Do you know other than your “gut feeling,” you can also have gut dysbiosis? Jokes apart, gut dysbiosis is a condition that occurs when your gut health gets impaired. There are millions of microorganisms inside the intestine, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, that maintain gut health. This pathogen keeps the gut healthy, and any disruption in their balance leads to gut dysbiosis. The good news is that you can maintain gut health by following Ayurvedic principles and the natural remedies discussed in this article. Natural remedies for Gut Dysbiosis can maintain the balance inside the gut, prevent you from many diseases and fix gut dysbiosis.
What is Gut Health?
Gut health means the balance of microorganisms that are present inside the digestive tract. It is essential to maintain the right balance of the organisms to enjoy optimum physical and mental health. The balance between different bacteria, viruses, and yeast inside the gastrointestinal tract is referred to as gut microbiome or gut flora.
What is Gut Dysbiosis?
Gut is the other name for the intestine, and it is home to millions of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, which are commonly referred to as good bacteria. But sometimes, this balance gets disturbed, and gut dysbiosis occurs. This imbalance can result in many issues with digestion and stomach health.
What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?
According to Ayurveda, improper digestion of food forms ama which is a toxin and should be removed from the body as it does not allow proper nutrient absorption and it gets collected in weak tissues that cause inflammation. This swelling causes intestinal permeability and it allows larger molecules to cross the intestinal barrier and the condition is known as Leaky gut syndrome. It is basically the inability of the stomach wall to absorb proteins and these proteins circulate and stimulate the immune system to produce autoantibodies and can give rise to autoimmune disorders.
What Happens if You Have Gut Dysbiosis?
If you are suffering from gut dysbiosis, then you can have the following health issues:-
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular diseases
When your gut flora is not maintained, then you get more susceptible to diseases. The alterations in gut bacteria can increase the risk of chronic infections as they directly impact immunity. Let’s discuss science-backed top 10 natural remedies.
Top 10 Natural Remedies for Gut Dysbiosis
1. Include Natural and Homemade Probiotics
Ayurveda stresses the use of fermented products like black carrot kanji to maintain gut health. This kanji is prepared by adding spices like mustard, salt, oil, and water to the black carrots and allowing the fermentation to take place for a few days. The fermentation process supports the growth of good bacteria and promotes a healthy gut microbiome. The fermented drink maintains digestive wellness as it is enriched with spices.
2. Incorporate Natural Live Probiotic Cultures.
Yogurt and buttermilk are a direct source of live probiotic cultures. Including curd and chachch or lassi during the daytime is an effective way to maintain the gut flora and promote healthy digestion. Through the fermentation process, lactic acid bacteria like lactobacillus support digestion and boost gut flora, which in turn encourages nutrient absorption.
3. Fermented Rice
Ayurvedic texts stress the use of fermented rice to support digestive health and maintain gut flora. It is pretty simple to prepare fermented rice; you should boil the rice with an excess amount of water and drain the starch water. Keep this water and mix it with leftover rice overnight, and it would be best if you store the mixture in an earthen pot. This dish should be consumed first thing in the morning to maintain gut health. You should not reheat it as it will destroy essential nutrients. It is an excellent recipe to support the production of good bacteria.
4. Rice Kanji
Rice kanji is a homemade natural probiotic that is prepared using rice, water, and curd or dahi. This is an Ayurvedic traditional dish that has been used since time immemorial to maintain the gut microbiome. This homemade kanji is quick to make and improves digestion by promoting the secretion of digestive enzymes. The recipe for this kanji is boiling the rice with an excess of water and keeping it overnight. Next morning, add the mixture to a grinder and add curd to it. Lastly, add spices like mustard, salt, and others to make it palatable.
5. Increase Intake of Prebiotic Fiber
Including prebiotics or non-digestible carbohydrates promotes the growth of good bacteria inside the gut. Moreover, prebiotics help the probiotics by making them more tolerant towards changes in temperature and pH. The natural probiotics are bananas, onion, garlic, whole grains like barley or jau, bajra, alsi or flaxseed, dal or pulses, chickpeas, and legumes.
6. Reduce Sugar Intake and Artificial Sweeteners.
Excessive intake of sugar and artificial sweeteners contributes to gut dysbiosis. Instead, include jaggery or gud, honey, and desi khaand in small quantities as a sweetener.
7. Include Anti-inflammatory Herbs like Ginger and Turmeric.
You should include anti-inflammatory products like turmeric and ginger in your food items, or you can take them as teas. These items reduce swelling and can be soothing for the digestive tract.
8. Herbal Teas
Some herbs like peppermint, chamomile, licorice, or mulethi teas are soothing for the stomach and can reduce the discomfort that occurs due to disturbance in the gut flora.
9. Reduce Stress
Researchers have found a strong connection with physical and mental health. If our emotional health is not good and we are suffering from emotional turmoil, then it directly affects gut health. Psychological stressors can negatively affect gut flora. Therefore, it is essential to include management methods like meditation and deep breathing exercises to maintain gut health.
10. Eat a Vegetarian Diet.
One should consume a vegetarian diet to improve gut health. Researchers have found there is a disparity in the gut microbiome of a vegetarian and that of a non-vegetarian. The vegetarian diet reduces gut inflammation and supports the growth of good bacteria.
Also read:- Top 10 Herbs to Manage the Symptoms of Gut Dysbiosis
Conclusion
Gut dysbiosis is a condition when there is an imbalance in the gut flora, and it leads to different health conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Fortunately, we can improve gut health by adding natural remedies for gut dysbiosis in the form of probiotic food items like curd, buttermilk, or kanji. We must continue our tradition of using these fermented products to support a healthy gut. For more information contact us now.
References
Wallace, R. K. (2020). The Microbiome in Health and Disease from the Perspective of Modern Medicine and Ayurveda. Medicina, 56(9), 462. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina56090462