HOW THE GUT WORKS
umans are omnivores. enteric nervous system. This works so
Unlike cats, who can only independently that even if the
survive by eating meat, or connection between the enteric
H cows, who thrive on plants, nervous system and the brain is cut, it
we can eat everything: flesh, fowl, just keeps working.
fruit, vegetable, and ideally a few This is not to say that our bodily and
minerals, too. It is the gut’s job to take emotional states don’t affect our gut;
this incredible variety of foodstuffs they clearly do, particularly when we
and render it into fuel and the raw are under great stress. But most of the
material for replacement parts. time, the enteric nervous system quietly
An oil refinery takes just one source gets on with its job of regulating our
material, crude oil, and refines it into gastrointestinal system, making sure
different grades of petrol and diesel. that we have all that we need to carry
Our gut takes everything we drop into it on doing what we need to be doing.
(well, almost everything: there are a few
times it will object to what we are trying EATING AND CHEWING
to feed it and remove the offending The first acts in the whole digestive
contents in one almighty, convulsive circus take place in the mouth. There,
heave) and converts it into a much two of the most extraordinary muscles
wider variety of outputs. But how does in our bodies work together in a
it do this? delicate dance to get food ready for
delivery below. Our jaw muscle is the
DIFFERENT TYPES most powerful muscle in the body and,
OF MUSCLE contrary to the common notion that the
Our bodies are home to three different human bite is relatively puny, pound for
types of muscle. Lift a weight, sit down, pound we bite harder than our simian
scratch your nose: in all these cases it’s cousins, exerting a force between 1,100
skeletal (striated) muscle that’s doing and 1,300 Newtons when using our
the work. It’s called striated because, molars. Our chewing power, using the
under a microscope, it looks like strips molars, is considerably greater than our
of muscle tissue. This type of muscle is biting strength, using the incisors and
under our conscious control. canines, but it still leaves us not that far
Next, put your hand on your chest. behind the biting force of dogs. Given
The thumping you can feel is coming how hard we bite, it’s no surprise that
from your cardiac muscle. Like skeletal the tongue is the most flexible muscle
muscle, it looks striated under a in the body: it has to stay clear of those
microscope, but it’s not under our teeth when they chomp. We all know
conscious control - no one can stop how painful it is when we get it wrong
their heart by willing it to stop. and accidentally bite our tongue.
Finally, there is smooth muscle, so Working together, jaws, teeth (tooth
called because it looks smooth under enamel is suitably the hardest
the microscope, and this makes up the substance in the body) and tongue turn
walls of our gut. Rather than being the food into something that can be
under the control of the central nervous swallowed. The tongue comes into its
system, the gut is controlled by the own at this point, separating out about
20 millilitres of chewed food, which it impresses on the palate, triggering the
“To ensure we
swallow reflex.
don’t choke,
GOING DOWN
Swallowing is a complex process. To
the larynx
ensure we don’t choke, the larynx and the epiglottis work in tandem, the larynx
and the
moving up and forward while the epiglottis seals off the airway to the
epiglottis work
lungs to prevent food going the wrong way. The upper tract of our throat, up to
in tandem”
the hollow at the base of the throat, is
HOW THE GUT WORKS
surrounded by striated muscle so we smooth muscle, it can expand to hold are absorbed. The tiny villi are
can feel food going down that far but remarkable amounts of food: a kilo themselves covered with even tinier
beyond that, the bolus of masticated would be no problem for it. With the projections, the microvilli, through which
food enters the territory of the smooth food safely contained, the stomach most of the absorption of the sugars
muscle of the gut. muscles proceed to give it a good and amino acids takes place. The
Waves of swelling, called propulsive kicking, bouncing it off the stomach whole small intestine, and all its villi and
peristalsis, push the bolus down the walls in a process called retropulsion. microvilli, work in concert to keep the
oesophagus to the stomach. The The stomach mixes the food, rather food, now a semi-fluid called chyme,
onwards motion is so powerful that like a cement mixer, breaking it all down moving along.
even if we stood on our head and so that it’s almost all reduced to tiny bits Having eaten, and digested, about an
swallowed, the food would still get to less than two millimetres across. How hour after the food has passed by, the
the stomach. There’s another sphincter long food spends in the stomach small intestine begins to clean house,
muscle at the bottom of the depends on what it was. Simple technically known as the migrating
oesophagus that seals off the stomach. carbohydrates and sugars can be motor complex. This is what’s
When this gateway sphincter muscle moved on to the small intestine in an responsible for the rumbling tummy
feels the propulsive peristalsis above it hour or less; more complex proteins, sound if you’re feeling hungry. The
in the oesophagus, it relaxes, opening like a steak, might take four or five migrating motor complex moves
for eight seconds to allow the bolus hours to be broken down properly. bacteria out of the small intestine,
into the stomach before closing again. where there should be few bacteria, to
It takes five to ten seconds for food to THE LONG AND the rich bacterial pastures of the large
make it from the back of the mouth to WINDING ROAD intestine, while also stopping bacteria
the stomach. The journey involves over When the stomach starts jumping - coming back in the opposite direction.
pairs of muscles, working in concert. going into retropulsion - it warns the As such, the migrating motor complex
And it’s just the start of the journey. small intestine that more food will be plays an important role in the overall
coming through soon. The small health of the small intestine. However,
THE TUMMY TUCKS IN intestine responds by shifting what’s as soon as we eat something, the
The stomach, alerted by the motion of inside it along, making room for more. migrating motor complex stops, so
the oesophagus and the opening of the With its vast internal surface area, the constant snacking throughout the day
sphincter muscle, relaxes in preparation small intestine is where the great will prevent it from acting. This can lead
for the incoming load. Surrounded by majority of the nutrients from our food to the growth of too much bacteria in
HOW THE GUT WORKS
the small intestine. So give your small it gives the muscles of the large
intestine the time it needs to spruce “Stress and intestine something to grab hold of
itself up after eating before heading to when it next heaves the food along.
the snack cupboard. illness can There’s a wide variety in how long it
takes food, or what’s left of it, to go from
cause the body
WE ARE LEGION mouth to bottom. For some people, it
The large intestine is where our inside takes a day; for others it can be up to
to move the
becomes a zoo. It contains literally three and a half. Faster is not
billions of bacteria, the concentration necessarily better; what counts is the
food along too
increasing as it progresses towards the consistency of what comes out the
body’s back door. The bacteria reside other end. A smooth, soft sausage, or a
quickly”
there, operating in what is normally a sausage with a few cracks are best
harmonious relationship with our body, To extract every last morsel of according to the Bristol stool scale. This
team working in the breakdown of the nutrition from our food, the large ranks poos from one to seven, with one
remaining, more indigestible, parts of intestine takes its time. Food meanders being hard little lumps and seven a
our diet. The large intestine is also along, sometimes even backing up. The liquid with nothing solid. Type three
important in ensuring that the liquid reason the large intestine always looks (sausage with a few cracks) and type
used in digestion is not needlessly lumpy in illustrations is that the lumps four (smooth, like toothpaste) are best.
excreted: ideally, enough should be are where the remaining food is kept, in So if that’s what you produce when you
reabsorbed to leave the faeces soft and bacteria-friendly bumps. A few times a go to the loo, you don’t need to worry
smooth but not so much that it day, the large intestine heaves the lump about how long you’re taking between
becomes hard lumps. Stress and illness along, moving it closer to the exit. This poos: everything is moving along nicely
can cause the body to move the food is why doctors prescribe high-fibre down there. Give your gut a pat: it’s
along too quickly, expelling faeces in a foods for constipation: the fibre is very doing its job, the silent partner in our
wet, diarrhoetic flood. difficult for the body to break down and body’s daily routines.
MEET YOUR MICROBIOME
Meet your
microbiome
Your gut is home to thousands of microbial colonies,
explains Ailsa Harvey, but most are there to help
MEET YOUR MICROBIOME
hat do you perceive as digestive system under control and
being human? On a assisting the immune system.
cellular level, you might The mechanical digestion that human
Bacteria
W be surprised to know cells are responsible for can only do so
from the gut
that more than half of the cells in your much when it comes to completely makes up at least
body are non-human. breaking down our food. For many
half of human
The collection of these cells, which foods, we rely on gut bacteria. One
faeces
make up about 57 per cent of your total example is polysaccharides - complex
cell count, is the microbiome. This sugars that are found in plants. In the
contains an estimated 39 trillion gut, bacteria produce the enzymes
microbes, living on or in human tissue. needed to digest polysaccharides. By
Despite its spectacular assortment of breaking down these foods, the
non-human cells, the microbiome is an microbiome is responsible for turning
essential part of being human, working food into its easily absorbed nutrients.
to maintain good health and keep our These enzymes provide us with B
human tissue thriving. vitamins, Vitamin K and short chain fatty
The kinds of cells that live in our acids. Without the microbiome to carry
microbiome include bacteria, fungi, out this function, the nutritional value of
parasites and viruses - and the largest food would be lowered.
number of these congregate in the gut. When new organisms are introduced
Here, these cells regulate the immune into the gut, and other regions of the
system, eliminate diseases and produce body, the microbiome plays a key part
important vitamins. in establishing which are safe and
which to attack. This aspect of the
WHAT IS A HEALTHY immune system is essential as, without
MICROBIOME? it, the aforementioned beneficial gut
In daily life, many people are unaware bacteria would be perceived as a threat
of the thousands of species that inhabit and attacked by the body.
the body. In fact, being unaware of Microbes don’t just fight dangerous
them is the first good sign of a healthy cells after they enter the body. A layer
microbiome. This is because many of of them, called a biofilm, serves as a
the microbes in the body are symbiotic, protective shield on our skin against
meaning that when working correctly, harmful bacteria and fungi. Similarly, in
their presence allows both the human the gut, specific bacteria called
body and community of microorganisms Bifidobacteria prevent toxins from
to benefit. entering the bloodstream. Keeping
Because microorganisms are invisible toxins in the gut means they can soon
to the naked eye, we have limited be passed out of the body. However, if
control over the types of microbes that they were to travel through the
enter our bodies. A small number of intestinal wall and into the blood, toxins
those in the microbiome, known as can wreak havoc as they spread fast in
pathogens, will be disease-causing. the bloodstream.
The body can remain healthy, even in Microbiome activity in the gut also
the presence of pathogens, but there is has the power to impact the mind,
a fine balance to be struck. If too many thanks to a nerve called the vagus
pathogens are introduced to the body, nerve and the gut-brain axis. As
or an increased use of antibiotics microorganisms in the gut interact with
lowers the number of helpful bacteria the central nervous system, studies
too much, the healthy microbiome is have shown that the brain’s chemistry
disturbed. This puts the body at a can be altered, impacting a person’s
higher risk of developing disease. mental health. This may even be able to
influence a person’s memory.
THE MANY ROLES Additionally, gut bacteria can even
OF THE MICROBIOME make you happier, as it is responsible
The microbiome has so many essential for producing 95 per cent of the body’s
roles that it is often referred to as a serotonin. This hormone is key in
‘supporting organ’. Two of its main determining people’s mental well-being
functions are helping to keep the as it stabilises mood.
