Gut health can be the most important of all as even a mild change in normal gut functioning can wreak havoc on your health. Ever wondered why the stomach is the first organ that gets upset when you have any slight physical discomfort? Because a balanced gut microbiome plays a pivotal role in total body health from nutrient absorption to toxin expulsion.
Even if a small bite of any food stays back in the stomach without getting digested, it can cause you discomfort and wrong your daily routines. Therefore, being fully aware of the types of foods that you eat and practicing healthy and mindful eating is more significant, especially, when it comes to a packed and hectic lifestyle where you do not get much time to be as healthy as you want to be.
The diet that you follow is the primary factor that can affect your gut health. Foods containing artificial flavors and ingredients that were grown using chemical treatments are making the body a storehouse of all kinds of stimulants, preservatives, and toxic substances.
Taking care of the gut can start with supporting the digestion process and for that, you should be aware of the foods that you can process and the foods that you are intolerant to.
Nutrient absorption is also a part of digestion as it helps the body to get the maximum out of the foods that we eat. All this has to be done at the same time with caution to not absorb any of the handful of substances to get absorbed and reach the bloodstream which can only make things harder for the immune system.
See, everyone is busy and no one can afford the time to carry out the extensive routines into their life. So what can be done is to make simple and thoughtful changes that can make more considerable changes in life. At the core, start implementing a gut-friendly diet and lifestyle.
In this article let’s read about the best nutrients that help the gut to operate normally, what actually these vitamins do, how to get them inside the system naturally, the simple precautions that can be taken, and small changes that can be made into the lifestyle to lessen the severe impacts in life.
Vitamins For Gut Health: What Role Does Vitamins Play?
Let us start with the question ‘What are vitamins?’
Vitamins can be described as essential organic compounds that support normal growth and supply nutrients to the body. Only small quantities of them are required in the daily diet to promote the ideal functioning of the body.
When the body faces a vitamin deficiency the normal rate of functioning of many organs gets disrupted. It is not difficult to help the body to get vitamins as a lot of commonly valuable fruits and vegetables are the storehouses of multiple vitamins.
Now that’s all, in brief, about vitamins. So, just like any other organ system, the digestive system is also a recipient of the many benefits that these vitamins can provide.
In short, vitamins are the heroes that smoothy carries out the process of digestion, nutrient absorption from the food that you took in, protect the inner linings and tissues of the stomach, regulate intestinal activities, properly flush out the toxins, inhibit the toxins and foreign invaders from entering the bloodstream and modulate the gut microbiome.
Vitamins are classified into different groups such as A, B group, C, D, E, K, and so on. Some of them are soluble in water and some of them in fat.
Certain vitamins are abundant in citrus fruits while certain others are found in green leafy vegetables, the roles that each of them plays in the total health of the body.
What Are The Essential Vitamins For Digestive Health?
Here are some of the essential vitamins which could improve your digestive health:
✅ Vitamin A
Vitamin A protects the normal barrier of the intestines to support optimal nutrient absorption. It fights off harmful pathogens from disrupting bodily functions. Plus it maintains the gut lining and regulates the health of the gut flora.
It is an essential vitamin that is soluble in fat and it is noted for its significance when it comes to vision and the health of the eyes. Leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale, and broccoli are the primary sources that you can get vitamin A from. Yellow vegetables like pumpkin, carrots, and sweet potatoes can also satisfy the need for vitamin A absorption.
✅ The B Group Of Vitamins
Vitamin B improves your appetite and supports the optimal functioning of the digestive tract. It maintains the diversity of the gut microbiome and helps them thrive and defeat harmful bacteria to bring the state of the gut back to health.
This is a group of 8 vitamins that are soluble in water and boosts energy production, metabolism, and promote skin health. Meat, fish, egg, various dairy products, sunflower seeds, bananas, and fortified breakfast cereals are the best sources of vitamin B.
✅ Vitamin C
Vitamin C curbs the growth of bacteria in the gut and neutralizes them from attacking the good bacteria in the mouth.
