Best And Worst Foods For Your Gut Microbiome

Lau Racciatti

27. Resistant Starch – The Prebiotic Gut Fuel

Raw and dried green bananas, plantain flour, resistant flour, prebiotic food, gut health. Photo Credit: Envato @sokorspace

This unique type of carbohydrate isn't digested in your small intestine but instead travels to your colon, where it acts as a powerful prebiotic, feeding your beneficial gut bacteria. Sources include cooked and cooled potatoes, rice, pasta, green bananas, and legumes. When gut bacteria ferment resistant starch, they produce short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which is the primary fuel source for your colon cells and crucial for gut barrier health. Incorporating resistant starch helps cultivate a diverse and thriving microbiome.

28. Intermittent Fasting – Giving Your Gut a Break

concept intermittent fasting, ketogenic diet, weight loss. fork and knife on a plate and alarmclock. Photo Credit: Envato @duskbabe

It's not just about what you eat, but when you eat. Intermittent fasting (IF) involves cycling between periods of eating and voluntary fasting. Giving your digestive system regular breaks, typically 12-16 hours overnight, allows your gut to focus on repair and maintenance rather than constant digestion. This can optimize gut motility, reduce inflammation, and potentially increase microbial diversity. IF may also activate autophagy, a cellular clean-up process, further supporting gut health by removing damaged cells and promoting gut lining regeneration.

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27. Resistant Starch – The Prebiotic Gut Fuel

28. Intermittent Fasting – Giving Your Gut a Break

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