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The Link Between Gut Health and Nutrient Absorption in the Body

TeamAckoMar 27, 2024

We all understand the importance of nutrients in our bodies. Some people prefer following a specific diet to achieve all the required nutrients. However, you must understand that to aim for the perfect nutrient absorption in your body, you need to have good gut health.

This is because there are several ways in which the process of nutrient absorption can be affected. One of these could be the bacteria present in your gut. It not only helps in improving your digestive system but also in various other ways.

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Therefore, if you are wondering about how you can improve the absorption of nutrients in your body, this blog is for you. Read further to learn more about the matter.

Contents

How is Gut Crucial in the Absorption of Nutrients in the Body?
How to Ensure Nutrient Absorption in the Body?
Final Words
Frequently Asked Questions

How is Gut Crucial in the Absorption of Nutrients in the Body?

There are some functional microbes in your body, which include the bacteria present in your gut. This is responsible for preventing digestion issues and ensuring proper flow of other essential processes in your body.

Therefore, it is extremely crucial for you to maintain the good health of your gut. Good gut health can help in the absorption and adequate utilisation of nutrients in your body.

The bacteria present in your body, also known as the gut microbe, play a significant role in breaking down the nutrients and ensuring their proper utilisation. Therefore, once you consume your food, it passes through the stomach and intestine.

During the moment, most of the nutrients get absorbed. However, in the process, the group of indigestible proteins and carbohydrates then get fermented by the gut bacteria.

Therefore, without properly balanced gut microbes, the nutrients of your consumed food can not be fully broken or utilised, making gut health one of the most important aspects of maintaining your overall health.

How to Ensure Nutrient Absorption in the Body?

Once you are aware of the importance of maintaining your gut health, you should proceed accordingly to improve your gut health. Here we have curated a list of tips you can follow to get digestive wellness and good gut health.

Pair Your Food Correctly

Combining your food correctly can help your body absorb the nutrients better. Hence, you need to be mindful of the nutrient combination you are consuming. Some of the popular and effective food combinations would be Vitamin C with Iron, Calcium with Vitamin C, fat-soluble vitamins with fats etc.

Keeping in mind that protein is the most essential of them all, try to include protein-rich foods in your daily meals to get the maximum benefit for your gut health. Along with that, include green leafy vegetables in your diet to get a good dose of Vitamin A and Vitamin K.

Properly Chew Your Food

Are you the kind of person who finishes everything on the plate very quickly? If yes, then you must have not been chewing your food properly and hence the chances of your nutrient absorption can be very low. This is because, when you chew your food properly, the enzymes present in your mouth get activated, aiding the process of digestion.

Researchers have discovered that chewing your food at least 40 times helps the activation of enzymes, which greatly impacts your gut health.

Eat Mindfully

Along with what you eat, it is important to notice how you eat. This means, that even if you have a good and nutritional diet for you, but you consume your food when you are stressed, your body may not be able to absorb the nutrients properly.

Whenever you are stressed, your brain releases stress hormones, making your heart beat faster. The body then uses its energy to deal with that stress, making your digestive process slower. This impacts your gut health, decreasing the nutrient absorption in your body.

Therefore, make it a habit to avoid distractions while you eat, such as using phones or any arguments. Make sure to relish every bite to allow the secretion of digestive juices in your body.

Drink it or Eat it

The notion that sometimes drinking fruit juices is better for your gut health than having whole fruits, is not always true. As per some of the research conducted by Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, there are some fruits that are more beneficial when consumed whole and vice versa.

For example, drinking orange juice may not be excellent for your gut health since that way it lacks fibre. Therefore, you can plan a diet where you need to consume both whole fruits and the juice version of those at different times, to retain the most nutrition.

Include Prebiotics and Probiotics in Diet

You must know that probiotics are extremely beneficial for our gut health. Probiotics are the fermented foods that contain microorganisms, aiding the process of digestion. These help in breaking down the nutrients from your consumed food, thus maximising the nutrient absorption in your body. These include buttermilk, yoghurt, pickles etc.

On the other hand, prebiotic foods such as potatoes, legumes, oats etc. are indigestible food components. These are crucial for your digestive wellness since they act as the food for your gut biome. So, make sure to go for a planned diet that includes both prebiotics and probiotic foods.

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Final Words

To conclude, there are numerous ways through which you can help improve your gut health, and in turn the nutrient absorption in your body. Now that you are aware that the process of nutrient absorption is significantly related to your gut health, make sure you have a properly planned diet that includes all the essential nutrients, remembering that a happy gut leads to a happy life.

Frequently Asked Questions

The following are some of the commonly asked questions regarding gut health and nutrient absorption in the body

How can I quickly improve my gut health?

The key to improving your gut health as quickly as possible is living a happy life and taking daily nutrients as required. You should increase the consumption of prebiotics and probiotics along with other essential nutrients and try to remain stress-free. These shall positively affect your gut health, improving the nutrient absorption in your body.

Which are the foods that help in the process of digestion?

Some of the foods that are beneficial for your digestion process are green vegetables, fruits, pulses, cereals, olive oil, garlic etc.

Do emotions matter for gut health?

Your digestive system can be considered as your second brain. This is because all your emotions can be directly communicated to your gut and hence, the more stressed you are, the more negatively it will impact your gut, and vice versa.

Why is maintaining gut health so important?

Your gut health is also known as the balancer of your body. The food you consume can be directly reflected in your gut health, which balances the breaking down and utilisation of nutrients in your body. Hence, maintaining good gut health is extremely important.

What are gut microbiota?

Gut microbiota is the set of microorganisms present in your gut, mainly located in the intestinal tract. It aids in the process of digestion by breaking down the nutrients from the food you consume.

Disclaimer: The content on this page is generic and shared only for informational and explanatory purposes. Please consult a doctor before making any health-related decisions.