Many things can throw one’s microbiome out of kilter. Not eating enough fiber or relying too much on highly processed food can starve the “good bacteria” dwelling in your gut. Frequent and sustained antibiotic use can also unintentionally kill them off.
“Even though it shifts rapidly, if you go back to what you did before, it will likely revert back,” saysSo, what’s the best dietary way to manage your gut? The short answer is prebiotics and probiotics. When we eat foods with prebiotics, we don’t initially break them down completely. That’s where the microbiome comes in. Bacteria in the gut can metabolize the fiber-rich food, and this helps support a healthy balance of good gut bacteria as well as allow the good bacteria to produce metabolites. Those metabolites come in a variety of molecules that help the body in various ways, says Cresci.
Damman adds that he’s not completely against fiber supplements — as long as they are, indeed, a supplement, and not a replacement for naturally occurring fiber.