MEET YOUR MICROBIOME
Your gut
microbiome is most similar to
your mother’s
CAN YOUR MICROBIOME discovered that people whose Transforming your gut microbiome is
CHANGE? microbiome remained the same for long relatively easy to do. By drastically
A person’s microbiome is unique to periods of their lives tend to die earlier altering your diet, the levels of your
them. At the beginning of life, its original than those whose microbial colonies body’s bacteria species can change
makeup is determined by that of their varied over time. Generally, in the significantly in just four days. This trait is
mother. As a baby is born, its body is healthiest individuals studied, the thought to have been beneficial to
exposed to the microorganisms that microorganisms that were most hunter gatherers, who could have had
exist in the mother’s birth canal. Further prevalent during early adulthood contrasting meals from day to day
significant additions to the microbiome became a smaller percentage of the depending on available resources. With
are provided in milk during gut microbiome over the following different gut bacteria being able to
breastfeeding. These environmental years. This enabled new species to dominate the microbiome, more
impacts continue to occur throughout grow in numbers in the body. nutrients could be extracted from each
life. Microbiomes change based on It isn’t yet known whether people varied food source.
events including (but not limited to) the aged better as a result of the changed
food being eaten, medication taken, microbiome, or if it was the microbiome HOW TO LOOK AFTER
disease, exercise and age. that adapted to the ageing body. YOUR MICROBIOME
The more your microbiome changes, However, the guts with the more Our microbiomes may be personal to us,
the better, according to research transformed microbiome appeared to be but one thing they all have in common is
published in February 2021. Scientists better suited to fighting chronic illness. a huge variety of microorganisms that
MEET YOUR MICROBIOME
Probiotics
work to keep us alive and healthy. Some are live
work to control fat storage, while others microbes that can
repair damaged gut lining or fight off be taken to aid
harmful invading cells. The microbiome digestion
is almost like an army of workers with specialist skills, and when looking after it, this might be a useful way to imagine it.
To keep the microbiome working well, a huge combination of workers are needed to keep the body in check. There are many steps that can be taken to maximise our healthy gut flora. We are often told to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, but eating a variety of these is better for the microbiome. Each contains different chemicals that can help particular microbes.
Feeding the gut is essential, but so is
allowing it to rest. By avoiding snacking, involves adding faecal bacteria from goal to better understand the
your microbiome isn’t overworked. another person directly into the microbiome. The primary focus of the
Additionally, instead of feeding existing recipient’s colon. This donor’s Human Microbiome Project was to
microbes, you can consume live ones. microbiome is analysed before the study these cells’ contribution to health
Yoghurt, kimchi and other fermented procedure to make sure they are and disease.
products are good for this. Meanwhile, healthy and that the transplant will cure Scientists are working to map the
consuming alcohol in moderation the bacterial imbalance. microbiome, as a major indicator of
creates a diverse microbiome, but too health, to gain understanding of how
much will have the opposite effect. WHAT IS THE HUMAN these cells impact nutrition, immunity
MICROBIOME PROJECT? and disease in the gut and other
WHEN IS A FAECAL There is so much left to learn about the ecosystems of the body.
TRANSPLANT NEEDED? microbiome. It makes up around two Over the last few decades, scientists
In some instances, such as the overuse per cent of the human body’s mass and have developed a relatively good
of antibiotics, the levels of ‘good’ many scientists compare its importance understanding of the general
bacteria become so low that they are to that of vital organs. One initiative that importance of the microbiome, but
significantly outnumbered by pathogenic has greatly improved our knowledge of know less about individual species and
cells. When immediate alterations to the the microbiome is the Human their roles. One way that these are now
microbiome are required to restore a Microbiome Project, which was being studied is by using artificial
patient to health, microbes can be launched by the US National Institutes intelligence alongside data from
transplanted from a donor. of Health in 2007. The project funds genetic sequencing. When combined,
Faecal transplantation is usually research into both the human and the machine learning algorithms can
carried out by colonoscopy and non-human cells of the body, with the highlight recurring patterns in DNA to
which cells usually exist together in the microbiome.
Thanks to ongoing research,
of unknown bacteria, viruses and other microbes have been discovered in the human gut. In single studies, thousands of links between specific species and chronic diseases have been made. As our knowledge of
this extensive and complex microbial community expands, drug
treatment for some of the
More resources
most debilitating gut
are available to
diseases can be
study gut microbes
improved and we can
since the launch of the
better assist our
Human Microbiome
microbiomes in
Project
continuing to assist us.
SIGNS OF AN UNHEALTHY GUT
Signs of an
unhealthy
We rely on the digestive tract to deliver
nutrients, but what happens when its
function is altered? Ailsa Harvey explains GUT
y looking at any recent unhealthy gut by any means. Many
intestine becomes inflamed, the large
diagram of the digestive gastrointestinal issues are temporary
surface area of the small intestine is
system, it appears to be and require less treatment.
reduced, limiting the water and
B little more than one long, Stomach pains can be caused by a
nutrients that can be absorbed through
winding tube. Its general role is to variety of events, from food poisoning
the intestine’s tissue. As a result,
carry ingested material - of varying to stress. Because discomfort in the
symptoms of coeliac disease include
composition - from mouth to anus, abdomen is a symptom shared by so
malnutrition - from the lack of nutrient
before its waste products are many diseases, and other biological
absorption out of the intestine
released from the body. events, it can be hard to recognise
stomach pains and diarrhoea from the
While these anatomical diagrams signs of a specific condition. The best
limited water being transported out of
effective at highlighting the route thing to do when suffering from regular
the gut.
that food and liquid takes, they can or persistent abdominal pain is to
Around one per cent of the
provide a deceivingly simplified consult a medical professional. This
population suffer from coeliac disease
representation of the process. In stops some of the more serious causes
and the only effective treatment is to
actuality, there are intricate being left untreated.
follow a gluten-free diet. Continuing to microscopic details hidden within
consume gluten in the long term can every section of the gut, and complex
lead to the development of other
Coeliac disease
mechanics that manipulate food and
autoimmune diseases and neurological
its nutrients to benefit the body. The gut’s gluten retaliation
issues such as epilepsy. Today, there These are the steps that are
are many gluten-free alternatives in
For some people, food products such continually being performed inside a
restaurants and supermarkets.
as bread, pasta and cakes trigger an healthy gut without being noticed
that is, until a healthy gut becomes autoimmune response in the gut. This
is because their body mistakenly decidedly unhealthy.
When someone suffers from a perceives gluten to be a threat. Gluten
is the general name for the proteins gastrointestinal disease or condition,
difficulties are added to daily life. found in wheat and, unfortunately for
those with coeliac disease, it is present These range from not being able to
eat certain foods (and the added in many foods.
When launching into the autoimmune
worry that surrounds mealtimes as a
result) to experiencing constant pain response, cells attack the gluten. Wheat, rye
Instead of saving the body from true
and many hours in the bathroom. and barley can
For each intestinal illness, the danger (as the immune system usually be replaced with
does), the reaction to what should be
levels of severity can vary. But those cornstarch, rice flour,
who haven’t been diagnosed with a harmless cells causes unnecessary tapioca starch or potato
damage to the small intestine. As the
specific illness are not immune to an flour to make gluten-
free bread
SIGNS OF AN UNHEALTHY GUT
Gastroesophageal
reflux disease (GERD)
The stomach’s destructive power
When you eat a meal, food travels through the digestive system, being passed between organs as it is churned and broken down. Inside the stomach, strong acids and enzymes work to release the nutrients from food that the body requires. In order to prevent the stomach from digesting itself, a mucus barrier is constantly created to line it. Not all of our innards are quite so hardy, and the oesophagus is one of those. The oesophagus is the tube that connects our throats to our stomachs. To separate this vertical passage from the acidic contents of our stomachs, a ring of muscle called the lower oesophageal sphincter remains contracted and closed. It opens to allow food to enter the stomach, and usually stops stomach contents entering the oesophagus. GERD symptoms are caused when this muscle is
This
weak or relaxes when it shouldn’t.
section of
Without a barrier, stomach
the intestine
contents flow into the oesophagus
is inflamed due
and can irritate its cells.
to Crohn’s
disease
for Crohn’s to affect any part of the
Crohn’s
digestive tract.
Intestinal inflammation can cause
One of the difficulties faced by
unwelcome flare-ups
those with the disease is not
Crohn’s is a bowel disease that knowing when a debilitating flare-up
inflames the digestive tract, causing is going to arise. With little warning,
stomach pain, fatigue, diarrhoea and symptoms can escalate to induce
blood in faeces. These symptoms greater abdominal pain and urgent
usually arise during childhood or bowel movements. For this period,
early in adulthood, but the exact sufferers may lose their appetite,
cause of Crohn’s disease isn’t feel drained of energy and lose
known. The chronic disease is significant weight. Anti-inflammatory
thought to be genetic, as 15 per cent medication is prescribed to Crohn’s
of sufferers have a close relative sufferers, which helps to manage Persistent
with Crohn’s. Usually, it targets the bowel movements and enable some heartburn is
small intestine and the beginning of people to feel well for weeks or a symptom of
the large intestine, but it’s possible months at a time. GERD
SIGNS OF AN UNHEALTHY GUT
Colitis
Complications in the colon
When inflammation occurs in the large intestine, this is colitis. One form of colitis, called ulcerative colitis, is the second of the two inflammatory bowel diseases. This type is similar to Crohn’s disease but is limited to the large intestine. In the worst cases of inflammation, sections of the large intestine need to be removed in surgery.
Another form, known as Pseudomembranous colitis, is caused by the accumulation of the bacteria Clostridium difficile (C. diff). This bacteria is naturally found living in the intestines, but when too much healthy bacteria is killed off, C. diff can build up and release too many inflammation-inducing toxins.
Like the majority of the body, the colon relies on a healthy blood flow. In an instance whereby a clot greatly reduces blood flow to the colon, ischemic colitis can arise. The lack of nutrient-carrying blood to the intestine can leave its lining damaged with bleeding sores.
This
is what
the intestine of someone with diverticulosis can look like
Diverticulitis
As with many gut problems, the level
What causes painful pouches of severity and impact on quality of life
in the colon? can vary greatly. Some of the worst of
this pain is caused by significant bowel
As we age, parts of our body can get ruptures. Doctors administer antibiotics
weaker, and the gut is no exception. for some diverticula infections, or they
When the colon develops naturally may suggest specific diets that reduce
weaker areas, small sections of it can the risk of inflammation.
give way under pressure and form little This treatment can be essential, as
pouches in the colon wall. These leaving diverticulitis untreated can make
pouches - called diverticula - are it much worse. Pus can collect in
usually only marble-sized, but can easily abscesses near the area of infection
tear and become infected. Someone after a while. If these make their way
who has diverticula, which can exist through the wall of the intestine, it can
Clostridium
harmlessly in the intestine, has cause life-threatening infections.
difficile can
diverticulosis, while the infection and Additionally, if diverticula tear too much,
cause severe
inflammation of the pouches is called scarring can block the intestine and
diarrhoea
diverticulitis. prevent it from carrying out its function.
