BRYRE ROOTS

Introducing Bryre Roots, an Ayurvedic lifestyle practitioner, as our first expert of the month. Ayurveda is essentially the science of life, through proper diet, lifestyle choices, optimal digestion and sleep, these principles allow us to establish and maintain complete balance and wellbeing of the physiological and psychological.

SUPERFOODS FOR GUT HEALTH AND MICROBIOME SUPERFOODS

Think bacteria are bad? Think again. Your gut is home to trillions of bacterial cells which carry out vital roles to keep your body functioning and your health in tip-top condition. These bacteria, alongside fungi and viruses, make up your gut microbiome. This symbiotic relationship has important roles for your health: you provide a home for these bacteria and they return the favor with health-promoting functions. But to do this, they need to be well-fed with pre- and probiotic foods.

Prebiotics and probiotics each have their own role to play in the battle for better gut health. Probiotics are living strains of bacteria that add to the population of good bacteria in your digestive system. Prebiotics are specialized plant fibers that act as food for the good bacteria. This stimulates growth among the preexisting good bacteria. So basically, probiotic foods add soldiers to your army, and prebiotics give the soldiers the support they need.

Making a change in your diet is all you need to do to boost your prebiotics and probiotic intake. So what are the right foods to support better gut health? Here’s a list of food for both prebiotics and probiotics.

PROBIOTICS
Experiment with fermented foods that are rich in probiotic bacteria. During the fermenting process, bacterial cultures start to thrive in the food, so when you eat them, you’re supplementing the same bacteria found in your gut.

 PROBIOTIC SUPERFOODS

• Sauerkraut, kimchi

• Miso soup

• Kombucha

• Kefir, cheese, yoghurt

• Fermented pickles

• Sourdough bread

PREBIOTICS
Prebiotic foods are high in fiber that becomes food for your gut bacteria. When fiber ferments in your gut, it’s broken down into short-chain fatty acids that fight inflammation and help maintain the health of your lining.

 PREBIOTIC SUPERFOODS

• Apples, bananas

• Oats

• Asparagus

• Chicory root

• Flaxseed

• Jerusalem artichoke

• Leeks

• Rye

• Onions

A whole food diet shoot always be the first line of defense for a healthy gut, but supplements can help to fill in the gaps in your diet and help to boost your microbiome for optimal performance. Please read our article ‘Best Supplements for a Healthy Gut’ for more information.

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BEST SUPPLEMENTS FOR A HEALTHY GUT 

In a perfect world, imagine you get plenty of sleep, stay hydrated and eat all your fruits and vegetables. Why does my body need supplements? I have all the vitamins and nutrients I need right? Unfortunately, probably not. A whole food diet shoot always be the first line of defense for a healthy gut, so nourish your gut bacteria with a diet rich in whole foods. To keep your gut microbiome at the top of its game, try these gut health supplements. They help fill in the gaps in your diet, boosting your microbiome and strengthening your gut lining for optimal performance.  

PROBIOTICS
Your gut is a diverse microbiome with thousands of bacteria living in harmony, working to help your body get nutrition and maintain a line of defense against invaders. Probiotics are the supplement form of those gut bacteria, and they help build the population.

 When choosing a probiotic, make sure it contains these bacteria strains: Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium longum, and Lactobacillus plantarum.

PREBIOTICS
Now that we’ve covered probiotics, you need to think about what feeds them – you guessed it, prebiotics. Prebiotic fiber helps nourish your gut bacteria, especially when you can’t eat enough fiber-rich foods. Prebiotics provide the nourishment your digestive bacteria need to do their job, and help you feel fuller, longer.

COLLAGEN PROTEIN
Collagen makes up structures throughout your body, including your gut. You naturally make collagen. But unless you eat a lot of organ meats and bone broth, you probably aren’t giving your body enough amino acid building blocks to produce enough collagen protein. That’s where a collagen protein supplement comes in handy.

ZINC CARNOSINE
This compound form of zinc and carnosine is pretty amazing for gut health. Zinc is a mineral that has been used for its immune properties for centuries, and when chelated with the amino acid L-carnosine, allows for a slow dissociation and improved local effect. This potent combination has been found to help stabilize small bowel integrity, promote a healthy stomach lining and environment, support the health of gastric cells, maintain a healthy gastrointestinal environment and even help with gastric discomfort.

L-GLUTAMINE
L-glutamine is an amino acid that helps repair injuries in the intestinal wall to keep it strong, and studies show it can improve nutrition absorption. It also helps your body produce cytokines. Your immune system secretes cytokines to signal ‘mayday!’ when attacked by antigens, viruses and microorganisms.

As with all supplements, prioritize whole food nutrition first, and use supplements to fill in the gaps. Please read our article ‘Superfoods For Gut Health And Microbiome Superfoods’ to learn more.

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OUR ‘NOURISH’ TOPIC RECOMMENDATIONS

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