, gut-friendly potato recipes that feature five ingredients at most (not including salt and pepper, of course) so that you can focus on eating rather than cooking.

8 gut-friendly potato recipes that are super simple to make

1. Easy Baked Latkes 

Who says latkes have to be fried in tons of oil? Certainly not this recipe, which calls for avocado oil spray and an oven to give these potato cakes their signature crunch. You’ll only need a few other ingredients (mostly seasonings) to make this easy side dish for the holidays.

2. Potato Kugel 

Not only does this recipe only require five ingredients, but there are only two steps involved. That means that in just a few moments, you’ll be well on your way to making a hearty, filling potato kugel, a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish made with egg noodles, potatoes, cheese, and a variety of other ingredients, that is a great accompaniment to just about any primary protein.

3. 4-Ingredient Potato Soup

For a rustic, heart-and-soul-warming soup, look no further than this creamy, protein-full recipe that is also great for your gut. And better yet, it keeps nicely in the fridge for a few days.

4. 5-Ingredient Crispy Sliced Roasted Potatoes

This stunning dish requires a little bit of finesse in terms of the prep work and layout, but boy does it ever pay off. Not only do these thinly sliced potatoes roast to a beautiful, crisp golden-brown, but they also look absolutely stunning.

5. Healthy Roasted Garlic Baby Potatoes

This dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan recipe is a great option for even the pickiest of eaters at your table. Flavored with garlic and fresh parsley, these baby potatoes will be a hit at any meal.

6. Instant Pot 5-Ingredient Potato Casserole

Who says potato casserole has to be a big production? Certainly not this Crockpot recipe that can serve as either a main or a side dish. Ranch dressing, cheddar, and bacon crumbles really bring this dish together.

7. 5-ingredient Scalloped Potato

While scalloped potatoes may sound a bit intimidating to pull off, this recipe makes it clear just how straightforward this elegant dish can be. And thanks to the addition of cheese, this side dish also packs a pretty solid protein punch.

8. 3-Ingredient Potato Bake 

This comfort food classic calls for just heavy cream, powdered vegetable stock, and yes, potatoes for a quick and simple side that you can customize to your heart’s content. Thanks to the versatility and simplicity of this recipe, you can turn it into anything you’d like without adding too much work for yourself.

First, the back story: Celebrity Ashton Kutcher recently revealed on The Kelly Clarkson Show that he often likes to drink his coffee with a splash of orange juice. According to him, it’s a quick trick for adding citrus notes to an otherwise bitter cup of coffee.

Though this may sound great (to some?) in theory, Genevieve Kappler, a coffee expert, roasting technologist, and the director of coffee and brewing of Roasting Plant Coffee, says this “trick” is going to buy you a one-way ticket to spoiling a quality cup of joe. Meanwhile, Christina Manian, RDN, a Boulder-based registered dietitian and sustainable food systems professional, notes that mixing the two can hinder the body’s ability to absorb its nutritional content. More ahead on this buzzy coffee trend.

Why a coffee expert doesn’t recommend mixing orange juice and coffee

Kappler says she considers herself a coffee purist, so the thought of adding orange juice to coffee makes her “instantly shudder.” “I’m all for trying new and innovative ways to drink coffee, but this pairing in particular is a no-go for me,” Kappler says. “At Roasting Plant, we take pride in sourcing the best beans from around the world, and I wouldn’t want to diminish the beautiful, natural flavors we bring out through our precision roasting with orange juice. It would completely change the taste of coffee.” What’s more, the coffee pro says that combining the two beverages, which have drastically different pH levels, can also severely alter the chemical composition of each.

If citrusy notes are the goal, Kappler says you can find that depending on the type of beans you source…without adding any OJ whatsoever. “My recommendation to fulfill this trend is to seek coffee with natural citrus flavors and notes of juiciness in the coffee. For those who love coffee and orange or citrus flavors, try Roasting Plant Coffee’s newest incredibly rare lot from Yemen; it has delightful notes of Sicilian blood orange, vanilla, and wild berries,” Kappler says.

Another way she infuses coffee with citrusy flavors without altering its composition is by infusing it with orange blossom extract. “For coffee lovers who also love orange flavor, create a fun coffee recipe by making a flash-chilled coffee or cold brew at home and adding a semi-whipped cream with pure vanilla extract, orange blossom extract, and brown sugar or maple syrup. Syrup or extract won’t interact with the coffee pH as they have a fantastic symbiosis and work together to preserve the nature and taste of coffee but add a delicate layer of orange flavor that is complimentary and so tasty,” Kappler says. Yum.

“For coffee lovers who also love orange flavor, create a fun coffee recipe by making a flash-chilled coffee or cold brew at home and adding a semi-whipped cream with pure vanilla extract, orange blossom extract, and brown sugar or maple syrup.”—Genevieve Kappler

What health implications does mixing coffee and orange juice have from an RD’s perspective?

According to Manian, mixing these two beverages can affect more than just their flavor—it can actually lead to an unwanted stomach ache. “Both orange juice and coffee are highly acidic foods. Coffee can also stimulate the production of stomach acid, all of which may result in acid reflux—or heartburn—symptoms,” Manian says. (Although she notes that not everyone will experience these symptoms.)

It’s also worth noting that the combination of coffee and OJ can hinder the body’s ability to absorb their nutrients. “The tannins [water-soluble polyphenols that are present in many plant foods] found in coffee can block some of the absorption of vitamin C found in orange juice, so if you’re looking for optimal absorption, I would give it an hour between drinking these beverages,” Manian says.

“The tannins found in coffee can block some of the absorption of vitamin C found in orange juice, so if you’re looking for optimal absorption, I would give it an hour between drinking these beverages.”
—Christina Manian, MS, RD

That said, coffee—a gastroenterologist’s favorite gut-healthy drink—can have many positive effects on its own. “In addition to stimulating stomach acid production, coffee can also stimulate bile production and increase gastrointestinal motility, which can all be beneficial to our digestion and metabolism,” Manian says. What’s more, she points out that the antioxidants found in coffee can also have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body (and gut). TL;DR? It’s best to keep coffee and OJ separate for now.

How to make a DIY dairy-free creamer: