Inflammation is a normal part of the body’s natural defense process – it’s why surface level injuries turn red and swollen as the body tries to heal. But inflammation can also happen internally and it can be chronic, meaning that it persists way longer than it should. 

You may have heard of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); that’s when the immune system attacks the bowel, causing it to become inflamed. Gut inflammation, however, is when the lining of the gut becomes inflamed. While IBD is a serious medical condition that affects around 300,000 people in the UK, gut inflammation has become something of a buzz phrase online – part of the gut reset/detox/healing chatter that’s taken over wellness Instagram and TikTok. 

As with most things online, there’s usually a grain of truth behind the most wild claims. So, what actually is gut inflammation, how serious is it, and might our diets be responsible? 

“Inflammation of the gut is when the gut’s lining becomes swollen and painful,” says Dr Nirusa Kumaran, medical director and founder of Elemental Health Clinic. “This can be subclinical, meaning there is no medical diagnosis for why it is happening, but it could also be because of more serious medical conditions called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which include Crohn’s and colitis.”

Dr Kumaran says that IBD symptoms include “bloody diarrhoea, significant abdominal pain, urgency to defecate and weight loss”.

But many more people complain about having stomach issues who don’t have IBD. According to Bupa, as many as 20% of Brits have IBS, with many developing non-specific abdominal pain, frequent bloating, gas, diarrhoea and/or constipation in their 20s and 30s. Could that possibly be linked to our gut health?

IBD is an autoimmune condition that also often has genetic factors. Subclinical gut inflammation, however, is a different kettle of fish. It’s usually caused (or at least exacerbated) by lifestyle factors – including nutrition.

“Many different foods can trigger gut inflammation, but typically pro-inflammatory foods are refined sugar and ultra-processed meats. The main way these foods trigger inflammation is through dysbiosis, which is an imbalance between the good and bad bacteria in the gut microbiome,” says Dr Kumaran. 

A robust review of the literature on intestinal inflammation, published in 2020 in the journal Gut, found that processed foods and animal-derived foods were consistently associated with higher abundances of so-called ‘bad’ bacterias such as Firmicutes and Ruminococcus. Meanwhile, plant foods and fish were associated with short-chain fatty acid-producing microbes and an abundance of ‘good bacteria’.

Researchers concluded that vegetables, legumes, grains, fish and nuts are good anti-inflammatory foods, along with coffee consumption, polyphenol intake and even red wine. Meanwhile, diets high in animal protein, saturated fats, salts and sugars tend to be harmful for the good bacteria (and simultaneously lower in fibre, a crucial nutrient for gut health). 

Before you throw out all of your chocolate bars, researchers pointed out that the impact of these foods occurs with long-term dietary patterns. It is what you eat consistently that counts for the most part, so occasional meals or snacks that contain sugar or salt aren’t going to be detrimental to your health.

And Dr Kumaran says that it’s not just what you eat that can have an impact on gut inflammation. “It can also be triggered by factors including stress, environmental toxins, parasite infections, conditions such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or small intestinal fungal overgrowth, smoking, excess alcohol consumption and being sedentary,” Dr Kumaran adds.

According to that Gut journal research, the key to reducing gut inflammation and redressing the balance of bacteria is simple: eat more plants. It’s yet more proof that we should be aiming to eat 30 different plants a week, which is a far better approach than trying to cut foods out. Rather than concentrating on ditching the bacon or the Haribo, think about how you can squeeze plants into every part of your day. You may well find that by having a dessert packed with berries, nuts and gut-loving yoghurt, you only have room for a few squares of chocolate or the odd sweet. Or by cooking up a veg-heavy dinner, proceed meats don’t really go with the dish.

5 simple tips for better gut health

1. Aim for at least 30 different plant foods a week. Go for colourful fruits and vegetables as these will contain a variety of antioxidants and polyphenols required to help the gut.
2. Try to have at least one fermented food a day, as these contain pre- and probiotics. Foods include kimchi, kombucha, yoghurt and tempeh.
3. Eat whole grains where possible.
4. Limit red meat intake to once or twice a week.
5. Have plenty of healthy fats and omega-3 containing foods which are anti-inflammatory, such as flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, walnuts and oily fish.

And remember, if you have any serious symptoms or are worried you might be suffering from IBD, then visit your doctor.

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