Diet & Nutrition
What to eat for a healthier gut: the foods, fibers, and supplements that support digestion and a balanced microbiome, and the ones that are more hype than help.
The most gut-friendly diet is simply a diverse, plant-rich one. Fiber from vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds feeds your good bacteria, while fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut add live microbes and diversity. A Stanford trial found a fermented-food diet boosted microbial diversity and lowered inflammation markers. Variety matters most, so aim for a wide range of plants each week.
See our roundup of 20 foods that can transform your gut health.
Yes, it's one of the best-studied diets for the gut. Its emphasis on vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, and fish delivers exactly the fiber and healthy fats that beneficial microbes thrive on, which is linked to greater microbial diversity and lower inflammation.
We cover why in why the Mediterranean diet tops the list.
Anti-inflammatory eating leans on the same staples:
- increasing omega-3-rich fish, olive oil, colourful fruit and vegetables (especially berries and leafy greens), and fermented foods;
- cutting back on ultra-processed foods, excess added sugar, and alcohol.
The fiber in these foods feeds bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids, which help calm the gut lining.
More in foods that heal gut inflammation.
Both have real, if modest, benefits. Ginger can help stimulate digestion and ease nausea and sluggish motility, while curcumin (the active compound in turmeric) has anti-inflammatory properties, though it's poorly absorbed unless paired with black pepper or a little fat. They can be a helpful addition, not a solution to cure all your gut problems.
We dig into the science in turmeric and ginger on gut health.
For many people, yes. Coffee stimulates the gastrocolic reflex, the wave of colon contractions triggered when something enters your stomach. That's why the urge can strike within minutes, especially on an empty stomach in the morning. It's not purely the caffeine, either; even decaf has some effect.
Full explanation here: why coffee makes you poop.
It does, and the clinical evidence backs it up. Prunes and their juice are rich in fiber plus sorbitol, a natural sugar alcohol that pulls water into the colon to soften stool and get things moving. In head-to-head studies, prunes have held up well against fiber supplements.
Yes. Ground flaxseed delivers both soluble and insoluble fiber, which add bulk and softness to stool. It also contains omega-3s, making it a gentle, well-tolerated way to support regularity. Grind it (or buy it milled) so your body can access the fiber, and drink plenty of water alongside it.
Results depend heavily on the strain: certain Bifidobacterium strains have the strongest clinical evidence for improving stool frequency and transit, while many other products do little. They can help people relieve constipation as part of a broader routine, rather than working as a standalone fix.
We cover most evidence-based options in the best probiotics for constipation.
A handful of supplements have decent evidence: fiber supplements like psyllium for regularity, peppermint oil for IBS-type discomfort, and specific digestive enzymes (such as lactase) when a particular food is the trigger. Probiotics help some people but are strain-dependent — and for most of us, a fiber-rich, fermented-food diet beats a pill.
We sort the useful from the hype in gut health supplements: do they really work?.