SIGNS OF AN UNHEALTHY GUT
Irritable bowel
lives in mucus in the digestive tract
Peptic ulcer disease
without causing injury. syndrome (IBS)
A defenceless stomach can
The constant use of anti
What happens when gut-brain result in sores
inflammatory medication, such as
interactions are disrupted?
ibuprofen can also increase the
its name implies, this disease is likelihood of peptic ulcer disease. As
Did you know that your intestines and
by peptic ulcers that form in ibuprofen prevents inflammation, it
emotional areas of the brain are
stomach and the upper areas of also reduces hormones called
connected? This means that emotions
small intestine. These painful sores prostaglandins from being produced.
can have a direct impact on gut health.
appear when acid in the stomach These are lipid hormones, which
The symptoms of IBS, for example, can
away the inner walls of the gut, gather at areas of inflammation to
become heightened by feelings of
to create a burning and bloated protect tissue. As ibuprofen and other
stress and anxiety, which release
in the stomach. In a healthy similar medications reduce
chemicals in the brain that impact the
gut, the mucus layer that lines the inflammation without producing this
intestines and how the feeling of
and intestines protects this protective barrier, the stomach walls
digestion is portrayed. For those with
sort of damage by acid. However, it become more vulnerable to
IBS, nerves in the gut can be
is a fine balance. If the volume acid over time.
oversensitive. Small amounts of gas, that
Peptic
of mucus in the stomach
ulcers can would normally cause little discomfort,
decreases, or too much acid
result in bloating, diarrhoea, constipation
make people
forms, this barrier stops doing
feel sick and not and strong pain in the stomach, which
its job.
usually eases after going to the toilet.
want to eat
One of the most common
IBS is common and can affect people causes of these ulcers is the
for days, weeks or months at a time. presence of the bacteria Heliobacter
While there’s no ‘one-diet-fits-all’ cure, pylori. This bacteria may be passed
most people find that eating fresh between people by close contact or
foods without incorporating too much may enter the body in food and drink.
fresh fruit, relieves symptoms. Fatty and Infection by this bacteria doesn’t
spicy foods can make IBS worse, along necessarily mean that the stomach
with skipping meals. Keeping a food will suffer. Sometimes the bacteria
diary can help to find out which foods are best for your body.
The
brain can
amplify pain
signals sent by the
gut of an IBS
sufferer
HEALTHY GUT, HAPPY YOU
Healthy gut,
happy you
Edoardo Albert shares ten ways you can improve
your health and make your life better
he gut is a generally
unassuming part of the body that takes all we drop
T into it and gets on with its
business. But there are some things you can do to keep it happy and thus the rest of your body happy, too. Some are quite obvious but always worth restating, others less clear but still worth doing. Here, we go through some of the ways to keep things moving down below.
Eat the rainbow
Why eating lots of colourful food is good for the body as well as pleasing to the eye
Red strawberries, green cabbage, blue, er, blueberries, yellow bananas and orange, yes, oranges. Natural foods are a riot of colour and flavours. Many of the specific chemicals that give fruit
Not only
and vegetables their distinctive colours
does eating the
have been found to have health beta-carotene, which human health but not
rainbow do you
benefits, while simply adding greater produce orange and yellow readily available outside
good, but it looks
variety to our diets is good. We are fruit and vegetables, have these leafy greens. Purple
wonderful
descendants of hunter gatherers who been linked to reduced risks foods such as aubergines
usually ate up to 500 different plants in of heart attacks and cancer, and beetroot contain nitrates,
their diets. Eating the rainbow is an although the specific evidence is not which may help in reducing your
attempt to regain some of that variety. strong. Greenness comes from blood pressure.
Lycopene, which makes cherries and chlorophyll, but green vegetables have Rather than seeking specific health
other fruit red, has antioxidant many other useful chemicals. In improvements attached to each colour,
properties while also reducing blood particular, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels eating the rainbow is better seen as a
pressure and cholesterol. The sprouts and kale are rich in sulphur, a reminder to eat a variety of foods: the
carotenoids alpha-carotene and trace chemical that is important to greatest benefit lies in that very variety.
HEALTHY GUT, HAPPY YOU
Green
tea is rich
in polyphenols Eat less meat
and it’s good to Should we cut down on the
drink, too amount of meat we eat?
Human beings are omnivores. That we can eat almost everything is the result of our long past as hunter gatherers. But studies of modern-day hunter gatherers have shown that, for most of the year, they were gatherers more than hunters.
Coming closer to the present, the Mediterranean diet, which has proven benefits, features less meat than modern Western diets. Specific research on reducing meat consumption has shown that doing so results in a string of health benefits including lower risk of heart disease, strokes, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and less chance of obesity and some cancers. In particular, eating a lot of meat high in saturated fats - sausages, bacon - tends to go with increased risk of obesity and all its associated morbidities.
It’s not really hard to work out: highly processed meat is not as good for you as less processed meat, something that applies just as much to processed plant-based foods. Buying fresh food and cooking it yourself is always far better than slapping a pre-made meal in the microwave.
flavanones; coffee has
Eat more
hydroxycinnamates, as do many
polyphenols fruits; apples, tea and onions have
Good news: not all your favourite flavanols; while red wine is rich in
foods are bad for you resveratrol. Researchers have not
yet established exactly how
For those who find the puritanical polyphenols work to benefit us, but
finger wagging of nutritionists their discovery has come as a
depressing, the discovery of the welcome boon to those wanting to
beneficial effects of polyphenols has eat and drink some of the good
been a godsend. Eating a diet rich in things in life with a clear conscience.
them has been shown to reduce the So, coffee, tea, red wine,
risk of developing chronic disease, chocolate. Anyone would be happy
such as diabetes and heart problems. with these in a diet. But, as always,
Among the common diet items to keep the gut truly happy, even Delicious as
containing polyphenols are tea, foods stuffed full with polyphenols crispy bacon is,
cocoa, broad beans and apples, have to be eaten in balance with the all that fat is not
which have flavanols; citrus fruit has rest of our diet. good for us in
large amounts
HEALTHY GUT, HAPPY YOU
Some of the
good bacteria
Eat more fibre that live happily in
our gut, working in
How come eating more of what
partnership with us
we can’t digest is so important for our health?
If the gut is all about extracting every last bit of nourishment from the food we eat, it might seem surprising that one of the best things we can do to improve the health of the gut is to eat more food containing stuff that the gut can’t digest: fibre.
Fibre is the parts of plants, vegetables, nuts and roots that our stomachs can’t break down in the small intestine. Instead, they get passed on to the large intestine. In distinction to the quick-working small intestine, the large intestine takes its time, holding parcels of undigested food in pockets while the innumerable bacteria that live there get to work on the fibre.
The short-chain fatty acids that the microbes split some of the fibre into help insulin sensitivity and reduce the levels of glucose and lipids in the blood, which indirectly protects against cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. Then, when the bacteria have finished, the remaining fibres gives the lower intestine something to grab hold of when it has to push what’s left further along. Fibres also absorb some water, which helps when it comes to pushing out what’s left at the end of the gut,
Eat more bacteria What has been shown, quite
stopping constipation and making
Should we add bacteria to our list of robustly, to be true, is the beneficial
going to the toilet less of a strain.
good things to eat? effects of children taking probiotic
Rough fibre in, softer poo out.
supplements if a course of antibiotics
There’s a jungle inside us. Literally is causing diarrhoea. There’s also
trillions of bacteria live in our gut, with reliable data saying that probiotic
most of them concentrated in the supplements can be useful to people
lower reaches of the large intestine. suffering from constipation, particularly
These bacterial colonies start forming when combined with increasing fibre
the moment we are born and they intake (not surprising, really, as the
have become the focus of much recent fibre provides food for some of the gut
research looking at the gut-brain axis. bacteria). Less robust, but suggestive,
While the research is still in its early research has found that probiotics can
stages, tentative findings show that the be helpful to people suffering from
balance of bacteria in our gut is indeed Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel
Wholefoods
important to our health and wellbeing, syndrome. There’s a jungle in there:
are another
with some studies even linking helping it grow might well be helpful to
excellent source
changes in the gut flora to changes in you (but we can’t say more than that at
of dietary fibre
mood and anxiety levels. this stage).
HEALTHY GUT, HAPPY YOU
down there. Chewing more prepares On the social level, slower eating
Eat slow
the food for the stomach, as well as in company gives the opportunity to
Take your time and enjoy your food
giving us more opportunity to build social relationships, and if
appreciate the flavour and texture of there’s one thing research has
The very idea of fast food is anathema
the food we’re eating in the moment, unequivocally demonstrated, it’s that to many cultures. The writer
and when the food arrives in the social relationships are hugely
remembers an Italian restaurateur
stomach it is more spaced out, beneficial for every aspect
ejecting a German couple who
allowing the stomach to sort The benefits of our health. So, take
complained their food was taking too
through it better before it of taking your time, enjoy your
long, telling them to go to McDonald’s
finally gets passed on to the time and eating food, and talk to each
if they wanted fast food.
small intestine. together are other while you do it.
The benefits of taking our time
immeasurable
when eating are varied, running from the physical, through the social, even to the spiritual, but we will begin with the most obvious benefit. Food eaten slowly tastes better. And the curious paradox of better-tasting food is that we don’t eat as much of it.
In part, that’s because taking time to eat gives our gut the chance to signal to the brain that it’s had enough, but it’s also a consequence of a richer sensory input from the food itself. Eating should encompass all the senses and taking time allows this to happen - and therefore cues the brain to realise that it has had enough.
On the level of the gut, eating slowly helps with digestion, allowing everything to run more smoothly
Drink more (water, that is)
Adam’s ale is still the best way of drinking
Our bodies are 60 per cent water, so it should come as no surprise that we need liquid to keep us alive. Indeed, we will die much more quickly from thirst than from hunger, although the exact time varies considerably according to the conditions (hot and dry is worse than cool).
The National Academy of Medicine recommends men take 12.5 cups of liquid a day, women nine cups, pregnant women ten cups and breastfeeding women 13 cups. All this water is required to maintain the body’s homeostasis, the balance between water gained and lost during the course of our normal activities. The brain monitors water levels constantly, adjusting them to cope with what we are doing, whether it be sitting down in a cool room or running under the hot sun.
With respect to the gut, not drinking enough water often
Get them contributes towards constipation. If the body is not getting
started young enough water, it will reabsorb fluid as it passes through
on drinking water: the large intestine, making the faeces drier, harder and
children in particular less easy to pass. As an easy step towards better gut
should not drink fizzy health, drinking more water ranks high.
sugared drinks
HEALTHY GUT, HAPPY YOU
We are
made to run, jump and skip;
Drink less children still know
A bit of a no-brainer here: too that, and adults need
much alcohol is bad for us to remember it
The more difficult question to answer for sure is whether a moderate level of drinking can have some health benefits. Studies comparing the health effects of not drinking alcohol at all when compared to drinking moderate amounts, that is not more than one alcoholic drink a day, are mixed, with some showing health benefits in not drinking at all while others seem to show that moderate drinking can be beneficial to health.
