Food That's Bad for Your Intestines

Intestines are part of the digestive system that function to absorb nutrients from food and drain food waste through the waste tract. Your body needs healthy intestines to be able to absorb nutrients optimally so that the whole body gets sufficient nutrient supplies. And healthy intestines are majorly influenced by 2 factors: bacteria and microbes, and food.

Bacteria and microbes in the intestines play an important role in helping the body to digest food. Good bacteria also help the body to fight against harmful bacteria, fungus, and other harmful microbes. While food has a big role in influencing the environment of the intestines. Some food is good for feeding the good bacteria or add even more good bacteria to the body.

On the other hand, there is also food that's bad for your intestines because they can cause digestive health issues. Below is the list of foods that you mustn't consume too much for the sake of your digestive system.

Animal Protein

Food that we can easily find like milk, eggs, and meat indeed bring many benefits for health. These foods are rich in animal proteins and other nutrients, such as choline. However, consuming too much food that's high in animal proteins can cause a dangerous change on the microbiomes in the intestines.

A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA compared the bacteria in the intestines of children in rural areas in Africa with the ones of Italian children. For information, the Italian children consume more meat while African children consume foods high in fiber and pea proteins.

As a result, the researchers found that the African kids have much good gut bacteria related to lower inflammation. While the Italian kids have more bacteria related to illnesses and inflammation.

Processed Food

The most damaging foods for the intestines are sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and all processed food. Processed foods that are high in sugar and low in fiber will reduce the number of good bacteria in the intestines. As it is said before, good bacteria are important for the digestive system and health.

On the other hand, consuming food rich in fiber, low in salt and sugar becomes the best dietary habit to keep the intestines healthy.

Deep-Fried Food

It cannot be denied that French fries, fried chickens, and other fries like onion rings are the yummiest foods. Everyone loves these foods. But you should avoid these foods if you want to keep your intestines and digestive system healthy. Many nutritionists say that deep-fried foods can quickly damage the environment of the organ.

Such foods can increase the growth of unwanted bacteria that can cause inflammation, gas, and stomach cramps. Moreover, deep-fried foods are more difficult to be digested by the body. It's because the cooking oil used is mostly high in trans fats and saturated fats that can trigger irritations and diarrhea.

The American Liver Foundation explained that limiting deep-fried food to consume can lower the risk of liver illnesses. Liver illnesses can trigger various digestive problems and damage overall health.

Processed Sugar

Foods made with processed sugar like cookies, candies, and sweet drinks can cause damage to the intestines. Sugar, especially fructose corn syrup, can reduce the number of good bacteria and increase bad bacteria in the organ. This condition can lead to inflammation that can affect the intestines walls. So, if you want to keep your intestines healthy, reduce your consumption of foods made with processed sugar.

Artificial Sweetener

There are already so many studies showing that artificial sweeteners can increase the risk of chronic illnesses. They are also one of the main factors of obesity or being overweight. Apparently, artificial sweeteners are harmful as well for the intestines. A study published in the journal of Advances in Nutrition emphasized how artificial sweeteners can affect microbes in the intestines.

This research proved that artificial sweeteners could cause an alteration to the body metabolism related to glucose intolerance. Therefore, limit your consumption of food that contains artificial sweeteners.

White Flour

Refined grains in white bread and other foods containing white flour can boost the blood sugar level, which triggers insulin resistance. This condition can increase the risk of colon cancer, as well as other cancers. Grains are actually the primary source of fibers. But because they undergo so much processing, white flour doesn't have as much fiber as whole grains.

So, it's better to replace white flour with whole grains, such as quinoa, sorghum, and buckwheat. Whole oats and quinoa are popular ingredients for breakfast. You can have them with Greek yogurt or add them to make a smoothie.

Legumes

The next food that's bad for your intestines is legumes. Legumes are actually rich in proteins and fibers that are good for health. But they also contain sugar that is hard to digest, causing bloating and stomach cramps. And the body doesn't have enzymes that can break the sugar down. So, bacteria in the body do the job, releasing gas in the process. To get rid of this unwanted sugar, you can soak legumes for 4 hours before cooking it.

Protein Bar

Who knows that this popular food is actually not really good for the intestines? Protein bars are an energy-enhancing food full of protein, which are said to be able to replace main meals. Quite many people love it as it is practical and easy to find. But in fact, protein bars contain a lot of sugar and carbs that can negatively affect the intestines.

Occasionally consuming a protein bar is fine. But a nutritionist named Trista Best explained that replacing main meals with it will be very harmful for the health of the intestines, as well as the overall metabolism.

Healthy intestines are the key to maintaining overall health. And one of the things that you can do to have healthy intestines is by avoiding consuming too much food that's bad for your intestines. Moreover, it's also crucial to have a healthy lifestyle, such as getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and regularly working out.