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Poor gut health and constipation can cause pain and discomfort, ruining quality of life. Eating well and using some supplements could help, Dr Megan Rossi told Express.co.uk. Known as The Gut Health Doctor, she shares educational tools and recipes.
She pinpointed two supplements key for gut health.
“Probiotics is probably one that I get asked the most questions about,” Meghan told Express.co.uk.
“The thing is, there are so many different types of probiotics, so we need to understand is that each individual one actually does different things in our body.
“If you had an iron deficiency, you’re not going to go and take vitamin D supplements, and the same goes with probiotics.”
There are seven main types of probiotics, Megan explained.
She said: “An example of one of them is if you have to go on antibiotics for whatever reason there’s good evidence to take a specific probiotic.
“That’s how you have to treat probiotics if you want to get the benefits.”
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are friendly bacteria with lots of health benefits.
They are particularly good for the gut, to support the gut microbiota.
Among the best probiotics for gut health are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria.
It is possible to take supplements, but some foods naturally contain these.
Foods high in probiotics
- Yoghurt
- Pickles
- Miso
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Tempeh
- Kefir
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The second good supplement to take for gut health is Omega 3. They are key to every structure in the body.
Megan said: “For gut health, I think there is really good evidence to highlight that we need to have enough omega 3s.
“One of the best sources of Omega threes is oily fish.”
Megan warned those on vegan and plant-based diets will need to take supplements to ensure they get enough.
She said: “The evidence around gut health is that you should base your diet on plants but you don’t necessarily have to eat plants only.
“I understand why some people go 100 percent vegan, but actually in terms of health, it can make it a little bit more tricky to really maximise that health if you are 100 percent plant-based.
“That’s because the Omega 3 from things like fermented fairy dairy are going to be really beneficial for your bacteria, and you’ll be missing them.
“For people who are 100 percent plant-based, I think it is really important that you do consider things like an algae oil supplement to get that Omega 3.”
Megan also discussed the best breakfast to combat constipation.
While constipation is a medical issue that may need addressing by a GP, eating certain foods can help prevent or ease the problem.
A certain dairy product is particularly good to create a laxative effect.
She told Express.co.uk: “I would say something like full-fat yoghurt. That can be really laxative.”
A breakfast coffee could help too. “Caffeine can really help with constipation,” Megan said.
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