5 best vitamins for gut health

While there are many different vitamins out there, in this article we'll look at some of the most beneficial vitamins for gut health. But before we get into the specifics, let's consider more general ways to improve your gut health and combat inflammation.

5 best vitamins for gut health

While there are many different vitamins out there, in this article we'll look at some of the most beneficial vitamins for gut health. But before we get into the specifics, let's consider more general ways to improve your gut health and combat inflammation.

What can I take to improve my gut health?

To improve your gut health, you might want to take a probiotic supplement. It's possible to have too much bad bacteria in your gut if you live a more hectic lifestyle or if you have an imbalance of good and bad bacteria. Probiotics can help to restore the balance of healthy gut flora and are often taken as supplements in pill form.

Try to get lots of veggies in your diet too. Vegetables contain prebiotics such as resistant starch that feed our beneficial probiotic bugs helping them thrive further down into our guts.

What vitamins are good for gut inflammation?

Gut inflammation is the most common cause of abdominal pain. It is also associated with a range of other symptoms and illnesses, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, or an infection or allergic reaction to food.

There are a few vitamins that can help with gut inflammation. These include:

• Vitamin A

• Vitamin D

• Vitamin E (and other antioxidants)

• Vitamin K

These vitamins may help because they're fat soluble and work to reduce the imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body. They also play a role in the production of taurine, which helps keep your gut lining healthy. There's also evidence that zinc might be beneficial for IBDs such as Crohn's or ulcerative colitis—more research is needed to confirm this, but it makes sense given its role in immune function and cell division.

What vitamins are good for gut health?

Now let's dive deeper into the best vitamins for digestion and gut health.

1. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that may help reduce damage from inflammation. It’s also needed for the production of collagen, a protein that helps keep your gut lining healthy.

Vitamin C can be obtained from a variety of foods such as citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes and dark leafy greens.

2. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps with calcium absorption. It also plays an important role in immune function and cell division. In fact, studies have found that people who are deficient in vitamin D experience more digestive issues than those who get enough.

Good sources of vitamin D include fatty fish like salmon and tuna, as well as fortified milk and cereals.

3. Vitamin B

Vitamin B is a group of eight water-soluble vitamins that are important for the body’s metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and protein. They also play a key role in making sure your body can produce energy from the foods you eat. One particular type of vitamin B called biotin has been shown to help prevent diarrhea and constipation.

4. Vitamin A

Vitamin A is definitely one of the top vitamins good for gut health. It helps protect the lining of the intestines from damage and plays a role in keeping your immune system healthy.

One study found that people who took supplements containing vitamin A experienced less diarrhea than those who didn’t.

5. Magnesium

We've been a bit cheeky putting magnesium on our list of vitamins for gut health as it's technically a mineral. We couldn't help but sneak it on as it helps regulate muscle contractions in the digestive tract and promotes a healthy balance of bacteria in your intestines.

Magnesium can be found in some foods—such as spinach, almonds, cashews and black beans—but only about half of Americans get enough magnesium from what they eat alone.

What should I take daily for gut health?

Maintaining a healthy gut is essential for a well-rounded, healthy diet. The gut is home to millions of bacteria that aid in digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune system function. In fact, 80% of our immune system resides in the digestive tract. These good bacteria also help keep bad bacteria at bay by competing for space and food. But when these good microbes are not present or don’t have enough room to thrive (like after taking an antibiotic), they can be overtaken by the bad stuff—leaving you more susceptible to illness and infection.

There are a lot of different vitamins that you can take to improve your gut health. We’ve looked at the most important ones here, but we know it can be tricky to get them all in. Supplements can help fill in the nutritional gaps in your diet, ensuring you get the vitamins good for gut health.