Prioritising your diet is essential for effective digestion and giving your gut the best hope at healthy bacteria levels. However, your diet is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to digestion, and there are several other simple, natural measures we can take to ensure we are digesting our meals properly.

Let us take a look at seven ways to improve digestion naturally:

Drink plenty of water

Drinking water may be the most important thing we ever have to do, yet, about 50% of us don't drink enough! Water has several benefits for digestion and the body, one of which is absorbing and breaking down the food that we eat.

When we are dehydrated, our digestion slows down and it can lead to stomach upset. Ensuring we are drinking enough water can bring a host of benefits from mental clarity to a level of appetite. Adults should aim to drink around eight glasses of water daily depending on their size and caloric output.

Avoid lying down after eating

A lie down after a heavy meal is one of life’s simple pleasures, so we bring this bad news with a heavy heart. Walking, standing or sitting after a meal is an easy way to improve digestion.

When we lie down, the acids involved in the digestive process can keep going back and forth between the throat and stomach, which may cause heartburn. Not only does this cause discomfort, it can also hamper our digestive abilities. Avoiding lying down immediately after eating to help you digest food more easily, and evenly distribute the acids needed to digest food.

Add prebiotics to your diet

Adding prebiotics (not to be confused with probiotics) to your diet can help improve digestive health as they fuel the growth of good bacteria in our gut. This, in turn, improves our digestion and overall gastrointestinal health. Foods high in fibre, such as bananas, apples, and leafy greens, are great sources of prebiotics.

Add probiotics to your diet

Probiotics is an umbrella term for all the good bacteria and microorganisms found inside our gut. Adding more probiotics to your diet helps the body fight off bad bacteria and is a great way to improve gut health fast. Probiotics are found in fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir, and tempeh for more probiotics. Foods such as yogurt, sourdough, and buttermilk are also good sources of probiotics.

Add zinc to your diet

Zinc supports digestive health by boosting the absorption of nutrients and protects the mucosal linings of our intestines. Leafy greens and red meats are great sources of zinc. Zinc is important for digestion as it supports the production of digestive enzymes that allow you to break food into smaller molecules.

Turmeric for digestion

Turmeric is a great way to support the digestive tract due to its active ingredient curcumin. Curcumin is widely known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This component of turmeric helps in supporting digestion and overall digestive health. You can add turmeric to your meals or drink it as tea.

Consider taking supplements

We aren't always able to get all the nutrients we need from a healthy diet alone. In these cases, we can consider taking supplements to bolster our digestive health. Consult your doctor or healthcare provider before taking any supplements.

Help improve your digestive health today by complementing your diet with Vitable vitamins. Subscribe now to get your vitamin subscription in Australia delivered straight to your door.

Find out more about other areas that the above supplements can help you with:

Zinc | Probiotic SB | Daily probiotics | Curcumin