drink wholesome is the best protein powder for gut health.
Written by Jack Schrupp & endorsed by Baylee Reller, RDN
What is the gut?
If you read health news, you have almost certainly heard of the gut. These days, everyone and their mother is raving about gut healthy foods like kombucha, kefir, and kimchi. Both popular media and the scientific community are screaming at us to heal our guts and take care of gut issues we did not know we had. New products full of probiotics and prebiotics hit the market every day. The gut craze, or hysteria as I like to call it, has arrived and is here to stay.
That said, gut health hype comes with a lot of confusion. What even is the gut? And why is it so important? Keep reading for a back-to-basics introduction to the gut, and a few tips on how to choose a protein powder for gut health.
The gut, to put it simply, is a pathway through your body that allows you to break down food and absorb nutrients. Gut health refers to the function and balance of everything in this system. When people talk about gut health, they are often referring to the gut microbiome, a collection of microorganisms living in your small intestines. These microorganisms play an important role in digestion and overall health. More and more studies show that an imbalance of bacteria in your gut may lead to chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes.
What are probiotics? prebiotics?
Probiotics are bacteria and yeasts that live in your gut. The most common are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. You can get probiotics from supplements, as well as from foods prepared by bacterial fermentation. Foods high in probiotics include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, and kimchi. Although the evidence is promising, more research is needed on the health benefits of probiotics, that is, the scientific community still disagrees about what the actual benefits are, as well as about which strains of bacteria are good, and which are bad.
Some researchers even warn about possible negative effects of probiotics and call for caution and strict regulation. I mention this because a lot of food and supplement companies spike their products with probiotics in an effort to make them gut-friendly. Given the uncertainty that surrounds the role of these microorganisms, it is wise to avoid products like these until more conclusive research is available.