These ‘Harmless’ Snacks Are Killing Your Gut: Avoid Them If You Want to Lose Weight and Stay Healthy

Of course, we all know the basic concepts of healthy and unhealthy eating. And there is nothing terrible in indulging yourself with delicious things – everyone does it, and life would be very sad without this opportunity.

However, some foods are harmful not only because they contain fat and sugar, but their chemical properties are especially detrimental to the normal functioning of digestion. Try to refrain from them and know that even if they seem harmless (“just think, a few extra dozen calories!”), the harm they cause is severe enough that it is not easy to compensate for it.

What could be more appetizing than a deep-fried fast food fry dripping with grease or fries from a bag? However, the combination of starchy carbs, oil, and salt is the most damaging thing you can put in your gut. With the abuse of fried potatoes and french fries, intestinal inflammation will not take long.

High levels of refined sugar and high fructose processed syrups in the diet can seriously upset the balance between “good” and “bad” gut microbes and worsen gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, gas, pain and loose stools. All sweets from the supermarket automatically fall into this pest list, except, oddly enough, dark chocolate. Among its useful properties is the ability, on the contrary, to maintain intestinal health. Hey, we mean multiple slices, not one tile at a time!

With added sugar, everything has been clear for a long time, but artificial sweeteners are not without sin. The most common disrupt the natural bond of healthy bacteria in the microbiome. Additionally, recent research suggests that artificial sweeteners can cause changes in the microbiome and lead to insulin resistance and consequent weight gain.

Meat products unfortunately remain a dietary factor causing intestinal oncology. But don’t think that only smoked meat lovers are at risk – boiled sausages, with their more “healthy” image, are also a product of meat processing and carry risks. Sausages and frankfurters alter the microbiome and, for example, a product that is generally natural and rich in healthy fats such as lard changes its properties to harmful when fried.

Yeast-free dry crackers are a good snack. Along with cheese, they are among the snacks that can be on the menu even if you are losing weight or need to balance your blood sugar. But beware, only if it’s whole grain crackers! Processed white flour crackers contain little to no valuable fiber, but they do contain sugar, salt and fat, all of which destroy the gut microbiome.

The high sugar content of carbonated drinks literally changes the physical properties of the intestines, drawing excess water there – this causes diarrhea and can lead to chronic irritation of the intestinal walls. Artificial sweeteners in the composition, as we have already discovered, do not affect the microbiome better.

What is good for the intestines: fiber-rich foods, unprocessed foods, fermented foods help maintain microbiome balance.