Given that these studies have conflicting findings, and that the health benefits one way or the other are not great, the commonsense approach is that while heavy drinking has demonstrable and major ill effects on health, there is little to choose between total abstinence and modest amounts of alcohol. Given its place as a social lubricant and, for many people, part of the good life, drinking in moderation is a perfectly rational choice to make given the state of the research at present. Cheers!
be easier to draw up a list of what
This body was made
exercise doesn’t help than what it
for walking does help. But to take some obvious
Why exercise is one of the best examples, people who exercise
things we can do for our health regularly have a 30 per cent lower
risk of early death, and lower
,000 years of history have fitted incidences of a range of chronic
us for movement. Indeed, even diseases and mental illnesses,
before modern Homo sapiens including heart disease, diabetes,
evolved, we developed for a life of strokes, breast cancer, bowel cancer,
constant movement: there is no other osteoarthritis, hip fractures, dementia,
animal on Earth that can run for as depression and chronic stress.
long or as far as humans. We lost our For exercise to truly be exercise, it
fur and began to sweat so that the needs to raise the heart and
body could stop itself overheating breathing rate, so medium to brisk
when running for mile after mile. walking is enough to have all these
Research has demonstrated the benefits, not to mention more
So long
overwhelming benefits of regular vigorous activities that may be even
as drinking
exercise. Indeed, if it was a medicine, more helpful. Best of all is to increase
alcohol is done in
it would be hailed as a miracle cure, everyday activity, like taking the stairs
moderation, then its
helping almost every facet of our rather than using a lift, and walking to
social benefits may
health and wellbeing. Indeed, it would work rather than catching a bus.
outweigh any
drawbacks
HEALTHY GUT, HAPPY YOU
Bear knows:
it’s good to
sleep
findings is that sleeping more helps people who suffer from reduced or
Sleep well
people stay slim. The reasons why are disturbed sleep patters are more likely
Enough sleep is as important to
complex and little understood, but the to develop depression than regular
health as good food and exercise
findings are clear. One consequence of eight-hour sleepers. So, sweet dreams
better sleep is that people eat less of good health.
A healthy lifestyle has three strands: when they are awake. As with exercise,
good food, exercise and sleep. It might a lifetime of good nights’ sleep has
“People who were
be hard to believe, but getting eight huge health benefits, reducing the risk
hours of sleep a night is as beneficial of almost all the major chronic diseases
sleep deprived
for your health as exercise and a good of the modern world, including heart
diet. Sleep, rather than being a disease, strokes and diabetes. The were nearly
non-productive down time, is the period immune system also benefits from the
when the body sets itself to right and body’s rest: one study found people three times as
depriving the body of adequate who were sleep deprived were nearly
amounts of sleep leads to major three times as likely to catch cold when likely to catch
long-term consequences in ill health. compared to those who got eight hours
One of the most counter-intuitive a night. Sleep also helps mental health: a cold”
THE GUT-BRAIN AXIS
THE GUT-BRAIN AXIS
The
gut-brain
How our brain talks to our gut and how
our gut answers back to the brain
aving finished a good meal fresh batch of food is coming into the veritable ecosystem of life that exists in
and sat back in your chair, stomach or asking the large intestine to our gut, particularly the latter section of
do you then direct your draw some more fluid from the fibrous the large intestine. The gut contains
H intention inwards and issue mass its working on. truly mind-boggling numbers of
instructions to your gut to get on with The enteric nervous system is set bacteria: ten to the power of 14 (that is a
the job of digesting? Obviously not. into the gut’s lining and it is composed one followed by 14 noughts). That’s ten
Still less do you have to tell the of 500 million neurons, which is ten times more microbes than there are
stomach to start with the liquid and times as many as the spinal cord cells in the human body. So only one in
then move on to churning the food by (although only 0.5 per cent of the ten of the cells in our body are actually
retropulsion. The stomach, along with mind-boggling 86 billion neurons in the us: we play host to colonies of bacteria
the rest of the gut, simply gets on brain). It communicates with the other that vastly outnumber us. We are only at
with the job. nervous systems in the body via the the start of investigating the effect of
vagus nerve and prevertebral ganglia. our internal jungle on our bodies and
THE ENTERIC After all, the brain does need to know if minds, but how did all these microbes
NERVOUS SYSTEM we haven’t eaten for three days or if get there in the first place?
The gut can do its job, quietly and we’re so full that even the normally For the first nine months of life, a
normally with very little fuss, because it hyperstretchy stomach really can’t fit baby exists in the only truly sterile
is controlled and communicates via an any more food in. environment it will ever know. In the
entirely separate signalling system to However, the extraordinary result of womb, the baby is protected from the
the one we use to control our experimental studies is that the enteric outside world. But all this changes from
movements and direct our thoughts. nervous system is perfectly happy to go birth. Emerging through the birth canal,
That one is the central nervous system, on functioning even if its connection to the baby comes into the world with its
starting at the brain and going down the vagus nerve is cut. It’s no wonder first colonists: passengers picked up
through the spine before radiating out it’s sometimes called our second brain. from the mother’s vaginal flora, bacteria
to all our muscles. It needs to be. There’s a lot going on it came into contact with from its mother
The gut operates under a different inside us that it has to look after. with the mother’s first embrace. This
system: the enteric nervous system. first colonisation is incredibly swift:
This is what communicates between the THE JUNGLE INSIDE some bacteria can produce their next
different sections of the gut, telling the One of the key areas the enteric generation in 20 minutes. By the time
small intestine to get a move on as a nervous system has to monitor is the the baby is safe in its mother’s arms, her
THE GUT-BRAIN AXIS
parting gift, her own unique mix of neutral and bad bacteria: the immune to the gut to prepare for possible
bacteria, will be busily establishing system learns and its single most emergency action.
themselves within the little suckling important learning aid is the bacteria A nervous system honed on the
baby. Breastfeeding and normal living in our gut. plains of Africa, sensing danger, tells
motherly contact also help to establish the gut to get on with things: diarrhoea
a good mix of bacteria in the new baby. WHAT’S INSIDE AFFECTS as the result of stress is the body
Although the initial colonisation is very WHAT’S OUTSIDE responding to an evolutionary
swift, it’s usually three years before the The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in imperative to be ready to run for our
flora of the gut settle down into our body, starting from the brain stem lives. But nowadays, not many of us
comfortable equilibrium. and going down to the gut, while also have to run from hunting lions. Stress,
These rapidly expanding colonies of monitoring the heart, lungs and other the marker of danger, for too many of
bacteria in our gut play an essential, internal organs. The enteric nervous us is in danger of becoming
although not yet well understood, role system sends it information concerning generalised as a response to the strains
in the development of both the central what is going on in the gut, and it of everyday life - even more so during
and enteric nervous systems in the returns information to the gut, in the uncertainties of a global pandemic.
weeks following birth. What’s more, as particular about our stress levels. So
the immune system lining the gut there is a very good reason that we feel INFLAMMATORY STRESS
interacts with the microbiota living in nerves - that is, stress - in our stomach The immune system has a difficult job.
the gut, it learns quickly and thoroughly region. Under stress, the brain is Sometimes, if it becomes too active, it
how to distinguish between good, sending messages, via the vagus nerve, can lead to the body being in a
state of low-level inflammation. As a chronic condition, low-level inflammation appears to be connected with a wide variety of disorders, including Alzheimer’s and depression. One of the ways this happens is that chronic stress produces leaky gut syndrome, leading to some of our gut flora passing out of the gut, where they should be, into the bloodstream, where they shouldn’t.
A number of studies have now shown that clinical depression is often linked with chronic low-level inflammation. So given that inflammation is often a result of imbalances in the gut flora, leading to leaky gut syndrome, some researchers have started investigating to see if restoring a better balance to the bacteria within our gut can help to improve our overall mood. A Dutch team, working with a group of volunteers, fed them helpful bacteria (apart from the control group, who were given a placebo) and monitored their answers to a set of questions
measuring anger, brooding and despair. Over the four-week study, the group who were given the bacteria mix showed a ten per cent improvement in their feelings, particularly with respect to anger and brooding, when compared to the control group.
A ten per cent improvement is not huge, but it is past the point of coincidence. While psychiatric drugs produce much bigger changes, they often produce major side effects. The
T
daily dose of bacteria had no obvious subjects’ performance in memory tasks
drawbacks. So it appears that changing “Clinical - remember that stress is associated
the mix of bacteria in our gut can with the development of diseases such
depression
change the way we feel. At this point, it as Alzheimer’s.
is beginning to seem that the body Early studies have also begun to see
is often linked
might better be described as a whether improving the balance of
Commonwealth than a single organism. intestinal flora could help with
with chronic
depression. Studies with mice have
MANAGING STRESS indicated that gut bacteria can help
low-level
If changing the mix of our gut bacteria mice that have been manipulated to
can improve mood, can it also do suffer from depression-like symptoms.
inflammation”
something to improve the chronic levels With findings linking depression to
of stress many of us experience? For low-level inflammation, a rich vein of
while stress can be caused by leaky gut either Bifidobacterium longum 1714 or a new research is opening up, one that
syndrome, in today’s world it’s just as placebo, while measuring the subjects’ might produce valuable help for one of
likely to come from external factors that experience of day-to-day stress. The the most common mental-health
we cannot control: how many people subjects fed the bacteria reported, and problems today.
have lived in dread of a new lockdown were measured via a series of tests, to Is the cure in our gut? The honest
destroying their livelihood. While it have experienced a 15 per cent answer is probably not. But by
appears we have little control over our reduction in their feelings of stress at ensuring a healthier balance within us,
governments, perhaps we can do the end of the study. it seems that we will be able to
something about how we experience Although the tests to measure stress achieve a healthier balance with
this stress. had not changed - plunging a hand respect to the outside world, too. It
One study showed that ingesting a into ice-cold water for as long as the looks like we should be cultivating the
daily amount of Bifidobacterium bifidum subject could bear it - the people who jungle within. The old saying was that
reduced the subjective feelings of had taken the bacteria had lower levels the path to a man’s heart led through
stress experienced by the experimental of stress hormones than before they his stomach. It now appears that, for all
subjects. Following on from that finding, had started taking it. Other tests also of us, the path through the gut takes
a further eight-week study fed subjects showed an improvement in the us to better health.
WHAT’S YOUR GUT TELLING YOU?
What’s your
GUT
telling you?
If you’re suffering with tummy
troubles, take our test to find a fix
WHAT’S YOUR GUT TELLING YOU?
here’s a complex
connection between the FOLLOW THE FLOWCHART
digestive system and
T overall health - and if it’s
START
out of whack, it will impact Are you often bloated?
elsewhere in the body. Your gut is
HERE
home to trillions of bacteria, known as the gut microbiome and
is responsible for the absorption of YES NO
essential nutrients to aid the
immune system, give us energy
and boost brain function. So if Are certain foods Do you ever have a
a trigger for you? YES painful lower tummy?
things aren’t feeling great in the
digestion department, use the flow
chart to discover the reason for
YES NO NO
your tummy troubles - and sort it
with our expert’s advice.
Do you get Is wind and Do you have
tummy pain NO gas a NO tummy
when you regular trouble
SEE
haven’t symptom shortly after
YOUR GP eaten? for you? NO eating?
Don’t delay if you notice
blood in your poo, have
YES YES YES
dark stools, unexplained
weight loss, shortness of
breath or feel lumps in
Is your poo Are you constipated
your tummy. NO
often loose and or do you often have
frequent? hard poos?
YES NO YES
Do you often skip
NO
meals or eat a lot of
processed foods?
Have you Do you
ever had an have get a
NO YES
extreme funny taste
reaction to NO in your
food such as mouth,
Does your tummy
vomiting burning in
and flare up when you’re
your throat,
stressed?
diarrhoea or or pain in
a rash? your torso
YES NO
YES YES
IT COULD BE... IT COULD BE... IT COULD BE... IT COULD BE...
A food Irritable Lack of Indigestion
intolerance Bowel fibre/good
or allergy Syndrome (IBS) nutrition
Turn the page to see what your results mean...
WHAT’S YOUR GUT TELLING YOU?
✢SORT IT
It’s important to have a confirmed
diagnosis to rule out other conditions
such as coeliac or inflammatory bowel
disease, so speak to your GP. Bloating and wind: ‘Avoid gasproducing foods such as beans, pulses, Brussels sprouts, sugar-free mints or gum and include oats and linseeds in your diet,’ says Dr Williams. Diarrhoea:‘Avoid sugar-free sweets or mints, or drinks containing sweeteners such as xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol. Limit caffeinated drinks to no more than three per day and
reduce your intake of high-fibre foods.