It is another vitamin that is soluble in water and also referred to as ascorbic acid, known for its antioxidant, collagen-producing, and immunity-boosting effects. Citrus fruits such as orange, lemon, and tangerine are the go-to options for vitamin C absorption.
✅ Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps with gut inflammation and improves immunity responses. It resolves the inadequate absorption of nutrients from the food. The lack of this vitamin can lead to many other conditions including leaky gut syndrome.
It is soluble in fat, helps in bone strength, and is a vitamin that can be synthesized naturally in the body on sun exposure. Egg yolks, beef liver, mushrooms, yogurt, and tofu can be added to your shopping list if you have a vitamin D deficiency.
These can be considered the 4 essential vitamins for digestive health.
The Multifarious Vitamins And The Health Of The Gut
So, how to get these vitamins into your system? To design that you do not have to craft an extensive plan. Here are some of the natural remedies that are simple to implement.
What Are Some Natural Remedies For Gut Health Using Vitamins?
The best natural remedy lies in your choice of lifestyle. As a first step, prepare a vitamin-rich diet and begin following it. Stick to the diet and do not let distractions win your attention.
Vitamin-Rich Meal Plan For A Day To Enhance Gut Health
- Start your day with fortified breakfast cereals such as
Corn Flakes, High Fiber Bran Flakes
A glass of milk, or maybe an egg yolk
- As a midday drink go for
Homemade pumpkin juice or carrot juice
- At noon, the main meal can be your choice. You can select whether you want rice or anything else.
Give the sides of the plate for mushrooms or beef liver, or cooked fish.
- Later in the day maybe you can go for
A healthy bowl including tofu, green leafy, some nuts, fruits, a drizzle of honey if you want to, or a pinch of salt or pepper or both, again if you want to.
Plus, you can drink enough water and can also include probiotics, live and active bacteria cultures, in your food
Vitamin-rich probiotics: Kimchi, Kefir, Tempeh, Miso, Kombucha, and Sourdough bread.
Note that, the above-given plan is not to be blindly followed as it. It is just to give you a general outline of the interpretation of a vitamin-enriched diet.
Be sure that you take all the necessary nutrients along with these and do your own research on what suits best for you according to your body type.
Do Gut Health Treatments Involve Vitamins?
Yes, gut treatments often involve vitamin prescriptions. Doctors will recommend you take vitamin tablets as dietary supplements. This is to resolve the vitamin deficiency and to bring back the gut to its natural flora.
Another recommendation can be a diet style. You can follow the above diet plan which is a general one. Medical care professionals will be able to plan a more accurate vitamin diet according to your specific condition.
Related:- 6 Healthy Ways To Improve Your Gut Bacteria – You Are What You Eat!
How To Prevent Vitamin Deficiency And Related Gut Health Issues?
It is not that hard to realize whether your body is craving vitamins. You just have to pay attention to what passes through your hand and reaches the mouth. Make sure that you get enough vitamins for whatever your day is and however busy you are. If needed you can get the help of a healthcare professional.
Now let’s focus on the remaining question ‘How to prevent gut health issues?’
For that as a basic step follow what we have been discussing so far. The goal is to live gut-friendly. So the first step is to:
Break The Common Myths About Gut Health:
❌ Certain food groups have to be cut out
❌ Bloating is all due to the food that we eat
❌ Apple Cider Vinegar is the solution to all digestive problems
❌ All gut issues can be diagnosed by a simple food intolerance test
❌ Stress is the only reason for a bad gut
These are some popular assumptions about gut health and it can not be more wrong. So what is right?
✅ You do not have to cut out any food groups just because someone else did that or a random magazine suggested that.
✅ Bloating can be triggered by a lot of factors and occasional bloating is quite normal.
✅ Scientific studies that portray Apple Cider Vinegar as a friend of digestion are pretty minimal. In fact, it can add to the acid reflux in your stomach.
✅ A food intolerance test can throw light into the foods that your stomach can not process but just cutting down all that food cannot support the health of your gut.
✅ Stress can only be one of the reasons but there is no underline that if you have a bad gut it is all due to stress.
