The #1 Best Fruit to Eat For Your Gut Health, Says New Study
Your gut health is more important than you may realize. Your gut not only helps you fight off illness and diseases, but it also communicates with your brain to help the overall health of the rest of your body.
Not only that, but when your gut isn't at its healthiest place, it can cause a lot of pain and discomfort in your stomach and intestines.
Thankfully, you can help your gut by getting enough sleep, exercising, reducing stress when possible, and eating the right types of food.
Many researchers are continually investigating which foods can affect your gut in positive ways, and according to a brand new study from UCLA, grapes can be extremely beneficial to your gut health.
Grapes are full of health benefits and have been known to help with things like better sleep, colon health, and even helping with chemotherapy symptoms. And according to the new study published in the journal Nutrients, grapes may also have a positive effect on the gut microbiome, as well as cholesterol and bile acid levels.
Many of the health benefits from grapes come from their high fiber content and phytochemicals called catechins. Catechins are known to help with inflammation in the body, but they can also help promote good bacteria in the gut and balance out the intestinal flora.
In this UCLA study, participants consumed 46 grams of grape powder per day, which is equal to about two servings of whole grapes. After 4 weeks, there was not only a trending decrease of LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) by 5.9%, but the diversity of the participants' gut microbiome significantly grew.
Your gut health is extremely important to your overall health, and according to UCLA, having an "altered" gut microbiome is often associated with metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. An article from Nature adds that an imbalanced gut can also lead to stomach discomfort and things like irritable bowel disease.
On the other hand, with a healthy and diverse gut microbiome, your immune system can thrive and function properly, increasing your protection from illness.
This recent study shows promising effects of consuming grapes or grape powder for your overall gut microbiome and health. This study is new and the topic requires further research, but you can safely add grapes to your next grocery list and enjoy their gut-healthy benefits!
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