Stay hydrated.
LACK OF FIBRE/GOOD NUTRITION
The average adult only consumes
g of fibre per day - 12g lower than
the recommended 30g intake. Fibre removes waste and toxins from the body and helps the digestive tract function. It also helps keep cholesterol low and stabilise blood-sugar levels,
reducing type 2 diabetes risk. ✢SORT IT
‘Adding more daily fibre should
soften stools, helping them to pass out easier,’ says Dr Williams. ‘But avoid eating extra wheat bran as this
FOOD INTOLERANCE problems, so seek urgent medical can make constipation worse.’
OR ALLERGY advice,’ says Dr Williams. Fibre-rich foods include wholegrains,
For some people, certain foods can Food intolerance:Symptoms such as berries, oranges, nuts, seeds and
lead to food-hypersensitivity. ‘These bloating or tummy pain often come on broccoli and are packed with iron,
reactions either involve the immune several hours after eating. Keeping and vitamins B and C.’
system, which is a “food allergy” or a food diary will help you to identify
in cases where it doesn’t, it’s called a possible triggers. Try eliminating INDIGESTION
“food intolerance”,’ explains Dr Emma certain foods for two to six weeks to It’s caused by stomach acid irritating
Williams, Waitrose Nutrition Manager. see whether things improve. the stomach lining or throat, giving
✢SORT IT a burning sensation or a full, bloated
Food allergy: IRRITABLE BOWEL feeling. While unpleasant, it doesn’t
Immediate reactions SYNDROME (IBS) require medical assistance unless the
usually take place ‘Symptoms vary from person to symptoms continue past three weeks,
within two hours of person but typical signs include or you have other difficulties.
eating, with the tummy discomfort, bloating, or a ✢SORT IT
development of change in bowel movements ‘Limit caffeinated or alcoholic drinks
classic allergy for at least a six months - and don’t eat three to four hours
symptoms such often made worse by eating,’ before bed, avoiding any rich, spicy
as, an itchy rash, says Dr Williams. Passing or fatty foods,’ says Dr Williams. If
swelling and in mucus, feeling lethargic, stomach acid prevents you sleeping,
some cases, experiencing nausea, prop up your head and shoulders in
vomiting and bladder issues and backache bed to stop the acid rising.
diarrhoea. ‘These are also indicators IBS can Certain medications ,such as
can lead to be brought ibuprofen or aspirin, may also make
serious on by stress. indigestion worse.
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Diet
The ghosts of foods past
Our guts are dealing with modern
foods through our evolutionary past
Worst foods for your gut
Some of the best foods for our
tastebuds are the worst for our gut
What’s stealing your nutrients?
You eat right and sleep well so why do
you feel so tired?
Decode that craving
A recurring yearning for salty snacks after a meal could indicate an issue. We asked the experts…
Best foods for a healthy gut
How to feed your way to a gut
bursting with good bacteria
The truth about starchy food
Are starchy foods as unhealthy as
we’ve been led to believe?
Secrets of a healthy cupboard
Stock up on long-life essentials to
always have something healthy in
Canprobiotics change your life?
Take care of your gut and it’ll take good care of you…
Eat more mindfully
Pay more attention to the way you are
eating and learn to take control
THE GHOSTS OF FOODS PAST
From
being the
food of infants, milk has become the basis of a huge industry but our bodies are still trying to catch up
The
ghosts
of
foodspast
Our guts are dealing with modern foods
through our evolutionary past, explains Edoardo Albert
THE GHOSTS OF FOODS PAST
uman beings, Homo
“Farmers
sapiens, first appeared on earth about 300,000 years
naturally
H ago. We were a wondering
and a wandering species that concentrate on
migrated out from Africa, gradually
colonising every part of the world. the plants that
For 287,000 of those 300,000 years,
we were nomadic hunter gatherers, produce the
following the tracks of herds of game
and visiting favoured sites to pick best crops and
seasonal fruits or to trap migrating fish
and animals. It was only with the improving them”
invention of agriculture around 9,000
BCE that it became possible for people remaining hunter gatherer peoples that
to settle down in one place. maintain their ancient lifestyle indicate
The settling down also produced a that they ate a huge variety of
growing population, which went on to foodstuffs during the course of the year
create more complex social units and, - food was, of course, seasonal. A
to regulate and record all this, writing. nomad family would eat up to 500
The whole of recorded human history different plants, roots, herbs and fruit
stretches back just 6,000 years, that is during a normal year, with nearly as
a mere two per cent of the total time much variety in the animal food they
human beings have been alive. consumed. By comparison, while today
we have much more food to eat, the
OUR NOMADIC variety has greatly reduced to only 17
PAST TODAY main plant crops. We use these plants
Given that we spent so long as nomads, in a huge number of different ways, but
it’s not surprising that our past still the absolute number of plants we eat
haunts our present, even though the has gone down dramatically. This is
lives we live today are so different from because farmers naturally concentrate
those of our ancestors. We see that in on the plants that produce the best
how difficult our bodies find sitting crops and improving them, rather than
down all day because our bodies were trying out low-yield plants.
made for walking. And we feel it with The other huge change in our diets is
what we eat. Studies on the few milk and dairy products. Before the
The
San people of South Africa are among the last hunter gatherer societies left on Earth
THE GHOSTS OF FOODS PAST
The
right stuff:
domestication of goats and provide a bonanza for the DOES WHAT
we can’t help
cattle, the only milk we drank gut flora in the large WE EAT MATTER?
it, sugar is
came from our mother’s breast intestine, leading to the This might seem like a strange question
sweet
milk. To digest lactose, our small production of gas. But a in these diet-conscious times, but it’s an
intestine excretes an enzyme good camembert is probably important question nonetheless.
during infancy, but our bodies were set worth a fart or two, although Everything we eat is broken down by
to stop excreting this enzyme as we got stomach bloating and diarrhoea might the actions of the gut into sugars, amino
older - after all, there was not much suggest cutting back on the cheese. acids and fats. On the basic chemical
point in continuing to produce this enzyme when we stopped drinking milk that our mothers provided us with as they breastfed us.
But while we now continue eating and drinking dairy products into our old age, our bodies are only just beginning to catch up. 25 per cent of people now continue to produce the lactoseconsuming enzyme in undiminished quantities throughout their lives. But for fully three-quarters of the world’s population, the production of the
There’s
lactose-consuming enzyme slows down
a wide
as they age.
variety of fats in
Luckily, lactose intolerance does not
our diet and not
produce too much in the way of ill
all of them are
effects. Undigested dairy products
good
THE GHOSTS OF FOODS PAST
Indian
cuisine
has a wealth
of delicious
“On the basic vegetarian
possibilities
chemical level, it makes no difference if we eat a bowl of quinoa and tofu or a Big Mac”
level, it makes no difference if we eat a bowl of quinoa and tofu or a Big Mac and fries. When the food gets to the small intestine, it’s all become one of those three. So if everything is broken down to the same three classes of substances, why should it matter what we consume in the first place?
The problem lies in the change in what we eat. In particular, the discovery of how to grow and process sugar. While sugar cane was grown in India from prehistory, it was a rare and difficult crop, and expensive. Honey was the only sweetener available to the vast majority of mankind.
Sugar only began to spread when the secret of crystallising it was discovered in the 5th century CE during the Gupta Empire. Sugar crystals were called khanda, from which the word candy comes. Sugar production exploded following the European
GETTING YOUR PROTEIN FIX
settlement of the New World, with vast
Where to get the building blocks for the body
plantations in the West Indies producing
sugar cane as part of the Triangular Proteins consist of chains of amino lack some of the key amino acids
Trade that took slaves from Africa, acids. There are 20 amino acids we need to maintain good health,
traded them for sugar and sugar and they can be linked into an so vegetarians and vegans need to
derived products in the West Indies and almost infinite variety of chains. supplement their diets with
then sailed back to Europe to buy Our DNA, the information template legumes and some of the few, but
goods to take south to Africa to trade for the cells in our body, makes use useful, plants that do contain the
with African slave dealers for the next of this density to instruct the necessary proteins, such as quinoa.
round of slaves. development and maintenance of Tofu, made from soya milk, is
The problem with sugar is that the our bodies. The gut breaks down another excellent source of protein,
body loves it. Most people have a proteins into their constituent as are dairy products if those are a
sweet tooth. It’s a flavour that carries amino acids, which can then be possibility. As two of the world’s
only positive connotations. That was all absorbed directly through the gut largest religions, Buddhism and
fine when the only sweet things we wall and used in building proteins Hinduism, prefer largely meat-free
would normally eat were fruit and in our bodies. The richest source of diets, there is a wealth of dietary
honey. But today, much processed food proteins are other animals, for they experience to provide a healthy
has sugar added. It’s worth contain the same building block vegetarian existence for those who
distinguishing between mechanically proteins that we do. Most plants choose to forgo flesh in their food.
processed food, such as pasteurised
THE GHOSTS OF FOODS PAST
The
essential good fat:
olive oil
milk and sausages, and chemically sugars together again and make a that take more work to break down. So
processed foods, such as breakfast substance called glycogen, which is the sugar rush is spread out, allowing
cereals and ready meals. The latter stored in the liver, and serves as a the body to adjust more gradually.
usually have sugar added. Even without first-stop energy store. Rather
eating oven meals, we still have access annoyingly for people trying to lose FAT TIME
to vastly more sweet foods and drinks weight, when we exercise, the body’s The life of a hunter gatherer often
than our ancestors. For our guts, still first recourse is to its glycogen store. involved periods of dearth. Hunger
stuck in a pre-industrial world, all this It’s only after that is exhausted, which stalked the hunting plains. In fact, the
sugar is a bonanza. Sugars require very usually takes about an hour, that the st century is the first time in history
little work on the part of our guts before body starts burning fat. when there have been more fat people
they are absorbed. But sugar is not only sweet. than starving people. Given so many
Sugar is fuel. Imagine throwing petrol Carbohydrates, the main constituents of generations where famine was the
on a fire; it flares up in a blast of heat bread, pasta, rice and indeed most of greater threat, our bodies have naturally
and flames, then dies down just as the things we eat, are actually strings of evolved to eke every last bit of
quickly. It’s like that when we eat sugar. sugar molecules linked together. The nourishment from the food we eat, and
A surge of instant energy that sputters key factor in determining what are the to store what we don’t immediately
out. To cope with the inrush of sugar best carbohydrate foods to eat is how need against future hunger.
energy, the body also has to produce long it takes for the body to break the Unfortunately, the body can turn sugar
an equivalent rush of hormones, carbohydrates down into sugars. Eating into fat more easily than any other
particularly insulin, to cope with the white bread, for instance, is not much substance - even more easily than the
burst. The problem, of course, is that if different, from the gut’s point of view, to fat we eat.
we don’t need this inrush of sugar eating the same quantity of sugar. Fat is special. While for years it was
energy, the body has to do something Wholegrain bread, on the other hand, the greasy cousin to bright, white Mr
with it. The first step is to chain the contains more complex sugar chains Sugar, now we know that fat, at least in
THE GHOSTS OF FOODS PAST
can dissolve straight through the wall of the way. This means that the heart is
“As an energy the small intestine into the bloodstream, exposed to whatever cheap fats the
if fat did that, it would clog up the burger joint down the road bought in to
store, fat holds vessels leading to the liver (where the fry their quarter pounders. Obviously,
blood from the gut goes first, for a this is not great.