You can also try to improve your digestion naturally. Continue reading to know more about that.
Is gut health all about the stomach and digestion and intestines? How else can it affect the body? How does an unhealthy gut affect your health?
An unhealthy gut triggers the autoimmune system and can cause type 1 diabetes, thyroid issues, and even rheumatoid arthritis. It can also have visible skin conditions too. How does gut health affect the skin? It is because the role of the gut microbiome is crucial in cell turnover. It is a process that removes the dead skin cells from beneath the skin surface and replaces new and active skin cells in that place.
So what are some best vitamins for gut health and skin? Vitamins A, B3, B6, C, D, and K serve the purpose. Many of these are the Vitamins that support skin cell turnover. Some common herbs and spices that can come to your rescue are Ceylon ginger, Fennel, Fenugreek, Babchi, Lemon’s balm, Dandelion, Lion’s mane, Slippery Elm Bark, and a prebiotic namely Inulin.
Can Poor Gut Health Cause Sickness? Yes. So, What Are The Precautions?
Why not start by answering ‘How to improve digestion naturally?’
- Chew well and take time to eat
- Eat regularly and Do not skip meals
- Make sure to intake plenty of fluids
- Include probiotics
- Reduce fat intake
- Set a limit for spicy food consumption
- Know what foods can cause you intolerance
- Try herbal teas
- Quit smoking
- Beat stress
You can go see a verified dietitian to plan your diet accordingly. In case you feel uneasy, do not hesitate to get help from your doctor.
Here are a few healthy tricks that can be implemented in life
- Say no to O-T-C drugs
- No more self-medication experiments
- Know your body type and plan accordingly
- Do not blindly follow social media trends on healthy lifestyle
- Get good sleep
- Do proper workouts matching your age and physical condition
- Try to follow a healthy schedule
Read More:- 8 Harmful Infections Caused By Bacteria In Adolescent
Take Away
The role of vitamins in gut health can not be neglected. The essential vitamins such as A, B group, C, and D help in gut health and the smooth and healthy functioning of all the activities that the gut needs to perform the whole physical health.
As gut health is important for the optimal functioning of many other organ systems any disruption in gut functioning can affect the whole body.
Vitamins are needed to support the health of the gut microbiome and also to promote the vitamins produced by bacteria in the gut. The gut flora when functioning healthy helps to synthesize B-group vitamins such as Thiamine, biotin, and riboflavin.
Gut health is a key factor that determines skin health, blood purity, and the immune system. The gut microbiome initiates the cell turnover process to prevent anti-aging, prevents toxins from entering the bloodstream, and supports the immune system.
What can be done to help the gut is to ensure that vitamins are included in your daily diet and take care to not have any vitamin deficiency.
In case you feel any stomach upsetness do not hesitate to consult your doctor. As was already mentioned, it will only take a while and a little bit of proper planning from your side to live a gut-friendly life, the good impacts of which will last longer.
FAQs
Q. What vitamin is best for gut health?
There are multiple vitamins that are good for gut health. Vitamin D and Vitamin C are two of the most essential vitamins that can promote the well-being of the gut.
Q. What vitamin deficiency causes a leaky gut?
A leaky gut is a condition in which impaired gut linings let toxins and bacteria into the bloodstream. Severe deficiency of Vitamin D can be a reason for this.
Q. What vitamin helps with bacteria in the gut?
Vitamins A, B6, E, and C help to maintain the good bacteria in the gut and help to balance the gut microbiome.
Q. Is vitamin D good for gut health?
The presence of vitamin D modulates homeostasis by maintaining the health of the gut’s inner linings and it also fights off harmful microbes to support the immune system.
Q. Is multivitamins good for the gut?
Multivitamins can be good when it comes to maintaining a balanced gut microbiome. Intake of vitamins such as vitamins A, B2, B3, C, E, D, and K can support microbial diversity.
Q. What herbs repair the gut and what spices heal the gut?
Herbs like Coriander seeds, Fennel, and Cumin help to repair the gut. Spices such as ginger, turmeric, peppermint, and cinnamon can heal the gut.
