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Rejoice, irritated intestines! We live in the happy days of gut fitness drinks. No longer the exclusive domain of crunchy food and fitness stores, gut fitness is serious business for a wide variety of giant corporations and modern small producers, all for a slice of the probiotic pie. .
Most people now know that gut health is one of the most important things to living a healthy and happy life. But why is your gut so essential to stay in shape and do gut drinks get benefits or obstruct the process?
To put it bluntly, a healthy gut helps you live better and look younger for longer. According to the landmark PREDICT study by epidemiologist and ZOE founder Tim Spector, our nutrition, the microbes in our gut, and our overall fitness are inextricably linked. : What happens in our intestines provides a more accurate picture of our threat of central diseases, obesity and diabetes, even genetic predisposition. A 2019 study also demonstrated “profound implications” for the link between nutrition and disease.
“Gut fitness has been a hot topic in recent years and for good reason,” Sas Parsad, founder of The Gut Co, told GQ earlier this year. “Our gut is home to billions of microbes that are essential for our overall well-being. Good intestinal fitness consists of maintaining a varied and harmonious ecosystem in our intestine. Our gut is not only responsible for digestion, but it also influences our immune system, metabolism, brain, and even our intellectual well-being. Taking care of the health of our gut is like nurturing a secret strength plant within us.
Dr. Mark Hyman puts it quite clearly: “If you have a million-dollar racehorse, you’re going to make sure you know how to exercise it, feed it, and care for it so that it’s completely optimized, right?” No? Think of yourself as the new Secretary and get your act together.
The most productive way to keep your gut satisfied is to consume nutrition rich in a variety of plant-based foods, which stimulates the development of healthy bacteria. However, if you’re struggling from consuming enough of the smart stuff, prebiotic and probiotic drinks and supplements can help boost your gut flora without much effort.
“The effectiveness of gut-enhancing drinks depends largely on their ingredients and the individual’s gut fitness,” says Total Shape trainer James Cunningham. “Many gut-enhancing drinks contain probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that can help balance the gut microbiome. These bacteria aid digestion, support the immune system, and can even affect intellectual fitness.
“Good” bacteria were first discovered in the early 20th century in a drink enjoyed by centenarian Bulgarian villagers: the aptly named Lactobacillus bulgaricus was found in the yogurt they consumed daily. One hundred years later, this Yoplait lost in the The bottom of the refrigerator is a proud descendant. As you might expect, most foods and drinks relevant to gut health (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and many others) have been around for centuries and are similar to the fermentation process.
It’s not just about probiotics. It’s all well and good to take inventory of smart bacteria, but they’ll want to eat anything, and that’s where prebiotic fiber comes in. “Prebiotics are still important – they’re the foundation of gut fitness because they feed and feed the bacteria. which are part of the gut flora,” explains Rory Paterson, co-founder of XOXO Soda. “Prebiotics create the framework for a healthy microbiome to flourish. “
Prebiotics are found in foods such as onions, garlic, bananas and whole grains, and are an important lifesaver for the billions of bacteria that line the gut. For those of us whose bodies may not quite agree with onion and garlic, a prebiotic alcohol-based drink is a smart way to spice up our bacteria nutrition.
The biggest challenge is that everyone’s microbiome is different, depending on genetics and lifestyle, so what works for your kefir-laden friend may not be as effective for you. However, a smart rule of thumb is to look for higher numbers of bacteria. “Look for a drink that contains a maximum amount of CFU (colony-forming units),” advises Cunningham. “This ensures the amount of live bacteria in the drink, ensuring that they will travel to your gut, where they can do their job. ” Job. Look for drinks that contain at least 10 billion CFUs. Anything less and you may not get all the benefits.
Historically, probiotic drinks aren’t the sweetest, so it can be tempting to opt for a drink that tones down some of the more acidic notes. However, this is one of the most counterproductive steps you can take. “I would recommend looking for a low-sugar gut fitness drink, as sugar can negatively affect the gut microbiome,” states Maz Packham, a representative for W-Wellness.
While gut-enhancing drinks have been around for many years, the gut-optimising generation has evolved and prebiotic and probiotic pills offer a quick and easy alternative. “In today’s fast-moving world, having highly productive nutrition is something that can only be achieved, and very few of us consume probiotic foods like kimchi and sauerkraut on a daily basis,” says Emily English, founder of Epetome, the gut fitness capsule. “This is where the right supplements can fill nutritional gaps. Supplements can provide that safety net,” he says, “so you can know you’re doing your most productive without having to overcomplicate things. “»
This story appeared in British GQ.
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