twice the amount thorough check and clean). Good fats, such as cold-pressed
Instead, it’s the lymphatic system that (extra virgin) olive oil, can have
of energy per absorbs fat. Lymph is the pale, straw- considerable health benefits. Many
coloured fluid that you can see studies have linked the consumption of
gram when
sometimes weeping from around good olive oil to reduced incidences of
wounds. Every capillary in the body has arteriosclerosis, Alzheimer’s, chronic
compared to
an accompanying lymph vessel, taking inflammation and macular
immune cells to where they are needed degeneration. However, even good fats
carbohydrates”
and draining excess fluid. The fat we such as olive oil and other anti-
certain forms, is more beneficial than a eat is absorbed into the lymphatic inflammatory oils are only good in
spoonful of sugar, although it’s hard to system, joining the Ductus thoracicus, reasonable quantities.
see fat becoming a refrain in a song as the biggest lymph vessel in the body. The difficult fact is that we live in
sugar has been so often. As an energy The lymph is a one-way system, driven times when high-energy food is plentiful
store, fat holds twice the amount of by gravity, whose other main job is to and cheap. The main food problem of
energy per gram when compared to drain the debris from cells and return it the modern age is learning to live with
carbohydrates and proteins. Fat to the venous system, where the heart having too much to eat. While it’s
sheathes our nerves, acting as an then circulates it back to the clean-up definitely a better situation than trying
insulator, and coats every cell in our organs for removal from the body. to cope with not having enough to eat
body as the main constituent of the The drawback of this is that the fat - the consequences of malnutrition are
cell membrane. we eat with our food and absorb deeper, quicker and much more
As well as making fat, the It via the gut is sent, via the crippling than obesity - it nevertheless
body absorbs it from our food. takes an venous system, directly to has its own set of challenges, which,
However, there’s a problem: hour of exercise the heart without being because of our evolutionary history,
fat is insoluble. Where sugar before we start cleaned up by the liver on may prove very difficult to solve.
burning off fat
WORST FOODS FOR GUT HEALTH
Worst foods
for your gut
Too
Some of the best foods for our tastebuds are the
much red
worst for our gut, explains Jamie Frier meat isn’t
great for your
gut
t’s no secret that many of the tastiest and most enjoyable things to eat and drink are bad for us.
I Those late-night cheesy chips play
havoc with our waistlines, alcohol damages our livers and caffeine affects our sleep cycles. We all know that, but what is possibly less obvious is the impact certain foods and drinks have on our gut health. Our digestive system is a fascinatingly delicate and diverse ecosystem of bacteria, all battling for supremacy. Your aim should be to populate your gut with good, healthy bacteria that helps everything to work as it should, but a poor diet could lead to an excess of bad bacteria that hamper the smooth running of your body. When there is an imbalance like this it is called dysbiosis and it doesn’t end well for you. Too much bad bacteria, or not enough good, can result in everything from
bloating and gas to illness, disease, well-known that this is partly due to its are able to cope with a certain amount
food intolerances and clogged arteries. impact on your gut. Animal cells contain of extra carnitine so you don’t have to
Obviously you need a little bit of molecules called carnitine. As humans give up red meat entirely to have a
Epicurean joy in your life, but here are are animals, we have carnitine in our healthy gut, but wolfing down a daily
bodies, so when we eat meat, this bacon butty or beefburger could prove
increases the amount of carnitine in our too much for it to handle. Studies have
Red meat system. When digested, some of the shown that switching between a
A carnivorous diet could harm carnitine reacts with our gut bacteria meat-based and a plant-based diet can
your gut and creates another substance called have an effect on your body (negatively
trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). This or positively) in as little as 24 hours, so
It is fairly well-known that red meat such has been linked to cardiovascular a couple of days per week where you
as beef, lamb and pork isn’t great for disease and a build-up of plaque in switch meat for a plant-based
you in large quantities as it can lead to your arteries that is clearly very alternative can help your body process
heart problems. However, it is less hazardous to your health. Our bodies the carnitine in your gut without too
WORST FOODS FOR GUT HEALTH
Artificial
sweeteners
Fake sugar isn’t so sweet for your gut
You may think that using artificial sweetener in your tea or coffee (more on that later) instead of sugar is doing your body a favour as it doesn’t have the same amount of calories. However, there are some hidden side-effects to products like aspartame and saccharin. These sugar substitutes can actually transform good gut bacteria into bad pathogenic bacteria, which could cause serious illness if they cross into the bloodstream. This includes sepsis, organ failure and glucose
intolerance. As the aim is to have as much good bacteria and as little bad in our guts as possible, an excess of artificial sweetener is the absolute enemy of good gut health and should be avoided where possible. A little bit of natural sugar, honey or good old fruit juice can go a long way in
Processed
adding a bit of sweetness into
foods can
your body in more ways than one.
be part of a
balanced diet just not too much!
Processed foods gut needs. Approximately 75% of
the world’s food supply comes from
These foods are tough to process
just 12 plants and five animals,
Processed foods, such as cheese, something that negatively affects
bacon and pasties, aren’t great for our gut’s bacteria diversity levels,
your general health, and can also and people in Europe and North
cause issues for your gut. They are America have less diverse gut flora
generally foodstuffs that have been than those in rural Africa and South
heavily modified and altered as well America. Much of this is put down to
as being loaded with sugar and salt a Western diet that is made up of
to make them taste nice. The result too much processed food and not
of this is a lot of the goodness in the enough natural produce. As with
base ingredients being lost during everything, a balance is important
the processing stage. That means here. It’s not the end of the world to
that not only are you not getting have some processed foods in your It may
much fibre or good bacteria from diet, but you need to make sure seem harmless,
the food you’re eating, but by filling you’re making up for them by having but artificial
up on processed food, you aren’t plenty of food that’s extra-good for sweetener can
eating the kinds of foods that your your gut health. hurt your gut’s
bacteria
WORST FOODS FOR GUT HEALTH
Antibiotics
Good for your health, bad for your gut
Antibiotics are a miracle of the modern age, helping humans get over all kinds of illnesses and diseases. However, they’re also used on animals, therefore making their way into the food chain. Antibiotics work by killing bacteria, but they aren’t able to determine the difference between good and bad bacteria. Therefore, if you eat meat that still contains traces of antibiotics, this could have the effect of killing off both good and bad bacteria in your gut, reducing the quantity of gut flora. Just as we have a circadian rhythm that regulates our sleep, our guts have an internal clock that regulates the
Deep
bacteria levels. If this is thrown out
fried food similarly sized meal? That’s
of kilter, it can lead to issues such Fried food
is harder to because your digestive
as Type 2 diabetes and weight The fast way to bad gut health
digest system is having to work
harder to break the food down
Fast, fried food such as chips, and that can lead to all kinds of
burgers and battered fish is bad for stomach trouble, such as flatulence and
your gut as well as your waistline. When diarrhoea. Also, some experts believe
food is deep fried in copious amounts that the chemical changes in oil that has
of oil, this makes it much harder for your been heated can hurt the good bacteria
body to digest. Have you ever feasted in your gut and cause bad bacteria to
on a meal of fried chicken and chips multiply. Some oil is fine, but your gut
and felt uncomfortably full for much won’t thank you if you bombard it with
longer than when having eaten a loads of the stuff.
Alcohol Drinking can make your gut whine
Red wine in small quantities is actually good for the diversity of your gut’s diversity, but drinking to excess can have the reverse effect. Too much boozing can change your gut’s microbiome negatively, causing the amount of bad bacteria to outweigh the good, which is even worse than a full Sunday hangover.
Your
head won’t thank you for
overdoing the booze - and neither will your gut
WORST FOODS FOR GUT HEALTH
Dairy
Certain dairy can be scary for your gut
Yoghurt, especially yoghurt that contains live cultures, is one of the products that is the best for populating your gut with healthy, good bacteria. However, not all dairy is equal. Unfermented dairy, such as milk and cheese, can have a negative effect on the bacteria within your gut, changing it quite dramatically and putting you at risk of intestinal illness. Limiting your dairy intake can help to keep your gut in a normal, balanced state.
Alliums
might be gut wonderfoods
- but not for
Alliums everyone
Know your onions when it comes to gut health
Allium is the plant family that contains onions, garlic, leeks and shallots. These are loaded with the chemicals that our gut absolutely loves - namely fructans and inulin. However, they do come with an unwelcome side effect. Some people struggle to digest alliums because they are also full of short-chain carbohydrates called FODMAPS (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols). If your digestive system can’t cope with them
this can result in decidedly unwelcome bouts of gas, diarrhoea and bloating, Be
which rather defeats the point of eating them for good digestive health. If you careful
are one of the unlucky ones who can’t digest FODMAPs, then you may need with your dairy
to put the chicken Kiev down and look elsewhere for your source of prebiotics. quantities for a
healthy gut
Caffeine
Your morning pick-me-up may be getting you down
Most of us love a coffee or a tea first thing in the morning, and there aren’t many of us who haven’t reached for a Red Bull when falling asleep at our desks. There are polyphenols in caffeine that are good for the gut, but be warned, too much caffeine also has a highly stimulating effect on our stomachs. When caffeine passes through your intestines it makes the process of food moving through your gut speed up, thus making you need to go and sit on the
Be
toilet fairly urgently. This isn’t disastrous,
careful
but it isn’t ideal to force food through
with your dairy
your digestive system faster than it
quantities for a
wants to, so try and limit your caffeine
healthy gut
intake where possible.
WHAT’S STEALING YOUR NUTRIENTS?
What’s stealing your
nutrients?
WHAT’S STEALING YOUR NUTRIENTS?
You eat right, take supplements, sleep well so why do you feel so exhausted? These habits could be sapping your body of nutrients…
o you often feel tired, even nutritionist Rob Hobson. ‘But, specialising in nutritional medicine.
though you eat well, sometimes, no matter how healthy ‘Latest research shows, for example,
exercise and get enough you try to be, some of the things you that 84% of the top 20 most commonly
D sleep? Or, perhaps, you do every day may be unwittingly used medications affect nutrient status.
suffer from achy muscles and low hijacking your ability to obtain the As multiple medication use is common
mood? If there are no medical causes, nutrients you need.’ in the UK, the accumulative effect is
it could be down to lifestyle choices. ‘Many people are not aware that causing massive nutrient deficiencies.’
‘We need sufficient nutrients to stay certain lifestyle factors may be From an evening aperitif, to
healthy and, ideally, we’d get what we sabotaging their nutrient intake,’ adds demanding workloads, a multitude of
need from our diets,’ says registered Mike Wakeman, clinical pharmacist, everyday issues could be to blame.
