Could good gut health boost immunity?
As we near the sixth week of lockdown, it’s never been more important to do everything we can to boost our immune system.
According to Dr Michael Mosley, a good place to start is your gut! From adding yoghurt to your diet, to using apple cider vinegar in your salad dressing - he’s sharing his top tips for keeping your gut healthy.
WHY DO WE NEED GOOD GUT HEALTH?The recent outbreak of the coronavirus has shown us just how vulnerable our bodies are to new infectious diseases, so looking after our bodies is imperative. Dr Michael says: “It’s always important to have good gut health as it’s important to keep our immune systems in good shape. However, now more than ever we should be focusing on our gut - because currently we have no reliable drugs or vaccine to combat the virus. So the next best form of defence is a fully active immune system.”
THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET IS THE BEST FOR OUR GUTOne of the best ways to improve the ‘good’ microbes that live in our gut is through eating a Mediterranean diet. This diet is widely seen as the healthiest, most nutrient-rich on the planet, and contains lots of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, spices and olive oil, as well as some oily fish, cheese and full fat yoghurt.
“It’s considered to be the best diet because it’s so rich in fibre, so things such as whole grain foods and lentils are around 30% fibre" says Dr Michael. "Fibre is good for your gut because your gut bacteria feeds on whatever your body hasn’t ingested. By the time all the other nutrients have got to your large intestine the main thing left is fibre and that is what your gut bacteria feasts on.”
WHAT FOODS ARE BENEFICIAL TO OUR GUT?
- Anything high in fibre
- Natural produce
- Fruit and vegetables
- Legumes
- Brown rice
- Full fat Greek yoghurt
- Olive oil
- Cheese
- Fermented foods
Dr Michael says: “These probiotic rich foods are also rich in iron and zinc, which are known to boost the immune system. Things like Greek yoghurt and apple cider vinegar can easily be snuck into your diet as they can be substitutes for other things. Greek yoghurt can be used instead of sour cream and apple cider vinegar is a great dressing for salads.”
WHAT FOODS SHOULD WE AVOID?
- Processed foods e.g: takeaways and ready meals.
- Anything high in sugar.
DR MICHAEL SAYS: “As hard as it seems during self-isolation to eat healthily, it is about balance as well. So you do need some sugar in your diet, but train yourself to eat in moderation. Eating lots of sugary or processed foods, will reinforce and feed the ‘bad’ microbes that also live in your gut.”