In our body, gut or GI or gastrointestinal tract plays a superb role. It helps in food digestion plus nutrients absorption and finally in the waste elimination etc. Therefore,it is highly essential that we must keep our gut health in good shape. Inflammation of the gut could be due to various factors such as poor diet, stress, infections etc. It is a bitter fact that an inflamed gut would result in issues like bloating, diarrhoea, fatigue etc.
There are ways by which gut inflammation could be reduced or managed. These are
By intake of fibre rich diet:
Inflammation in the gut would be reduced by the production of short chain fatty acids or SCFA. It is believed that intake of fibres would promote the growth of beneficial bacteria that would produce these SCFA. Hence, it is important to eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains etc without fail.
By intake of probiotics:
Our gut microbiome would get balanced and harmful bacteria would get reduced by the intake of probiotics which are beneficial bacteria. This would lead to reduced gut inflammation in us. Various probiotics that we must consume are yoghurt, kefir, kimchi etc.
By reducing the intake of sugary and processed foods:
It is worthy to note that processed foods and sugary foods could lead to the inflammation of the gut. This could be due to the fact that these foods would feed the gut bacteria. It is necessary to minimise the intake of foods like sugary snacks, sodas etc.
By staying hydrated:
It is essential that we must stay hydrated throughout the day by drinking enough water. By this, mucosal lining of the intestines would be maintained and inflammation would be reduced. It is well known that we could get other benefits of staying hydrated like proper functioning of organs, preventing infections etc.
By limiting caffeine and alcohol intake:
Our gut lining would get irritated when we drink alcohol or caffeine based drinks etc in excessive amounts. This would then lead to inflammation as the balance of gut bacteria would get disrupted. It is necessary to limit the intake of alcohol, opt for herbal teas or other non-caffeinated beverages etc.
By managing stresess:
Gut microbiomes would get negatively impacted when we have excess stress. This could then lead to gut inflammation etc in us. It is important to manage stress by doing yoga, meditation, breathing exercise etc.
By exercising regularly:
By promoting the production of anti-inflammatory compounds, exercise can regulate the gut microbiome. Hence, we must do exercises like walking, swimming, jogging, cycling etc every day.
By avoiding NSAIDs:
When we consume non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs, our gut lining would get irritated and this would lead to inflammation.
By sleeping well:
There are possibilities of getting gut inflammation if we do not get sound sleep. It is necessary to sleep for 6 to 7 hours. For this, we must create a regular routine, avoid late night screen time and create a restful environment.