7 expert tips for better gut health – including what to eat more of

It’s important to understand what makes up the gut – the digestive system that runs from the mouth to the anus – and how it can support your overall health (some of which we cover in this article), but also your personal gut microbiome and what works for you.  

“We all have incredibly unique gut microbiomes. No two people have the same composition of gut bacteria,” says gut health dietitian Dr Caitlin Hall. And co-founders of digestive health business The Gut Stuff Lisa and Alana Macfarlane, otherwise known as the Mac Twins, know this only too well. Alana, who is an identical twin to Lisa, says: “Lisa and I have 100% the same DNA, but we only have 30-40% of the same gut bacteria. So we can’t do the same thing to look after our gut health.” 

Hall adds: “The most important thing I’ve learned is that there’s no one-size-fits all advice. The unique mix of gut microbes you have will dictate which foods are best for your gut.  

“This is why eating a diversity of different plant-based foods is critical to gut health [more on that in a minute], ensuring that there’s something for all your gut microbes. We’re also already moving towards a more personalised approach to gut health through things like microbiome sampling, which can tell you the types of fibre best for your gut.” Personalised nutrition programme ZOE is one example of a way to analyse your gut bacteria, blood sugar and blood fats.  

Other ways to become more familiar with your gut include keeping a food diary to identify when you have any issues, or speaking to a dietitian. 

All three experts we spoke to suggested eating a range of different plants. Including a variety of different plant foods in your diet can help to diversify the bacteria in your gut. And a more diverse gut microbiome is considered a healthier one.

“Lots of different types of bacteria are related to better health outcomes,” adds Lisa Macfarlane. Yet “research suggests that the diversity of your gut bacteria decreases as you age – so increasing the diversity of your gut bacteria is a great focus.” 

All three experts also suggest aiming for a specific number of different plant foods per week: 30.

This number comes from a large-scale study called the American Gut Project, which took stool samples from more than 10,000 people. It found that people who ate this quantity and variety of plants each week had more diverse gut bacteria compared with those who ate fewer.

The experts say the range of different plants to eat can include wholegrains, nuts and seeds, fruits, vegetables, beans and pulses, and to add herbs and spices to your cooking. 

The Macfarlanes say the more colour you have on your plate, the better for your gut health.  

Eating enough fibre can also help to support your diversity of gut microbes. Lisa Macfarlane says: “Fibre feeds the good bacteria in your gut to make them happier, healthier and help them thrive.”  

It can also help with keeping your bowel movements regular. But the majority of us aren’t getting enough of it. Current government guidelines say our dietary fibre intake should be 30g per day. However, most UK adults are only eating around 20g per day. We need to be increasing this.  

Hall echoes this. “It’s important to find ways that make it easier to consume fibre through eating things such as a fruit smoothie, oatmeal or [a vegetable] soup,” she says. “A prebiotic supplement could also be added to these foods to ensure that fibre requirements are easily met.” 

Lisa Macfarlane says fibre bulks your stool, which makes it easier to pass. This helps you to have regular bowel movements. Hall explains that “grains like wholewheat bread, rye bread, oats, barley; fruits like apples and kiwis; and nuts and seeds like chia seeds and linseeds” can help with this. More specifically, specialist dietitian for The Gut Health Clinic, Anna Pettit, says: “You could trial eating two kiwis per day for six weeks to see if this helps.” Leaving the skin on the kiwi will provide you with even more fibre. 

Hands up if you’ve followed a diet trend before? Many of us do this, but it could be doing more harm than good.  

Hall says: “There’s a growing number of people who are looking for strategies to improve and maintain a healthy gut, which is great.” But, she says, the availability of inaccurate food allergy tests alongside the rise of social media influencers, which has led to a rise in gut health myths, can be harmful. “Often this encourages people to restrict or remove a number of healthy (and not harmful) foods.” 

“Unnecessarily restricting foods (when it’s not an allergy or intolerance) significantly reduces the health and diversity of your gut microbiome. In turn, this affects your overall health.” 

Pettit says: “Evidence indicates that exclusion of foods for a long period can actually result in the loss of tolerance, so when the food is eventually reintroduced, more symptoms can be experience.” 

She suggests working with a gut health dietitian to identify foods and/or drinks that might be causing you gut issues. They can help manage these intolerances by ensuring you’re getting the nutrients you need in an alternative way. 

You might be surprised to read that 70% of your immune system is in your gut. Therefore, “keeping the gut healthy will support a good immune function and vice versa,” explains Pettit. 

In fact, a healthy gut has been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and plays an important role in your susceptibility to infection. 

The food you eat can encourage good gut health and, in turn, strengthen your immunity. Gut healthy foods, filled with key nutrients and phytochemicals, that can help with this include: 

• walnuts  
• garlic  
• firm tofu   
• carrots  
• oranges  
• chia seeds  
• turmeric  
• broccoli 
• mushrooms (preferably those with higher levels of vitamin D – leaving shop-bought mushrooms on a sunny windowsill for a day will raise their vitamin D levels, or you can buy mushrooms enriched with vitamin D)   

It’s not just your immune system that has a strong link to the gut, so too does your brain.

Pettit says: “One of the most fascinating areas of current research involves the gut-brain axis – a two-way communication system between the gut and the brain [via the vagus nerve] – and its potential therapeutic role in depression and anxiety.”   

Hall, who specialised in the gut-brain axis for her PhD, says supporting mental health through the gut is linked to the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the gut. “SCFAs can interact directly with the vagus nerve, which is the fastest way they can influence mental states like anxiety, stress and mood.”

Promoting SCFA production can help to target brain health through the gut, she says. But how do we do this? Hall says: “The most effective way is by eating a range of prebiotic fibres, which can include artichokes, asparagus, green bananas, oats, onion, garlic, leeks and chicory root.” 

While diet is a huge factor, other lifestyle factors, from stress to sleep, can affect gut health. Pettit says: “Having a good toileting routine can be a good start. Try to assign some time to open your bowels in peace and quiet.” 

Hall and Pettit note you also need to drink enough fluids to stay hydrated and help fibre do its job. Fibre draws water into the bowel and dissolves to form a gel, which keeps stool soft. They recommend moving your body regularly too; simply walking can help. 

“Movement can help with the blood flow to the pelvic area and help to prevent constipation,” explains Pettit. 

Stress can be a trigger for digestive problems and poor gut health. One way to ease stress is through breathwork; the NHS have some simple breathing exercises to help you manage stress and anxiety.  

In addition to managing stress, simply talking about gut issues can help. The Macfarlanes noticed this during the filming of their TV series Know Your Sh!t, which aired earlier this year. “People felt lighter just by telling us their problems,” says Lisa Macfarlane. The twins are keen to break Britain’s poo taboo and encourage more conversations to raise awareness about gut issues to help resolve them. 

Pettit adds: “The gut is quite adaptable and you can absolutely change the composition of your gut microbes for the better with improved diet and sleep, less stress and by avoiding unnecessary antibiotic use (antibiotics destroy healthy gut bacteria. They are still an important treatment for certain infections). 

“It is never too late to review your diet and lifestyle to make positive changes.”