26 Worst Foods for Gut Health

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Worst food for gut health

How to Eat Healthy When You’re Not Eating Right

Gut health is an essential part of overall health. It affects every aspect of our lives, including our moods, energy levels, sleep patterns, and even our ability to fight off disease.

Unfortunately, certain foods can cause gut issues. These foods can lead to bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, and other digestive problems.

If you want to improve your gut health, then you should try avoiding these foods.

What are the worst foods for your gut?

1) Dairy Products

Milk, Cheese, Yogurt Dairy products contain a lot of protein, which helps us build muscle mass in our bodies. However, dairy also contains lactose sugar, casein proteins, whey proteins, hormones, antibiotics, growth promoters, pesticides, artificial sweeteners, and more. All of this makes it difficult for some people’s guts to breakdown milk properly. This leads to inflammation, gas, bloating, cramps, and other digestion-related symptoms.

2) Processed Meats & Seafood

Processing meat or seafood changes their chemical composition. The chemicals used during processing may be harmful to our intestines. They include nitrates, sodium chloride, monosodium glutamate, preservatives, colorings, flavor enhancers, etc. Some processed meats have been linked with cancer as well.

3) Sugar

Sugar has become one of the most common ingredients found in junk food today. Many fast-food restaurants use high fructose corn syrup because it tastes great but don’t add much nutritional value.

High amounts of added sugars make it harder for our body’s natural enzymes to digest them. As a result, they get stored in our fat cells instead of being burned up by our muscles. Excess sugar consumption causes insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, heart diseases, stroke, dementia, depression, anxiety, and other severe conditions.

4) Alcoholic Beverages

Alcoholic beverages like beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails contain large amounts of carbohydrates.

Humans do not digest maltodextrins, so they pass through our system without any nutrients. In addition, alcohol itself is toxic to our liver and kidneys. If we consume too much alcohol regularly, it will damage both organs over time.

5) Refined Grains

Refined grains such as white bread, pasta, rice, crackers, cereals, etc., lack fiber and vitamins. Fiber is necessary for proper bowel function, while vitamin B12 aids in nerve cell development. Both help keep our brains healthy. Unfortunately, refined grains often come from genetically modified organisms, which means they don’t provide any benets.

6) Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are widely consumed throughout the world. Most Americans drink soda pop-containing diet drinks made out of sucralose, saccharine, cyclamate, aspartame, neotame, stevia, xylitol, erythritol, etc. Studies show that consuming artificial sweeteners increases risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and weight gain.

7) Fried Food

Fried foods are loaded with trans fats, saturated fats, cholesterol, salt, and unhealthy oils. Trans fats increase bad LDL cholesterol while saturated fats raise blood pressure.

8) Carbonated Drinks

Carbonated soft drinks can cause acid reflux disease due to excess stomach acids. These acids erode the tooth enamel causing cavities and gum problems. Soft drinks also contribute to weight gain since they contain lots of empty calories and very few nutrients.

9) Caffeinated Products

Coffee, tea, energy drinks, sodas, chocolate, and even fruit juices contain caffeine. Too much caffeine can lead to insomnia, irritability, restlessness, headaches, palpitations, tremors, increased urination, jitters, nervousness, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, and difficulty breathing. It can also lower IQ levels and impair memory.

10) Unhealthy Oils

Olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, palm oil, soybean oil, sunflower seed oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, and walnut oil are just a handful of examples of unhealthy oils. Oil is highly acidic and contributes to plaque buildup in our arteries. Plaque clogs these vessels leading to heart attacks, strokes, and other health issues.

11) Packaged/Fast Foods

Packaged and fast foods usually contain hydrogenated vegetable oils, MSG, dyes, additives, preservatives, and toxins.

12) Sugar-Free or Low-Calorie Beverages

Sugar substitutes have been proven to be harmful because they do not satisfy hunger pangs. They may make you feel full, but they give us fewer calories than sugar does. The body metabolizes them differently than natural sugars, and this leads to cravings and overeating later on.

13) Processed Meats

Processed meats include hot dogs, bacon, ham, sausage, pepperoni, salami, bologna, corned beef, turkey, chicken nuggets, deli meat, lunch meat, cold cuts, jerky, and many more. All processed meats should be avoided if possible. Some studies suggest that eating red meat causes cancer, while some claim that processed meats promote colon cancer. Either way, avoid them!

14) Gluten

Gluten is found in wheat our, rye our , barley our , oats, spelled, triticale, durum semolina, flour, couscous, bulgur, malt, beer, wine, bread, crackers, cookies, cakes, pies, pasta, noodles, and pretzels. If you have celiac disease, gluten must be eliminated from your diet. Otherwise, it will damage your intestines and worsen symptoms such as bloating, gas, constipation, cramps, joint pain, migraines, skin rashes, eczema, acne, hair loss, and neurological conditions.

15) Soy Sauce

Soy sauce contains high levels of sodium that increase risk factors for cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis, kidney stones, and digestive issues. It also causes allergic reactions in some people.

Avoid these foods if you wish to extend living!

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