Digestive Health Facts for You to Digest

Your digestive system moves food and drink through and out of your body. Good digestive health helps your body make the most of what you eat and drink.

Your digestive system includes the following:

As food and drink move through these organs, it gets broken down into tiny pieces. Waste gets passed out of your body. The remaining nutrients get distributed to help your organs function. These vital nutrients include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Thanks to these nutrients, you grow and feel energized. These nutrients also repair cells damaged by infections and toxins. 

Eating for Digestive Health

Good digestive health requires you to eat the right types of food. One of the most important types is foods containing fiber. There are two different types of fiber: insoluble and soluble. 

Insoluble fiber keeps food moving through the digestive tract. Soluble fiber slows down digestion, so you feel full longer. Both are important for a healthy digestive system, helping prevent constipation and other issues.

Insoluble fiber includes:

• Whole wheat flour
• Wheat bran
• Nuts
• Beans
• Cauliflower
• Green beans
• Potatoes

Soluble fiber can be found in foods like:

• Oats
• Barley
• Beans
• Peas
• Carrots
• Apples
• Citrus fruit
• Psyllium

Gut-Boosting Foods and Probiotics

In addition to fiber, probiotics and fermented foods may help you maintain good digestive health.

Inside your digestive system is a gut microbiome, which is made of trillions of bacteria. A healthy balance of these living microorganisms leads to a healthier gut.

While research is ongoing, probiotic foods and supplements seem to increase the amount of beneficial bacteria living in your gut. Yogurt is one food known to contain probiotic bacteria. Certain yogurt brands allow the yogurt to ferment to increase the bacteria level. If the International Dairy Foods Association verifies the bacteria level, the yogurt may be labeled as containing live and active cultures.

Prebiotic foods help probiotics get to work by encouraging probiotic growth. Many foods that are high in fiber—fruits, vegetables, whole grains and more—also contain prebiotics. 

With a healthy gut microbiome, you reduce your risk for many diseases, according to research published in Nutrients. A few diseases good gut health protects against include:

• Colorectal cancer
• Heart disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease 
• Type 2 diabetes

Hydration and Digestive Health

Water has gut health benefits, including helping regulate body temperature and lubricating joints. It softens stools, reducing the risk of constipation, and it helps your body break food into useful pieces.

Since you lose water and other fluids through sweat and urination, you’ll need to drink plenty to keep your gut in good supply. That said, there is no recommended amount of water to drink. If your urine is clear and you don’t feel thirsty, you’re likely drinking enough. 

However, if you feel thirsty or dizzy, have dark urine or sweat less than usual, you may be dehydrated and need to drink more.

Need help getting enough water in your life? Try these tips.

• Bottle it up. Buy a reusable water bottle and keep it filled and on hand all day long. Sip on it throughout the day and refill as necessary.
• Add flavor. If you’re not used to drinking plain water, give it some extra taste. To stay healthy, add a lemon or lime wedge.
• Order water. When eating out, ask for water instead of soda or beer. Both non-water options contain useless calories and cost more.
• Take time for tea. Tea contains a lot of water. Just be careful. Too much added sugar may increase your waistline. Drink too much caffeine in the afternoon or evening, and you may have a hard time falling asleep.

Lifestyle Habits for Digestive Wellness

How you live each day also affects your digestive health. An overall healthy lifestyle helps your gut microbiome. Everyday health tips you should follow include: 

• Don’t smoke. Smoking can change what bacteria live in your gut. Such a change can cause various problems, including an increased risk of Crohn’s disease. With this chronic condition, you may experience symptoms such as cramping and diarrhea.
• Get regular exercise. Physical activity keeps your bowels moving, helping you avoid constipation. Exercise also improves bacteria levels in your gut, and it may even protect against colon cancer.
• Manage stress. Unmanaged stress may lead to irritable bowel syndrome, a common bowel disorder that causes diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain and other unwanted symptoms.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity increases your risk for many health problems, including conditions within the gastrointestinal tract. You may experience reflux and heartburn or more serious conditions, including cancer.
• Sleep well. Getting at least seven hours of shuteye every night helps you maintain good digestive health. On the flip side, a healthy gut helps you sleep better.

Listen to a Podcast

How to Have a Healthy Gut

Your “gut” is a key component to good health. But what happens if you begin to have problems with digestion or elimination? How can you get back that delicate balance of healthy bacteria? Do probiotics help? What about going gluten-free? In this podcast, Dr. Sagal Ali, a gastroenterologist and gut health expert, discusses what gut health really means and how to have a healthy, happy belly and GI tract.

Download the podcast here.

More to Read

• IBD vs. IBS: What’s the Difference?
• How to Relieve Diverticulitis Symptoms
• What Is the Difference Between Prebiotic and Probiotic Foods?
• 5 Ways to Improve Gut Health

Medically reviewed by Sagal Ali, MD.