4 Everyday Foods that can Destroy your Digestive Health

Of course, everyone is different, with different genes and microbiomes. Which it shapes what we can tolerate and what we can’t, and how we react to food is different as well. But I can be sure that what I am going to mention now is certainly ruining your digestive system, not necessary in the short term, but even for a long term, and what’s worse, it can be silent and you are not aware of it. Or, you get used to the bothersome it creates and you insist on not changing the habits of eating them. So here are 4 of everyday foods that can destroy your gut. 

Refined carbohydrates

Rice, bread, pasta… I know you eat them everyday. I believe that I already mentioned this in a previous post, but it needs to be repeated. Anything that has been through long processing is questionable for our health. These are not natural, even though they have a natural origin. And of course, refined carbs are on the top of the list. They are not merely bad because of the long process they’ve been through, which introduces lots of chemical toxins we are not aware of. But they also have a high glycemic index. And with the rise in diabetes and other chronic diseases, I don’t think it is wise to rely on them on a daily basis. They are low in fiber and nutrients as well. I am not saying cut them off your diet, but it would be wiser to take steps toward lowering their intake…They have a lot of good carbs and they are delicious…

You can find some alternatives in 5 Healthy Carbohydrates Choices. And of-course, there are resistant cabs, which are beneficial as well (read more in Are potatoes bad for us?)

Fried foods

It is known that fried food is not favourable for the gut. But I feel like this point needs a little explanation. Frying is a cooking method that exposes food to high temperatures. Which can lead to the occurrence of a toxic chemical called Acrylamide. This chemical occurs when there is a combination between high carbs and an amino acid in a high temperature. Basically in french fries, crackers, cereals, coffee, toasted bread… which is clearly an everyday food item. Moreover, it has the potential to alter our gut microbiome as well. 

But I believe that fried food isn’t bad. Still meat, chicken and fish don’t have this chemical (acrylamide). So, I believe that the kind of fat you are using is what mainly matters. But since we are talking about everyday foods that destroy your gut, researchers found that frying can impair intestinal barrier leading to leaky gut and inflammation. Still inconclusive, so you can use alternatives. When you want to fry, use saturated water, preferably. They’re more stable. Or use avocado oil. But AVOID VEGETABLES OILS. They oxidize, resulting with toxins that increase the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Lactose

Lots of controversies regarding dairy products. To make things short. Make sure that you are consuming organic, hormone free milk or dairy products. Milk was not pointed out unless industrialization intervened. 

To be honest, industrialization isn’t the only reason. 70% of people around the world are lactose intolerant. They can’t digest milk sugar (lactose). As they lack the enzyme lactase. And the lactase that is responsible for digesting lactose (milk sugar), is actually for digesting mothers’ milk and NOT cow’s milk!!! Cow’s milk is kind of too much for our body to handle. Which then, leads to inflammation, starting with the digestive time. 

By the way, other milk sources are a really better choice, as their lactose content is less. Camel’s milk as an example. 

Drinks with caffeine and/or carbonation 

As mentioned above, coffee is one of the items with high acrylamide. However, the dark roasted ones have less of it. But since coffee consumption is high, I believe that a control over the daily consumption is needed. The caffeine found in coffee increases the production of gastric acid, which destroys your digestive system, especially if you already have acidic reflux. Moreover, it leads to inflammation in a lot of people. Milk and sugar make things worse. A combination that calls for digestive problems. 

No need to explain how bad sugary drinks and sodas are. These have nothing good. Sugar in excessive amounts is nearly impossible to digest, leading to inflammation. Furthermore, researchers found that sugar feeds the BAD bacteria in our digestive system, and obviously it has its impacts on health. Those drinks always claimed to energize, waken you…But this is only for a short time. Never lasts… and what’s the point if it’s going to make me sick afterwards. Another thing, a lot of these drinks are sugar free, but the alternatives there are still not good.

To conclude, these are not the only everyday foods that destroy our gut. Spicy food as well, could be lots of households’ everyday food, and cautions should be taken as consuming it. Likewise, breakfast cereals, instant noodles and even ready meals and junk food. All which introduce chemicals, toxins and even imbalances the whole system in the long run and  play a role in causing inflammation in our digestive system.

References:

https://www.medicinenet.com/what_foods_can_ruin_your_gut_health/article.htm