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5 Foods Killing Your Gut Healthy Microbiota [Slideshow]

Geraldine

Jan 4, 2020

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Foods like kimchi and yogurt are supposedly amazing for your gut health. They promote good, healthy bacteria, and as they’re loaded in probiotics, your digestive system is getting precisely what it needs. However, not all foods are kind to your gut microbiota. Some foods can kill your healthy bacteria, leaving you with more gastrointestinal problems than ever before.

Your Gut Microbiome

Your body possess 300 to 500 different species of bacteria that live in your intestines. Although some of these microorganisms are harmful to your health, however, many of beneficial and some even necessary for a healthy body. That is why maintaining a strong gut health is important.

Swipe right to discover the surprising foods that are silently killing your gut healthy microbiota or check out our gut detox challenge to improve your gut health in 21 days.

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1. Diet Soda

I stopped drinking sodas in general when I was about 13 years old. Best decision of my life. Even diet sodas are loaded with artificial sweeteners that can mess up your gut microbes. One small study found sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame, and saccharine, commonly found in diet sodas, increases glucose intolerance. Join me in kicking the soda habit – it won’t hurt, I promise.

Image by amirali mirhashemian / Unsplash

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2. Red Meat

Another food I stopped eating almost 10 years ago. No, I don’t miss it. A Harvard study found a link between people who follow a meat-heavy diet and negative shifts in their gut bacteria – in as little as two days. The issue with red meat is that it’s often loaded with antibiotics that kill gut bacteria. While quitting red meat altogether is not needed to save your gut, limiting consumption won’t hurt.

Image by David Nuescheler / Unsplash

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3. Processed & Refined Foods

Instead of labeling every food we love, I decided to group them under processed foods instead. A lot happens to our bodies when we eat processed foods. You know, the chips, pretzels, and other packaged foods we can’t live without. But it also includes honey, fruit juices, and relish or hummus, for example.

Image by Mae Mu / Unsplash

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4. Alcohol

While sipping on the occasional glass of wine won’t disrupt your gut microbiota, excess alcohol will. Actually, for all the wine lovers out there, one study found that red wine increased good bacteria and decreased harmful bacteria. However, other alcohols like gin had the opposite effect. The difference seems to be in the compounds present in different alcohol types.

Image by Clint Bustrillos / Unsplash

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5. Fried Foods

It looks like I added everything good to this list. The issue with fried foods is that our bodies can’t handle them. It takes a tremendous amount of effort by our bodies to process fried foods. And to make things worse, fried foods may promote the growth of harmful bacteria.

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Geraldine

GR8NESS Writer

Geraldine is a GR8NESS Contributing Editor who writes about self care, clean makeup and beauty, mental health, and relationships – as well as natural remedies and fitness. She’s a coffee enthusiast with Venezuelan roots, a former ballerina, and the sunscreen patrol. Most of the time, you can find her working on her skincare routine or trying a new dance workout.

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