There’s a reason health experts call the gut the “second brain.” The gut communicates with nearly every cell in the body and is connected to virtually every aspect of health, including immunity, cognition, mood, heart health, and digestion. With this in mind, the adage “you are what you eat” takes on a whole new meaning.
“Often people are disconnected from the importance of gut health and how it influences how we feel every day,” says an integrative medicine practitioner Will Cole, IFMCP, DNM, DCthe author of the next book, Gut feelings. While there are many factors that impact our gut, including stress, Dr. Cole says one of the main ones is what we choose to put into our bodies (in other words, what we eat and drink). Every meal, says Dr. Cole, is an opportunity to support our gut health or negatively affect it. This leads him to denounce the main habit that generally destroys the intestinal health of so many people: following a diet composed mainly of the “four inflammatory core”. Curious to know what these four are? Keep reading to find out.
Related: Eat for a Healthier Gut: Here’s What You Need to Know About Gut Health and Diet
How “Inflammatory Core Four” Negatively Impacts the Gut
Dr. Cole explains that the “four inflammatory cores” are ingredients that negatively impact the gut and can cause inflammation in the body. Inflammation is the root cause of all health issues, ranging from short-term (like digestive problems or acne) to long-term (like cancer or cognitive decline). Dr. Cole says the biggest gut offenders are gluten-containing grains, added sugar, industrial seed oils and dairy products. He adds that following a diet mainly composed of these ingredients is a common habit and has a negative impact on the intestine.
Here’s what the “four cores” really are and how they impact the gut.
1. Cereals containing gluten
It’s not just people with celiac disease who Dr. Cole says should minimize the consumption of gluten-containing grains. “It has more to do with what has been done for the supply of wheat [in the U.S.] than gluten itself,” he says. For example, Dr. Cole says wheat is often sprayed with glyphosate, an herbicide that kills good bacteria in the gut. On top of that, he says, soil health in the United States has become poorer over time, which has affected the genetic makeup of wheat.
Have you ever heard of how gluten-containing foods cause them digestive issues when they eat them here in the United States, but they were able to enjoy bread and pasta in Italy or France with no problem? Dr. Cole says it’s because they grow and process their wheat products differently.
If you regularly suffer from bloating, constipation, or diarrhea, removing gluten from your diet could ease your symptoms. Scientific studies show that it can be helpful for many people with irritable bowel syndrome, even if they don’t have celiac disease.
Related: 15 Basic Recipes To Make If You’re On A Gluten-Free Diet
2. Industrial seed oils
Canola oil, vegetable oil, and soybean oil are three industrial seed oils commonly used in over-processed foods, fast foods, and perhaps in your own kitchen at home. Dr. Cole recommends minimizing these oils and instead using oils such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, or avocado oil, which are higher in omega-3 fatty acids.
“It’s not the oils themselves that are necessarily harmful. [to the gut], but the lack of balance when it comes to healthy fats in the Western diet,” says Dr. Cole. He explains that both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are important for health, but most people in the United States don’t get enough omega-3s, which throws the ratio off balance. One way to easily restore balance is to use oils high in the exact type of healthy fats that most of us don’t get enough of. So keep your olive oil handy!
3. Added sugar
Dr. Cole explains that sugar feeds bad bacteria in the gut, which can then cause inflammation. Scientific studies show a direct link between sugar consumption and chronic diseases. Dr. Cole says sugar is often found in places many don’t even realize, like sauces and salad dressings. Consider this your reminder to read your label when shopping or cooking.
“It can be helpful to track your sugar intake using MyFitnessPal or another app just to get an idea of how much you’re consuming,” says Dr. Cole. Try to limit your added sugar intake to less than 50 grams per day.
Related: Here’s Exactly How Many Grams of Sugar You Should Be Eating Per Day
4. Dairy products
“There are a large number of people who are sensitive to casein, which is the milk protein,” says Dr. Cole, adding that it can upset the gut. Like gluten, he says the way dairy products are processed in the United States is causing this sensitivity. If you still want to drink milk, he recommends choosing one from grass-fed cows (or grass-fed goat’s milk). Or, keep an eye out for A2 milk, which comes from cows that only produce A2 protein and not the A1 protein that people tend to be sensitive to. “Fermented dairy products, such as kefir and yogurt, are also more digestible,” adds Dr. Cole.
Minimizing the inflammatory core four makes room for ingredients that are actually good for your gut, primarily plant-based, whole-food ingredients. There are many gut-healthy cookbooks that can be used as guides, including Cook for your gut health by America’s Test Kitchen, The Gut Health Cookbook by Alana Scott and The fiber cookbook by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, MD. If you’re just starting to change your diet, Dr. Cole’s advice is to take gradual steps. you don’t have to drastically change the way you eat overnight.
Over time, changing the way you eat to minimize inflammatory core four will help good bacteria thrive in your gut while minimizing the bad bacteria that cause inflammation. And it will affect your whole body for the better!
Next, find out which 18 foods are best for gut health.
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