Maintaining a healthy microbiome is important for disease prevention, as well as supporting immunity and mood. When making meals, keep your kitchen stocked with this spice.
In the world of wellness trends, there’s no denying that gut health has recently gained immense popularity. Within the last few years, terms like probiotics, good bacteria and microbiome have become part of our common vocabulary. And the increased focus is well-deserved, as a rapidly growing body of research shows that gut health is connected with almost every other aspect of our health.
Keeping your gut healthy involves eating a varied, balanced diet that includes lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and lean protein. But don’t overlook the spices in your pantry. Not only do herbs and spices add flavor, but they are also packed with nutrients that can support your gut-health goals.
To get you started, we asked gut-health experts for their thoughts on the top spice for gut health. Read on to find out their favorite.
Benefits of a Healthy Gut
The primary purpose of your digestive system (or “gut”) is to process food but, as we’ve been learning through recent research, the influence of the gut is far-reaching. In fact, your gut plays an active role in everything from immunity and mood to your weight and the quality of your sleep. A healthy gut microbiome is also important for disease prevention and management, including a potential reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
Keeping your gut in tip-top shape is all about balance. There are trillions of bacteria living in the gut, which are collectively known as the gut microbiome. Within that microbiome, there are good and bad bacteria. Prioritizing healthy diet and lifestyle habits helps the number of good bacteria outweigh the bad and maintains diversity in those bacteria, both of which are needed for gut health.
The #1 Spice for Gut Health
We asked two gastroenterologists to pick their top spice for gut health. Both recommended turmeric. Here’s why.
“Turmeric is a relative of ginger that has a warm, slightly bitter flavor and a bold orange color that gets showcased in Indian and Southeast Asian food. But beyond its culinary uses, turmeric is known for its potential health benefits due to the active ingredient curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties,” says Will Bulsiewicz, M.D., a board-certified gastroenterologist and founder of gut-health supplement company 38TERA.
One catch with turmeric is that curcumin is poorly absorbed by the body. There is a workaround for this, and it is adding black pepper when you eat turmeric. According to Bulsiewicz, a compound in black pepper called piperine “doesn’t just increase curcumin absorption by 50% or 100%, both of which would be amazing,” he says. It increases absorption by 2,000%. “Let that settle in,” Bulsiewicz says.
Supports a Healthier Gut Microbiome
Research has found that the relationship between turmeric's curcumin and your microbiome is a two-way street. First, curcumin helps maintain a positive balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Second, all that “good” gut bacteria breaks down the curcumin to create antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, which support your gut and overall health.
Reduces Inflammation
Ground turmeric has a golden hue, while fresh turmeric is a bright orange. Foods with rich, deep colors like this contain high amounts of polyphenols. These compounds found in fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices offer potential health benefits. For example, polyphenols may help lower inflammation, and they also have antioxidant properties that neutralize cell-damaging free radicals.
Turmeric has been associated with lower levels of inflammation in research, thanks in large part to its polyphenol content. “Studies have shown that curcumin can help promote a healthy gut microbiome, reduce inflammation in the digestive tract and alleviate symptoms of digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD),” says Ritu Nahar, M.D., a board-certified gastroenterologist at Allied Digestive Health.
Most current research on the effects that curcumin from turmeric may have on IBS has focused on supplements versus food. The limitation is that the amount of curcumin in an extract will far exceed what’s found in food. However, the results are promising. For example, a review of nine studies found that when participants took a supplement with curcumin or turmeric extract, their IBS symptoms (particularly abdominal pain) and quality of life improved.
Other Strategies to Improve Gut Health
If you are looking for more ways to support your gut health, Bulsiewicz and Nahar provided some suggestions to get you started.
Eat More Plants
It’s probably no surprise that eating more plant foods is at the top of this list. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts and legumes are rich in soluble fiber and resistant starches, which our gut bacteria metabolize to create a short-chain fatty acid called butyrate. According to Bulsiewicz, “Butyrate has a number of beneficial effects on our gut bacteria, on our gut barrier, on our immune system and throughout our entire body. In short, if there were one thing that I would want more of for gut health, it would be butyrate.”
Manage Stress
There’s a strong connection between the gut and brain. And it’s thought that chronic stress can negatively impact gut health over time. Nahar recommends “practicing stress-reducing techniques such as yoga, meditation and deep-breathing or diaphragmatic-breathing exercises to help balance the nervous system and support healthy digestion.”
Focus on Hydration
Besides inadequate fiber intake, a common culprit for digestive woes is dehydration. Adequate hydration helps your digestive system work properly by softening stool and supporting the mucosal lining of the intestines. If you often reach for carbonated beverages to meet your hydration goals, stick to moderation. Nahar explains they may cause aerophagia, or essentially the problem of swallowing too much air. “The main symptom of this is excessive flatulence and bloating,” she says.
Include Prebiotics and Probiotics
If you’re looking to support a diverse and thriving gut microbiome, you’ll want to reach for the “biotic” foods. The more well-known of the two is probiotics, which are live microorganisms in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut that may boost your microbiome’s diversity. On the other hand, prebiotics will help feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut and are found in foods like garlic, onion, bananas and many other whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables.
The Bottom Line
Eating a diverse diet that includes plenty of plant foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains will help keep your gut microbiome happy and thriving. However, don’t forget to include some herbs and spices in your meals to maximize your gut health. We recommend incorporating more turmeric (and black pepper) in your meals to boost the number of good gut microbes in your digestive system and tamp down inflammation.