I know how overwhelming it can be when your gut health goes south and you don’t know where to start. Probiotic companies are popping up left right and center, it can be difficult to decipher through the marketing BS and know what products will actually deliver.
I’ve rounded up my top 5 supplements that have been the most beneficial to me for my own gut journey. I’ve included exact brands that I use and trust with each image linked up to their corresponding website.
As always, feel free to reach out to me via IG if you have any questions about any of these products.
L-Glutamine
For the longest time I had assumed L-Glutamine was just a sports supplement, one only needed by bodybuilders looking to preserve their muscles, and although it’s still used for that L-glutamine also does wonders for those with leaky gut, IBS, ulcers or any other inflammatory gut issue. Glutamine is one of 20 essential amino acids and is actually the most abundant one in the bloodstream, but it’s important to know, majority of people don’t get enough L-glutamine from their food alone. That’s why supplementing your diet with L-glutamine is an excellent way to boost your immune system and improve your ability to fight infection and diseases.
It works by boosting immune cell activity in the gut, helping prevent infection and inflammation, as well as soothing and repairing the intestinal tract.
NutraBio is a brand that I’ve been using for 6 months, it is completely pure, tasteless and easily dissolves into water. I take one scoop each morning right before breakfast, initially to help heal mu gut lining and now to maintain optimal gut health.
Probiotics
Probiotics, are bacteria strains that are considered beneficial to your microbiome. The word ‘probiotic’ though gets thrown around like rice at a wedding. It’s even popping up in processed food – Probiotic chips, probiotics in kombucha, hell there’s even probiotic chocolate on the market. Because these foods are processed most of these ‘probiotics’ are dead before they even enter our mouths. What’s also important to know, is that many probiotics are destroyed by our stomach acid before they’re able to be utilized.
This is why I swear by Silver Fern. Their probiotics supplement have a 100% survivability rate so the strains you’re consuming, reach the end destination completely in tact. I have been taking these for a year now and have noticed a huge improvement in my gut health.
use code ‘PEANUTHEAD’ for a discount
Collagen
Studies have shown that collagen can help aid digestion, reduce gut inflammation, heal stomach ulcers, and regulate acid secretion. The reason collagen is able to help with all of these issues is because of its robust amino acid profile. Remember glutamine? Well, collagen contains both glutamine AND glycine. Both are essential amino acids which work together to help seal the lining of the gut and reduce inflammation (which is where many of our gut issues come from).
Digestive Enzymes
When we eat a meal, it’s our digestive systems job to absorb the nutrients from that food. Food has to be broken down from things like steak and broccoli. Eg. amino acids (from proteins), fatty acids and cholesterol (from fats), and simple sugars (from carbohydrates), as well as vitamins, minerals, and a variety of other plant and animal compounds. Digestive enzymes, which are primarily produced in the pancreas and small intestine, break down our food into nutrients so that our bodies can absorb them.
But if we don’t have enough digestive enzymes, we can’t break down our food—which means even though we’re eating well, we aren’t absorbing all that good nutrition.This is where supplementation can be hugely beneficial. Think of this supplement as a helping hand, so your body can use its energy on helping you heal rather than trying to digest and extract the nutrients from your last meal.
Again, Silver Fern has been a great brand for me, their digestive enzymes are 3X stronger than common enzymes and provide 100% intestinal pH coverage. I took 1-2 every day during the thick of my gut problems and take them every now and then to assist in digesting heavy meals or when i’m traveling and eating out constantly.
Bone Broth
This last one is technically a food but I truly believe we should consider this a supplement as it adds so many healing benefits to our entire body. If we’re looking at the gut specifically, bone broth contains a rich amount of amino acids like glutamine, proline and glycine which we know helps seal the lining of the gut, It also contains collagen AND gelatin which are hugely beneficial to our gut lining and repairing any damage made from inflammatory foods/bad bacteria.
Bonafide Provisions is a great brand they are my go to because their bone broth actually tastes good and is made from pasture raised animals, it’s also widely available (I get mine from Wholefoods). If you’re local to LA OWL Venice do amazing small batch bone broths. But whatever brand you go for – make sure you’re consuming grass fed, organic broth.
