Your daily diet directly impacts your gut health, which can affect many different aspects of your health. But sometimes, it can be hard to know the The best foods to eat for your gut..
As a baseline, high-fiber, whole foods generally help keep your gut happy. For example, fruits and vegetables (and some whole grains) contain polyphenols, which are compounds that improve the intestinal barrier.
And while eating plenty of vegetables and fruits can provide you with healthy fiber and nutrients to help your gut, research has shown that green leafy vegetables can specifically help feed the good bacteria in your gut and improve your overall gut health.
Read on to learn more about how green leafy vegetables can help your gut, and for more healthy eating tips, check out 7 low-sugar dessert recipes you’ll want to try today.
Time to saute some kale or make a delicious spinach salad because green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, kale, bok choy, collard greens, etc.) can support gut bacteria in a unique way.
A study published in nature chemistry biology discovered that these leafy green vegetables contain a unique sugar compound called sulfoquinovose (also known as SQ, because “sulfoquinovose” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.) The good bacteria in your gut feed on SQ for energy, so when you eat green leafy vegetables, you’re essentially feeding the good bacteria in your gut microbiome.
What happens when we feed the good bacteria in our gut? The more energy these good bacteria have, the more capable they are of building the protective barriers in our microbiome that are needed to keep bad bacteria at bay and prevent them from growing and multiplying.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
A healthy gut is important because it affects more than just the stomach. In fact, your gut microbiome is known to have a direct impact on your cognitive health and impact your risk of neurodegenerative diseases as well.
A report published in Neurology claims that the high fiber content of green leafy vegetables can improve gut health and therefore have neuroprotective qualities, helping to reduce cognitive decline.
At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong eating high-fiber, whole foods like vegetables for your gut health (not to mention your overall health). But if you’re a fan of leafy greens and can fit more of them into your daily meals, you’ll get an extra SQ boost to keep your good bacteria satisfied.