The nutrient thieves
TEA AND COFFEE OVER-EXERCISING ALCOHOL
Do you like to finish a meal with a tea ‘Strenuous exercise can cause you to ‘Alcohol can deplete you of vitamins
or coffee? You may be depleting your become depleted in antioxidant vitamins B and C, and minerals, potassium,
iron stores. ‘Tannins found in tea, A, C, E, B, iron, and electrolyte salts and magnesium and zinc,’ explains Rob.
and chlorogenic acid found in minerals, including sodium, potassium, ‘Your body needs B vitamins to
coffee, are natural compounds that magnesium and calcium,’ says Rob. enable enzymes to metabolise
can reduce iron absorption,’ says ‘Deficiencies can leave you continuously alcohol in the liver. So, the more you
Rob. ‘Research shows having tea tired and make it harder to recover after drink, the quicker you'll use up
with a meal may inhibit iron uptake by a workout. Symptoms of low magnesium B vitamins (crucial for energy, brain
around 60% and drinking coffee - vital for energy - include weakness and health and nervous system). Alcohol
within an hour of a meal can reduce muscle cramps. If you’re pale, breathless also has a diuretic effect, which means
iron absorption by 80%. Tea and weak, you may be low in vitamins B and C (which are water
and coffee also reduce iron, or even anaemic, soluble), potassium, magnesium and
absorption of other especially if you have zinc are more easily flushed out of the
minerals such heavy periods.’ system. Alcohol also reduces
as magnesium, digestive enzymes, which means the
calcium and zinc.’ WHAT TO DO absorption of nutrients is inhibited.’
‘Make sure you’re eating
WHAT TO DO enough to meet your WHAT TO DO
‘Wait at least one hour energy requirements for ‘If you’re having a drink, line
after eating before you exercise, including protein, your stomach - something
have a cup of tea or coffee,’ which you need for healthy like a tuna mayo sandwich,
says Rob. ‘Take supplements with muscles,’ says Rob. Foods high which has protein, fat and
water, as a hot drink will stop the in iron include lentils, shellfish, carbohydrate. This will slow
nutrients being absorbed. Take iron liver, pumpkin seeds, quinoa and tofu. the rate alcohol enters your
supplements with orange For magnesium eat dark leafy greens, bloodstream,’ says Rob.
juice, as vitamin C aids nuts and seeds, and oily fish. ‘Get your ‘Eat more fruit and
absorption, or choose a calcium from almonds, vegetables that contain
liquid supplement that is broccoli and dairy. All vitamin C, and foods high in
gentler on the stomach.’ vegetables, avocado and vitamin B (such as brown rice,
✣Floradix Liquid Iron bananas contain eggs and lentils.’ You could
and Vitamin Formula potassium,’ says Rob. also take daily vitamin B
with herbal extracts ‘Take a multivitamin and and C supplements to top up.
and fruit juice (£11.39, mineral every day.’ ✣Alive! B-Complex Soft
ml, floradix.co.uk) ✣Solgar V 2000 (£29.75, Jells (£12.99, 60 jells,
tablets, holland schwabepharma.co.uk)
andbarrett.com)
WHAT’S STEALING YOUR NUTRIENTS?
SUNSCREEN
‘If you spend a lot of time indoors, THE PILL
covered up, or you wear sunscreen ‘A number of studies, including
every day this lowers the amount of a report by the World Health
vitamin D you absorb from sunlight. Organization (WHO), have identified
Latest figures show that one in five oral contraceptives as having an impact
people are deficient in vitamin D in upon nutritional status,’ says Mike. ‘The
the UK, and in winter around 40% research shows that oral contraceptives
are,’ reveals Rob who explains can lower a woman’s level of folic acid,
we need vitamin D to absorb vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C and E, as
calcium, and phosphate from well as magnesium, zinc, selenium,
our diet and to keep our copper, co-enzyme Q10 and beta
bones, teeth, muscles and carotene.’ He adds that there are also
immune system healthy. He concerns the pill may reduce the
adds, ‘Research also absorption of folic acid, a deficiency of
suggests if you’re low in which may lead to foetal abnormalities,
vitamin D, you’re more if pregnancy occurs while taking ASPIRIN
susceptible to flu and colds, heart the pill, or shortly after taking it. ‘Taking the occasional aspirin, for a
disease, cancer and diabetes.’ headache, is fine,’ says Dr Sarah Brewer,
WHAT TO DO GP and medical nutritionist. ‘But, if you
WHAT TO DO ‘As well as eating a highly nutritious diet, take it regularly, even in small doses,
‘Spend at least 20 minutes in take a multivitamin and mineral it can increase the risk of ulcers and
sunlight every day. If you have darker supplement. Also, a folic acid bleeding. This is because aspirin blocks
skin you may need longer,’ says Rob. supplement, especially if you’re the absorption of vitamin C, which has
‘Leave face, forearms, hands and/or planning on trying to conceive a protective effect on the stomach lining.’
lower legs uncovered, without in the near future.’ Mike also
sunscreen. But add sunscreen if you recommends seeing a nutritional WHAT TO DO
plan to be out longer. therapist, or your GP, to check Dr Brewer adds, ‘If you’re taking aspirin
You can also eat for any nutritional deficiencies if long-term (eg, to reduce the risk
more foods that you are concerned. of heart attack), take a daily
contain vitamin D (oily ✣VitCheck is a new vitamin C supplement. Ensure
fish, eggs, evidence-based online you also get vitamin C from your
mushrooms) and take personalised nutrition service diet by eating plenty of fresh
a supplement - to measure the impact fruit and vegetables.’
mcg (400 iu) daily.’ medications might have on ✣Altrient Liposomal
✣DLux Vitamin D your nutritional status. See Vitamin C (£39.99, 30
spray (£8.45, 15ml, vitmedics.com sachets, abundanceand
betteryou.com) health.co.uk)
STRESS helps to regulate heart rate, lowers vegetables.’ As well as the magnesium-
‘When you’re stressed, your body uses blood pressure and stimulates levels of rich foods listed, include kidney beans,
vitamins B and C, and the mineral the calming neurotransmitter, GABA chickpeas, salmon, mackerel, tuna and
magnesium more quickly,’ says Rob. (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in the brain.’ dark chocolate (over 70% cacao). Rob
‘Yet, these are exactly the nutrients you adds: ‘To reduce stress try meditation,
need to help your body cope with WHAT TO DO yoga or mindfulness
stress. B vitamins are crucial to keep ‘Make sure each mouthful you eat and think about other
your nervous system healthy; they is highly nutritious, especially if lifestyle changes you
support brain function, regulate mood you are under more pressure can make.’
and are involved in energy production.’ than normal,’ says Rob. ‘Foods ✣Healthspan
As for vitamin C, it helps to support the high in B vitamins include Magnesium (375mg)
adrenal glands, and magnesium, known wholegrains, sunflower seeds, with vitamin B
as “nature’s tranquilliser”, also plays an almonds, avocados and sweet complex (£8.95,
important role in supporting the body potatoes. Vitamin C is found in tablets,
when you’re stressed. Magnesium citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries and healthspan.co.uk)
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DECODE THAT CRAVING
Decode that
CRAVING
Desperate for chocolate? Eager for a packet of crisps? A recurring yearning for salty snacks or something sweet after a meal could indicate an underlying issue. We asked the experts…
o you control your cravings,
or do they control you? If CURB THE CRAVING
You’ve just got to
it’s the latter, your body ✢Rather than turning to chocolate,
D might be trying to tell you have chocolate opt for more wholegrains, beans, nuts
you’re missing something. ‘Cravings Can’t get through the day without it? and green leafy vegetables in your
can be put down to greed, but they ‘Chocolate cravings can be a sign diet to help top up your magnesium.
are more likely to be a biochemical of a magnesium deficiency,’ explains However, if you’re in real need of
urge that is almost impossible to Emma. ‘In the lead-up to a period a chocolate fix, eat a piece of dark
control by mind power alone,’ says - or during the menopause - you’re chocolate (but make sure it’s at least
nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville. ‘Your more at risk of being deficient in % cocoa solids). The added benefit
body is demanding a particular type magnesium,’ she says. What’s more, of swapping milk chocolate for dark is
of food because it has a need for it, magnesium plays a part in bone that it’s richer and harder
and it will let you know in no uncertain health, preventing inflammation, to overindulge.
terms.’ Hence why we can’t move on maintaining a steady healthy blood
from the afternoon slump without pressure, easing anxiety and
chocolate. Here, the experts reveal balancing the nervous system.
You’ve a
what your cravings might really mean.
thirst for
have quite a unique effect on your
You’re desperate for something
brain,’ says nutritionist Emma Ross.
stodgy carbs ‘There’s some evidence to suggest fizzy
Whether it’s doughy bread or a big that when fat is added to the equation, You might be dehydrated
bowl of pasta, Dr Glenville explains it can trigger the release of dopamine ‘The combination of
that ‘carb cravings are a sign of low - a neurotransmitter that is associated a fizzy sensation with
levels of tryptophan, needed for with pleasure and reward.’ a sweet taste can be
serotonin production - a “happy” pleasurable and stimulating, and it
brain chemical.’ She adds: ‘It plays a CURB THE CRAVING can seem to quench your thirst
crucial role in sleep and wake cycles, ✢ Stock up on turkey, eggs, bananas better than non-carbonated drinks,’
as well as digestion and a lack of it and walnuts, which all contain says nutritionist Cassandra Barns.
can lead to low mood and anxiety.’ And tryptophan. ‘Try including omega-3
if you’re after something carby and rich oily fish or flaxseeds in your diet CURB THE CRAVING
sugary (such as a mine levels ✢ Choose sparkling water to
cake), you might king more quench your thirst and then
have low dopamin e can also gradually adjust to still water. If
levels too. ‘The ger dopamine you find water boring, try infusing
combination of fat athways,’ it with citrus, cucumber or berries.
and sugar can ays Emma. Aim to drink 2 litres of water per day.
DECODE THAT CRAVING
You’ve got a
hankering for a hot curry
If you’re wanting a
warming curry, it could be your body’s way of telling you that your immune sys needs a boost. Spicy foo renowned for its antioxid spices, making chilli, turme ginger perfect for combating a
You’re seeking
cold. Capsaicin, the substance
something salty
that gives chillies their fiery kick,
also stimulates the release of If you feel like diving into a packet
endorphins. Craving spice may of crisps, you may be low on
also be a sign of a zinc deficiency, sodium. ‘If you crave salty food, it
which regulates our taste and could mean your sodium levels
smell. If levels are too low, we have fallen too low, usually due
struggle to taste blander foods. to dehydration after exercise,
illness or drinking alcohol,’ says
CURB THE CRAVING nutritionist Shona Wilkinson.
✢‘Eat a curry - but make your ‘Sodium is an important mineral
own with good-quality meat, that helps maintain water balance
such as organic chicken, or go in our body and also regulates
veggie with butternut squash blood pressure.’ Craving salty
and chickpeas,’ says Cassandra. foods is also a symptom of
‘Use a little bit of coconut oil, adrenal exhaustion, meaning
and go for tomato-based your body needs the additional
sauces rather than creamy.’ To minerals found in natural salt.
up your zinc intake, eat eggs, Zinc is the main mineral used
fish and pumpkin seeds and in the body’s reaction to stress
support your immune system and can disrupt the salt balance
with plenty of vitamin C by in the body. It also affects your
eating oranges and leafy veg. sense of taste, resulting in a
penchant for salty flavours.
