Comparing Natural Supplements for Gut Health

The human body supports a vast array of microorganisms. Though some are potentially harmful, most share a symbiotic relationship with us.

But nowhere is your microbiome more important than inside your digestive tract. The microorganisms in your intestines perform several key functions. They help break down food for energy and nutrients, produce key vitamins, maintain weight, and support your immune system as it forms a protective barrier.

There are additional, supportive actions you can take to further promote a healthy microbiome. Through diet, for example, you can promote the growth of helpful bacteria and offset harmful ones. Natural supplements for gut health also provide a way to support balance which can have positive effects on your overall well-being. Let’s take a closer look at the actions you can take to promote a more hospitable environment for helpful microorganisms inside your gut.

What We Know About Gut Health

A healthy digestive system depends on the homeostatic balance between the beneficial and pathogenic bacteria in the digestive tract. Since there are more than a thousand bacterial species that may possibly reside in your gut, each person’s microbiome has a unique combination of both. As long as there’s balance, the digestive system remains healthy.

We now know that your physical health, mood, and behavior may be influenced by gut health. For this reason, it is essential to nurture and protect a healthy balance in your digestive tract. Two things that keenly impact gut health are diet and medication. Through diet, you must consume adequate amounts of prebiotic fiber and essential nutrients to support beneficial organisms. Conversely, certain medications like antibiotics can destroy both the good and harmful bacteria inside your GI tract. When this happens, your gut health may be thrown off balance with potential side effects occurring throughout the body until it’s restored.

Natural Supplements for Gut Health

By creating a more nourishing environment in the GI tract, you can encourage the growth of a variety of bacterial species. Supporting bacterial diversity is a great way to maintain homeostatic balance. Here are several supportive actions you can take via diet and natural supplements.

Probiotics

Probiotics, the beneficial bacteria and yeasts that support a healthy microbiome, come from our environment and may be obtained from food. Foods that may contain active, live bacterial cultures include:

• Yogurt, kefir, and some cheeses
• Sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles
• Miso and tempeh
• Kombucha

While some foods have live bacterial cultures present in them, many people choose to take probiotics in powder or capsule form instead. A probiotic supplement is an effective way to add bacterial species to your digestive tract. Many alternatives are available, each containing the organisms needed to create new bacterial colonies in the intestines. Some require refrigeration to preserve the live bacteria.

Prebiotic Fiber

Prebiotic fiber refers to indigestible, complex carbohydrates from plants and fungi. As they move through the digestive tract, they feed and encourage the growth of healthy bacteria. You can promote a diverse and balanced microbiome by eating plenty of fiber-rich foods, including:

• Chia and flax seeds
• Wheat bran, oats, quinoa, and other grains
• Leeks, onions, and garlic
• Apples, bananas, and berries

In addition to dietary fiber, it’s also possible to support microbial diversity through the use of fiber supplements. These may be taken as a powder that can be stirred into foods or beverages, or as capsules. Fiber supplements often contain psyllium husk, methylcellulose, or inulin. Though these polysaccharides are indigestible by humans, they support the energy needs of gut bacteria.

Vitamins and Minerals

A variety of vitamins and minerals support digestive health. These include vitamins A, B complex, C, and D. Many minerals—including calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, selenium, and zinc—are beneficial as well. These nutrients may be obtained from dietary sources or taken as supplements.

Functional Mushrooms

Functional mushrooms have a multitude of gut-supportive benefits. First and foremost, they contain plenty of prebiotic fiber which encourage microbial diversity in the GI tract. In addition, they contain several of the aforementioned vitamins and minerals essential for promoting bacterial growth. Finally, these superfood mushrooms contain numerous bioactive compounds that can help support the immune system, and serve as antioxidants to neutralize free radicals that contribute to oxidative stress.^‡

Besides their common support for gut health, functional mushroom species also carry different benefits that may prompt you to choose one over another:

• Turkey tail provides superior immune support^‡
• Maitake promotes metabolic health^‡
• Cordyceps supports energy at the cellular level for endurance and post-workout recovery^‡
• Lion’s mane provides support for brain and nervous system health^‡

Om Mushroom Superfood offers functional mushrooms in several forms that make them very easy to incorporate into your daily regimen. Powders are a versatile option for smoothies or cooking while capsules are a convenient, on the go way to obtain the nutrients you need. A third option includes a range of functional foods and beverages such as multi-flavor protein powders, coffee creamers, broths, coffees, matchas, cocoas, and cold drink mixes. Regardless of your choice, each option is rich with prebiotic fiber and bioactive compounds.

Supplementing with Functional Mushrooms to Support Gut Health

Maintaining a healthy microbiome in the gut requires daily upkeep and ongoing support. As we continue to learn more about the gut’s role in our health, proactively supporting it is a smart strategy. But remembering to feed the microbial flora in your gut may not be easy at first. So how can you make the process easier? With a daily functional mushroom supplement.

A daily scoop of high-quality mushroom powder stirred into your morning coffee, for example, is one way to support gut health. A functional beverage or breakfast smoothie is another. And cooking with added mushroom powder provides another way to bump up the nutrient content of any recipe.

Maintaining homeostatic balance between the many species in your gut flora involves creating and sustaining a stable environment in your GI tract. This can be accomplished by building a daily dietary fiber habit that promotes microbial diversity. Om’s natural mushroom supplements for gut health can help.^‡

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^‡These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Functional mushroom products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.