How to Improve Your Gut Health: Q&A With an Expert

Having a healthy gut is about having a balanced and diverse microbiome. Get tips for promoting gut health from Rohini Vanga, MD, in this 2 Your Well-Being discussion with WFMY News 2.

What is gut health?

“Gut health is basically that you have a digestive system that is well functioning, like a well-oiled machine… Don't underestimate the digestive system. Like our heart, lungs and kidneys, which are vital organs, the digestive system is also very important.”

“When it comes to gut health, in simple terms, it's about a balanced and diverse gut microbiome, which is a home for billions of bacteria… and it's a balance between the good and bad bacteria.”

What can I eat to maintain a healthy gut?

“There are a lot of things that have been studied that are very important to maintain healthy gut. Most important of all is what we eat. A well-balanced diet, which contains fruits and vegetables, is rich in fiber, legumes, whole grains, and also fermented dairy products like yogurt, kefir and, for example, even kombucha. Those are all very important to maintain healthy gut.”

What can harm gut health?

“Things that can lead to poor gut health include stress, not having enough sleep and not having adequate physical activity. If you're taking unnecessary antibiotics, or any other unnecessary medications, these are all the things that can affect gut health.”

What are the signs of having bad gut health?

“Like any organ that has symptoms, even poor gut health can lead to symptoms. They can be mild, like you can feel a little queasy in your stomach, or you may feel nauseous, or after you eat something, you feel that something is not sitting right in the stomach. Those are all the early signs and symptoms of poor gut health.”

“You can also have change in bowel habits. You know, having regular bowel movements is a sign of a good, healthy gut. And if you're not having regular bowel movements, if you're having diarrhea or constipation, if you feel gassy, bloated, those are all some of the symptoms for poor gut health, a not well-functioning gut.”

When should I see a doctor about my gut health?

“If you have mild symptoms that last two or three days, and then your stomach and your gut get back to normal, then that's good. We know that maybe it was just something that you had eaten that caused the symptoms.”

“But if the symptoms that I just mentioned are ongoing for two weeks, or even more than that, and they are getting worse, then you know that something is not right. Something has happened in your gut. That's when you really need to talk to your doctor and get some advice.”