CURB THE CRAVING
CURB THE CRAVING ✢ Try to minimise your stress
You REALLY
✢ The worst thing you can do is where possible and, because
need biscuits succumb to refined sources of sugar, salt is addictive, retrain your
Sugar is addictive and we soon crave as they give a short-lived boost of taste buds by swapping salt for
our next fix if we go too long without it. energy, followed by a sharp dip, seaweed granules. The sodium
You could also crave sugar when you leaving energy levels even lower content is just 3.5% compared
get an energy slump because your than before. ‘For a sweet taste, try with around 40% in regular salt.
ugar levels figs or passion fruit, which also If your craving persists, try a
dropped too contain soluble fibre that will help to handful of nuts, seeds, olives, a
Tiredness can slow the release of sugar into your small portion of salted popcorn,
e us reach for bloodstream and avoid any extreme dried anchovies or fresh celery
ry snacks, as a fluctuations,’ explains Emma. Op
f sleep leads to low glycaemic (low GI) foods that
rease of ghrelin, provide sustained energy, such a
ormone that crudités or oatcakes with houmo
ers appetite. or a handful of walnuts, and eat re
t’s more, a meals to balance your blood sug
mium deficiency A chromium supplement, or addi
lso affect your cinnamon to your meals, can also
glucose levels. help deter you from the biscuit ja
BEST FOODS FOR A HEALTHY GUT
Best foods
for a
Jamie Frier reveals how to feed your way
Pickled
to a gut bursting with good bacteria cabbage
sauerkraut is bursting with probiotics
ood plays a huge part in regulating the health of your gut. Just like a car requires
F the right kind of fuel, oil and
care to keep all its parts running smoothly, your body needs the right kinds of foods in the right quantities to keep everything working.
There are about 100 trillion bacteria in your gut, some good and some bad. Keeping the good bacteria high in both quantity and quality is vital to keeping you healthy. A gut full of good bacteria can aid digestion, fight disease, reduce stress, increase energy levels and maintain healthy weight, skin and hair.
The key things to look out for in gut-friendly foods are probiotics, prebiotics, polyphenols and fibre. At their most basic, probiotics help create
good bacteria, prebiotics help feed process. When the base product, shoppers (look out for the phrase “Live
them, polyphenols attack bad bacteria whether it be dairy or cabbage, is and Active cultures’’ on the carton
and fibre keeps things moving. Most broken down by microorganisms, it because that is where the good stuff
natural foods contain at least one of creates the acid that gives the above really is), but sauerkraut and kimchi are
these, but not all are created equal. foods their slightly sour flavour. While a step above.
this may not be to your personal taste, it Both are pickled cabbage, which
creates the perfect environment for the gives you huge quantities of vitamin C,
Sauerkraut
probiotics to multiply, loading your meal a key ally in the battle against disease
There’s nothing sour about this
with good bacteria. while keeping your cells healthy.
probiotic-rich food
When you then come to eat these They’re also a handy lactose-free
Probiotics are one of the most crucial probiotic-rich foods, this populates your alternative. As you’ll see later on, an
parts of a good gut diet and what starts gut with all the good bacteria it needs excess of dairy can lead to problems in
the whole process off. These are live to help balance out the bad bacteria the gut, whereas sauerkraut and kimchi
bacteria that are created when foods and achieve intestinal harmony. Yoghurt provide just a whole lot of goodness for
such as sauerkraut, kimchi, miso and is probably the most readily available your stomach - if you are able to
yoghurt go through the fermentation probiotic-full food available to Western stomach the taste!
BEST FOODS FOR A HEALTHY GUT
Chicory root
In for some inulin
Inulin is a type of fructan that is found in plant fibres and is also a good bacteria-feeding prebiotic. It helps your gut health through its ability to draw in water, making your faeces less firm and much easier to get rid of. Therefore foods high in inulin are great ways to avoid or relieve constipation.
Onion and garlic are both good, commonly eaten sources of inulin, but if you really want a major hit then try chicory root. This plant contains nearly 50g of inulin per 100g and is far and away the most concentrated natural form of the product, so much so that chicory root extract is what inulin supplements are made from.
You can boil chicory root and eat it as a side vegetable, or you can dry and roast it where it becomes a more than adequate coffee substitute.
Home
made green tea kombucha is both delicious and good for your gut
black tea and later flavoured with
Green tea
fruit during the second ferment, you
kombucha can use green tea as the base,
The drink that is pro-antioxidants which is slightly lighter and fizzier.
Due to the fermentation process,
If you don’t feel like eating all your kombucha is filled with probiotics
probiotics, you can also drink them. that will help your gut boost its good
The most easily picked-up liquid is a bacteria numbers. Not only that, but
drink such as Yakult or Actimel but, choosing green tea over black
just like yoghurt, they do contain means that your drink will also
dairy. Your best alternative is green provide you with valuable
tea kombucha. antioxidants to help you fight
This is a drink made by disease, and contains less caffeine.
fermenting tea with sugar and a It is possible to brew your own
SCOBY (symbiotic culture of kombucha at home or buy it in many
bacteria and yeast that you can high street health stores, but just be
There
create yourself or buy in a health careful to watch out for added
is no food
shop) to create a fizzy, refreshing sweetener in store-bought
in the world that
drink with just a hint of sourness. kombucha, as this could cancel out
contains more
While it’s commonly made with any benefit of the drink.
inulin than chicory root
BEST FOODS FOR A HEALTHY GUT
It may not look
appealing, but the
Green bananas
Jerusalem artichoke
Resistant starch is not futile
is full of fructans
As well as inulin and fructans, resistant starch is a key element of building your healthy gut. This is a starch that can be found in foods such as green bananas, oats and nuts. It doesn’t get digested in your stomach, so makes its way through to your colon where it feeds and fuels those good bacteria.
Most starchy food like potatoes and ripe bananas are digested early on in your digestive system, so these resistant starches are crucial to feeding that area further along your gut. As well as feeding those good bacteria, benefits of resistant starches include strengthening your colon’s cells, reducing your risk of colon cancer and pumping short-chain fatty acids to your vital organs where they can do more good work.
allowance. They also contain one
Jerusalem artichokes
quarter of your recommended daily
For a feast of fructans
allowance of thiamin, which keeps your skin, hair and nails looking good.
While probiotics are the source of the
One thing to be wary of, however, is good bacteria in your gut, prebiotics are
that it is possible to have an intolerance what keep them doing their job. These
to fructan that many people confuse for are carbohydrates that cannot be
a gluten intolerance. Fructan can be digested normally, so instead make
found in large quantities in wheat, so their way into the gut where they
when those suffering from bloating and ferment instead. It may not sound ideal,
gas cut out bread and feel better, they but in fact it’s incredibly useful as
often blame the gluten instead of fermentation within the gut provides
fructans. If you find yourself
for the probiotics to keep on living,
experiencing discomfort, speak to your working and battling that bad bacteria.
doctor to find out exactly what is Prebiotics can be broken down causing your problems.
into different groups and types,
Even if you don’t have an intolerance one of which is the fructan, a polymer
to fructans, it is important not to overdo that helps you with your regularity and
the Jerusalem artichoke as even the digestion. The king of the fructan is the
hardiest stomach can struggle to cope Jerusalem artichoke (which isn’t actually
with all the gas created by the
The an artichoke, rather a member of the
fermentation process. However,
sunflower family). Around 70 per cent of
greener fructans are a vital part of the process
the banana, the a Jerusalem artichoke is made up of
towards developing a healthy gut, so if
fructans, so one will go a long way
more resistant your body allows you, go to town on
starch inside towards your recommended daily
this fructan-filled flower.
Eat
berries
of varying
colours to get a rounded diet of polyphenols
Polyphenols are compounds found blueberries are among the best in
Berries
in plants that are packed full of terms of milligrams of polyphenols per
Foods that are berry full of
antioxidants, helping to keep your gram and have the added benefit of
polyphenols
body healthy. However, polyphenols lowering your cholesterol, while
There’s a good chance you’ll have aren’t just content with providing large grapes fuel the bacteria that
heard of antioxidants. These are volumes of antioxidants - they are strengthens your intestinal wall,
molecules that attach themselves to also good friends with your gut. As enabling your gut to more easily fulfil
free radicals - molecules that contain much as 95 per cent of the its function.
an unpaired electron and can cause polyphenols in your food end up in We all know that eating a variety of
harm to the body. By hooking up to your colon, where they break down colourful fruit and vegetables is great
these free radicals, the antioxidants and have a prebiotic effect with your for our health, but the polyphenols that
neutralise the threat and reduce the gut’s friendly bacteria, feeding them feed bacteria and strengthen your gut
risk of degenerative diseases like and allowing them to multiply. is an added bonus that you should
cancer and dementia. Elderberries, blackberries and certainly take advantage of.
Wholewheat
There’s a whole lot of benefit to wholewheat
So if legumes, fruit and vegetables provide soluble fibre, what about insoluble? This is found in wholewheat flour, beans and potatoes, travels further along your gut and provides nutrients for your colon. Because it doesn’t dissolve during its journey, it passes through you and out the other end in a more solid form, encouraging your bowels
to get rid of it more regularly, thus preventing issues such as constipation. It will also feed your good bacteria in your gut, making
Brown bread,
wholewheat bread, pasta, rice and
pasta and rice
cereals a seriously important part of
are your best
your strong digestive health.
bet for regular,
healthy bowels
BEST FOODS FOR A HEALTHY GUT
There
are loads of ways to
introduce legumes
into your diet
and gut
Legumes find the fibre they need in their diet, and water and aids digestion. Guidance
A sure-fire way to more fibre it’s rare that they’d have to look far as suggests that the average adult should
fibre is abundant in natural foods. be eating around 30g of fibre per day,
The other crucial element of good gut Soluble fibre is found in oranges, but most only get around 18g. An easy
health is fibre. This is because fibre is avocado and sweet potato, dissolves in way to increase the amount of fibre you
what keeps your bowel movements get in your diet is to add legumes to
regular, solid and soft. It can be found in your meals. The legume family covers
large quantities in fruit, vegetables and “Just half most types of beans, chickpeas, lentils
carbohydrates. There are different and peas. Just half a cup of edamame
types of fibre and all foods will offer a cup of beans contains 9g of fibre, making it a
different extra nutrients, so it is quick and healthy way to up your
important you eat a range of foods to edamame beans intake. Adding chickpeas and lentils to
get as many different benefits as your meal is a great way to bulk up
possible into your gut. Some people will contains 9g your dinner, reduce the amount of meat
also have intolerances, but that means you eat and provide healthy fibre and
of fibre”
they’ll just have to look elsewhere to protein to your diet.
BEST FOODS FOR A HEALTHY GUT
Red wine
Your evening tipple could be helping your gut
In a rare win for something being both delicious and good for you, it turns out that drinking red wine can aid your health. Grapes are naturally high in polyphenols, and therefore so is wine - with red out-polyphenoling white. A study showed that regular, but moderate, red wine drinkers had much better gut microbe diversity than those who drank white wine, beer, spirits or no alcohol at all. This improved diversity led to lower bad cholesterol and obesity in the subjects.
“Grapes are
naturally high in
polyphenols”
Yes, red wine
is good for you. No, not the whole bottle
Cloves
The festive favourite packed with polyphenols
You may associate Christmas with turkey, mince pies, chocolates and hearing an elderly relative letting off a few unwelcome noises in front of the fire. Overeating is a big part of the festive season and that comes with its own, somewhat smelly, problems. That’s where festive favourite cloves come into their own.
A study showed that cloves have more polyphenols and antioxidants than any other foodstuff, meaning that your mulled wine is fully loaded with health-giving chemicals, as well as tasting delicious.
When ingested, cloves help the lining of your intestines relax, reducing the
Cloves
severity of any potential flatulence
can save
or diarrhoea that comes from that
your Christmas
extra helping of Christmas pudding.
in more ways
than one
THE TRUTH ABOUT STARCHY FOOD
The truth about
starchy
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